phaelon56

Just checked with the ex .... she says the place she really likes is Mundo Latino Restaurant 8619 Bergenline Ave North Bergen, NJ 07047-5172 Phone:(201)861-6902 She thinks Tapas de Espana is good and definitely better than the Ironbound places but she (and her family) prefer Mundo Latino (it is in fact the one I was originally thinking of but couldn't recall the name). Don't know if they have a non-smoking room but it's a worth checking out - we don't agree on smoe matters but on food our opinions rarely conflict - if she says it's good it is.

My ex GF's family is Cuban but also has much family in Spain - her parents love this place and go there at least once a week. She confirms that it's very good.

Can't recall the name but it's been there forever and was still there in late June this year when I last visited. It has low ceilings and when you walk in the booths are to your right and the bar is across and to the right on the back wall. The entrance is on the side street but it's in a building that's on the corner of Broadway.

I can think of more than several I'll mention and far more that I became totally soused in during a previous life.... It's a music club but CBGB's on the Bowery has to earn points for being slimy and having some of the worst bathrooms in the "developed" world. There was a place on the West Side in my hometown of Syracuse - it was so scary looking that even I wouldn't go in there - name: "The Bucket of Blood" (I kid you not). Can't recall the nname but my favorite "ouch that's so sleazy" story is the place just off Broadway in Saratoga Springs. It's on the corner of the street a block or two up from Phila. Sort of a half basement place as the street sloped won and away. Low ceilings and a locals place.... old wooden table in the booths and wooden floors. My female friedn went to use the ladie's room (we had just stepped in off the street and they were cleaning up as closing time was approaching). The guy with the mop and the incredibly dirty bucket of mop water was mopping the floors and very nonchalantly, without missing a beat, lifted his stroke to mop the top of each table in a smooth motion before ending the stroke on the floor .....

Marks recipe sounds as though it's similar in style to Bone Suckin' Sauce. I tried it recently when a friend brought some up from the Carolina's - very tasty.

How to define "Upstate" is very much a question of where you're from. Some NYC natives really do consider anything North of Yonkers as upstate. Most folks living in the Poughkeepsie, Rhinebeck areas etc. call that area the Hudson valley (rightfully so). Albany and Troy are the Capital District.... Utica through Syracuse and Rochester is Central NY and Buffalo-west is most properly known as the Niagara Frontier district. Having said that.... I'll only address Syracuse as it is my hoemtown and I still spend 8-9 days per month there for business. BBQ - Dinosaur is the only significant place and is highly overrated but it is fun and worth a visit. It's not bad but just ain't worth the hype French - L'Adour is the only French place in town and opened a bit over a year ago. I've only tried their bistro menu downstairs. Upstairs is price fixe $38-40 three course. Nice room and friendly people. Can't speak to the food upstairs but what we had downstairs was decent country French - akin to what you'll get at Steak Frites on W. 16th. I saw a mention on Chowhound that it was overrated but it's the only game in town for French and after a year it's still booked solid well in advance every Friday and Saturday night. Mexican - Alto Cinco up on Westcott Street in the outer University area is fun. Has a copper topped bar serving beer and wine only. friednly neighborhood feel and it's a very small place with a NYC bistro type feel. I really like it and try to get there once a month if possible. Polish - Eva's European Sweets in Solvay on Milton Ave (near NY State fairgrounds) is a small, casual place with no pretensions but great food. NYC wishes it had a Polish restaurant this good. Nice atmosphere and ridiculously cheap. Excelllent European style tarts and desserts. Contemporary - Pascale's in Armory Square is really the only place in town that has an upscale NYC feel to the room and yes it has a sometimes ambitious menu and rarely hits the mark on all counts (so I'm told - I have only eaten there once and my dinner was excellent). Contemporary - Incredibly good fresh past and an innovative menu are the hallmarks of Pastabilities. Their non-pasta dishes don't alwaus hti the mark but they should be commended for setting trends int he Syracuse area and trying hard (and you can generally get a very good meal there). It's a bit noisy and has evolved form being very hip to having plenty of wannabe's and now has loads of suburban folks lining up on weekends. The stretch bread which is produced at their own bakery across the street is nothing short of incredible. I challenge anyone to find better bread in NYC - I don't think it exists. Italian - Regrettably few good ones to choose from these days. Antonio's on North Salina appears to still be the best of the bunch according to the local grapevine. It's packed every night of the week and reservations are needed so there must be at least a bit of truth to the rumors. It's a red sauce place - other than a Northern Italian dish or two at Pascale's there are only red sauce places in Syracuse and none are truly top shelf (or even consistently really good). Vietnamese - Of the three in town only Mai Lan Restaurant on North State is really good. I'd hazard a guess that her food is better than any of the places in Chinatown and close to as good as Little Saigon in Nutley. I really like the people at New Century on Kirkpatrick Street (also on the North Side) and they have the best iced coffee w/condensed milk but here food is better (albeit much pricier) and she does a wonderful job with presentation. New Century does have a wonderful group called Hue Beef Noodle that is spicy and pungent - very interesting. Thai -- Erahwan on Erie Blvd East is probably about in the same league as Pam's Real Thai on W 49th and similar atmosphere. Not the most authentic you'll ever have but better than average. Just a bit further east on "the boulevard" is Little Thai House. I eat here far moore often - it's a bit pricer and the food is just about as good but the atmopshere is far superior and I rarely have to wait for a table. Further afield..... Etienne Merle, who once ran a well rated and loved place in the Ithaca area called L'Auberge de Cocon Rouge has retruned from a hiatus with a new place. Can't recall the name but his wife/partner is the pastry chef and it sounds promising. Keep in mind that in areas this far upstate there often have to be compromises made in [roce and concept in order to be financially successful. I understand that his menu focuses on fresh szeasonal ingredients but keeps it simple (and moderately priced). many areas that far upstate simply can't support "destination" restaurants. There may be enough well heeled folks there to support such an enterprise but people want variety and many reserve their major dining out budgets for trips to places like NYC. Speaking of further afield.... has anyone here eaten at the Horned Dorset in Leonardsville lately? I've long heard that it's "the bomb" and reputed to be the best small inn in the state and the best restaurant in the state outside of NYC but haven't spoken to anyone who's eaten there in recent years.

I purchased an Ikea board that is relatively thin with a trough around the edges - designed for cutting cooked roasts and the like and allowing the juice/blood to drain. If the other regular Ikea cutting boards are made fo the same wood and finished the same way I would not use them. Not sure if it's the type/grade of wood used or that it's just not sanded smooth enough but it doesn't seem to absorb the oil properly when I oil it and never feels smooth enough on the surface. It was cheap and I use it only on rare occasions but similar material would not suffice for me as a cutting board.

Finker - your points are well taken. My reference for the need for gloves relates to folks who are handling things that will not be further cooked before serving. I cringe when I see someone picking up sliced meat to make a sandwich or to place it on a salad and they don't use tongs or gloves (and I do see this on occasion). When I tended bar at an entertainment venue in Syracuse, county law required us to wear gloves to scoop the ice. If we had been serving food of any kind we would have flunked royally on many counts becasue it was an ancient building run by a not for profit on a shoestring budget. We didn't even have working hot water in the building for anything but the dressing rooms behind the stage! On a busy bight we would serve 9 - 10 kegs of beer in a one hour preshow and twenty minute midshow intermission, not to mention caes and cases of liquor and wine (picture doing a $6,000 gross in beverages in less than 90 minutes with 5 wells, 5 bartenders, 4 bar backs and a runner - monstrously busy). Customers who questioned the glove law loved to point out that we were handling money, the register and lord only knows what else while wearing the gloves. Even though we changed them as often as possible their point was well taken. despite the shortcomings, the glove law enforcement in that area has led to better sanitation but your point abouyt the responsibility of owners/managers to train employees in thir native language is an important one that is sadly overlooked in many cases.

Mineral oil is available in any pharmacy - you can drink a few tablespoons of it for some sort of a really mild laxative effect. It is the only inexpensive and readily available oil I'm familiar with that is appropriate for oiling the wooden surfaces of cutting boards. The reason is simple - it is inert froma chemical standpoint and will not turn rancid as vegetable oil will. It also imparts no taste whatsoever. Treating the board with this oil will prevent it from absorbing liquids. A board that is regularly and properly oiled will repel liquids - they actually sit on the durface of the oil impregnated wood and can be easily wiped off. When you've oiled it enough time over a period of years it will use less and less for each application because the wood becomes saturated. I'm still using a cutting board that was recycled from an old 60's style portable dishwasher, back when they put real 2" thick maple cutting boards on top. I got it for free, had it cut wiht a bandsaw to fit the tiny counter next to the sink in my aprtment and have been using it ever since (about 10-15 years). It still looks fantastic and works well.

If more restaurants adhered strictly to the glove laws already in place in some areas, there would be far less of a problem. I'm a native of Syracuse NY and back in the late 80's / early 90's there was an outbreak of hepatitis in Onondaga County. It is the type that is most frequently transmitted by food handlers who haven't washed their hands adequately. Thr oybreak got so bad that in a twelve month period, that small county (total population about 500,000 or less at the time) had over 40% of all the reported hepatitis cases in NY state (including NY City - we're talking a real epidemic here). The County Health Dept. put a glove law in effect (this was prior to NY State putting their glove law on the books) and the outbreak eased. They lifted the law and hepatitis broke out again. They finallly stiffened the law and then made training for restaraunt owners or managers mandatory. Gloves are required even if you are just scooping ice with a scoop. Enforcement was so stringent that the area industry got in the habit of following the right practices (as regards gloves) and there have been no further outbreaks. Admittedly there are certain to be plenty of restaurants in that area that do not adhere to the best of sanitary practices yet the simple enofrcement of the glove law had a huge impact. I was tending bar part time and when folks from out of town saw us wearing a glove on the ice scooping hand that got a nervous look - as though they shoudl be worried because we were wearing it!

If you get all the way up into North Jersey near NYC, you really should visit this store. Jim Leff describes it as the most amazing store in the world and he's on to something. There is plenty that you won't find there but you'll also have surprises on every aisle. Much better than the International Food Mart in Jersey City - I guarantee it will be unlike any other store you've ever been in as regards selection and best of all..... prices are really low. Chowhound article

Not mentioned but should go without saying - oil the hell out of you board periodically with mineral oil. Pour some on top, spread ti around with a small bit of paper towl, let it soak for awhile (20 minutes or so) ands apply a bit more if it's all soaked in. Then when you wipe up the excess be sure to rub in what's left if you're using the board promptly or better yet, leave a light fil and let it soak in overnight. I do the paper towel wipe and plastic scrubber routine that a previous poster mentioned and mine is still fine after years of use. I have plastic boards but use them only for stuff that's really bloody.

Here's what I do: Drain them in colander, cut into smaller pieces (halves or thirds), season with salt and pepper, adobo or whatever works for you and then dredge in flour. Saute in hot olive oil until nicely browned and set aside 9will ahve to saute in a few batches. Using same pan, cook a bunch of sliced green onions briefly and throw ina liberal amount of gsarlic until it's browned. Retturn livers to the same pan and add seeded, chopped plum tomatoies (fairly large pieces). After a minute or two add a generous cup to cup and a half of liquid comprised of the following(which should be whisked before adding to the pan) - white balsamic vinegar, good quality soy sauce, honey and grated ginger and water. Stir thorougly into the liver mixture. I generally put a lid loosely over the pan for a couple minutes and add a spoon or two of golden rous to thicken the sauce just a tad. Serve over rice. Steamed broccoli makes an excellent accompaniment to this dish. Sorry I don't have specific proprotions but I made this one up on the fly once and continue to do it by feel.

I ate lunch there today. Had originally planned a birthday dinner for my GF at Gramercy Tavern and then changed the res to Blue Hill based on comments in this forum. Well... ten days ago or so I brought the relationship to an end for a variety of reasons. She was disappointed but fortunately we remain friends. The dinner plans had to be cancelled for unrelated reasons but I decided to take her out for a birthday lunch today. We arrived at GT about 12:40 PM and the room had just filled up - wait was expected to be about 45 minutes. The charming and helpful hostess offered to call Fleur de Sel when I asked whether she knew if they were open. They were indeed so of we went. here's what transpired: Room was nearly empty - two other couple there when we arrived and two more who came after we did. Nice bright space wiht good music that was low enough to allow conversation and not of a distracting nature. Excellent crusty whole wheat bread served - as good as what I used to make at home years ago when I was into bread - very tasty. Degustation menu was $20. My friend chose that and has eom sort of broccoli reduction - not quite a soup - more like a puree. It had parmesan shavings that could not be detected and also porcini mushrooms. Eaten wiht the procini's it was an intriguing combination of flavors but by itself it was a trifle bland (not quite enough porcinis for my taste). I had a poached trout appetizer with yogurt coulis, and some sort of small sweet peas or beans - truly excellent and a beutiful presentation. Next... she had lamb shank that was seerved with white corn and barley. This dish was fair at best in her opinion (which I respect). The lamb was far more gamey than any lamb shank I've eaten previously and a bit overdone (for my taste and hers). i didn't try the corn and barley but she described it as bland and didn't eat more than a few bites of it. My entree? Veal tenderloin cooked medium rare and served on a bed of madeira sauce, topped with a double crepe that resembled a large thin and very delicate ravioli, filled with sauteed spinach and sweetbreads. Couldn't taste the sweetbreads but this dish was fantastic - one of the best entrees I've had in a long time. Granted... I don't do "fine dining" very often but this dish stands on its own - worth having. She had some sort of dessert with fresh rasberries, a small biscuit and a caramel ganache. Had a tiny sphere of ice cream on it - extremely good - the raspberries literally exploded wiht flavor (but there were only four of them!). I had a concord grape and quince tartare with the same ice cream. Very good, not too sweet and nice and light. The dessert portions, even mine (I was not ordering dessert as part of the degustation menu - it was a separate item at $9), were pitifully small. They looked more like a portion that would be served as part of a dessert tasting menu. Coffee came as two individual french presses and the waiter had pushed the plunger too soon. he poured us each a half cup and left the presses on the table - the brew was watery, weak and pale in color - looked more like tea. I requested a replacement and it was produced in short order but was done a bit soppily - fair amount of grounds in the coffee (a bit of sludge is to be expected in french press coffee but these were sizeable and grainy grounds floating in the coffee. Service was friendly but low key and non-intrusive throughout (which I like). My overall assessment? Nice place but not worth the money. Lunch for two with one bottle of sparkling water, two coffees, one appetizer, one entree, one dessert and the $20 degustation menu for one: $111 with tax and a 20% tip. I've had far bettter meals with more generous desserts for far less money. Won't be returning at my own expense but if someone else was treating and the value for $$ was not critical it is a nice room and we enjoyed most of the meal.

Hey jtphjl - fellow Syracusan here (transplanted to Rutherford three years ago). I still go there twice every month from Monday - Thursday for business. Where do you get roast pork in Syracuse? have you tried it at Don Juan Cafe, the little Puerto Rican place at corner of Grand Ave and Geddes Street? They also on occasion have incredible cheese flan.

It may not be relevant or an accurate way to gauge cleanliness behind the scenes but I make a quick visit to the bathroom of any restaurant I visit, particularly the small independent operations. If the bathroom is spotlessly clean and obviously very well maintained I like to think that reasonable housekeeping and sanitary procedures extend to other parts of the operation as well. This is probably a totally inaccurate means of assessing anything but I'm happy in my delusion. Having spent a few years in a previous lifetime as a busboy, waiter and bartender, I have a realistic understanding of what can happen in a restaurant kitchen. If I chose to, I could be paranoid enough to just cook at home (as if my kitchen would pass a health inspection - NOT!). Instead, I just use common sense and avoid certain types of restaurants (Chinese buffets and also any place that doesn't appear to be neat and clean on the fron end). In many years of eating out the only time I've ever suffered ill effects from dining out (other than paying too much for medicore food) was when I got poisoning from bad raw oysters back in the early 80's. Happened at a reputable upscale place and it could have happened anywhere (and I never ate another raw oyster until I visited new orleans last winter).

Tommy makes a good point about the BYO. Matisse has now followed the lead of some other area BYO's and has wine for sale. I believe you buy it from the "wine shop" (which is inside the restaurant) and then pay a corkage fee. Presumably they have a decent selection. My now ex-girlfriend is probably still pissed at me for dumping her last week - she might still want her birthday dinner but there's a strong possibility she'll want to share it with someone else. Here's a link to the Record's review of SG - it's very favorable. Sonoma Grill review

oops... mean to post that as a link... can't seem to do it properly now - you'll need to cut and paste to get to it

I haven't been there and there seems to be a lack of recent experiences there that have been shared in this forum. It appears that it went through a slump wiht an ownership transition and is now in good hands. Judge for yourself by checking this egullet thread on the topic. Cafe Matisse is higher end but the menu at Sonoma Grill (as of May '02 when it was posted in the thread) The current chef, Pete Angelakos, is said to be a reallly nice guy with loads of talent. Maybe you'll check this place out and report back to us? There's a chance (slim but possible) that I'll be taking a frined out for dinner Friday or Saturday this weekend. It will be at Matisse or Sonoma if (only if and also if we can get a table at this late date) it happens. Should that be the case I'll post the results here on Sunday.

This one is incredibly tasty andd really surprised me.... I was out at the indie cinema house in Ithaca NY (Cinemapolis) and saw that they had a wide variety of toppings for their popcorn (which is served with real melted butter - no yellow oil available or tolerated!). They have brewer's yeast available which is sprinkllled on after the butter. try that and some freshly grated parm cheese on the popcorn - incredible!

I have yet to dine at Cafe Matisse although it's a few blocks from my home - will do so sooner than later but consistently read very favorable reviews in this forum (a few naysayers but mostly very positive). I believe Nick (ngatti) , who posts here regularly, visits the Sonoma grill regularly and really likes it - it's smewhere in Hasbrouck Heights, about the same distance from the Meadowlands. IMHO the nicest hotel in the immediare area is the new Renaissance, which is by the intersection of Rtes. 3 & 17. My folks stayed there when they came to visit me last year and the rooms were beautiful - on a par with a nice Hilton or Hyatt (Renaissance is a Marriott property that is a level up from regular Marriotts). My folks got a $99 per night weekend special that I spotted in an ad in the NY Times. Reghular price is probably $150-250 but you could always tell them you're in town to see someone at Ernst & Young and you'll get a special rate because they have a large office a few block away. You don'nt need to be an E & Y employee but my business colleagues stayed there at that rate (we are vendors but weren't doing business with them at the time - the rate is simply a courtesy discount).

I've never tried NJ pizza outside of the tiny little borough of Rutherford (I've lived here in NJ for three years but spend most of my free time in NYC). Here in town the only good pie I've tried is at Cafe New York and it is indeed tasty (and reasonably priced). It's Neopolitan style with dough brought in daily from their original Brooklyn location andf top quality mozzarella. Not think crust like the coal oven places in NY but thin enough with plenty of taste and chewiness in the crust. I really like this pie. Just over the tracks in East Rutherford is the "new" Park Tavern. The friend who encouraged me to look at Rutherford as a good housing option swears by their meatball pizza. I finally tried them the other night and stuck to my standard of sausage and onion (to be sure I was comparing apples to apples). It's a very thin crust and hardly even raised at the edge. Good quality cheese, nice sauce and decent toppings. Cafe New York's pie is a bit chewier and more flavorful IMHO but this pie is far superior to any take-out slice I've ever had in NYC - worth trying.

Yes... they are on separate but adjacent blocks and on opposite sides of the street. For some reason my aging mind recalled them as being across from each other. A friend of mine swears that they're owned by the same people but they are different in style. I liked the atmosphere at Iberia better but the Paella Valenciana at Peninsula seemed to have a slight edge. My visit last night was to have a solo dinner at Marisqueira. I was tempted by the fish specials, especially a "cod salad" that looked interesting. The bread was amazing and they put a small pitcher of water on the table - great for us chronic H2O drinkers. Salad included with the meal was an assortment of mixed leafy greens (no iceberg that I could detect) with exceptionally fresh tomato slices, sliced white onions and it had a green that looked like watercress. Dressing is never discussed - they simply bring oil and vinegar to the table. I started with the Sopa Do Mar - a seafood soup[ with a reddish brown puree that's thinner than bisque but incredibly rich and flavorful. Small shrimp and some other seafood (I'm thinking cockles as they were on the menu that night?) were piled up in the bowl and there were a couple thin but decent sized crab legs thrown in. I don't care for small crab legs - so much mess for the meat involved. At $6 per bowl this soup is nearly a full meal with the salad but I ordered an entree knowing I'd take half of it home. By the way... they no longer offer the pureed version of Sopa Do Mar - it was thicker and had no chunks of anything - just an incredibly rich and garlicky broth with homemade croutons - I really wish they'd kept it on the menu. Moved on to the entree. Due to budget I was opting for a lower priced dish. I'd already tried the cubed pork, clams, potatoes and lemon combo that is a traditional dish and soooo tasty. Settled on pork chops. They were suitably large and meating and nicely seasoned - not as salty as rodizio meat but a tad salty on on the outside. Cooked just a tad too much for my liking but a good deal at $12.95. Sides wre a few giant slices of horribly overcooked carrot, some nicely cooked and fairly fresh broccoli, a big pile of white rice with three olives (?) and a hyge mound of mediocre frozen shoestring french fries (they were not hot nor were they crispy enough). All told.... not quite up to the level of my previous experiences there but still a good value. Their Paella Valenciana has crept up to $21.95 and i don't think it's any better than anyone else's in Ironbound. It is a nice place for solo diners though because thet bright and tidy bar area is polulated almost exclusively by people ating dinner at the bar - it's really not a drinking hangout at all.

It may not be traditional but it's very tasty to add some fresh corn sliced off the cob and also some chopped green jalapenos.

One of my former GF's (there are so many ;-) is an excellent cook and recently tried a different method for fried chicken prep. She had always used a traditional southern method that was kicked up a notch with some additional dry seasonings. It involved dipping in milk, then flour and frying in clean deep oil - very simple. She has now tried the buttermilk and cracker crumb method and found the coating to be very tenuous - it kept falling off and she returned to the original method mid-stream. What i haven't noticed anyone mention is the prep for the chicken. I had a woman friend in Kentucky who was raised as an active cook from a young age. Her method involved thoroughly washing the chicken parts the previous evening, salting them and setting aside covered until cooking time. They would then be washed a second time and thoroughly patted dry before milk dip, seasoning and dredging in flour. Cooking was in a large cast iron skillet or pot to ensure maximum retention of heat in the oil. I asked about the salting and she advised that it was to draw the blood and excess moisture out from the chicken. Anyone have experience with this or thoughts on the validity of this method? I'm wondering if it's just a holdover from the days of her youth when the chicken had been killed and plucked just before arriving in the kitchen (she grew up on a farm).