gourmand2

I could really use some help! My family & I will be travelling down to the gulf coast of Florida in February. We'll be staying near the Cape Haze area and were looking for both a nice place to go for just my spouse & I (we'll have a babysitter there for the kids), and a nice family restaurant as well. We'd like to avoid chains and would love a true coastal experience. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I was hoping to get a recommendation for a restaurant in the Monmouth Cty area (preferably near or in Freehold, Red Bank, Fair Haven, or Howell). I need to purchase a gift certificate for a business associate that did me a favor so the restaurant does need to offer those. He's a pretty casual guy, but I would like a "nice" comfortable atmosphere, and it would probably be best if it has a liquor license. So far I've had a few recommendations - Citrus, Nauvoo Grill & Dish. Does anyone know anything about these places or have any other options? My associate is not really a "foodie" (so nothing too exotic), but he enjoys good simple food. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

What about Matisse in Belmar? They are not NY upscale, but the food is fairly good & you can't beat the view. Also, Mahogany Grill in Manasquan is good. And Brandl in Belmar is owned by one of Mahogany Grill's previous chefs. Although I can only recommend Brandl by word of mouth since I've never been.

Wow...some really great suggestions here!! RN is fabulous, but it is probably about an hour from you. I always enjoyed Rat's, but there is a new chef in town. Don't know anything about him or his food. Regardless, the grounds are beautiful. The Ryland is a staple, although I've heard some not so great reviews lately. The food at Stage House is incredible, but I would agree that it doesn't have much of a 'special' ambiance. Haven't been to the Frog & the Peach in about 4 years & I don't know anything about the other places. There are a few other places that are close to you that you may want to consider, such as Serenade, The Bernards Inn & Le Petit Chateau. The Bernards Inn also has quaint hotel rooms so you could make a night of it & have your brunch too. Good luck & Happy Anniversary!!

I won't comment on the service at the Pluckemin one way or the other since I have not been yet, but I have heard from others that it needs improvement. However, that being said, I think that you're unfairly stereotyping all NJ restaurants with a comment like this. I will apologize as a NJ native for any such experience you may have had here, but I can assure you as an avid NJ AND NY diner that NY has been guilty of the same crime. When I was 22 years old, I dined at Aureole & was seated at the worst table by far and received the worst service ever in a fine dining establishment. The captain looked down his nose at us (I'm sure he was wondering what he did wrong to deserve us & why the maitre'd hated him so), and only returned to take our dinner & dessert order. But this & a few other incidences were isolated cases, and I would never label all NY restaurants as age discriminatory! -- I also would not say they are more "age blind".

I must say, Zagat or no Zagat, I will be trying this place. I've heard & read so much about it, but it's the old saying "so many places, so little time"!! However, after seeing the pics of the food, I've been enticed.

I just looked at the current Zagat guide for NJ shore and they rate the food 25 which is high praise indeed. FYI, Phone number is 609 345-2022 Also, we might be tempted to try Susanna Foo's new place in the Borgata...decisions, decisions! ← I would definitely recommend Chef Vola's if you've never been. It's quite an experience. You obviously found the phone#, which means you probably have the address. But if not, the address is 111 So. Albion Place. They are located off of Pacific Avenue, between Texas & California Sts. Susanna Foo's is also wonderful and would've been my first reccomendation. However, you noted that you were looking for something "fairly reasonable", and I don't think that they fit into that category. If you are willing to spend a little extra, it's worth it.

We were fortunate enough to attend the James Beard event on Wednesday evening, and Rosie, I couldn't agree with you more. I also had no prior experience or knowledge of Pepper Bridge Winery and was extremely impressed with their wines. The syrah was also my favorite, but the semillon came in a very close second. Not surprisingly, I fell in love with the late harvest semillon...dessert wines always find their way into my heart!! Chef Heyer presented his menu flawlessly (which I find can sometimes be very challenging at the Beard House), and once again, I'm in agreement with Rosie and thought the food and wine were paired perfectly. As a matter of fact, the proprietor of the winery said that it was by far the best food pairing that he's ever had with his wine. I'd find it difficult to choose a favorite dish, so I won't. Suffice to say that overall it was one of the best wine dinners (all things considered...food, wine, service, etc.) that I've attended. --I have a few pics of the food & kitchen action, but I don't know how to post them. I'd love to add them if someone would be so kind to guide me.--

I would have to agree with you because my dining experience was amazing as well. I really love this place & wish Helena was able to enjoy her experience just as much...especially on such a wonderful occasion as her anniversary. It's such a romantic spot tucked away in such a busy little town!

It really is too bad that you were selecting from a preset menu. Was it a private party or were you in the dining room? When we were there this past January, I had a hard time choosing what to eat...I thought both the ala carte menu and the tasting menus looked very creative, and the food was unbelievable. Don't know how many people you had in your party, but maybe your host was trying to accomodate the majority of his or her guests by staying simple. I think a few things have changed here since the thread started in 2001, because Rosie noted that the entire table had to have the tasting menu during her visit, but that wasn't the case when we were there. There were 2 of us that had the tasting menu and I think the other 4 had the ala carte menu. There is also new ownership and a new chef.

More Additions: Bay Point Prime - Point Pleasant The Bernards Inn - Bernardsville Blue Peach - Sea Girt The Grenville - Bay Head Osaka at the Docksider - Ortley Red's Lobster Pot - Point Pleasant

Finally had the pleasure of dining at Per Se last night. Everything was wonderful and there were very few missteps. I don't want to post all of the details of the night since there has already been so much written about the restaurant. However, I will comment on how great the sommelier was. I believe his name was Bill, and he was present at just the right time and made great selections to pair with our tasting menus. It was very nice to be able to sit back and enjoy ourselves instead of analyzing which wines and their nuances would pair best with our 9 courses! ...and by the way, the foie gras supplement is now up to $30.

Has NJM come to a conclusion on this issue yet?

Although I would always recommend that one tries Fromagerie at least once, I'm not sure that it's a good alternative if you were aiming for Nicholas. They are complete opposites of each other in all aspects. I prefer the food at Nicholas (which is new American), but the Fromagerie's food is classical French - a completely different style. The decor is also opposite, and in this case I prefer the Fromagerie. It is much more cozy and has a feeling of warmth whereas Nicholas seems more sterile and minimalistic. But you indicate that food is most important - if you want to stay in that area maybe you should try LeFandy (although it's a BYO). I haven't been there in a couple of years, but the food was very good during my last visit. Otherwise if you're willing to travel a little bit, some good alternatives would be The Stage House, The Bernards Inn or Stage Left if you haven't tried any of those. Good Luck and enjoy yourself where ever you wind up!

My list for 2004 would have to be: Bernards Inn Ixorra Nicholas Ryland Inn Stage House Stage Left I still have many I'd like to get to in 2005...any suggestions for places that should be on the top of my list? edit - can't forget Red's Lobster Pot - great summer spot