Rail Paul

It's a slow day on the ranch, so I decided to see what was out in the census files for Jersey City and Hoboken. I assumed that household income of $75,000 or more would be necessary to occasionally dine at the places mentioned here. I did not correct for marital status within household definition Based on the preliminary 2000 census results for households and income, the two towns are almost identical in the % of households earning over $100,000 a year at 11% each. In raw numbers that's 10,155 for JC and 5504 for HOB. Where the results diverge is in the % of households earning $75,000 to exactly $100,000 which adds 9.2% more in Jersey City, and 14% more in Hoboken. If I carried the analysis, the numbers would favor Hoboken in a lopsided way. These demographic outputs do not take into consideration the number of daytime workers who live elsewhere but spend a portion of the day and lunch dollars in town (advantage: JC). Or, persons who come into town to party and drink in the local bars (advantage HOB). Based on this rudimentary analysis, I'd contend that there's more gross (reported) income per household in Hoboken than in Jersey City

Glenn - I'd venture Jersey City's Jewish population has been augmented by the newer developments at and about Newport, Port liberte and the expansive property / boat yard at the Luis Munoz Marin light rail station. Lots of Wall Street types, so there may be a few folks of Jewish heritage among them. What's the name of the restaurant in the hyatt by the polish war monument at the foot of montgomery street? Good bar, OK food? Paul

The NY Times reports that winemakers will be allowed to put specific health claims on wine bottles if the claims are highly detailed and appropriately qualified, or if they direct consumers where to find health related information. The article, by Floyd Norris with Amanda Hesser, notes that some of the details might not please the industry, such as very specific statements that moderate wine drinking might have limited, if any, benefit for most persons. The current warnings about drinking during pregnancy and operating machinery would remain. Several quoted persons believe the greater result will be in targeted print advertising where space can be devoted to specialized disclosures. Wine Labels

ok...now I am really cllose to hiring a babysitter..describe thes dogs in the best way you know how, jersey Board, and I'm leaving these kids behind!!!LOL. Bring them along, Tommy wil entertain them whille I drink Rosie's Turley...

Cat looks pissed. Guess I would be too, if somebody gave me a haircut like that. Do the other cats make fun of it?

If that's the obstacle, I can stop over and pick them up, Rosie. I'll be there around 1230. If there's any left, I'll bring it over to Rutt's. No problem, no problem at all. Rippers a la Helen, has a nice ring to it.

Primanti's makes a mean sandwich. It's the first place we hit when my husband and I go back for visits (he grew up there). Now it's a Yuengling and a Primanti's. I love the fried egg w/onion. But can only eat that no more than once a year. I think there are only 3 in Pittsburgh--and one in Hilton Head (?). Iron City and an Imperial Whiskey. Aaah. Imp 'n I-urn, breakfast of champions. Many the morning I had a few of these to get ready to face the day. I'm not familiar with Primati's, would either of you provide more details? Sounds like it's worth a visit! kjcooks - welcome aboard! If you live an hour west of Pittsburgh, the character known here as Wilfrid may be interested in food stuffs found in the Panhandle and eastern Ohio.

Nice steak, nice story, nice plate. Do you vary your plates based on the food you're serving? We have several different shapes, sizes, and colors of plates for just that reason.

Somebody mentioned a few days ago that he would never sign a non-compete agreement. This particular example is exactly why employers often sweeten non-competes with enhanced severance, etc. From this description, tguy went in, learned every trade secret and piece of proprietary info he could, then took it for his own use. Many deals come with two years of full pay when you leave if you agree not to compete against your current employer for a year. BTW, the old McDonald's on NJ 4 in Fair Lawn was taken down by hand and shipped to Hamburger U, where it was re-assembled. It was an original two window walk-up, with the arches forming the front of the building. Vintage 1960ish...

But, FG, is that a consequence of offering just an aggregate weighting for all the restaurant's attributes, displayed as stars? How much of the rating is dependent on food, how much on ambience, excellence and innovation, etc? I'd like to see a system where the stars are broken out by food creativity, by ambience, by service, by consistent quality, etc. So, there are four star categories, and you can compare to food to food, ambience to ambience, etc. Similar to how Zagat would look if it was done by trained reviewers...

March 5 works for me and Dee. March 11 is doubtful. 7 pm is fine Wednesday's a fun time at Rutt's. Maybe the biker nuns will be there again, or the NY motorcycle cops... Just re-read this thread.... Varmint's in? Cooooool...

Cabrales uses a method which I've found to be very effective. Small business card sized pieces of paper to note courses, thoughts, etc. Slide them under the bread plate, etc as they are filled. I will also retain a menu or wine list after placing an order if I want to copy down details. Occasionally, you'll be noticed, and a waiter, etc will ask if she may be of help, which is fine.

Thanks for reminding me of that. Totally forgot about Tom in that action, and it's an excellent point. We're talking late 1970s and early 1980s here...

I used to travel from NYC, specifically from across the street from the River Cafe. to the Pear Tree. I mean, two minutes and spitting distance from the bridge to Manhatten, and we went to the Pear Tree. Pear Tree, Tarragon Tree, trees of our youth...

I've always found Brooke Tarabour's pieces to be of interest. This is definitely an "under the radar" operation if the article is fully accurate. The "four chefs on staff" was quite a surprise, too. Verducci's in the Ledger

It's in Clifton, NJ about two miles west of the Sports Complex NJ 3 west or east to NJ 21 north. Take the first exit north of 3. Go up the exit ramp, cross over 3, turn left at the stop sign. Rutt's is about 1,000 feet on your left, between the road and NJ 21. Wednesday night is biker night. Rutt's attracts (attracted?) a wide range of diverse types, so eGulleteers should fit right in. The Royal Grill is another 3-4 exits north on NJ 21, so a round robin taste taste is possible

Agreed. The cooking of the dough and ingredients also releases water vapor, but an 800 degree oven would not likely retain moisture for an appreciable period of time. I wonder if the moisture differences among various cheeses affect the finished pizza?

Craft of the Cocktail is a wonderful book. DeGroff discusses alternative ingredients, and the science of delivering flavor. He also weaves in the circumstances for which a particular drink was created

The Wall Street Journal has a mention that the European Union has identified a number of anti-competitive practices in the US, which discourage the sale of European products. One such practice is the state run alcoholic franchises in 19 US states. "State stores" are typically run by a government authority, with government employees as clerks and warehouse staff. The state decides which products may be sold to residents of the state. Private importation from a foreign jurisdiction (for example, from Maryland into Pennsylvania) is prohibited or very limited. No private stores are permitted for the sale of liquor or wine. The EU believes this practice deprives potential buyers of wine from a free choice of a wider selection. If an importer is not able to meet the often high minimum shipping volumes required by an authority, it may be squeezed out of the entire state. For once, an EU concern which makes sense and is actually good economics.

But, back to your original question. I doubt many people would say "Hey, let's call RN and see if they can fit us in tonight..." Not that kind of place. Even if they lived five minutes away, and Ozzie called Harriet from the train and said - "Honey, howbout we got to RN tonight? Pick me up at Red Bank station and we'll head over."

But glasses of any quality end up going cloudy if put in the dishwasher, so you must get through them more quickly, no? Like Tony, I don't have expensive glasses. But this is mainly because I break them on a regular basis. re: cloudy glassware My understanding is the interaction of dishwasher soap with the granularity of minerals in the water creates the "etching" on glass usually described as the cloudy appearance. The softer the water, the less soap should be used. The GE dishwasher owner's manual has a small section on this issue. The manual recommends not more than 1/3 of the detergent allowance be added in very soft water environments.

I've been there twice, definitely a nice place with fine food. It has changed hands at least once, so my comments may be obsolete. I believe the locals consider this a grand place. The main dining room is the former grand waiting room of the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie railroad's headquarters, which constructed it as a finger in the eye of the rival, and dominant, Pennsylvania Railroad. P&LE was a New York Central property which hauled coal and steel products.

I suspect Restaurant Nicholas also enjoys its "destination" status, as people will travel there from homes 20 or more miles away. I'd be willing to bet your zip code analysis would show your Tu-Fr dinner crowd lives much closer than your Saturday crowd, but that's just a guess. RN would not be on my list of places to just drop by without a reservation, which is the downside of a destination place. I've occasionally toyed with the idea of a "reverse 911" where a restaurant could call out to 100 registered diners with a "special deal for tonight" offer when things are really slow. There are services which could send 10 - 100 pre-programmed voice mails announcing $10 off the second entree or free dessert. The Woodbridge PO used a similar service the other day to notify people of the evacuation plans for the dock fire on Staten Island, and we've looked at them for notifying our employees of delayed work starts.

Today's Post-Gazette has an article about Pittsburgh's ongoing difficulty in attracting five star restaurants and hotels. Currently, only one restaurant (LeMont on Mount Washington) is rated four stars by a national service. Zagat has not yet launched a Pittsburgh rating effort, adding to the low visibility issue. According to the article, a current problem is Pittsburgh's relatively low room rates and expectation Pittsburgh is not an expensive place. As a result, extras like fresh flowers or high staff ratios are not often found in local lodging or dining places. Ritz-Carlton, not represented in Pittsburgh, expects at least $200 a night as average revenue per room, far above Pittsburgh's avarage. The other problem is the history of private dining rooms in major employers like Koppers, Gulf Oil, Westinghouse Electric. These may persist in current large employers (PNC, Federated, Mellon, PPG, USX, etc) but the article doesn't comment on this. Private clubs like the Duquesne offer five star services to members and their guests. Leaders like the Carnegies, Fricks, Schwabs, Mellons, Kaufmans, etc often lived in five star homes and would entertain guests on a scale not often seen today. Pittsburgh leaders are hopeful that it can develop a dining climate, but it would seem the odds are against it. What Pittsburgh does have in abundance is a wide range of ethnic eateries and people who enjoy sampling different foods. That would seem to be a much more interesting foundation for expanding a dining culture... Five Star Region and tab down to local news

Amanda Hesser has a dining page article in Pairings on what to serve with these reislings. Pairings is a column which accompanies the Tastings column in the Times. She suggests braised duck legs in soy sauce, or pork chops in a caramelized pulled pork style. The recipe text is not included in the online version, but the text description is pretty clear. Pairing with Riesling