Nancy HM

Heard on the news this morning that The Lobster House suffered a major fire last night. No word yet on how extensive the damage or cause of fire. No injuries, tho.

First, I want to thank Mr Newman for providing the stuff and all you eGulleteers for your recommendations and insight. I haunt the Jenkintown store! and my wallet shows the effects. However, I wonder if I'm being unreasonable about something. Yesterday the Jenkintown store (next to Trader Joe's) had the music cranked up so LOUD it made the whole buying experience very trying. I'm no old f*rt. But I think I should be able to visit with other customers, ask questions of the staff, etc, and not have to shout. Does this bother anybody else?

Now you've got me craving Branston Pickle. I love that stuff with sharp cheddar on a crusty roll!

I think Whole Foods should change its name to Whole Paycheck.

The best time to visit Cape May is in autumn. Avoid the tourists and crowds! I agree, 410 Bank is overrated and overpriced. For a lovely meal, I highly recommend Peter Shields Inn. The service is impeccable, the food, altho not too exciting, is always delicious, and the restaurant is just so darn pretty! We tried Martini Beach last week and were very disappointed. Maybe they were having an off night. And I always recommend the Chalfonte for a nice family experience if you have young children. We take our two little boys there every summer for a civilized, albeit pedestrian, meal - most Cape May restaurants frown on youngsters, even angelic ones like mine!

I used to love WaWa. When they opened the one in Jenkintown I was thrilled - fresh mile 24/7 just a few blocks away! But now it's been ruined. The original managers (a great couple) moved upward and onward, and the new managers haven't a clue about customer service. They're too busy talking to each other and playing the store music at a zillion decibels. Last time I was in, the music was so loud I was appalled. And it wasn't just me. Another customer looked at me and said, "Is it just me, or is this music ear-splitting?" I told her I felt like I was in a bar. So, I wrote to WaWa and complained. Received a form letter back. Nothing has changed. I still buy milk there, but not much else.

Pierre's, between Bernardsville and Morristown on 202N is a favorite. Delicious food and a very pretty restaurant. But watch for deer on 202 (or anywhere near Gladstone/Peapack/Far Hills/B'ville) when driving at night!

We were in Cape May this weekend. I remembered this post, so rode my bike over to the restaurant and took a peek at the new menu. I think the restaurant is now called The Pier House. The offerings on the menu looked unimaginative, but were fairly priced. However, a few of the salads sounded delicious. BTW, had a very tasty breakfast sandwich at Lu-Lu's. Across from the arcade - clean, cute and nice service.

For great Southern cooking try The Chalfonte Hotel in Cape May. We eat there every summer - a little tradition we started to introduce my boys to eating like civilized human beings in a nice restaurant. Great fried chicken, and the same biscuit recipe my husband's been enjoying for 50 years. The rest of the food is good, too, but the chicken is great. Check before you go - they offer it only twice weekly, I believe. I also love that there is no central air, just huge, lazy ceiling fans. No carpet either, just slick wood floors. A little dressier than your average shore restaurant - they encourage jackets (or at least collared shirts) for men on weekends. Open in season only.

No, that's a link to a discussion about the article. Since I don't know how to link to the actual article, I suggest you go down to your local public library and find the back issue of Gourmet. Settle in for the evening - it's a long read.

OK, here's where to find what makes a lobster UNhappy: read "The Secret Life of Lobsters" in the August 2004 issue of Gourmet magazine. Written by the marvelous writer David Foster Wallace. I read someplace that the article generated the most Letters to the Editor Gourmet had ever received.

Must add my thoughts to this thread. My husband and I went to Lacroix for brunch yesterday, and it was a unforgettable experience. I had requested a quiet table - ours was private, but not in Siberia, overlooking the Square where the trees are just coming in to bloom. Lovely little pot of oregano on our table. A beautiful room. The food is as described above: beautifully displayed, carefully and creatively prepared and delicious. I especially loved the very fresh oysters, the foie gras custard with toast sticks and the short ribs with quail eggs. My husband raved about the beef cheeks and ( could've knocked me over) the assortment of caviar. Lacroix was in his office in the kitchen. I was rather thrilled when he looked up as I passed by, and then he stood and spoke. I attempted to converse in my very bad French, but he smiled and chatted for a moment. Later, I we returned to the kitchen for the fabulous and fun chocolate fountain, he stood and greeted us again. He asked my husband how long I'd been speaking French. You must understand how flattered I was, as I thought my French was REALLY bad, at best. Perhaps he was just being kind. All in all, a memorable meal. One of the best in a long time (excluding Maison Blanche on Longboat Key - THAT was the best). Very expensive, but worth every penny. We will return.

I've lived in Bernardsville off and on since I was ten, and my mother still lives there. IMHO the Bernards Inn has really gone downhill in the past three years. The food is nothing special, and sometimes the waitstaff is downright surly. We held my mother's 70th birthday celebration there (just a quiet, small group of eight people), and the staff did nothing to make her feel special, or make the evening more celebratory. A shame - time was when one could enjoy a very special evening there. On the other hand, the bar is beautiful. It is a very nice place to go for a martini and conversation.