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Tommy - Good to know we're on the same wavelength. It's just unfortunate that we had to get washed up on the shores of East Saigon BEFORE getting on that wavelength. (My writing is usually better when fueled by a nice meal... apologies for the absurdity above)

Don't get me wrong, Saigon Republic is very, VERY good and I highly recommend it. The only "problems" I have with it are that the menu could be a lot bigger and the prices could be a little smaller. Even considering those two wishes of mine, it's a GREAT restaurant and I'm glad to know it's here in Jersey. And yet... I still get more excited thinking about Vietnamese restaurants in Boston. There's "great" and then there's "greater"... and of course, there's always personal preferences which come into play. I'm sure you can think of restaurants you consider to be the best in an area which are in turn bested by restaurants you know in other areas. And thus the search continues...

Note: East Saigon is closed, so I've just edited the topic title. It was a sister restaurant to Taipai Noodle House, just down the road, which was much better anyway. Now Taipai has some Vietnamese items on its menu. Just stick with their excellent Chinese food, especially the noodle soups and hand cut noodles and chafing dishes. Rachel I know this is largely my fault for poor planning, but I had a pretty unsatisfying evening tonight and wanted to vent a little. Maybe other people have had similar experiences or possibly some suggestions for other places I should have tried on a Monday night. First, a friend and I headed out to try El Prado (Nuevo Latino Cuisine) in Ridgewood, but discovered that they are closed on Mondays. We were a little disappointed, but I figured it wasn't a big deal because there are still other Spanish/Cuban/Mexican/what-have-you places that I haven't tried yet. So we went off to Teaneck to try La Posada... who are ALSO closed on Mondays. My next pick was Rebecca's in Edgewater, but my friend was driving and he was unhappy enough that he had to drive "all-the-way" (10 minutes) to Teaneck. So we just turned around and headed for Mexicali Blues only to find out they are closed Mondays AND Tuesdays. For all I know, Rebecca's might be closed on Mondays as well. By this point, I wanted to head to any of my favorite restaurants that I KNEW were open on Mondays, but my friend insisted that I pick a restaurant on the street where we were (Cedar Lane in Teaneck). His impatience with driving is only surpassed by his love of Vietnamese food, so it was quite obvious that he was angling for us to try East Saigon. I was skeptical, because I know that it's run by the people from Veggie Heaven, but we went in anyway. On the way in, I noticed that the neon sign in the window was unlit, making the word "Chinese" stand out much more than "Vietnamese". That sign was most certainly an omen. The menu was in English and Chinese (no Vietnamese names to be found anywhere) and the food seemed to be overwhelmingly Chinese. Well, to be more correct, the MENU was overwhelmingly Chinese... the food was pretty underwhelming. If you're really looking for Vietnamese food, look elsewhere... such as at Saigon Republic in Englewood or The Little Saigon in Nutley. Of course, our experience wasn't helped any by the fact that the waiter was new and forgot one of our entreés altogether and never bothered to ask us if we wanted anything else (i.e. dessert, drinks...) before handing us the check. Oh well, at least I learned some lessons for next Monday (e.g. do some more research before trying new places that night and make sure that I'm the one who's driving)!! Any Vietnamese suggestions would be appreciated. I've yet to find a place in Jersey or Manhattan to rival the Vietnamese food I've eaten in Boston, but I'm not giving up the quest!

I'll most likely try La Carbonaia at some point down the road. I just get a little frustrated when I look at what Ho-Ho-Kus offers in terms of variety. Let me know if I'm forgetting anything: Marcello's at the Ho-Ho-Kus Inn ------- Italian La Carbonaia ------------------------------ Italian Garbo's Italian Deli + Pizza ------------- Italian Deli The Sicilian Sun --------------------------- Italian Rigoletto Espresso ----------------------- Italian Sunny Wok -------------------------------- Chinese (and bad Chinese at that) Janice --------------------------------------- Not sure, but oysters could mean Italian Greenmarket Café ------------------------ Vegetarian The Upper Crust -------------------------- Bakery/Deli of sorts Hmmm... the more I look at that list, the more I think that I too should run out and start giving MY business to Janice before it becomes Italian! What I wouldn't give for a nice Vietnamese or Cuban place to open up in Ho-Ho-Kus!!

I think you're talking about the place that used to be the Sheridan Café back in the day. I didn't know that was its name now, but I can't think of any other restaurants in Ho-Ho-Kus to which you could be referring. Unfortunately I don't really know much about the place because it's the OTHER Ho-Ho-Kus restaurant that I've walked out of with my cousin. He used to work there (maybe 20 years ago) and didn't like the "yuppified feel" that he got from its current incarnation. I don't imagine it's anything very special, but let us know if you try it... you better do that before it becomes an Italian restaurant like everyplace ELSE in Ho-Ho-Kus seems to do.

This only qualifies as third-hand information to you since it was originally second-hand information to me, but some friends of mine were also there a couple of weeks after Under Athens opened and found it to be rather lackluster. I would have to ask them if they remember what they ordered, but I never ate there myself because they didn't consider it to be worth the return. As I said, third-hand information... take it for what it's worth (not much). However, to your question about whether you should order the Greek dishes I would have to say "most definitely". It's generally been my experience that a restaurant's "specials" are called that for a reason; even if the rest of the menu looks top-notch, I almost ALWAYS order the specials on my first couple of visits.

El Gran Mexicano DOES have Huevos Rancheros listed on their take-out menu. They're listed under the breakfast section, but I'm sure they'd be happy to make them any time. I don't know how they prepare the dish there however.

The Ridgewood Country Pancake House is my regular stop for breakfast. However, it's definitely NOT a place to go if you want something light to eat (which is part of why I love it so)! Sundays can definitely be ridiculous there, but I still respect a place in Ridgewood having such integrity to charge reasonable prices for large portions and only accept cash. Translation: I'll wait in line, but I don't go on Sundays. For many people, Sundays are mostly about brunch rather than breakfast, but I'm not big on brunch myself so I can't recommend anywhere for that. There's a little place in Oakland called The Hen's Roost (I think?) which claims to offer "The best breakfast in Oakland". Considering the only OTHER place offering breakfast in Oakland is a diner, they're certainly playing it safe with that sign. I only ate there a couple of times (when I lived in Oakland) and did find it to be very good, but since leaving Oakland I haven't been back (so it wasn't THAT good, I guess). I've seen a couple of diners recently that claim to be "Pancake Houses", but I really think it's a ridiculous claim. If anyone knows of any places that REALLY earn the title, I'd be happy to hear of them. So far, I've never found anything to rival the pancake houses I've been to in the Netherlands and Germany.

Just tried Fink's for the first time tonight and I was definitely glad I did. Very nice people who clearly know their BBQ business! I got the sampler plate (spareribs, beef brisket, pulled pork, pulled chicken) and everything on it was a hit. They also have a nice selection of sauces that are used for wings, sandwiches, etc. and I will certainly be back to try all the ones I missed (as well as to order my new-found favorites: cajun, screamin' chicken, and bbq). I still need to try 99% of the impressively large menu, but I'm looking forward to it after tonight.

It's on my "To Eat" list for this week! That's more substantial than my "To Do" list, because those things don't always get done. My impressions will probably go under the North Jersey Mexican topic later this week.

Jason - That's a very important note about the hours on weekends! I'm sorry you had to be disappointed in order to get that information. The take-out menu I have clearly reads "Open Everyday starting with Breakfast: 6:00AM - 10:00PM". Only the lunch specials are listed as being restricted to the weekdays. I didn't have the chance to try any other Mexican restaurants in the area this weekend because I was in Boston (where I did find one with a GREAT atmosphere, but that's irrelevant to this board). However, I will be trying at least a couple of different Mexican restaurants this week and I'll be going back to El Gran Mexicano for breakfast very soon! Findings to follow.

phaelon56 - It's funny that you mention this experience at Mexicali Rose. I've been there many times, but only a few of those times were on weekends when they're understandably busy. Fortunately for me, my status as a fairly-regular (and very talkative) customer means that I've never felt rushed to leave as others on this board seem to have been. However, I did mention on a another thread that a waiter at Mexicali Rose had suggested Café Eclectic for desserts. This recommendation came as a result of my stating that the desserts at Mexicali Rose were really not very good (of the three I had tried anyway). The waiter explained his theory that it was to discourage customers from ordering desserts in order to free up tables more quickly. Personally, I think a better idea would be to just NOT serve desserts. Certainly it would prevent customers from feeling slighted by this "dis-service" on the weekends. On to another restaurant now - I went to El Gran Mexicano in Bogota twice this week and I must say that I was very satisfied with my expectations. Fink had recommended it as "a basic taco stand" which was "great" and he's certainly right. My first visit was take-out with mixed results. The plantains I ordered as an appetizer were entirely too greasy (NOT recommended) and made me wary of the steak chimichangas I had waiting. However, the chimichangas were actually fried much more lightly than I'm used to and it was a welcome change; very flavorful with just enough crispness to accent the filling without overpowering it. I also tried the chicken mole which was very nice as well; very satisfying. Both entreés came with perfect Mexican rice and black beans. I picked up a take out menu as I was waiting for my food (I had ordered from the house menu) and noticed that they open at 6 a.m. and include quite a few breakfast selections including my coveted huevos con chorizo! It turns out that the chorizo IS sliced in this dish and it's served as a platter rather than as a burrito, but the cooks told me they could prepare it the way I liked if I asked for it next time. Needless to say, I was anticipating my return visit. I went back yesterday for a late lunch and the owner was there this time. The cooks made my huevos con chorizo burrito by chopping the chorizo up into much smaller bits than they usually use. The burrito was served with the same rice and beans and the owner asked if I wanted guacomole and/or sour cream with it. We were on exactly the same wavelength though and both thought that sour cream rather than guacomole was the right choice. The chorizo they use has a flavor very close to what I was used to in El Paso and Mexico, so I asked the owner where he bought it. He told me that he goes to delis in Passaic and said he would get a card from the place that sold him this chorizo so he could pass it on to me the next time I came in. We also talked a bit about the differences in Mexican sausages availble in the area. Needless to say, I will certainly be going back for many visits in the future.

The ice cream store in a residential area of Ridgewood would be Van Dyke's on Ackerman Ave (off Godwin). I've never been there for the rather silly reason that when I was a teenager I knew some of the employees well enough to know I didn't want THEM serving me ice cream. Those employees are looooooong gone from Van Dyke's, but I still have this sort of lingering mental defense shield that keeps me away I guess. I really should get over it and see what I've been missing.

Rachel - Yes, Café Archetypus is the place you're remembering. The word "Café" is easy enough to make out on the sign, but the "Archetypus" sculpted underneath is harder to read than dyslexic graffiti. The sculpted theme expands a lot on the inside. jtphjl (how IS that pronounced?) - I'll have to try Cafe Mille Luci. All too often I end up at the Häagen Dazs on E. Ridgewood Ave when I should be supporting more local businesses.

I believe the place in Montclair is called the Eclectic Café. It was actually recommended to me by a waiter at Mexicali Rose, but I've yet to experience it myself. On one occassion I was with people who refused to eat dessert and on another I was with people who were put off by the live "funk" band playing that night. I'm sure I'll eventually be there with the right people on the right night. Westfield's a bit outside of my usual stomping grounds, but I'm sure I won't forget the name Xocolatz if I'm ever in the area!

Well, aside from my bad experience at Steve's Sizzling Steaks (more about that under the "STEAK for my man" topic) I only have one recent memory of a bad dining experience. It was at Baumgart's Café in Ridgewood on a Tuesday night a few weeks ago. We were seated quickly (place was half full) and placed our order right away, but then waited a full twenty minutes for a slice of pie, a slice of cake, a cranberry juice, and a hot chocolate. That's just ridiculous on a Tuesday night. It just confirmed my dislike for Baumgart's in general as I've found the desserts (excluding ice cream) to be pretty poor and the "creative" presentation does nothing to help that. Kuma (which still does delivery under their old "Panda Forest" moniker, I believe) was always a place that was good for delivery when I lived in Paramus. Having dined there a couple of times though, I can say that it does seem the delivery and pick-up service is prompt at the sacrifice of the dining room's service. At Hunan Villa in Ridgewood, it's the opposite situation... pick-up and delivery orders are delayed quite a bit in order to prioritize those in the dining room. I've had my "20 minute" order take longer than 45. Hard to say which way loses more customers!

Maybe this topic was covered in the past and I missed it, but what are some good places to visit specifically for desserts when the old sweet tooth hits? Not necessarily sit down places, but those are nice as well. For ice cream, I like a store called Gelotti(?) on Union Ave on the border of Paterson and Totowa. They make some interesting flavors and the service is always friendly (as well as tolerant of my stupid jokes). It would be much better if they had some benches outside (inside is standing room only), but being located next to a cemetery discourages loitering anyway. Café Archetypus in Edgewater seems to be pretty good, based on the one visit I just had there this weekend. Not a huge selection of desserts, but those which my friends and I sampled were surprisingly good. I could easily see the decor however turning away as many customers as it brings in. Too often I find myself in a mood for dessert around 11pm on a weekend and wind up in some diner where they ALWAYS serve desserts, but unfortunately that doesn't mean they're good.

Well, I'm going to take this week to try out some suggestions from this topic and the previous one. I'll report back on my findings. How comprehensive that report is all depends on how many Mexican meals I can wrestle out of my dining friends!

Just a word on Steve's Sizzling Steaks... I agree with dknyc1 about it being "very good", "pretty cheap", and "not a fancy place", but I've never been back there because of VERY poor service the first time I went. Details: arrived about 7:30 on a Friday night... told there was a 20 minute wait to get a table for 4... received a number of 43... 30 deafening minutes later (the speaker outside is INSANELY loud) number 44 is called... 45 follows... politely remind the host that he skipped 43, "five minutes" he says... 10 minutes later, numbers in the 50's are being called... seeing THREE empty tables I point them out and we're seated without an apology. And things just got worse from there. We were sure to keep time: 10 minutes before we even got our waiter... appetizers came 1 minute before our steaks (which WERE very good)... drinks came almost 10 minutes AFTER we got our steaks... no apologies and there was even some glaring look from the bartender for some reason. I really don't know what the problem was. Perhaps it's because my friends and I are still under 30? I paid with a credit card and wrote on the receipt "5% tip for POOR SERVICE" (it's important to note that because otherwise they assume that younger customers are either poor or cheap). I probably should've refused even that, but instead I just refuse to bring them any more business.

What I hear from a couple of my vegan/vegetarian friends is that the Greenmarket Cafe in Ho-Ho-Kus is pretty good. Then again, I also heard that they recently started serving chicken... probably in an attempt to attract some more customers! I used to walk past this place on my way home from the HHK train station and it's frequently VERY empty. The only time I've ever been there was with a cousin of mine who insisted we leave the second he found out there wasn't any meat sold there. Ironically, at the subsequent restaurant he then proceeded to order a meatless pasta dish. He called it "the principle of the thing"... needless to say, he's not the most open-minded eater. Of course, the fact that I've never eaten at the vegetarian restaurant that I walked past every day for months says something about my food preferences as well. I've been to Veggie Heaven and while I feel that overall it's acceptable (and even sometimes quite good), there are certain dishes that are just awful (i.e. sweet and sour "chicken"). I attribute this mainly to the failure to effectively mimic the textures one would expect of the equivalent meat dishes. I'm impressed more by dishes that were CONCEIVED as vegetable dishes rather than those that try to imitate meat. That sort of sums up my feelings on vegetarianism in a nutshell. Anyway, I'll ask around and see what other suggestions I can come by for vegetarian dining.

I mostly wanted to ressurect this thread to hopefully open it up to more suggestions. Since it would be unfair for me to take without giving, I'd like to say that The Potrero Grill on E. Mercer St. in Hackensack is a favorite of mine. So far, I haven't ordered anything there that hasn't been up to par and the steaks have a special place in my heart. Sometimes they could benefit from a little precise trimming, but the taste always brings a big smile to my face. For those with a sweet tooth, I highly recommend getting a strawberry (or other fruit) shake along with your meal; Reasonably priced and almost always exploding with flavor. Somewhat less authentic (though I've yet to find anything TRULY authentic in the area... Potrero Grill doesn't fit that bill either) but still very enjoyable when I'm in the area is the Mexicali Rose in Montclair. It's a much livelier atmosphere in general (owing mostly to the neighborhood I would imagine) and there are some interesting specials on the menu. I recommend the Mango Durango (chicken or pork) which is basically chunks of your preferred meat in a sweet mango-based BBQ sauce with mango pieces. It's somewhat more soupy than it sounds though, which actually seems to be the case with many of their specials. Actually some of the specials can seem very similar after a while, but while the variety may get disappointing, the flavor does not. Well, those would be a couple of recommendations from me. Now comes my appeal for suggestions! Does anyone know of any Mexican restaurants/foodstands that might serve huevos con chorizo? I'm not talking about sliced chorizo like you find in most Spanish-related restaurants, but the Mexican-styled ground chorizo blended with scrambled eggs (and sometimes potatoes) in a burrito. It was always a favorite of mine when I lived on the Mexican border (El Paso) for a couple of years in my youth, but I've never been able to find an example of it back here. That's my specific request, but anyone with any other Mexican suggestions is invited to post them here as well.