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ELA

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Everything posted by ELA

  1. Great point(s). I could be completely wrong, but in today's day and age, when it comes to steakhouses, I think that there is more competition and it's a bit "tighter" so to speak. If you were a Luger's guy, Luger's used to be so far and away the "best" and that was that. Today, while you may still be a Luger's guy, there are other places -- whether it's a change of pace, something else, whatever, I find that there are other places that have earned and deserve to be in the steak lover's rotation. At least that's the way it is for me. On the "meat" side, I think we've all heard the stories, and many years ago I was told that back then certain places used to get first pick, better meat, whatever you want to call it. Maybe true, maybe false, who knows. Sure, that could be a factor, to whatever extent it might be true. Dry vs. wet, absolutely is a major factor. I think there is an "intangible" here as well. I have been a meat eater all my life. It's pretty much all I eat. To me, when I go out for steak -- it's all encompassing. It very much is about the experience. I like sitting at the bar and having a martini. I love smoking a cigar! Can't do that any longer here in NJ except at a few places. I look forward to the appetizers and the salad. It's about all of it! However, the one thing that I think we all consciously or subconsciously look for, hope for, etc. -- is consistency. The steak is it for me, and I want it the way I want it and like it. To me, when my steak is done perfect, it's just incredible. You tend to get that consistency from the classics, at least the one's that you would consider the classics, LOL. Thanks again for a great thread. Eric
  2. Two totally different places. The River Palm Terrace (RPT) has three locations -- Edgewater, which is the original, Mahwah and Fair Lawn. They have added a new restaurant and theme -- The Ocean Palm, in Englewood (where Ninety Grand used to be). "The Palm" is of the NY fame, which now has locations throughout the US. Their NJ local is in Atlantic City, at The Quarter in the Tropicana. I have not been to this specific location. Eric
  3. Sheena, the banh beo sounds interesting. Is it common? Street vendors, restaurants? Is this the kind of thing I can find in an authentic Thai or Vietnamese place? Thank you again Sheena. Eric
  4. Just got off the phone with my "expert" friend, LOL. So, he said I am stupid because I left so much out and have no idea what I am talking about, LOL. He said the dish a very common street food and is a version of scallion pancakes. According to him, the dish I am talking about is jian bing -- with a certain version also known as "jian bi gua za" and there are numerous variations (another being called jian bing guozhi) -- but the version I had was without the "fried bread" that is normally put on the "crepe" before it's folded up. (Note -- he also mentioned "dan bing" as another variation, but I couldn't take notes that fast, LOL). So, he told me that he had it all over Bejing and other parts of China and the far east (or variations of it). He told me the reason I forgot this and didn't equate this to "scallion pancakes" is that these are very, very different from the scallion pancakes that we know here in the US and order from the take-out/delivery Chineese restaurant. They are a much more of a "pancake" and soft, as opposed to the crusty scallion pancake from the take-out place. Here's the details of this great dish from my expert friend . . . In the basic, traditional version, the crepe comes from a flour mix batter and it's spread out onto a griddle wth a "T" shaped tool. Then they put in some scallions -- which I of course didn't remember. I am not sure, but mine might not have had scallions. Then they crack open a couple of eggs onto the crepe/pancake which is still cooking a bit, but is somewhat solidified. He said cilantro is often used as well. After the eggs and the pancake cooks for another minute or two the crepe is then flipped over. A bean paste is added (now that I remember this part, I remember thinking at the time that it was some sort of hoisen sauce, which I happen to like). He said at this stage a piece of fried crispy bread (or two) is placed onto the pancake and then the pancake is folded up into a nice little "burrito" type (often somewhat) sqaure-shaped finished dish. So -- thanks for helping out on this. If you have a chance to get this -- any version -- get it!!! They were great. Eric
  5. Thanks so much. I greatly appreciate it. So, I've been calling everyone who I came into contact with on the trip. Because I told people about it, took them there, etc. Anyway, I have one friend who came to see me when I was on this trip, and he kind of remembers seeing the street vendor -- reason being was that he had told me at the time that he had the dish in the Far East years before. However, he thought it was Thai -- and thought he had it in Thailand (and some other places in the Far East). He said that street vendors all throughout Bangkok (???) were preparing/selling it. But he wasn't sure if it was Bangkok or somewhere in Vietnam. I am going to do some search and research as well. Thanks again. Eric
  6. For the life of me, I just can't remember. A friend of mine said that he thought some shrimp were added, but another friend said he was wrong. What do you have in mind? Thanks so much. Eric
  7. OK, so I would like to ask the in-house experts for some help. Many years ago I had a Vietnamese dish that was really great. It was prepared by a street vendor situated outside a Vietnamese restaurant in San Franciso (no, the restaurant is no longer there and nobody remembers the name of it or the dish). Anyway, it was a great little snack. It was a pancake mix/batter that was spread out across a circular griddle (like a crepe, with a similar texture and taste) in the shape of a circle. Then, after the crepe becomes solidified, where it could be flipped -- the guy cracks a couple of eggs right on top of the crepe. He cooks the eggs, let's the whole thing cook a bit more -- then I forget if anything else was added, mixed in, etc. -- he folds up, and BANG! It was really great. Does anyone know what I am talking about? Thank you in advance. Eric
  8. Anyone been to the new place on Rt. 17S -- City Place Steakhouse -- where the North American Lobster Company used to be? How about Steve's Sizzling Steaks? I haven't been there in years. Eric
  9. I am hoping to go this weekend. I've heard some nice things from a few friends -- good service, attentive, quality steak, well cooked/prepared, etc. Looking forward to it. Eric
  10. So, any thoughts, comments, etc. since Jamie is no longer there? BTW, does anyone know the name of the restaurant he is at now? I haven't been there since, but I haven't heard many favorable comments. Thank you in advance. Eric
  11. I've been eating at Peter Luger's since I was a kid. The place and the aura has been fabled in legend and song. OK, poor attempt at being a bit melodramatic. LOL. Anyway, there is no need to discuss the service. Nobody goes there for the service or the romantic ambiance. Some may consider Wolfgang's an alternative, others not. What I've noticed about Luger's in recent years is that I can go and have the so called "greatest steak in the world" and also go and have a steak that is so-so (by Luger standards and others as well). Consistency is a word that I have heard, even from Luger fanatics, for a few years. It's still top notch and IMO still ranks very near the top of the list. Eric
  12. Thanks for the help. Yes I will have a car. I am staying at the Marriott World Resort Center. Price is not an issue. When I travel I tend to want to try new places, but the types of food I like -- steak, steak, sushi, Italian, oh, and did I mention steak. LOL. I usually stay away from places I can eat at when I am home -- chains, names, etc. Thank you again. Eric
  13. Good Italian food in NJ? Of course! I have always liked Casa Dante in Jersey City. Haven't been there in a while so I can't speak to recent going on's. I also like Cafe Italiano in Englewood Cliffs. Again, haven't been there in a while, but a few years ago they finally got a liquor license. I liked it a lot as a BYO and would always bring a very nice bottle as I always enjoyed the food. Further north, anyone have any thoughts on Grissini's? A little too much of a show for me but the few times I've been there I enjoyed it. Too crowded and not enough room but the food was good. Anyone been there recently? I also like Armando's (Fort Lee). Is E&V (Paterson) still open? I've had some nice meals there too. I think a "controversial" favorite of mine is LuNello's. Whenever I've gone, I enjoyed it. That's what counts with me. LOL. Eric
  14. Steve -- Thank you very much. Eric
  15. Great thread. Every serious steak eater has a "favorite" so to speak. I also think that sometimes the favorite, in a certain context, might have to do with geographics (perhaps to an extent, even if not conciously). If a place is close to us, and we like it, we tend to go there more often. The Northern NJ/Bergen county crowd raves about The River Palm et al, the Essex County meat lovers talk about The Strip House et al, and the Southern NJ crowd talks about Pete Lorenzo's (or at least they used to, perhaps these days it's The ChopHouse) et al. You will go to every restaurant on this thread and you will find yourself viewing your favorite as the benchmark. You can visit all the others, and even in the ones you like, of course somewhere along the line, you are going to get a steak that is not as good as the rest. Sure, maybe someone will never have a "bad" steak at one place. Maybe it's that place that is our favorite. Of course everyone's tastebuds are different and different tastes, qualities, nuances, etc. appeal to different people. Anyway, I eat steak. It's pretty much what I eat. I rarely eat chicken. Extremely rare is veal, and it's always been veal parmigiana. Never pork or lamb. Other than sushi, a once in a blue moon lobster, I don't eat fish. I've been to pretty much every place mentioned on this thread. I've heard countless people rave about The Strip House. Been there, done that, many times. I like it. It's very good. I wouldn't say anything bad about it at all. I just don't rave about it. If I lived 15 minutes away, I'd be there often, but for a nice night out, I would rather drive 45 minutes and go to the River Palm (yes, the one in Edgewater). My favorites are The River Palm and The Assembly. Now, the River Palm is a very common favorite. A top-notch steakhouse. My other favorite, The Assembly, is not nearly as common a favorite with most people. However, I will often opt for The Assembly. I know the people there, I like the bar, the atmoshere, etc. I have never had a bad steak there either. I also, for the most part, don't view the steak as any less quality, any less good, etc. there than at The River Palm. I've eaten at The Park dozens and dozens of times as I have friends who live in the area, like it very much, etc. It's not bad, but I don't like it anywhere near some others. I know others who love the place. I think Morton's (Hackensack) has a following although I don't know if they are there for the long haul. I've had some nice steaks at Sammy's (Mendham). I enjoy Flemming's (Edgewater) Some of the places mentioned aren't even steakhouses per se. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with that and there are places that I get an enjoyable steak that aren't steakhouses. If you like it, go there and go there often. LOL. I've met with friends and been in the mood for a steak and had a very enjoyable steak at The Porterhouse (Montvale) and that is certainly not a high-end steakhouse. I used to like Smoke (Englewood) but some of the people I know (the chef, waiters, etc.) have left and the place seems to have become very club'ish. I've had lunch there a few times recently and the food is still good, but IMHO nothing like it used to be. I also very much liked Nintey Grand and have been a fan of the chef's (the original one) for some time. Laugh if you want, but I've had a very enjoyable steak at Segovia (Moonachie). It's not The River Palm, or like a NY steakhouse, but if I am there, I can order a steak and enjoy it. Anyway, most of all, like I said, great thread. Eric
  16. Top. Did everyone pick up and move from Orlando? How 'bout nearby Orlando -- anybody, any help? LOL. Thanks. Eric
  17. I passed by the other day on the way to the Devils game. Took a quick look, while trying to not take my eyes of the road (Rt. 17 you know). I could be way off here, but it seems to be a long way away. I am not in the construction business or anything of the like, and I have often been amazed at how fast buildings, houses, places, etc. get done -- so I guess we will soon see. Eric
  18. I haven't been to Orlando in many years but I'll be heading down there for at least a week in early/mid Jan. I wanted to get some suggestions for some nice restaurants -- I plan on going out for dinner every night. Maybe some nice seafood, sushi, Italian, steakhouses, etc. I'm up for anything -- almost. LOL. Thank you in advance. Eric
  19. Eric, We are definatley NOT set on S. Jersey or Princeton area. Today's jaunt was a part of our "leave no stone unturned" campaign. There is, however, a bit of urgency involved in finding a second location though. Unfortunatley, in Verona, we tripped and fell after a mere 40 days of business by having an unexpected electrical fire in the middle of the night, closed for 9 weeks in order to rebuild from scratch, what we had just built a month prior, re-opened to a "ghost town" of a summer, and have been clawing our way back, trying to regain what once was. Truth be told, we are holding our heads above water in Verona, but are doing a fair amount of head scratching around the question "where did all those people who originally came out to enjoy AHD in droves, disappear to?" We have a great loyal fan base and a steady stream of new people every day, but still nothing like when we first opened. Now I understand the initial rush and excitment of a new restaurant with lots of people wanting to try it, and would expect a small percentage drop in customer attendance, but the drop has been substantial. Bigger than we imagined. Again, we are doing OK in Verona,except the last 2 days; slowest days we've ever had, but can handle ALOT more volume. We put out customer "comment cards" hoping that people would feel more comfortable anonymously writting negative experiences on paper and slipping them into a comment box, rather than confront us face to face, but besides a few "toast the bun" comments, ALL the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. People RAVE about our food; they tell us that they were told about us by (fill in the name of a friend or loved one), and that they tell all their friends about us, etc.. We just haven't been able to figure out what has changed. (boy did this post turn into a doozie, LOL) I am open to ANY and ALL feedback you or other Egulleters may have on this topic, after all, you guys have been with me since day one and I value your input. Lastly, I am doing a little cooking demo at the Bloomies in Hackensack on Dec 15th in the houswares dept. Stop in and say hello. Eric ← Thank you for the reply, and the info. Being that you are looking for a second location and some insight, I would like to attempt to add some value here. Please allow me to think, or type, out loud. While I am certainly not an expert in the restaurant business, I do have experience in the real estate field (it is not my primary business) and I've been ancillary involved in the restaurant/nightclub business. Let me preface this by saying I love hotdogs and very much love your place. I am not a fanatic but I grew up thinking Nathan’s (yes, the original) was the greatest thing in the world, and I was raised on Hiram's and Callahan's (and the arguments in my family home brought on family wars! LOL). I am one of those who have no problem driving for a hotdog. Now, I don't know anything about your previous location, but in hearing about some of the economics of the new location, and having been there a few times, I think there are some aspects to look at. First, the age old question of "where did all those people go" should often be preceded by "where did all those people come from"? At your previous location, where did the majority (let's say your regular, reliable, etc. -- 80% per se) of these people come from? Did they come from within 2 miles? 5 miles? Maybe even more important than miles, is driving time. 5 miles through a town or two can be a 20 to 30 minute drive. Elaborate on this thought process. If most of these people are not coming/still coming to the new location, then this mindset will start to answer some of the questions as to why. We all know that location is key, but so are many related issues -- foot traffic, market potential/demographics, exposure, name/brand recognition, parking, etc. Anonymous suggestion cards are not going to get you the answers to the questions you need and want for this component of your target market (yes, these comments are important for other reasons of course). You need answers to the questions about and from the people who are NOT coming. Second, about your present location -- internally, it's very nice. You aren't a Hiram's or Rutt's Hut; and it's extremely apparent that you aren't trying to be the age old "hotdog joint", LOL. Like I said -- you got me as a customer, but I am not going to be there 2 or 3 times a week. Be that as it may, and I am very much going on 100% memory here -- the "strip mall" itself is somewhat oddly positioned -- both in relation to, and on the road. The stores themselves are close to the road (which is never ideal), which is a main road and is not on a straight-away part (it's on a bit of a curve -- right?). Going there the first time, I missed the place and passed the strip mall the first time, and had to drive around the block (not a simple, square block) to go back into the lot. Parking is tough -- aren't most of the stores in/out stores?). It's very difficult when driving by to catch the storefront signage. I am sure there are zoning and town issues about signs. Obviously, there is no street parking and nearby parking is difficult as well. In your area, the lunch crowd could be a strong market -- how easy is it for these people to come to and get into your place? I think that a mindset along these lines will get you the answers to the questions you need and want. However, this will also tremendously help you in looking for a new location. Especially if you are going to be somewhat close to your current location. Look for all the aspects in the new location that you think are obstacles in the current location. We all know that while location, foot traffic, parking, etc. are important, there are always key ingredients that will contribute to success. On that note, I was recently talking with a client of mine -- a super successful restaurateur/restaurant group owner. Every single place is gangbusters successful -- different models, themes, locations, etc. So we are discussing his mindset, methodology, the secret to his success, etc. and he tells me about something Wayne Gretsky told him when asked what made him so successful, the greatest hockey player of all time, and always being in the "right place", etc. We've all heard it before and the quote has been changed a bit over time and story -- Gretsky told him "I always looked to be where the puck was going or going to be -- not on being where the puck has already been" (forget about the actual words, it's the concept of course that is important here). Anyway, enough thinking out loud for tonight. Once again, all the best! Eric
  20. ELA

    Park Slope

    Can't really help you on any new or undiscovered places -- but I tremendously enjoy Blue Ribbon. Haven't been there for a while but I am really wanting to go back there. Eric
  21. So, has the decision been made to go with a S. Jersey/Princeton local? Sounds great. Let me throw the North Jersey hat in the ring again, LOL. I am not an expert, but of course many know the many basics that exist in the retail food game; and yes, I am sure there are specifics that would exist in the niche of a specialty hot dog place. I think the basics of location, foot traffic, parking, and so on all still apply, as well as demographics. While a place like Hoboken had its advantages -- it is heavility populated and has tremendous foot traffic, some have mentioned some of the potential disadvantages. Why not something in say Paramus? Expensive? Yes. What about Ridgewood? Mahwah? This one may be a bit out there -- but what about Fort Lee? Both Callahan's and Hiram's survived and thrived right next door to each other for decade after decade. Englewood? Yes, maybe a bit "glitzy" or too upscale. I think Bergen County would be a good place to look around. Good luck!!! I am sure you will do well. Eric
  22. It's not as fancy as the rest but I have a friend who has taken a couple of classes at Williams-Sonoma. The ones she took are kind of basic but I think she said they have a variety. I think she said the last one she took was at their Garden State Plaza location -- I could be wrong about that however. I think they also have a location at Riverside Square as well. Good luck. Eric
  23. looks like they are in JC now. click here ← Thanks. I wasn't sure if that was a second location or what? Edgewater still "looked" open but I was more trying to keep my eyes on the road. The awning is still up as were some of the outside decorative items. Thanks again. Eric
  24. I've been looking around for a list or info on cigar/smoke friendly restaurants, bar, lounge, etc. here in NJ. I done several searches but I am no google guru, LOL. So I figured why not look here or start one. Here in Northern NJ -- Smoke (Chophouse) in Englewood and The Porter House in Montvale are the only two I can think of. Has Azucar re-opened in Edgewater, and do they still allow smoking upstairs in that "cigar lounge"? Nintety Grand had 90 Below, but with the recent change to The Ocean Palm, the cigar bar/lounge downstairs has been closed. Anyplace elese? Does anyone have a link to cigar/smoke friendly places? Thank you. Eric
  25. ELA

    Syd's Moved

    AlisonA -- here's the link to thread http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=4290&st=30 Eric
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