RockADS21

Priceless!!!

A little off topic, but in the same theme - I won't mention the place because I actually like it (somewhat of a chain)...I once asked a server if the tuna on the tuna sandwich listed on the menu was cooked rare and she replied "no...all of our foods are properly cooked"...OK...

Rosie - working in the nearby area, I have been meaning to give this place a try after several favorable posts here, and some recent very good word of mouth...any idea if it is still worth giving a try???

A new Cuban place is either set to open or has just very recently opened on Route 28 in Bound Brook called Cafe Havana...anyone with any insight please report...I will be giving it a try soon...if they haven't opened yet soon thereafter...

Part of the ownership are the owners of Frankin Steakhouse and Terrazza in Nutley...

If Tommy and Lou are in - I'm in...where are we going afterwards?

Quite the contrary Lou...however it takes some time to come up with the right words to express such a magnificent dining experiance(not to mention some time to recover from the back to back nights that we put together last week ). For those of you that have not had the pleasure of dining with Lou at An American Grill in Randolph - you are truly missing out. I trust that most of you familiar with me know that I am honest in my postings and would critique or compliment an establishment accordingly, regardless of whether or not I know the ownership or the fact that they may be a fellow egulleter...having said this - on to the meal. We arrived around 15 minutes early for our reservation on Friday night as I wanted to say hello to Lou and have a drink at the bar. After a cocktail and a brief chat with Lou and Sue we were seated. My first impression was that the place is much more eye appealing then it appears from the outside - what I would describe as a cozy yet shiek decor. We looked over the menu and quickly decided on two appetizers...a seared spicy tuna and a smoked beef carpaccio. Both were outstanding - the shaved beef with sliced provolone was bursting with flavor and the smoked touch gave the dish a different spin from the traditional carpaccio.The tuna seared rare had just the right amount of bite and an excellent dipping sauce to accompany...I thought that the tuna roll which is part of the dish had a bit too much filling, rice and seaweed flavor and didnt quite bring out the full flavor and freshness of the fish. Just before ordering I was deciding on a wine...a petite syrah on the list caught my eye as I tend to look towards selections that are new to me but Lou had actually stated that he thought the year and the quality of the choice may not be my best bet - an opinion that I value hearing and certainly respect. With that he suggested two others and I chose a Clos du Bois ('99???) blend. I will leave it to Lou to be more specific but I believe I recall it to be 50% cab.??? In any event - an outstanding selection and perfect compliment to the meal! I noticed that Lou took pride in each tables wine selection quite frequently opening and decanting each tables choice himself...just one of the personal touches that are very evident from the doorstep that the owner takes much pride in his work and in his establishment. The second course which Lou also chose was beyond fabulous...after two forkfulls I said to my wife that this was one of the best dishes that I have ever tasted...a summer truffle and mushroom risotto...bursting with full flavor of the truffles and truffle oil....each bite was better than the next...the type of dish that was so good I had to clean anything that remained on the plate up with a slice of bread. Simply wonderful!!! As my entree I chose a duck breast from the specials menu. It was perfectly cooked and topped with grilled onions and a simple reduction. Served with mashed sweet potatoes. The simplicity of the dish is what made it, great flavor without being over-seasoned or overly-creative. The meat and the ingrediants were alllowed to just be what they were. The sausage stuffed pork that Doreen had was also very tasty...an imaginitive variation - very rich and flavorful. After dinner(as if we had any room left) we were fortunate enough to share in Lou's trip to the City in which he brought back some outstanding cheese selections. The blue cheese was as good as I have ever had...I almost could have made a seperate meal on it alone. Service was also top notch. Very accomodating and friendly and always attentive to any needs of each table. The wine and water glasses(bottled for me of course) were always refilled timely. It is so rewarding when something or someplace lives up to or even exceeds the anticipation that you build for it...I will no doubt say that the experiance of An American Grill truly did! Lou, thanks again for the hospitality and generosity and keep up the personal touch - it really shows. Sorry that you had to wait a few days for the post - do I still get to come back?

Finally after the weekend I am getting around to adding my thoughts on the evening/dinner at Sonoma Grill. We hit a home run with the pairing of the Mout Veeder Cab(again thanks to chef Nick) and the various cheese selections. I personally was most fond of the goat cheese and the gruyere. I had already commented in an earlier post from my lunch here a few weeks back, and again was very impressed with the Crab Louis salad which was one of the appetizers that we shared. I found it to have just the right texture of seasoning to accompany the generous portions of lump meat, and is complimented nicely by the fruity dreesed arugula. The nori tempura roll was also full of flavor. I didn't however find anything extraordinary about the calamari. The mild jalepeno jelly spread served with the bread however is impressive. I didn't try the other two spreds(herb butter and olive oil I believe nor do I recall much discussion of them). As my entree I had the lamb chops from the specials menu. The portion was more than adequate and the meat was very tender and enhanced by an herbal rub that was just enough to give the meat a perfect amount of extra flavor. The tsatszicki sauce(completely butchered spelling by me ...I am trying to say the yogurt sauce that is common in gyros... ) was an outstanding and very different compliment to the dish. I enjoyed the wine brought by chef Lou('94 and '92 Jarvis cab.) with the entree and it made for another outstanding pairing. I am not sure if it was the additional aging or just the difference in the grape in the two years but I found the '92 to be much more earthy and bold...just a great selection!(thanks again Lou). The service was in my opinion outstanding all night - very courteous, knowledgeable and attentive...wine glasses never ran dry. In summary - an excellent meal at a very good place with top notch companions...thanks again to all for an enjoyable evening - looking forward to next time...and Sonoma Grill is certainly a place I would highly recommend to all to try.

I will post more over the weekend on the meal/restaurant as well as my much anticipated dinner tonight at An American Grill...I did want to thank Tommy, Lou, Pete, Paul and Dee for a very enjoyable evening and also send a great thanks to Chef Nick for the very generous gesture! Furthermore, life is short - why not live it - I just hope my antics don't offend anyone. Again it was a great time!

was that before or after you struggled for 15 minutes trying to divide 500 by 5. see what happens when you take the calculator out of my hands...it really was just 500 divided by 5 too wasn't it...

The night had an entirely different tone shortly after I spilled the cream at the bar at Sonoma Gill...that is when we shifted gears....would everyone agree?

I will say this...I am not the type of person that I should be hanging around with...

I'll be there at six as well...ripped black sweat pants...marilyn manson tee shirt...

No doubt...just across the street...walking from P&O to Sonoma however is a bit more energetic than we need to be...and Lou I am not sure if there is a TV at Sonoma's bar but the timing of this should work out that we get across the street to catch the third period of the game at a minimum, and the way these two teams are going that should be just the start of it!

That way is OK but Route 3 is a nightmare...I'll be heading the same way and will take Route 17 directly from 80...

The list at Sonoma is indeed very good and Park and Orchards as I am sure most of you know is perhaps the most extensive I have ever seen so I lean towards choosing from their selections but I will go with the majority on this...

...you mean I need to bring more than 20 bucks???

Thanks Paul...you can officially mark me in as one of the six...Park and Orchard bar at 6:30ish?

This could very well be the most interesting question ever posed on egullet...

I have been here a few times for lunch and another few for dinner. My experiance has always been very good...certainly above average Italian...and I do recall as you stated that they will generally accommodate any variations to their menu...

Sounds perfect to me...

Sounds fine to me...keep in mind however that the late week/weekend shifts are generally better...

I was actually hoping for starting at Park and Orchard at closer to 6 if possible...and planning on being at Sonoma by 7:30/8:00...

I concur with the first three but must add Ralph's Pizzeria as one of the finest pie's I have ever had - bar none! Also I havent been there in years but venturing over to the far side of town American Bistro was also very good... Excellent point on the bartenders as well at Franklin Steakhouse - I'd say even better than anyone who is employed by Shakers... ...we are getting bad - we need our own forum...

Isn't a week spontaneous enough...hey maybe the weather will even clear up and we can walk for parts of this endeavor