Rail Paul

Which assumes, of course, that the Osprey can stay aloft that long. With its troubled testing history, that's not a given. The aircraft has already killed a significant number of marines, and cost the careers of several officers who didn't fully disclose faults discovered in the testing process. Although Congress has pushed the development of this aircraft, it declined the honor of having a few added to the VIP air unit at Andrews. That would mean Congress and its families fly on it...

I was a little imprecise, they give you a choice of cash back or frequent flyer miles, but they hyped the 20% cash in their materials. I don't need any more FFM so I passed that over.

I'll sample the other services mentioned and post on each if they are electron-worthy edited for consistency

I called Binghamton's twice this week. Phone just rang and rang. Ferry was a former Lackawanna railroad boat. With sister ships Jamestown, Maplewood, Elmira, Pocono, it provided service from Hoboken to Barclay street, NY until service ended in 1967.

Thanks, Suzanne The list of restaurants is also on the website. They have an opentable type format. You select the area and the date, the system gives you the qualifying places. In Manhattan 45-62, east side, Jimmy's downtown, Etoile, Django, D'artagnan and about 10 other places are offered. None would be considered top end.

Deacon - this is the airline model. if you have a ticket, and you're there at the appointed time, they MUST fly you, or comp you. it's a good model. Small hotels do that all the time. You get charged now for your October stay. They get the float. You cancel 60+ days, you get a 90% refund. I wonder if a place would try that routine, perhaps with a 2 day threshold? Perhaps the French Laundry or Daniel? Reserve now, we charge your card $100 as a "gift certificate" or such. We apply it to your visit, and we sell just enough tables to seat those customers.

Katy McLaughlin's article in yesterday's WSJ described several dining programs. One is iDine iDine. You register a credit card with them. Any time you use that credit card in a participating restaurant, you get cash back on your bill. Typical amount is 20% of the bill, per their website. Costs $49 a year. Among NJ restaurants in the program are Anthony David in Hoboken, Carriage House at the Paper Mill, Lilac, Papillon and Park Pub (only for off hours) in Nutley, Taste in Bloomfield. Cafe Spain-Dover, Harolds-Parsipp, Manques in MoTown, Brix 67 in Summit, Bahrs in Highlands orcinis in AtlHigh, Peninsula Grill in sea bright. Both Joe & Maggies and Old Mill Inn have 15% and some limits on hours. Has anybody tried this deal?

There is at least one way around this problem, and I saw it used last night. I was picking up a pizza at my local, and the order phone rang. The clerk looked at the caller ID screen and said "I'm sorry, we do not accept orders from this phone number due to previous experience. Thank you for calling. Goodbye." She elaborated to say there are 50 or 60 numbers so identified. There's a reason some restaurants have a special reservations phone number for known customers. They show up, they pay. It's a crap shoot for a 20 table place if they have 3-4 no show tables every night, and have already turned down other guests. I wonder if opentable or iDine offers their restaurant clients a more dependable reservations flow?

Mattylip or Barb - the lobster relleno sounds wonderful. Would you elaborate with more details, etc. thanks Paul

On NJ 94 about 1/3 of the way between Newton and I-80 at Delaware Water Gap. Rosie - I see a road trip in the future, 12 tables, BYO, agreeable chef....

"Experienced palates" that sounds interesting....

There have been a number of threads on eGullet about "guaranteed reservations" over the past year or so. The arguments usually fall into a few groups: 1) Make a forefeitable deposit. You'll be there, your table will be waiting. I understand the credit card cos won't contest a no-show's assertion that they cancelled or were delayed. The customer may also find the prior guests have decided to linger, or the place is overbooked, or both. 2) Small groups are often dependent on "where do you want to go" decisions. Having several reservations gives the group that choice. Unfortunately, tables lay empty in good places, and the houses suffer a financial setback 3) Premium seating deserves a premium fee. If you want a center orchestra ticket to The Producers or Hairspray tonight, VIP tix has them for $250. If you want a $105 ticket, they have some for dates in July, in row L. Why not offer an absolutely guaranteed VIP res at Daniel for $100 reservation fee (to the house, not to Bruno's successor). (Airlines and rental car companies have the same problem. So, discounted tix have change of itinerary charges.)

According to an article in the Washington Post, the Virginia legislature has OK'd two bills which would allow the direct import of up to two cases (24 bottles) of wine a month from out of state wineries, if Virginia wines may be shipped to those states. Wine enthusiasts are pleased by the votes, which passed both houses with substantial margins. The bills, which differ slightly, will be reconciled before being sent to the Governor. Post article

My first reaction was a concern for persons who observe certain of the kosher rules, but there's a yogurt item and ice cream toward the end.

welcome aboard! Bula sounds like an interesting place, and I'll put it on my list. where else do you enjoy dining?

torakris - does Japanese ice cream differ from American ice cream in any noticeable way, such as butterfat content, flavors, sweeteness, etc? thanks Paul

But, we would be delighted if you graced NJ with your presence!

i don't associate with those types of people, so i couldn't name names or even begin to quantify in a way that would be a fair representation of the population, That's a decent and honorable answer, for which I thank you. Happy Valentine's Day, however you choose to enjoy it

OK, I'll call you on this one. How many people do you know who honestly enjoy dining out on Mother's Day? Assigned seating, banquet type service, "special" menu, etc.

We updated our kitchen, and were out of service for about two weeks. Some thoughts: ---takeout, customized with your choice of vegetables ---salads as main courses ---grill outside. we made bacon/eggs, bread, steaks ---second dishwasher. Had our outgoing d/w set up in basement. Cost about $100 to have it done

David - thanks for the info, I'll have to check it out. Rosie - that was the knock on Bacchus Chop House in Fairfield, too. "Whose gonna pay Noo Yawk prices in Fayahfuld?" which referred to their $32 steaks. The restaurant is doing OK, and I enjoy their very high quality meats, though not every night.

Good call, Tommy! Going out on Valentine's day is like going out on New Year's Eve or Mother's Day. Why waste your money for a rushed, unhappy, banquet like experience? Enjoy it with your honey, maybe in the jacuzzi, with a bottle of cognac, or whatever floats your boat, so to speak...

Amazon is offering the large Riedel glasses at a reduced price of $29 to US buyers. List price is $42. Eligible for their super saver free shipping deal. Specs are: ---capacity of 18 5/8 oz ---height of 7 7/8 inches eGullet receives a fee if you order via the emblem at the bottom of the thread

Costco in NJ had the Rancho Zabaco for 8.99 last week plus 6% for the guv

Whoops, that's what I get for posting without having the copy in front of me. Although Cody Kendall's reviewing is fine, for some reason I thought Corcoran had done that review. Thanks, Nick! BTW, I did make that beet, pear and arugula item we discussed. Details on the dinner! thread, page 79. It was pretty good, but I just realized I left the pear out of th edescription