Kape

To clarify MJP's posting, King Fung is the supermarket at 625 Kinderkamack Road, River Edge, across the street from the Post Office (570 is actually Sanducci's). In other incarnations the supermarket was a Shop-Rite and a Foodtown. [if you drove by looking for a Chinese restaurant, you would probably pass it.] ~ Ken P.

I include Hot Dog Heaven in my visits to Picnic. My preschooler likes the hot dogs and my other children rave about the onion rings. I'm guessing they use a Sabrett dog (by the number of Sabrett signs around), but I haven't had one myself or watched how they prepare it. They have plenty of parking in front. (This is in Emerson, on Kinderkamack Road, right past (or before, depending on your point of view) the busy intersection there, and directy across K-kamak from Boston Market. My preschooler dropped her scarf on the walk from Picnic to HD Heaven this winter. The next week we went back for lunch again, and she said, "Hey, there's my scarf." ~ Ken P.

It seems to me that OTBN is awfully close to Valentine's Day. Wouldn't that be sending the wrong message to that certain someone, especially if you just celebrated V-Day with a cheap red? ~ Ken

Yes, I went that very day and had a Cubano. What a great sandwich. I'm not sure what the bread was, but it was even better than the bread in the Cuban sandwiches I became familiar with when I lived in Miami. That bread could be very hard. This was firm but easy to bite through. If I recall correctly, the pickles in the sandwich were whole rather than sliced; I thought that was unusual, but it worked tastewise. (They sort of rolled to one side of the sandwich, however, so there wasn't a taste in every bite.) My wife and my bro-in-law returned the next Friday and the Friday after that. In the past two weeks I've had Ms. Nunn's meatloaf, her short ribs, her sour cream mashed potatoes and her mac and cheese (a white version). My wife thought the split pea soup last Friday was terrific. She really went on and on about it. I love this place. I do my duty and praise the place through word of mouth, but privately I hope it doesn't get overrun. I also love the lack of pretension, and the fact that there's a cheapo balogna sandwich on the menu sometimes, even though I would never get it. It just makes me feel good that it's there, you know? An addendum: My 4-year-old is now hooked on the onion rings from Hot Dog Heaven, which is next door, so we've included them in our food runs. ~ Ken P. Did you ever get to her place yet? ←

I made the Steak Diane for Two that was in Mark Bittman's NYT column last week. It turned out great ... easy and so tender. Not the most attractive dish I've seen, but it was very tasty. ~ Ken P.

Jason: Were those fries and vegetables with the fish a garnish, or did you eat some before you took the picture? Nice-looking fish, by the way. The place looks great. I hope to try it soon. ~ Ken P.

I caught Ms. Nunn's cooking demonstration at Chef Central recently and hope to make my first visit to her lunch spot on Thursday. I look forward to the morning menu. ~ Ken P.

I have been a patron of Fink's and of Stickey's, and I was just telling my wife that I would order from Stickey's tomorrow or Friday. Thanks for the heads-up. I never would have thought to call ahead. That's a shame. Does anybody know more about what happened? Somebody said a lease negotiation. This can only mean the lease was up and the landlord wanted more money, right? Does a town ever intervene in something like this? You know, for the common good of the community? ~ Ken P.

I agree with Ms. Moulton that the potential of PBS is there. Even though I have the Food Network, I currently tape "America's Test Kitchen" (because of its how-to nature) and "Colameco's Food Show" (to learn more about NYC food) back to back most (over)nights on WNJN, and they are broadcast at 3 and 3:30 in the morning. Just think of all the people who don't have the Food Network at all. ~ Ken

The Bergen Record updated its readers on Dec. 29 on the expansion of the Bergen Mall, which is said to include a Whole Foods. While the article in The Record did not name any stores or chains (it just described the sizes of the new buildings on the site), it seems to me that the Whole Foods, which will be 77,000 sq ft, according to the WF Web site, would probably be located on the east side of Forest Avenue, the side where Spa 2 is and where the old Shop-Rite once was. The article is here: http://tinyurl.com/acgsy ~ KP

There are some New Jersey blogs listed among the very many links at: http://www.kiplog.com/food/foodlinks.htm ~ Ken

I'll stand up for Cook's Illustrated. It's a solid source for definitive recipes, for kitchen tips and even for equipment recommendations. Along with the TV show and the free content on the Web site, a beginning cook can really get a free educatation. I made their brownies last weekend. It was the first time I made brownies from scratch. I went to CI because I knew they would provide a tried and true method, and they did. Seasoned cooks may feel bogged down but beginners can get spectacular results just by following along. I saw a great pot roast on their TV show this week. Sometimes you want to just put some Lipton onion mix in, and other times you want to spend the time to make it a memorable meal. I'll be trying that one next. ~ KP

My two cents: I once went to Palm, Shula's (Times Square), Frank & Johnny's (Hoboken) and Morton's (Riverside Square Mall) in the space of about two or three months. I liked the food and the ambience at F&J's the most, followed by Shula's, Morton's and Palm. ~ Ken

"Where in Paramus?" As discussed previously in this thread, the Paramus store will be somewhere in the Bergen Mall or on its property. ~ Ken

From the Whole Foods Web site: New Jersey Paramus Whole Foods Market Paramus, NJ 77,000 sq. ft. Opening date to be announced. West Orange Whole Foods Market Mt. Prospect & Eagle Rock West Orange, NJ 55,430 sq. ft. Opening date to be announced. We're getting 20,000 more sq. feet! Yes!

Eric: Congrats. I will make a special trip when you're open. -- Ken

I'm stunned, but, as promised, I will post my thoughts on my recent visit: Brought two bottles of wine, a split of Pouilly Fuisse for the appetizers (I was anticipating a mozzarella plate of some sort) and a cabernet sauvignon (2002 Alterra) for dinner (I was anticipating hanger steak for me, maybe loin pork for my wife). It's hanger, right? Not hangar? Now that would be a big steak, eh?! [When choosing wines, do you plan ahead what meal you will order? The wine went better with my dinner than with my wife's, mostly because I knew what I would order but didn't know what she would order. I guess that was a minor gaffe.] As soon as we walk in, my wife says, "It's so nice. This will be 'our' place!" And it really turned out well. The chef, Tony Goodman, was our waiter, too. He's a big Mets fan and we chatted him up. Very nice, and of course I find the restaurant business very intriguing. He started us off with an amuse, a tiny duck strudel under a hairdo of julienne vegetables not unlike Lyle Lovett's (but some might call it a "mixed slaw"). The white wine went well with the appetizers. My wife had a salad and goat cheese fritter (exquisite!!), I had mussels in a red broth (mussels were tiny, so disappointing). For our entrees, LeAnn chose a scallops and shrimp dish that I didn't pay too much attention to. The cab was prolly too strong for the scallops and shrimp, but at least they were in a rich, red broth. It went perfectly, however, with the hanger steak (exquisite!!), sliced and leaning against a pile of julienne fall vegetables. The dish had a roasted, autumn feel. There was a potatoey starch tart on the side. For dessert, LeAnn had the crème brûlée. We also sampled three scoops of homemade ice cream: pistachio, lavender and rocky road chocolate. We don't usually go for appetizers and desserts, because of dieting and fullness, but we wanted to immerse ourselves in the whole experience. The chef made everything himself, he said, except for the bread. It was very quiet, and we wound up talking to the chef for a large part of the night. It was just a great time. In the moment, with the wine and the food, it was just a terrific escape. Now that it's the next week, however, and thinking back on the tiny mussels and the potato tart (which tasted like starch but not really like a potato; perhaps it was yucca or something) and the amuse (which I thought had a muted taste but which my wife really liked), I'm not sure how many stars I would have given it if I were a reviewer. At the time, though, I was really loving it. In all, I loved the chef, I loved the place, I love the idea of it all, and I would definitely go back. The damage with tax, tip and wine was about $114, but as I said, we usually don't each have aps and desserts. ~ Ken

I vote that we defuse this lamentable turn in the thread. I recently ate at Fat Kat and loved it (a review to follow next week maybe). It is obvious that the restaurant and the talented, hardworking chef have their heart in the right place and that New Jersey would benefit from more places like this. Before piling on: It is hard not to be offended by Kimzupic's post. Kimzupic, if you work there, say so. If you didn't mean for what you said to come out the way it did, tell us. If you stand by every word, tell us that too. A little honesty would go a long way right now, and it would benefit everyone if you became a productive contributor of egullet and not just a blind defender of a single establishment. We can all agree that people are entitled to their opinions, especially about a restaurant, and that lay people may not know or remember exactly what they were served. Most of the people here are foodies but not professional reviewers (although some are). People will get some things wrong. The description of the julienne vegetables wasn't that far off. I understood it. I had the same thing, and I was struggling to describe it. I came up with "a tangle of vegetables and sprouts not unlike Lyle Lovett's hair." And there's this: We should also remember that we have no way of knowing that kimzupic is affiliated with the restaurant (although it sure sounds like she is). I've enjoyed eGullet immensely, mostly because posters don't often kick one another under the table. ~ Ken P.

Burfi does sound more appetizing than barfi ... :--)

By the way, this is the restaurant that replaced Fink's in River Edge. The line under Shogun Wok II may be too small to read, but it says: "Salubrious Chinese & Japanese Cuisine." I've heard that the locals don't call it Shogun or Shogun Wok. They call it "Salubrious."

The following should not reflect on the current state of the restaurant, but I went there about nine years ago and my bread was like a brick. I couldn't break it apart with my hands. I was afraid to try with my teeth. A knife wouldn't go through it. When I told the waiter, he took the bread and slammed it against the edge of the table four times before a piece broke off. Then said, "See? I did it." I was stunned, but I was too young and had been to too few restaurants at that point in my life to know that I should've got up and left right then and there. Otherwise the food was good. With such bad reaction here, I wonder how they've been around so long. But I must admit, I drive by a lot, and it's an appetizing name in a prominent spot. ~ Ken P.

For those keeping score at home, this shopping center is adding an Applebee's. Based on a driveby, it appears it will be new construction situated in the parking area in front of the part of the center that includes Staples and Green Field. ~ Ken P.

I remember reading recently in The Record of Hackensack that the Whole Foods would be situated in the Bergen Mall but *not* in the space formerly occupied by the old Shop-Rite. I don't know why they ruled that site out; it would seem to be a logical choice. The weird thing is, I didn't even know that area (south of the Spa 2) was considered the Bergen Mall, because it is actually across the street from it. So far as I know, the exact location of the Paramus Whole Foods has not been reported. The "new" Paramus Shop-Rite, on Route 4, is not that far from the Bergen Mall, which is on Route 4, perhaps a mile or two east of the intersection of Routes 4 and 17. ~ Ken P.