Randi

Not offended in the least. To address your points above: 1. I was embarrassed because I was being confronted directly by the chef, and I guess I felt that I offended his cooking skills. It was not my intention to offend. Also there were diners at the tables around us, and it was a wee bit of a scene at that point. 2. Why is "defensive" a bad word? He defended his crab cakes - so he was being defensive. I didn't diss them - I didn't say "these crab cakes suck" - I said I was disappointed since there seemed to be more breading and different seasonings than the ones I had the week prior. Zero hostility on my part. I agree that the owner went out of her way to address my concerns and for that reason I will definitely be returning there.

I posted something on the NJ Forum but thought I would post the general situation here, and see if others have had this happen to them. Here is my story: I was out to dinner at a new local seafood restaurant. I ordered crab cakes for my dinner because the week prior I was there and tasted my friend's crab cake appetizer, and they were the best I had ever tasted. However, I was disappointed with them this time. They did not taste the same as last week. They were salty and had much more breading, altho the (sparse) pieces of crab in them were large and tasty. And there was no peppery kick to it like last week. I did ask the waitress if there was a different recipe for the dinner than the appetizer, and of course there wasn't. She mentioned that they were probably breaking in a new chef. After our meal the owner of the restaurant (she owns it with her husband, who is the main chef), came over to see how our dinner was. I mentioned that the crab cakes were just okay, but that everything else I've had there has been great. She apologized and said that next time her husband would make them for me and I said, that's ok, I would probably just order something else. A few minutes later, while we were looking over the dessert menu, she returned...with the CHEF...who had with him a plate with 4 uncooked crab cakes. She said he wanted to talk to me. I was kind of embarrassed, so was smiling nervously and she said "see that smile? that's how we want all our patrons to feel" (but I was smiling because I was mortified! ) Anyhow, the chef pointed to the crab cakes on the plate, and proceeded to tell me that there is no "filler" in them, only the jumbo lump crab meat. (By filler he said he meant some other fish, or inferior crab. When I mentioned filler, I meant the breading, which there was LOTS of.) The examples he brought out to me still had quite a bit of breading but did seem to have more crab meat than the 2 I'd gotten. He said only he and the owner make the crab cakes, and I was feeling very uncomfortable. Maybe she told him I thought they were breaking in a new chef (which was what our waitress told us)? I know she was trying to make it right, but I felt like I was being challenged...so I was pretty uncomfortable. She did say we could choose any desserts we wanted from the menu, on the house. So we did - and only mine was comped. We just paid for the other, it wasn't a big deal, but we thought she meant we could both order dessert. (She did look at my friend as she was offering the dessert, and he also had the impression that we could both order one.) Anyhow...it was an adventure, but I would still go back, as I like the place, like the food, and I understand that she was trying hard to make sure I was happy, even though it pretty much had the wrong effect on me. So, I am wondering if anyone else has ever been confronted by the chef when they expressed disappointment in a dish, and if they were confronted, would they return to the restaurant?

Sounds to me like you've got all the "best" dogs - which reminded me of a dog show - with each dog taking the "best in show" for its category. You could have the menu be a takeoff on a dog show. With i.e. Blue Ribbon Beef Dogs, and other names in keeping with the theme. So maybe: The Dog Show? or what about: Top Dogs? ooh I like TOP DOGS!

Went back to Sebastian's last night... It was Saturday night around 7 PM and the place was about 1/2 full. We shared an appetizer of steamed clams with drawn butter. Must have been steamed in salt water because they were very salty, but otherwise good. I got the crab cakes because of my great experience with them last week. My dining companion got the fried scallops (same as I got last week). He enjoyed them. However, I was disappointed with the crab cakes this time. They did not taste the same as last week. They were salty and had much more breading, altho the crab in them was very good quality jumbo lump crab meat. And there was no peppery kick to it like last week. I did ask the waitress if there was a different recipe for the dinner than the appetizer, and of course there wasn't. She mentioned that they were probably breaking in a new chef. After our meal, Heather, the owner of the restaurant (with her husband, Anthony, who I met the first time I was there), came over to see how our dinner was. I mentioned that the crab cakes were just okay, but that everything else I've had there has been great. She apologized and said that next time her husband would make them for me (he is also the main chef) and I said, that's ok, I would probably just order something else. A few minutes later, while we were looking over the dessert menu, she returned...with the CHEF...who had with him a plate with 4 uncooked crab cakes. She said he wanted to talk to me. I was kind of embarrassed, so was smiling nervously and she said "see that smile? that's how we want all our patrons to feel" (but I was smiling because I was mortified! ) Anyhow, the chef proceeded to tell me that there is no "filler" in the crab cakes, only the jumbo lump crab meat. (By filler he meant some other fish, or inferior crab. When I mentioned filler, I meant the breading, which there *was* lots of.) The examples he brought out to me still had quite a bit of breading but did seem to have more crab meat than the 2 I'd gotten. He said only he and Anthony make the crab cakes, and I was feeling very uncomfortable. Maybe Heather told him I thought they were breaking in a new chef (which was what our waitress told us)? I know she was trying to make it right, but I felt like I was being challenged...so I was pretty uncomfortable. She did say we could choose any desserts we wanted from the menu, on the house. So we did - and only mine was comped. We just paid for the other, it wasn't a big deal, but we thought she meant we could both order dessert. (She did look at my friend as she was offering the dessert, and he also had the impression that we could both order one.) Anyhow...it was an adventure, but I would still go back, as I like the place, like the food, and I understand that she was trying hard to make sure I was happy, even though it pretty much had the wrong effect on me. So, basically, I am writing this to take back my recommendation of the crab cakes. Oh, and I am wondering if anyone else has ever been confronted by the chef when they were disappointed in a dish?? Maybe I should take that question to General Food Topics... Randi

Yup...it's: "In Seach Of"

Ooops you're right! Must not be THAT "famous" if I didn't remember the right name

I live in this area too. Places I've eaten and can recommend: Treasure Garden (Inman Ave, Colonia) - Chinese. Comfortable, not too crowded on even Friday and Saturday nights - and oh yeah - pretty decent food. Elio's - (Inman Grove Shopping Center) I've enjoyed their food. Sebastian's - (St George Ave, Rahway) - New place - fresh seafood. I like this place a lot! Jerry's Italian Touch (Gill Lane, Iselin) I really like their pizza. Thin crust, fresh ingredients. The specialty pies are great. Took me 20 years to find a pizza place I like around here! Firehouse (St. George Ave., Rahway?) Haven't been there in yrs but thought they were fine for casual dining. Was bummed when they stopped serving their thin crust pizza (I loved their fresh garlic with olive oil and black pepper pizza!) They serve big steaks (24 oz Delmonico?) - but I have never gotten one there. Dave's BBQ (Rt. 1 at Rt. 18, New Brunswick) Good for ribs I'm sure I am forgetting some places! Places I want to try: Dan's on Main (Metuchen) Dick's Dock (Metuchen) Cafe Abracci (Metuchen) Metuchen Inn (Metuchen)

There is a Portuguese BBQ place on Raritan Ave in Clark. (Called Clark BBQ). It's about a block north of Walnut Ave.

Garlic Rose I love this place (North Ave. in Cranford) The Crossroads Very casual cajun/creole with live entertainment (North Ave. in Garwood) Theresa's Never been but heard great things (Westfield) Not sure what kind of place you are looking for. I work in Cranford so have some insight into the area. Randi

Went back to Garlic Rose in Cranford today (Saturday) for lunch. Another tasty (and garlicky) adventure! We started, once again, with the amazing garlic dip and the warm bread. They sell the dip "to go" but by the time we finished the meal, we didn't think we'd be wanting garlic for a while - especially not chopped raw garlic and herbs in oil. It's quite potent! They had a stone crab bisque special ($6.95) which I got. It had a touch of brandy, and was quite good. My friend got the "stacked chicken" ($9.95) which was a boneless breast sauteed with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, fresh garlic & basil in a lemon veloute sauce, topped with melted brie. She really liked it, but said she would have chosen a different sauce. It came with a nice portion of their "gilroy" scalloped potatoes. I got the "veal garsala" ($15.95) which was scaloppine cuts of veal in a roasted garlic, Marsala wine wild mushroom sauce. There were loads of slivered mushrooms and sides of sauteed baby spinach and the yummy gilroy potatoes *swoon*. When I think about it, I realized I ordered wrong, as I tend to like my meat without sauce. I love the taste of meat. Next time I would get the sauce on the side. But again - that is just me, I'm sure, as the sauce was tasty, but I felt it overpowered the tender, delicious veal. They put a whole roasted head of garlic on each plate, as usual. We just squeezed the sweet cloves into our mouths throughout the meal. I do love that they give us a carafe of water with plenty of ice. And they kept it full throughout the meal. The room was really chilly, though. A few people (including my friend) ate wearing their coats! Maybe we should have asked them to kick up the heat a notch? For dessert we split a "toasted almond cake" ($5.95) - sponge cake soaked in Amaretto, layered with marscapone cheese and sliced almonds, drizzled with a caramel sauce and topped with whipped cream. It was like an almond tiramisu. Heavenly!! We savored every bite. Another great meal at Garlic Rose!

Went back to Sebastian's on Wednesday night. Got there around 6:30 and there were 3 other tables occupied. One with a family, the others with couples. So they are getting a *little* busier during the week. I got the crab bisque which was pretty good. A few nice bits of crab. My dining companion got the crab cake appetizer (2 smallish cakes) which I LOVED. It was really delicious, with a bit of a peppery kick to it. He got the special of herb crusted chilean sea bass topped with a puttanesca sauce (which was not tomato based - it had capers, onions, lemon and was very light) and a tasty rice accompaniment and it was all served over fresh asparagus. A great meal. ($19.95) He didn't finish it all, and I took home the leftovers and had a nice dinner the following night. I was in a more casual mood and got fried scallops (5 or 6 very large sea scallops - $13.95) with fries and cole slaw. All quite decent. I liked that the cole slaw had some very large pieces, it wasn't too finely shredded. We were too full for dessert. I do need to try their desserts sometime. The nightly specials menu listed 2 - a chocolate mousse ice cream cake and a cannoli cake. I am liking this place! Randi

I've been there - and yes, would go back. It isn't stellar, but decent. It is a quiet, comfortable place, slightly upscale. I love the shrimp appetizer they have - three very large shrimp, a delectible parmesan crostino, and a don't-miss-a-drop parmesan garlic cream sauce. The rest of the dishes are decent, but inconsistent. My experiences there have varied. Except for that appetizer! Randi

Hey Cornus, No, I've not tried Cafe Abbraci, tho it is on my list of places to get to soon. I've only heard good things about it! I made it to Nemo's yesterday, and while it is a takeout place, they do have about 18 tables...I will post about them in a new thread. Randi

Cornus, Have you heard of or tried Nemo's Seafood in Linden (on Stiles Street)? It appears to be a takeout place but looks like they have a good variety of fresh shellfish. Well, they call it fresh (fresh frozen? maybe...) I will report once I go. But was hoping you might have been there since you seem to be in my same general locale. Randi

I guess I'll add my list...altho most of my "must tries" are very local. A new local seafood takeout place called Nemo's in Linden Dick's Dock in Metuchen Abracci's in Metuchen Dan's on Main in Metuchen The Metuchen Inn in (you guessed it!) Metuchen The Frog and the Peach Stage Left China 46 An American Grill (places I tried for the first time in 2005 were Garlic Rose in Cranford and Sebastian's Seafood Restaurant in Rahway)

So what dishes have you tried? Do any of them really shine? Some of the things I was tempted to try were the clams oreganato or clams casino, the fried scallops, the broiled lobster tails, and the mussels in wine & garlic. Anything to report on those? I know I will be going back - it's so close to home and a comfortable place. Don't like that parking lot in the back with the huge potholes, tho'

Garlic Rose (also in Cranford) deeeeelish

I don't drink so didn't think to ask - but Cornus mentioned in his post that it is BYO.

I read about Sebastian's Seafood Restaurant in the "Dick's Dock" thread last month and tonite I decided to check them out. It's Thursday and we got there at about 7:30. I was a little nervous that there was only one person sitting at a table, having dinner. While I don't love crowded places, this was a little sparse for my comfort level. I will say, however that we were very happy with every aspect of our meal. I wish I'd thought to bring my camera, especially when I saw the size of the fried oyster appetizer. The oysters are coated with a homemade batter and prepared to order. Delish! Six huge pieces. ($7.95) My friend got the blackened tuna, served with a garlic butter sauce, and he chose sides of tomato basil salad and very fresh broccoli and carrots (14.95). I got the crabmeat stuffed shrimp with (I hate to admit it) garlic mashed potatoes and onion rings. I know, I know...a carb fest! ($17.95) The portions were very generous. I tasted his tuna and it was wonderful. I think I might order it next time. I loved the peppery coating. I liked my shrimp but I was full by the time I got it...! I foolishly filled up on the warm bread and butter and the oysters. We talked to Anthony (the owner) and learned that the place has been open about 6 months, and several reviewers have been in touch. He said he is having a "grand opening" in 2 weeks - I may have to stop back for that. I think they need to get the word out a little better. He did say they are usually quite crowded on Friday and Saturday nights. The service was great (true, there was no competition for our waitress' attention) but besides that - she was chatty, upbeat, fun and friendly. And not in a bad way! This place blows "The Chowder Pot" away from what I can see. Although they both feel to me like comfortable local spots, friendly places where the locals stop in for a meal. It still doesn't fulfill my longing for a local place with great shellfish - live lobster and/or crabs. I want a place with newspapers for tablecloths and a roll of paper towels on each table! Sigh... Even so, I am looking forward to going back soon. Thanks to Cornus for bringing this place to my attention! Sebastian's Seafood Restaurant 956 St. Georges Ave. Rahway 732.381.4477 Open Tues-Friday 11 AM - 10 PM Sat. & Sun. 3-10 PM

Just got back from the Garlic Rose in Cranford and we were really pleased with the experience. We loved the warm bread with the garlic dip. I could have made a meal of it! I was the only one who got an appetizer - I got the Garlic Angels on Horseback - shrimp stuffed with lump crab stuffing & wrapped with apple smoked bacon, served with seaweed salad & remoulade sauce. There were only 3 on the plate but my one friend loves seafood so I gave one to her. She loved it, as did I. I wasn't thrilled with the sauce - tasted too much like tartar sauce! eek! I really liked the seaweed salad, which surprised me. Our dinners came with salad of mixed greens and roasted garlic red wine vinaigrette, which was very good but a little too vinegary for me. They offered to garnish it with grated parmesan cheese (which was already grated and sitting in a bowl by the entrance to the restaurant, right by the people waiting in line to be seated, next to the bowl of mints. It was a little off-putting.) My one friend got a special of Chicken Oscar, a boneless breast with crabmeat stuffing and I don't recall the details of rest of the dish. She liked it but thought they were a little light on the crabmeat. My other friend got the Baked Garlic Harvest Stuffed Chicken which is a boneless breast stuffed with sun-dried cranberries, fresh rosemary, green onions & roasted garlic cream cheese, topped with a garlic & herb walnut crust. She adored it. I got the Filet Mignon Au Poivre which was delicious. We all raved about their "Gilroy Potatoes" which were creamy and garlicky scalloped potatoes with lots of crispy parts. MmmmMMM! And each dinner came with broccoli and carrots and a whole roasted head of garlic on each plate. We all want to go back and try other dishes. Personally, I want to try all the appetizers! Their dinner menu is here Just a footnote - we arrived at 4:45 and there were only a few tables occupied. When we left at 6 the place was full, and there were people waiting. Not sure if anyone besides me cares about this but - the chairs were very comfortable, and armless.

oh my gosh, I thought I was the only one who did that!! I started melting Muenster cheese when I was a teenager in the 70s - I would lay out one of those double-wide slices on some foil and broil it in the toaster oven till it got crispy bubbly and so greasy! And I would just eat it with a spoon. I usually nuke it now for speed, but sometimes I still use my toaster oven, since that really is the superior method.

I was eating some cheese curls with my lunch today at work. You know - those neon orange get-all-over-your-fingers kind of cheese curls. And I decided they looked very unnatural on my plate. What a weird color! I was, of course, reading eGullet at my desk while I ate and decided a topic was born. I thought about other foods with weird (read: unappetizing) colors and immediately blue M&Ms came to mind. I hate blue M&Ms! I don't want to eat blue chocolate. Bring back the appealing tan ones! I have come to terms with the yellow and green ones, but I do eat them first, so I don't have to look at them long. Hmm...am I weird???? (don't answer that ) Are there other foods out there that are an unlikely, illogical, unappetizing or just bizarro color?

You have pictures of the food from every holiday meal. Heck, you have pictures of the food from regular meals too! You have pictures of you with big lobsters you order at restaurants, just before you devour them. I am a foodie and a photie, I guess

Is it ok for them to send an email with a link to the ballot? I received one, and actually thought it was a good promotional tool.

I don't use paper plates, except, perhaps at a barbecue. But I do use melamine-type plastic plates (reusable) for my everyday meals. When I cook something elaborate I use my regular dishes. I just prefer the plastic for a couple of reasons - 1) I find my regular dishes too heavy to use comfortably. I think I tend to have less strength in my hands than the average person. Also my plates are Lenox Temperware, which tends to be heavy. and 2) the plastic are great for just throwing in the sink, and washing easily without fear of breakage. (Altho Temperware is known for being nearly unbreakable too).