MichaelZ

That's right. Marco and Paul are unquestionably talented, but the true mark of Hearth's quality is that the food, service and experience don't vary, even on the rare nights when one or both of them isn't there.

I live in Brooklyn Heights, so have occasion to go to Saul fairly often, but not often enough. I believe it is clearly the "best" (I know that is a personal thing....) restaurant on Smith St., combining good food, service and ambience. Way more appealing than the Grocery, in my view. Saul is underrated and underappreciated. It deserves to be full all of the time.

Yes. Generally, we've ordered several of the broiled shellfish items as starters and have been pleased. The fish entrees - principally grilled salmon, swordfish etc are also of high quality, but can't imagine ordering them unless you aren't a red meateater. My non-carnivore friends or business associates generally choose another spot, but haven't been disappointed when Sparks has been the destination.

I'm not sure I'd call it obscure, but Pietro's on E. 43rd St. in Manhattan deserves more attention than it gets. The menu combines all the usual steakhouse favorites with some italian specialties. I think the steaks are competitive with the more often mentioned places in its neighborhood, and the salads, sides and other items are above average. Hope you can try it sometime, and let us all know what you think.

how are these prepared? (i'm going here this weekend and am trying to decide what i want to try!) thx. Very simply - I think they are roasted, in a way that brings out the intense flavor of high quality mushrooms with none of the sogginess of a saute.

Iwas there last night, and found food, wine and service to be as good as ever For the full current menu, check out their website www.restauranthearth.com. For a first time visitor, signature appetizers include the octopus, calamari salad or the sardines. Any of the fish or meat entrees are superb, and be sure and get the gnocchi and hen of woods mushrooms as sides. For dessert, last night's coconut souffle special was wonderful. The wine list is great, both in its breadth and quality as well as the number of reasonably priced bottles.

I like the Franklin Grinder Shop, on Franklin Avenue in Hartford's South End. Not to age myself, but I've been going there for more than 30 years. It is family-owned, and offers extraordinary price for value received. Since they also make pizza and serve beer, I'm not sure that it can be called "classic", but it is worth the trip. It is less than five minutes off of the Airport Road/Brainard St. exit of I-91.

Dear Fink - You and yours will be missed. River Edge will no longer be known as a food destination, though I hope to try your catering sometime soon. All the best.

I agree. Plataforma is the most consistent, which ends up making it the best. It is a fine choice with a lively group - when you're making noise, you're far more forgiving of the noise around you. The atmosphere, particularly on the nights when the band is playing, is close to what I saw at a similar place in Sao Paulo. For the concept to work, you need a big place with a lot of customers - there is no no other way to create consistency and the necessary stream of different meats, not to mention a "fresh" salad bar. Plataforma does this and does it well. One tip - ask for the black beans when the side dishes arrive. Sometimes, they don't bring them unless requested, and they are always good. Enjoy.

Since this is the restaurant forum, let me get things back on point. I had my first soft shells of the year yesterday at the Four Seasons. They were small, perfect in consistency and freshness and served in a tempura style accompanied by a simple salad of micro-greens. They were great, and are on the new Spring menu. Unfortunately, like everything there, they are wildly expensive.

There are a lot of good choices. I think that the octopus appetizer and the veal breast are both great examples of Chef Marco Canora's talents. If you are dining alone, may I suggest that you call and ask the restaurant if you can have one of the seats at the counter overlooking the open kitchen. It's a uncommon experience. As far as wine goes, as noted, Paul Grieco is a master and they will pair fine wine choices by the glass to whatever your food selection is. Enjoy, and don't forget dessert!

Moroccan Star is on Atlantic Avenue, between Clinton & Henry, in Brooklyn Heights/Cobble Hill. It is a good neighborhood restaurant of long-standing. While it may not be "great", it is quietly dependable, friendly and has all of the basic menu items you'd expect to see.

I'd like to add Kang Suh to the list. The combination of the barbeque menu, real charcoal fires and the predominantly Korean crowd makes it a unique experience. It's not perfect, particularly the way in which they sometimes not so subtly rush you, but it certainly is worthwhile without being "fancy".

We had lunch at Amma yesterday, and want to mention it as a wonderful alternative to the buffets found at most other Indian places. The prices for the two 2-course menus (North Indian and South Indian) were very reasonable ($10.95, as I recall) for the same incredibly high standard of preparation. Of course, I was unable to restrain myself and ordered enough extras to run up the tab, but someone with more self-discipline wouldn't have to do that. The South Indian vegetarian menu was truly unique and wonderful. This is a great way to dine at Amma on short notice, and I will be back soon.

I'm also a fan of Le Zinc, and would like to add that it is a good choice for family dining. The room gets noisy enough that no one hears your kids. Second, and more important, the menu contains a number of items, all well-prepared, that are enjoyed by kids of all ages. i've also found the wine list easy to navigate, with a number of good choices at moderate price points. My favorites include the beet salad, liver, hangar steak, pork chop and, of course, those duck wings.

I really like the food, as well as the room. The menu changes seasonally, so I'm not totally up to date. I was last there in early September - our party enjoyed all of the appetizers,whioh were a scallop ceviche, sauteed foie gras and a shrimp dish of some kind. Entrees included a lamb porterhouse that I loved, some kind of cod dish and a wild salmon that was ordered and devoured by the least adventurous of us. Get at least one chocolate marquise for dessert. The staff is knowledgable, and can be helpful when you're choosing from the wine list, which has a number of unusual things on it. Enjoy!

Otomanelli on Bleecker St. has had it in the past. Not sure if it is seasonal, though.

According to a Chowhound poster, Hemant has left Diwan and can be found at a place on 51st St. between 2nd & 3rd Aves, called Amma.

I hate to trusss, probably because I'm not very good at it, and agree that it can usually be ignored. However, if using a rotisserie, is there any other technique that can equal trussing as a way of keeping the bird in place as it rotates?

FG - on your list, I've got the following "attendance record" Artisanal -1 AZ -1 Craft -4 Eleven Madison Park -2 Four Seasons -6 (business, not my choice) Gramercy Tavern -3 Jean Georges -1 Kuruma Zushi Restaurant 2 Le Bernardin 2 Le Cirque 2000 2(business, not my choice) Montrachet -1 Oceana -2 Pico -1 Sushi Yasuda -3 I generally dine out twice a week at lunch, and about the same for dinner, including weekends. My favorites range from San Pietro to the Queen in Brooklyn. I enjoy good food, and am not enamored (usually) of overly fancy places.

I have, although it was a number of months ago. I'd describe it as "pleasant, but not compelling" The room and service were welcoming. We were in a group, so they suggested a menu of antipasti, pasta and then Beef Steak Florentine style. Prosciutto (and other meats) and cheeses were excellent. Pasta was good - a kind of Carbonara - but a little ordinary. The steak was huge, to the point that quantity kind of overwhelmed quality. We had the house wine and, importantly, a good time was had by all. Nevertheless, I haven't felt the desire/need to return yet. Don't know about the menu prices, but we paid about $50 pp, including drinks, wine and tips.

Had lunch at Blue Smoke today. Shared a rib sampler to start and then had a brisket sandwich. Some may differ, but I think that the quality of the meats has always been high and that their preparation has steadily improved to the point that I can recommend it to all. There have been steady, yet subtle changes. The ribs (St. Louis, Baby Back and Beef) were prepared with a dry rub and smoked properly in a way that retained their moisture. The ribs were accompanied by a side of slaw that also was well-made. The brisket was thickly cut, well-trimmed and served on an excellent brioche bun. The sandwich was accompanied by pickles and the same slaw. Didn't have any extra sides, but did covet much of what was appearing at other tables. Service, as you'd expect was excellent - Iced tea was constantly replenished and orders were promptly served. It's not a shack in the country, but it is good barbeque in a comfortable setting.

You're only ten minutes, max, from Fink's Funky Barbeque, on Kindermack Road in River Edge. It certainly isn't fancy, but really good for what it tries to be.

Made my first trip to Fink's on rainy Saturday - it won't be my last. Accompanied by my wife and in-laws ( who are in their 80's), we discovered the lunch special - sandwich, side order and drink, all for $7.50. Our intent had been to take out, but the place was quiet and clean, so we ate at the counter. I thought that the pulled pork and pulled chicken sandwiches were both great, as were the freshly-cut fries. I can't speak for the grilled chicken sandwich, but it left my mother-in-law ("Is everything here spicy?") very pleased. Beans were good, but flavored with beef, I think, rather than pork, whick takes a little getting used to. Don't get me wrong - I ate the whole cup. Plan to go back as soon as I can to try the ribs, other sides and maybe a cheesesteak or wrap. This place deserves the recognition it is getting. Wasn't able to meet Fink, but hope he'lll be there the next time.

Wilfred - I'm not sure that I'm not complicating matters needlessly, but how about adding San Pietro to the list. It is midtown expensive, but has a style of cooking from the Campania region that shows that there is more to Southern Italian eating than red sauce. I am a fan of the place, because the Bruno brothers are good hosts, the food doesn't taste like every other Italian restaurant and it is consistently very good and sometimes excellent. As for the wine list, there is plenty there to choose from and enjoy, especially from their home region. In response to a recent Steve Plotnicki post. I ate at Cucina last night with my family. We went since we are fans of Mark Strausman's cooking and try to patronize Brooklyn places when we can. The place was warmer and friendlier than in the past (funny, what competition will do...), but the food was a letdown from our expectations. Nothing was bad, and we had a good time, but I'm afraid that we'll continue to go to Campagna to get the intense flavors and large portions that Mark calls "Jewish-Italian" cooking and that he excels at.