phaelon56

Not sure if the Englewood location is doing this but they have a great concept at the Union Square location (Broadway and 15th across from the movie theatre just south of the Square) . It's sandwiches (good but horrendously overpriced - the bread is the real attraction) and coffee drinks duringf the day but they have a full bar at night. Finally.... a place where us teetotalers (or espresso fiends) can hang out with our imbibing friends in the evening and no compromise - everyone gets the kind of drink they want and those 'smores at the table with the miniature hibachi really are a cool idea. I don't necessarily like the execution/organization of these Cosi's but they have some good ideas.

I can only say that good food, good service, good manners and common courtesy should not be (and last time I checked were not) contingent on the geographic location or origin of either the restaurant or the diner. Am I missing something here? I'm not upper-crust or elitist nor am I a gourmand, a foodie or part of any in-crowd. I treat people in the way that I was taught to by my parents and am able to add in an extra bit of patience and tolerance that comes from having worked in customer service related professions for many years. On the rare occasions that I encounter bad service I'm not afraid to identify and certainly wouldn't hesitate to post my experience here. My fine dining experiences are far and few between but when we arrived ten minutes early at Danube for our reservation and the table wasn't ready, they found us a comfortable seat in the bar and brought us a complimentary cocktail immediately. When I had to cancel a dinner reservation at Blue Hill, the person on the phone thanked me profusely for having the courtesy and forethought o cancel and advised that she hoped we'd be able to dine there on some other occasion. Nothing too complicated about any of that is there? If a restaurant's service suffers because they are so popular that they're constantly booked and turning away so many customers..... we should all wish for such painful success. If the staff at a popular TV chef's restaurant doesn't like the shift in clientele that occurs when lots of tourists and other out of town folks begin dining there.... they're free to look for jobs elsewhere. Are they complaining about working in a popular restaurant with lots of turns, high prices and presumably fairly good tip income? I think not. If I receive unfriendly or less than competent service from one person on a restaurant staff I chalk it up to that person having a bad day or some other isolated issue. If I receieve such treatment from multiple individuals at various stages in the reservation, arrival and dining experience, I presume there to be a problem of greater depth and scope and vote with my wallet by dining elsewhere in the future.

Blueberry and mint sounds like a natural. Just contemplating it in my mental taste sensation center (which becomes particularly active at this time of day).... I'm thinking that watermelon, peach, apricot and maybe just maybe strawberries would also mesh nicely. I'm ruling out bananas and oranges but I think a sweet grapefruit might work nicely. Haven't really contemplated the rest of the melon family or any of the less abundant berries....

Yes.... very nice response and if I was still living in NJ I'd buy from them as a show of support if nothing else (although I'm sure i could find a way to force down some of those baked goods I had an uncle who worked as a food salesman for many, many years (Standard Brands - they owned Blue Bonnet, Royal Gelatine and Planter's Peanuts among others and yes my first real job was working as "Mr. Peanut"). He had close relationships with the management in some very reputable grocey chains and said it was amazing what tiny petty things they could be fined for.... e.g. back in the days before the workplace no-smoking laws, a visiting salesman might stub out a cigarette on the concrete floor in the warehouse adjacent to where it entered the bakery or butcher's area. Ten minutes later the county health inspector happens through and a violation is issued (this is not hypothetical - it really happened). I think we owe it to ourselves and to businesses that deserve our support to give them the beneift of the doubt when we see that some sort of violsation has occurred or a "conditional" rating has temporarily been issued pending correction. Not to mention how happy I am that at least one gas station is listed as having its problems corrected - now I can happily eat gas station pizza and hot dogs again knowing that it's safe and healthy not to mention downright tasty

Having been to Vancouver only once for a quick that involved a single meal in a rather non-descript suburban restaurant, I can't comment on the food scene but just love reading these comments on the espresso scene and look forward to more. Malachi - where is it that you work exactly? I'm always in favor of trying out a place that serves a good ristretto as that's what I make at home exclusively (well it's actually a doppio ristretto if you wanna get specific). Damned if I know scientifically what causes it but I definitely get a sweeter and less bitter shot. I'm intrigued by the notion of letting the first bit of liquid from the preinfusion go straight to the drip tray. How muich is this in terms of length? perhaps a second or so of pull time or do you judge by color? Feel free to answer this on your thread at Cofeegeek if you prefer as I spend a bit more time there than I do here.

I'm of the dual use camp - I get plastic for small items and small grocery trips (I live alone, cook no more than twice per week and buy many things in bulk) and get paper bags for reinforcement or just grab some extras. Paper bags get used for collecting recycled paper - newspaper, junk mail, magazines etc and the plastic bags either get used for an extra layer around ziploc'd items to be frozen or go in my handy Ikea bag collector. It's a chap plastic half cylinder about 24" high and8" wide - hangs on the inside of a cabinet door or in a closet and has a couple holes that the bags can be pulled out from. You just stuff them in the top and if it gets overly full I take in the excess to the store for recycling. My favorite plastic vs. paper story: living in ithaca NY in the early 90's, I'm in the express line behind some incredibly indecisive person who is asked "paper or plastic?" by the clerk. Said person hems and haws with an anguished look and says.... "I'm not cure which one - I'm buying this stuff for someone else and I dont' know which one they use."!

I'm in no poistion to offer info about the specifics of how easy it is to get a liquor license in FL but it's certainly not the sort of BYO situation that exists in NJ. Bars and restauranst abound and it seems that darn near everyone serves alcohol. FL is one of the southrn states where they even have drive through liquor stores.

In the nearly four years that I've been living in the NYC area I have yet to try an outstanding hot dog. I end up with Gray's Papaya more than anyone else's just by virtue of the location on 8th Ave, close to where I usually park when in the city. I'm now relocating back to my hometown of Syracuse and Hoffman's are the gold standard here. It's an old German sausage maker that's been here for about a hundred years or so (the Germans came here to make the barrels used in the salt industry and also started the local ecclesiastical candle companies that still make the majority of church candles sold in the US). Hoffman's doesn't have a web site of their own - they're probably available in Wegman's if you're near one or they could likely order you a five lb package. Here's a source for Central NY food products that has them for sale but looks a bit pricey (although the freight charges are a significant factor).

For a sit-down non fast-food restaurant I think Houston's is the best I've tried. I'll leave places like Ruth's Chris and Morton's out of the discussion because much like Herb, I just don't see the value proposen I'm proposition. I believe Houston's is a chain, correct? On the fast-food end of the spectrum it's got to be Chik-Fil-A. They make an outstanding chicken sandwich that is reasonably priced and they're very consistent. I can't comment on BK and Mickey D's as I really never eat at them except on rare occasions when on a road trip and have no other choice. I always opt for a grilled chicken sandwich w/tomato and lettuce when I have to eat there. That said.... I tried the grilled chicken at Wendy's this past weekend when I was stuck on a road trip and it was the best of the lot (Chik-Fil-A excepted). When I'm stuck in a strange location with few options and trying to work on a budget I just find a Chinese take-out place and get a pint of hot sour soup and a pint of rice. generally comes in at under $3 with tax and is invriably more satisfying and tastier than any fast-food meal I can think of.

You are nothing if not persistent. I admire your tenacity - I'd stop trying after the first four times if I still found them closed.

My favorite family story is about the time one of my mom's brothers, who was assigned to color the oleo, inadvertantly colored the lard. Upon discovering this.... AFTER the entire family had used the yellow lard on their potatoes at dinner and gleefully eaten them without noticing..... my horrifed graqndmother banished oleo from the house, insisting that it was to be butter or nothing (not an easy choice to make at the height of the depression with nine children). She may not have been a great cook but she took care in selecting food. My mom's job was to go to the neighborhood butcher to get ground beef for the meatloaf but she was only allowed to buy beef that she actually saw them grind from the chuck - my grandmother (wisely and with prescience) did not trust any meat that was pre-ground. She also got vegetable deliveries twice every day and also stripped opened and checked every single ear of corn individually to see if it met her standards before she agreed to buy. Where on earth did people find the time? My worst all-time meal: made in my own campus apartment in college by our one wealthy roommate who had grown up in Scarsdale in a home with plenty of hired help. he promised to make us "Randy Zorb's famous lemon chicken". Randy had been his roommate the previous year and we would be treated to a recipe learned from Randy. See recipe as follows: Take eight chicken thighs (two per person) and soak in a bowl of RealLemon juice for 24 hours Bake in oven at 375 degrees until thjey're not too rubbery Put on plates and serve Mention to to all guests that you "think there might be some frozen brussel sprouts in the freezer if anyone wants to make some" That was the entire meal... next time out he poured the envelope of Kraft cheese mix powder directly into the boiling water with the macaroni and asked what to do next. Needless to say, we all started cookign for ourselves after that.

Only once change of ownership and it's still good (usually). Hattie McDaniel and her husband Bil finally retired several years ago and sold it to a young woman from NYC who had been staying in Saratoga for a few months and had become friendly with them. The new owner worked with Hattie for about six months, IIRC, to learn the original recipes and ensure that they were still prepared the same way. Changes: spruced up on the inside, they now have a bar with beer, wine and liquor, there's a covered patio in the rear where the bar and some outdoor seating is located and they have live jazz later at night on weekends (sometimes). Some newer items have been introducedkonto the menu and are good but the mainistays are still excellent, particularly the fried chicken and the collard greens. I did have one piece of chicken that tasted a tad burnt one night and a waitress who was just out to lunch (it was dinner and her mind appeared to be elsewhere). The polite comments I passed along to the owner (not being sarcastic - I was very gentle and discreet in my wording) about the less than satisfactory expereince were met with a shrug of the shoulders. I returned the following season and the experience was just fine so that one night was probably just an unfortunate fluke. Prices are moderate, it's very busy and they tend to pile all the food up on one small plate but I do really like this place (still...... I miss the way it was when Hattie and Bill were there).

Eros Cafe coffeehouse on Park Ave on Rutherford opened a Greek restaurant last year called "After Athens". It's underneath the coffeehouse in the basement and is probably the coolest most atmospheric basement space I've ever been in. We ate there when they'd only been open a few weeks and made the mistake of ordering non-greek items from the menu. The beer battered fish was inedible and my crabmeat stuffed haddock was barely passable. The chicken/lemon soup (a traditional Greek soup - can't recall the name) was excellent and I think this place is worth a try. It was just after they opened and we should have stuck to Greek items but oh well. They are currently in the process of opening another dining room at street level that will be attached to the Coffeehouse with an archway but work is not complete. I'm guessing that it will also have a Greek menu as they already draw plenty of Greek customers for the place downstairs.

I found excellent seafood at a small produce market on Rte 17 South - it's at the crest of the hill in the Lodi and Hasbrouck Heights area just before the Crow's Nest restaurant - sorry I can' t recall the name but it's got a flower shop attached to the front and the seafood was outstanding. The produce was good too and I found some things like Portobello's that were cheaper than the grocery store and lemongrass that was reasonably fresh. The Rte 17 Farm Market is just to the left of the Staples store is way cheaper and usually better quality produce than the Super Stop 'n Shop in Clifton Commons. It's on Rter 17 in Rutherford just north of Stadium Auto mall (not far from Rte 3) Also of interest although it's a bit odd is the International Food Warehouse on Rte 17 North heading towards Paramus. It's just past Home Depot and attached to the end of the building that houses National Wholesale Liquidators. They stock all kinds of regular grocery store items from a huge variety of different conutries. We're not talking chi-chi gourmet stuff - just mass market items but many of them things that you wont' find elsewhere and some are really cheap. They also have some interesting cheeses and dairy items that I haven't seen elsewhere. There's a huge Asian market in Hackensack that was discussed extensively in another thread - sorry I can't recall the name but it's supposed ot be really good and also cheap. Excellent home made sausage and fresh mozzarella are also available at a number of small Italian deli/markets. I know of at least one in Lyndhurst - it's called Appetizio's and is one Rte 17 South (Ridge Road) just off Rte 3 about 100 feet south of the corner - right next to Enterprise Car rental and Il Cafone restaurant. The Shop Rite grocery in Lyndhurst is mediocre at best - dont waste time going there.

I will plan on trying this place. I'm shocked ot hear that they don't have Viet iced coffee with condensed milk on the menu - it is literally a staple item. The only places I dont' see it are those restaurnats that are Thai oriented and offer some Viet dishes to have a bit of variety or appeal to a larger audience. Not a problem - if there are Vietnamese folks working there and/or running the place, I'm sure it's available on request even if it's not on the menu.

I always chuckle and get a bit of "flash from the past" when I visit the NY State Fair in Syracuse. Having grown up there, I am amazed to still see certain things that stil appeal to some gfolks despite being a bit outdated. The famous "Bob Maxwell's Walk-Away Sundae" is a good example. It's really just a glorified Nutty-Buddy - a frozen vanilla ice cream cone with frozen chocolate syrup and chopped nuts on it but it's in one of those weird double top waffle cones that has a single cone shaped bottom - sort of like a two headed cone. Deep fried Twinkies were hot one year but seem to have been supplanted by deep fried Oreo's and deep fried Snickers bars. The NY State fair has an "Ethnic Village" also and although it's small and a bit pricey, the food is real and the booths are run by local folks who operate a Jamaican, a soul food and a Thai restaurant. I love the maple syrup snow cones - just plain old crushed ice in a snow cone cup with loads of maple syrup on it. the NY State Maple Producers have them as well as real maple flavored cotton candy. You have to know where to find them as they are in a building and not out with the other food vendors. Likewise with a few of the Dairy Building folks who sell outstanding extra sharp very long aged Cheddar cheese. Now..... why is it that sausage sandwiches with peppers and onions taste better at a fair than they do anywhere else? I've given up even trying them anywhere else - it's just never the same.

Tommy said Astute observation and so true. It is a bit odd, isnt it? Thereuare - I can't offer a list but can say that I had a great meal at Gus' Figs on or about east 28th near 8th (just up the block from FIT).

I, on the other hand, am not very trainable but then again, I'm not married (that may be why). I dine in the city so rarely these days (and it will indeed be even less frequently as I am in the process of moving away from the area) that it's less of an issue for me but I'm always glad to hear of a place that really has a good attitude re/service. Yes..... friendly and accomodating service does not always equate with above average food but I go out to eat for the total experience (and because I'm often too lazy too cook). I'd rather have average food and the warmth and friendliness than somewhat above average food that's served up with condescending attitude.

My experiences (not isolated - I go this response from several different people when I asked about food quality). Them: have you tried the Cheesecake factory? That place is great! Me: How is the food? Them: The portions are HUGE!!! Me: Yeah.... that's cool but how is the food? Them: They have sooooo many things on the menu - it's incredible! Me: Okay.... I understand that but how is the food? Is the quality good? Them: Oh..... it's okay. The Outback Steakhouse dialogue is more or less identical. I just wish more places would offer a "small dinner" that was 2/3 the price of a standard entree but had only 1/2 the quantity. It would work just fine with me. There was a spot in Ithaca NY when I was living there that offered such an option. They labeled it as American and European portion sizes on the menu. They ahd wonderful Northern italian food but regrettably did not last more than a few years. My solution has been one suggested by a friend who eats out regularly (i.e. she never cooks - either east leftovers, take-out or dines out). In an effort to control her weight she began cutting the entree and sides in half when she received her plate and aksing to have the remainder wrapped to take home. She freezes all of them and alwasy has something tasty in the freezer to nuke and eat when she gets home after a long day.

Not near the shore but on Rte 17 South in the Hasbrouck Heights area just before the crest of the hill where the Crow's Nest Restaurant is.... there's a farm/vegetable market with a Hispanic name (sorry the name escapes me). There's a small flower shop attached to the front.... the produce is very good and prices low but best of all is the fish counter - not a huge selection but really fresh and the prices are good. I was pointed towards it by a friend whose GF is Brazilian - she cooks fish almost every night and they were living in Hasbrouck Heights for awhile. She swears by it. I've only been once but the monkfish I got was excellent and the truly colossal shrimp were phenomenal (and cheap at $11.99 lb).

Ethiopian food (please note that Eritrean food is essentially the same) is typically served in a sauce of sorts that resembles Indian sauces in texture and viscosity but rather than swimming in sauce, the food is more lightly coated with it (in many cases). There is a spice paste of sorts called berbere that's the backbone of Ethiopian cooking - it's used to flavor many of the dishes. They range from mildly spicy to very hot and a typical sampler will include chicken, lamb and possibly beef, all in small pieces or cubes that are braised or stewed with the spiced sauce. Americanized Bebere recipe: Ingredients 2 ts Cumin seeds 4 Cloves 3/4 ts Cardamom seeds 1/2 ts Black peppercorns 1/4 ts Whole allspice 1 ts Fenugreek seeds 1/2 ts Coriander seeds 8 Small dried red chiles 1/2 ts Grated fresh gingerroot - 1 teaspoon dried 1/4 ts Tumeric 1 ts Salt 2 1/2 tb Sweet Hungarian paprika 1/8 ts Cinnamon 1/8 ts Ground cloves Traditional Bebere can be searingly hot but it's toned down in most American Ethiopian restaurants. We had an Ethiopian houseguest for a month when I was in my teens. She would spread berbere on a piece of toast at breakfast and chow down - she proceeded to cook us a pot of beef stew and one tablespoon of it in an entire pot of stew made it surprisingly hot - native Ethipians can handle it really hot or so it seems. Expect a few vegetable dishes that may include chickpeas and/or potato chunks. Utensils are not typically used. The individual portions are served on a spongy, fermented bread that is moist, soft, chewy and very distinct in flavor. It's called injera (the "j" is pronounced as an "h"). Some folks really don't care for injera but I like it. When I've eaten Ethopian in traditional seating, a small round table with low stools was used. All the entrees and or the sampler items for the entire table were served on a large round platter with one piece of injera under it. Additional injera bread in slightly smaller, round flat pieces came on the side. One breaks off pices of the injera and scoops up small bits of food to eat, using the injera to gather the food and get it into the mouth. teh bread is consumed along with each mouthful of food. Sorry that I can't be more eloquent on a description but I'd say it's reminiscent of Indian food but with less "sameness> There's a bit more variation in flavor from one dish to the next. I especially like the Crispy Fish - it's served with the entire head and bone in in the same manner as Jamaican brown stewfish so be prepared for that if you order fish. I do like Ethiopian food but just can't see how it could possibly be so much better as to justify the prices at Makeda. I do recognize that their overhead is probably high and it is a lovely place. I only suggest that you try Ethiopian food for lunch sometime before committing to an expensive dinner - it's not everybody's cup of tea. Most folks I know can find something they like on a Thai or Vietnamese menu btu not alwasy true with Ethiopian food.

I still haven't eaten in a CF and don't expect that I will unless the GF drags me to one and I give in (I did once wait 90 monutes for a table at OG just to satisfy her idiosyncratic taste but that won't happen again). I can comment on the cheesecake, having once purchased a slice for takout to have at the hotel I was staying in acorss the street. It was decidedly mediocre. The wide array of types of cheescake was an interesting notion but the quality in terms of texture and taste was less than appealing. It was also overpriced. I did appreciate this post - fascinating insight into a large commercial operation and the foibles of rigidly designed "systems" that don't take into account the realities of the dining and serving experience.

If I recall correctly, the radio report I heard mentioned an estimated population of 1100 bears with 1200 attacks on humans reported in one year. Unquestionably something needs to be done, especially if one thinks of the tragedy that occurred in the lowe Catskills last year (an infant snatched from a front prch and shaken to death by a bear). Trapping and relocation couild be considered as an option but the Adirondacks would be the logical place to release them and they have bear problems of their own. As for eating bear? I think I'll pass.

Just curious.... what are the prices like and did you try their iced coffee with condensed milk?

When was 10% the norm? Just curious as it was 15% back in the late 70's and early 80's when I was waiting table. I still tip based on service, total cost of bill and how much labor is really expended by the server. If I tie up a table for longer than the average patron and the server is likely to lose a turn, I add on accordingly. if i stop somewhere for breakfast or lunch and eat light with a bill of $5 or so, I'm likely to tip $2 - way out of whack percentage wise but makes sense based on circumstances when I do it. I have always, always, always been under the impression that the tip should be calculated on the pretax total. Taking 10% and then adding half of that seems simple to me but people really do get flustered and flummoxed with the math, especially when they're relaxed and have already had a few cocktails. I was unaware that restaurant minimum had not kep tpace accordingly with regular minimum wage. is that possible? In NY state it was always pegged at a couple $$ below "regular" minimum wage.