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As my last post stated... we did decide to give the tiny catering contract to Christine I was torn between three places but our Realtor said she's gotten things from Christine before and has been in love with the items. My realtor wasn't overjoyed yesterday, maybe she rolled out of the wrong side of the bed? ...but all in all the feedback was very positive from guests! I sat my own "Realtor open house" for about 45 minutes - when she had left to get her email and calls and returned - because when I stopped by to go to the restroom after spending a while in the park with my dogs, and she was not here. One woman commented oh that sandwich looks great what is it? I said I believe it is Turkey and Swiss with a Cranberry Mayo on a Walnut Balthazar Roll she said OH I LOVE Balthazar, now I have to try Picnic, then the other women with her asked me for the address so I told them all where it is. So I mentioned to about 10-12 people that I entertained yesterday that the sandwiches were from Picnic in Emerson. Thankfully there were 3 wraps and 1 sandwich left so I had supper last night, lunch today and I'll have supper tonight! Hubby took what looked like an Asparagus and Mushroom w/Arugula and Greens wrap to work for lunch today. Thank goodness we're running back down to the DC area to view some homes tomorrow... need to walk off some of the calories. If you have an event big or small you should definitely give Christine Nunn a call. God I'll miss living in NJ but what we've seen down there is lovely too!

Anyone (Tommy?) been to Park Steakhouse? I find their menu delicious but perhaps a bit pricy at times. We've gone there three times in the six years we've lived in this town. They do use Dry Aged Certified Black Angus Beef and have a nice selection of appetizers and tasty seafood as well.

I liked when he made food out of free/available things from garden greens to "rock soup" it was kind of neat and interesting.

Just don't order these courses: Salad with fresh palms (groan) Fresh Finger Sandwiches (Let's give the sous-chef a hand?!) -eek!- Choice of Lady Fingers, Mincemeat Fingers or Chicken Fingers! Okay... don't give me "the finger" I don't get paid to make these horrible jokes!

Thank you so SO much Donna Marie! I wasn't sure how to get the link or find the link since I checked and didn't seem to see it... Thanks again so MUCH!

We haven't had any "health checks" since Rosie stepped down, is anyone going to continue this or advise us where to find this information online - PLEASE? Thanks!

I better visit you guys before we move out of state - which may be WITHIN 30 days! Our house is for sale... know any buyers for Bergen Co?! Goodluck and welcome back to some great folks... YOU folks.

Christine I am hoping to perhaps hire you for a smallish catering job for an important occasion in the near future. I'll email you with details but it sounded like you did a great job for WTC and I'm sure you'll do an even MORE great job (is this possible?!) for my small needs. Keep up the great work. I just got home from a househunting trek to the DC area with hubby so I am BUSH ----- ED...

As I said last week... IMHO I feel the next on the chopping block is either Stephen or Dave. <---- Looks like I predicted right yet again. It's really "human nature" more or less. I wonder for the last one will it be Dave or Tiffani or Lee Ann that goes. My prediction will be difficult because Dave seems to have so many peaks and valleys to his work and his emotions. Tiffani seems to lose the human focus/client focus much like Stephen in some ways. Lee Ann doesn't always follow through to completion or doesn't seem to be as exacting as she should be from others or herself. Based upon this I think unless there's a big upset that Tiffani or Lee Ann would be the next to go unless Dave REALLY loses it. (He really DOES weep way too much, again like I've said previously take it to a therapist, your pillow or alone in your home or room.) If you're the betting sort I'd lean toward Tiffani. My brief thoughts on Harold is that he usually treads somewhere in the middle ground and is pretty professional and even-tempered and on an even keel most of the time.

To briefly address your above comments... It makes a HUGE difference to non-smokers and those with severe or acute asthma like myself. Obviously it did to you/your family because you went out of your way not to expose them to smoke since you said you "always sat in the no smoking" and "smoked in the car or your office" etc... It's not ridiculous to the hard-core addicts to want to smoke for them to step outside if they need their nicotine fix for that short hour or two, nor is it demeaning. As for looking like an idiot IMHO if you smoke KNOWING the risks of cancer to yourself and second hand illness/disease to others you ARE an idiot! As an ex-smoker with severe/acute asthma the heavy cloying smoke of some establishments used to make it so we'd either leave or never return again. Back to the subject at hand I agree Kinchley's I am sure will be much better without the smoking. Has anyone been to Kinchley's since the ban? Is it better? How do they accomodate the addicts, I'm just curious?

I have to comment that I'm happy on nights that Christine doesn't post her menu till the next morning. If I see something I want to order for lunch the next day I have to dream about it... no NO... FANTASIZE until I order it for lunch. It's just purely EVIL! Maybe I should hire her/Javi as my private chef's, nah then I'd LOSE weight, they probably wouldn't let me eat any delicious/fattening foods since they're so nice to me.

Well I won't say "I told you so..." in reference to my posting last week. IMHO I feel the next on the chopping block is either Stephen or Dave. Tiffani, Lee Ann and Harold are more professional and more "Top Chef" material. Stephen is way too condescending and doesn't seem to notice his lack of "humanity" to those who work with him or are in his proximity. Dave is a crybaby who loses focus and personalizes everything, he gets upset way too easily, you really need to keep focus no matter what in a stressful situation, again - you can ALWAYS cry in your pillow at the end of the night. Tiffani I feel is in it to win as is Lee Ann, Harold is very professional and focused so when it comes down to the last 3 it should be quite interesting. Let's see if I'm right again?!

Picnic did it again... I'm going to gain 25 pounds from this good food! I ordered “Beef Wellington wrap” — roast beast, foie gras and truffle pate, sauteed mushrooms for supper and gave my dogs most of the mushrooms since I love the flavor but not the mouthfeel of mushrooms in certain foods. I have to remember to order EARLY when they have my favorites because everytime I wait till noonish or later they run out of the best items!!!!! Thankfully Christine had ONE sandwich left waiting just for little ol' me. Also I broke my "once a week" rule to order again since it sounded great. I should have waited till tomorrow, on Fridays she always has that damned Lobster sandwich and other good seafood goodies... DAMN IT! Oh well, there's always next Friday.

Mapquest has gotten MANY people lost who try to find our home. I have to 2nd and 3rd that Google or any OTHER thing but NOT Mapquest for some reason they don't have our street mapped correctly and people keep going to the next town over to a street with the same name as our street or they stop halfway here to our neighbor with the same house # (different street) and have delivered our stuff to them and vice versa! So much for Mapquest. BLAH! I will try PF Chang when it opens in the Riverside Mall since it's pretty close to where I live if I hear it's good and reasonably priced and has good seating. BUT Nothing, I repeat NOTHING can replace my favorites but maybe they'll come close.

I kind of broke passover today by ordering Picnic's Curried Chicken Salad. It is quite scrumptious and I couldn't resist. I gave the bread to the dogs and put it on Matzoh. Someone remind me to ask for the recipe for this, it is really tasty. It didn't have the cashews in it today - or I got a cashew-free-serving. Either way I love the way it tastes and the bits of raisins and apricots work for me nicely in the whole flavor! Thanks folks at Picnic for makin a great lunch.

Jeff and I have liked Kirkers even with the dated decor... we felt we got a great meal there at least 75% or more of the time... once in a while the regular chef must not be there. Now that it will be "smoke free" it will make it much MUCH better to go to.

Hubby and I both like Legal Seafoods feeling that Red Lobster has de-evolved down to being an equal to the seafood version of McD's. Most of the patrons are loud and obnoxious or they have children who are loud and obnoxious each and every time we go. Legal Seafoods in the Palisades Mall in W. Nyack and the one in the Paramus NJ location are the ones we frequent. We've even had a "star sighting" at the Palisades Mall - some famous baseball player - and the crowd went crazy and we continued eating our delicious supper. We like to share the lump crab dip and then get an entree each. My favorite among many is: something grilled or the lobster/crabmeat ravioli with the tomato vodka sauce... MMmmMMmm good! http://www.legalseafoods.com P.S. I read your Blog Tommy it was quite interesting to read as well!

I think that unless Miguel pulls his act together he will be the next to go IMHO. If he does manage to pull it together enough I think it will be Dave because he just doesn't act professional enough and even though it's not baseball... and I'm no Tom Hanks - there's no CRYING in "The Kitchen". Save it for your pillow, therapist or your spouse. Dave has blamed others, had excuses and made mistakes too many times to be a "professional" or "Top Chef". You work under pressure in a restaurant environment ESPECIALLY the kitchen so as the saying goes.... (groaning) If you can't stand the HEAT get out of the Kitchen! How can you serve a Latke cold? UGH. See you after the next episode(s) maybe.

Daniel, I ordered this today from there: Curried chicken salad w/cashews, dried apricots, dried cranberries, a hint of curry, a hint of red onion, and loads of lovely chicken breast but got it on Focacchia instead of over greens... GOD it was deliciouso! You have GOT to try it sometime or check our their Lobster/Seafood EARLY (like 10am order pick up later or something!) on Fridays. I was going to save half for supper but I just couldn't stop eating it. GAH! Happy Passover and Enthusiastic Easter everyone.

You are so right Menton that is why i asked this. There is "Kosher style" for the less intense with no breadstuff or leavened stuff presented but not truly "Kosher for Passover" where all bread is eradicated from the premises. Thank you and thank everyone so far... there are some good ideas of places to go should they be open and serving more of a "Passover friendly" venue. Salad is OUT!

Cinco de Mayo what a beautiful name for a not so beautiful place! It is on a street that parallels Kinderkamack with the shared street being Westwood Ave. Like a big letter "H". It is about 2 doors down from Karl Ehmer's and one door down from the bagel shop. It is really worth going to for a fast lunch IMHO! I went there for lunch a few days back and the food was pretty good for such a small "decor-challenged" place. I bought the Chicken Mole Enchilada's and took a picture too - one day I'll figure out how to u/l it with this phone/camera. They gave me tray-warmed chips and a nice salsa with a tiny bite to it. The food and service was very good and the staff amazingly attentive, the price was reasonable as well - there were 5 other people eating when I first arrived there so it was not too busy but not too quiet for such a smallish place. I was pleased with all but one small aspect - I got ALOT of it on my shirt that day, if my shirt likes it I usually do too! -LOL-

Is there any restaurants that serve "Kosher for Passover" friendly meals as a dine-in option? We are not terribly strict about it so long as there is no leavened bread or leavened products and there is either a matzoh or unleavened substitute available. I know of so few restaurants that are open and "Kosher for Passover". Hubby makes a great matzoh-brei and my mother in law and my sister can make great matzoh ball soup but it gets redundant after a while. I don't take the time out to cook so if anyone has great suggestions I'm listening!! Thanks. Maybe I'll stock up on potato latkes and dress them different each day of passover.

Also El Toro Loco by the Rockland Psychiatric Center Area (I feel it's aptly named more or less.) - It's right off of Orangeburg Road about 1 mile past the Old Tappan/Tappan Reservoir.

Christine I have a problem... I like “The Quacker” — Seared duck breast (medium rare), foie gras and truffle pate; pear and blackberry balsamic drizzle all wrapped up. The problem is my gall bladder and/or digestive system feels it is too rich for me! -lol- It is really REALLY tasty to me and loaded in richness (see chol') but I shouldn't order it anymore! Maybe if you make a nice chicken or seafood rub I'll try that or something a bit lighter in the fat family that is NOT one of your tasty salads. Remember I have a green aversion. May I suggest sundried tomato wrap with rubbed or blackened chicken, sliced avocado's, dried cranberries, sliced pears or other fruit of choice, roasted red peppers and sundried tomatoes? Now I think my stomach might thank you for something like that.

I'm jealous - I just mentioned in another part of the NJ site that I love sweet potato fries. Next time I'll have to come and join all of you on an outing!