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Amen. you're quoting yourself. did you forget to log out and in under the other name? Tommy, shhhhhh! You'll ruin someone's fun!!

they can when one is defending a blanket statement such as "don't order fish on monday." clearly, as with anything, this practice should be considered on a case-by-case basis. Tommy - Do you REALLY think that applying a blanket practice of case-by-case consideration works for every situation? What about the cases where a blanket statement is needed rather than a case-by-case evaluation?

Methinks there is a pattern here! Maybe the following Bergen County towns have something to offer?: Mahwah Maywood Midland Park Montvale Moonachie Moreover, may I ask why you limit your Bergen County dining to New-American? Might it be that's the only cuisine you feel is overpriced in the area?

I flipped a coin for you... it came up tails. Take that for whatever it's worth.

Thanks for the clarification... I didn't mean to belittle your efforts in making the sauce!! It's damn impressive.

Has anyone else tried this Charrito's in Hoboken yet? I'm curious about it, but I'm so rarely in Hoboken that I'd like to know whether it's worth a special trip. I've only been to a couple of Mexican places in the past few weeks and both of them were across state lines, so TECHNICALLY I shouldn't even be posting about them, but since it IS the North Jersey Mexican thread, I think it's alright. Los Dos Mexicanos on 9th Ave (Manhattan, but soooo close to Port Authority) a.k.a. "Tommy's cheap taco place"- I only sampled one dish here a couple of weeks ago, but I've gotta say that I'm definitely heading back. I had the Adobo de Puerco... a plate of pork chunks (some on the bone) in a spicy tomato-based adobo sauce. The heat was the subtle kind that just sort of slowly builds to a really nice level. It came with nice rice, but I didn't care much for the beans. Essentially, it was refried bean soup... I like a bit more solidity myself. Also, about 6 very warm tortillas which were perfect for eating in the true Mexican fashion. The menu was fairly extensive and includes a few soups that I'll have to sample next time around. Plus, they have Foozball! El Bandido in Spring Valley, NY (but sooooo close to Bergen County)- I went there last night and I have to admit I was disappointed. I'll start off by asking for recommendations of dishes that they do well, because I might not have ordered correctly. I had the Ranchero Platter: skirt steak, chorizo, fried pork chunks, a Mexican salad, pico de gallo, guacamole, and refried beans as well as a few flour tortillas and two corn tortilla cups (holiding the guac and pico). A friend of mine ordered the Bandido Platter: skirt steak, pork in a green chile sauce, and shrimp in a white cream sauce (I forget what it was) with rice. Another friend ordered the Fiesta de Camarones: Shrimp in some other sort of sauce (I really wasn't paying attention to their orders). My entree was supposed to be for two people (and was priced at $35), but it was served on the same size plate as the other two entrees. Granted, I eat a lot, but it still wasn't a good amount of food for two regular people. The skirt steak was cooked medium rare as I requested, but it just wasn't very flavorful. I believe the menu said it was supposed to have garlic, but that taste eluded me. It was really very bland. Worse still was the pork; they were VERY dry chunks with almost no flavor. Pass. The Mexican salad was some iceburg lettuce with sliced tomato, onion, and green pepper covered with some oil and vinegar. Pass. The tortillas weren't warm, the pico de gallo was watered down, and the guacamole wasn't doing it for me either. They don't serve Jarritos there, so I had a couple of Sprites. I thought it was nice that they came in a little 6 (or so) oz. glass bottle, until the bill came and I saw that those cute little bottles cost $2.25 a piece. The only saving grace for me was the crumbled chorizo. It had a very nice flavor despite being too dry for my taste. Unfortunately, the amount of chorizo on my plate was less than ANYthing else (including the guacamole) so it wasn't even close to saving my dinner. My friends enjoyed their shrimp and sangría, but agreed with me about the steaks, pork, and salads. Actually the pork in green chile sauce that comes with the Bandido platter was appreciated as well. I know that some people have recommended El Bandido and I'd like to know if anyone has any particular recommendations for dishes that are particularly nice. I don't think I would return there unless I was armed with that kind of information. Anyone else have any Mexican meals lately? edit: Forgot that you only need the b for the bold tag.

If you like some heat to your dogs... head to Fink's and treat yourself to an "Atomic Dog". It's got Creole mustard and spicy onions (they use the Sabrett onion sauce as a base) . The one I ate last week even had a splash of Screamin' Chicken sauce on it, because Fink knows that I like the heat! Those Fink employees are very good about working with my special requests. They use Sabrett's hot dogs and you can get them either grilled or fried. I like the chili there too, so I usually like to get a chili dog as an appetizer, but I can't believe I waited so long to try that "Atomic Dog"! edit: Just realized that the "Sabrett onion sauce" was pertinent information since it had been mentioned a couple of times already.

I drove by yesterday and the windows were still covered up. Awaiting further info...

I drove to El Gran Mexicano last week... I believe it was Thursday and saw that it was closed. I'm really, REALLY hoping that it opens back up, but I don't have any definitive information as to whether or when that's going to happen. However, as for "the only good Mexican food left in the area", I say you should give the Potrero Grill another shot, ordering off of the specials menu rather than sampling the all-you-can-eat menu. I'm a fan of the place but definitely not for the all-you-can-eat Wednesdays. Sometimes I crave El Gran and sometimes I crave Potrero. Come to think of it, I tried going to the Potrero Grill last Monday or Tuesday at about 9:30 and they were closed. They normally close at 10. Maybe they just had a slow night or maybe there's some sinister force decimating the Mexican restaurants in the area!?!? It seems to have started in Teaneck, but it's SPREADING!!!

I was actually going to pose this question on the Site Tips forum, but isn't there some sort of adminstrative way to combine threads after the fact? I know we duplicate threads a lot (Rebecca's in Edgewater has FOUR... or maybe five!) Don't get me wrong, I know it's our responsibility to shoot for coherence as users, but is there a management solution to undo some of the clutter that's already lying around?

Let me just wipe this drool off my keyboard... Do you know if they might be open for lunch as well? I took a quick look at their website, but couldn't find any posted hours.

I'm not very impressed with Krispy Kreme, but then again I'm not a big donut-eater. I find Krispy Kremes to be composed primarily of air and sugar (they're light and sweet) which I'm sure some people may prefer, but it's not to my taste. I'll eat one if it's placed in front of me, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get one and I don't quite understand why they've become so trendy*. In my eyes, the best thing about Krispy Kreme is that they seem to threaten Dunkin' Donuts monopoly in the NY/NJ area (though I'd rather see that threat come from more local independent bakeries and I actually like Dunkin' Donuts... but I also like to have options). * Aside from the usual reason of trend-followers needing a new trend to follow.

EXTREMELY Central NJ. Most definitely.

I love avocado shakes and generally get them at Vietnamese restaurants (where I was first introduced to them). Thanks to your recipe though, I'm one step closer to having them at home!

Microwaved s'mores? For shaaaaaaame! If I was to go out specifically just to eat s'mores, then I would most likely buy all of my ingredients and go find or make a campfire someplace to cook them. However, since I love s'mores, I think it's great that I can have them without leaving the city for the evening.

Sure, but find me a mom and pop deli where I can go get s'mores at 1 in the morning!

I went to the Cosi at Broadway & 76th on Friday night to have some s'mores. I must say, it was a perfect night for them! Cool and rainy outside, but I'm sitting on a couch toasting marshmallows and sipping on a vanilla steamer. I foresee myself doing this A LOT in the coming winter months (which I hope will be colder than last winter). Just a note of preference here, they have both graham crackers and oversized Oreo crackers available for s'more-making. We had a sampling of both and all three of us agreed that the graham crackers make for the far superior experience. We actually left a bunch of the Oreos sitting in the wooden tray. I can't comment on anything else about this chain, but maybe I'll be able to after going back for some more s'mores!

As I see it, Nick Gatti uses his name with great pride when he makes his frequent comments on the Record's reviews. If ngatti is too cryptic, just check out the signature line. Who has "their facts wrong almost all of the time"??? Personally, I would never have read any of the Record's restaurant reviews if they weren't linked from eGullet. As it stands, the ones I've read haven't made me seek out the Record as a source of finding interesting places to eat... but then again, I've got eGullet for that. I do think it's interesting how vitriolic she is in her defense of the Record's restaurant reviews, so thanks for sharing. edit: typo

That was hilarious!!

For the typical Taylor Ham, egg, and cheese sandwich (again, I'm not an expert or even a huge fan, just an occasional consumer): Standard round deli roll (poppy seeds optional) Fried egg (1-2) Taylor Ham slices (1-3 slices) American cheese (1-2 slices) Salt, pepper, and ketchup Available pretty much anywhere they serve breakfast in Jersey. Personally, I NEVER get ketchup on mine because the idea of ketchup on eggs disgusts me, but they always seem to offer it as the standard presentation. I also like to get a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato and Taylor Ham slices from time to time. More often I'll have tomato and bacon or plain cheese though. When I was in high school they used to serve Taylor Ham sandwiches which were nothing more than a few slices of Taylor Ham on a hamburger bun. I never considered that to be the ideal presentation, but most kids seemed to love it.

I always knew this product as Taylor Ham, but then again I never tried to buy it for my home. It was just the sort of thing I'd get on an egg and/or cheese sandwich, but never outside of that context. Apparently it's very difficult to find outside of Jersey, but it's not the sort of thing I'd really miss. "My aunt used to buy pork rolls" just sounds indecent, no?

It's true... this man's plug has no shame. But he does have a great restaurant, so we cut him some slack. You can check out the Fink's thread for yourself. It's just one of many Jersey dining destinations outside of the immediate Ramsey area (though still only 20 minutes away once you're on Route 17). If you search around and read a bit in this forum, you're certain to find many more wonderful things... edit: added another fabulous smiley

I've never been there so I can't comment one way or the other. No conspiracy... just nothing to contribute. Um... so where are the defensive posts here? Even if there were any, I don't see why a difference of opinion is considered to be bad. We all have different tastes and I've disagreed with a number of opinions on this board before (both in and out of favor with various restaurants). Would you rather see every member unanimously praise or scorn every given restaurant? There's about as much chance of that happening as there is of everyone loving and hating the exact same novels, plays, paintings, music, etc...

Update: There are about 6 full-service Manhattan locations which would definitely have the full menu (including s'mores!). Of course this is the NJ forum, so maybe I should just mention that there's also a location in Jersey City on Washington Blvd. and plans for more locations in Englewood, Morristown, and Woodbridge. They even have the exact locations mapped out already. I'll know more (about the s'mores at least) tomorrow night.

I think you mean 13th and Broadway (according to their website) which is very helpful since that's one of the locations which is open until 2 am. I think I'm just going to call the others to be sure.