glenn

Maybe I'm under a misconception. I assumed that blueprints for any proposed changes needed to be submitted to the Bldg. Dept. I also neglected to mention that the place is completely unfinished and needs a substantial amount of work. I can take an educated guess at the cost of construction or bring someone in. However, my major concerns are electrical and plumbing.

Herb, the reason for an architect as opposed to a tradesman is that I'm going to need to submit blueprints certified by an architect if I take the space. Another reason is that I assume that they know the ordinances the best, though I could be dead wrong. This expense is budgeted. As for realtors, my guess is there's not much money to be made in leasing commercial space and it's probably a bigger hassle than it's worth. I was first told about the possible space that i'm now looking at by a realtor that never called back to follow through. So I went to the area - I didn't know exactly where it was - and just stopped into the first realty office I came across. There was no for rent sign on the place, though it was empty. The realtor instantly knew about the property. I've been told that it's rare that realtors get an exclusive on commercial rental property. I should also add that I really don't have the time to be scouting around. Not to mention, scoping out an area, which, if done right, would take at least several days of watching the traffic flow.

Some of you know I'm looking to open my own place. Not to go into details, it's not exactly a restaurant - an ice cream parlor along with a bunch of different grilled cheese sandwiches and other stuff. All upscale items, no diet nothing (and anyone who asks for a diet coke will be banned along with all their relatives.) No cooking facilities necessary. I've gotten as far as a realistic business plan, a savvy partner, getting a commitment for most of the capital and settling on several locations in Hudson county. I've run into a stumbling block though, one in which perhaps those of you who own businesses and /or restaurants or are in the business of consulting for such a purpose can help. I found one possible place with the help of a realtor. I was only able to get a realtor's help by walking into the realty office and demanding they find me a place. Well, sort of. Suffice to say, no one in this business returns phone calls. I need an architect or someone qualified to give me an estimate of what it will cost to fix up the place (electric, plumbing, etc.) , not to mention getting blueprints if I take the spot. I've run out of people to try and I'm ready to resort to the phone book. I tried asking other restaurateurs in the area for referrals (they're all too busy!), tried the restaurant associaiton (no call back) and the realtor's recommendation (never called back). Plus, dealing with the Building Dept. in 2 cities so far has been a nightmare. These guys (and it is just one guy in each instance) have their undies on too tight and are the most unhelpful louts I've spoken to. I assume they'll only talk to architects. My other problem is finding available space. I'm not sold on this space I found and I wanna continue looking. This is impossible to do by phone because, like I said, people just don't call back. I've been hunting for 4 months for a spot and finally decided to throw away the phone. I've scouted the areas I'm interested in and have walked into realty offices, but most of the time I'm told the person I need to speak to isn't there and it's back to the phone thing. So how does one find an available spot? It should be added that my budget does not call for a fancy schmantzy design firm. I've come across businesses that pretty much do this plus a lot more, but charge a king's ransom. One of the most frustrating and surprising aspects of all this is the lack of help I get from other people in the biz. And I'm talking about places that I frequent and that know me. Bastids. ;-0 Anyhow, I sort of hate throwing this up for public scrutiny for various reasons, but I'm stuck. Thanks for any help.

How prevalent are "good customer" comps? This is an embarrassing question having worked in restaurants for over a dozen years, but then again, I'm not a regular at many places. I've been going to one place since the first week they opened (about 5 years), have been a regular (2 or 3 times a month) and referred a bunch a people. The staff knows my wife and I as well as the owner who always nods hello, which is out of character for him. Not once have I been comp'd for anything. I'm not the type looking for a freebie - actually, one time I agonized over whether to return a glass of wine because it sucked, not to mention had cork in it. I did. Not that I care about the money so much, but it would be nice if some appreciation were shown. A sincere "thanks heaps for your patronage," would also be acceptable as far as I'm concerned. And I don't mean the robotic, "thanks, come again" as we're leaving. I know a comp is not mandatory, just wondering if this is typical or not.

For the zillionth time, we ate at Marco & Pepe's last night. They changed a bunch of stuff on the menu and had a special for the first time in memory. The special was sheppard's pie. It was an appetizer which they accomdodated me with by increasing the size by 2% to make it an entree. Really, I was still hungry afterwards! But our dishes were very good as usual. M&P is the best in JC as far as combining good food with a pleasant and casual atmosphere. But I've said all this and that's not why I'm posting. They had a wine that was on special as a carafe. It was a Spanish red whose name I forget. It's normally $40/bottle. The "special" carafe price was $24. I should take down my accounting shingle cuz that price ain't so special. I didn't think of it until afterI we got it. The server confirmed that there was 2.5 glasses to a carafe. Considering there's 4.5 glasses to a bottle, according to my abacus, if I ordered 2.5 glasses I would have paid $22.22. So I guess the special was the privilege of not having to order a whole bottle. Phooey. Which got me thinking about comps. I've been going there since the first week they opened (about 5 years), have been a regular and referred a bunch a people. The staff knows us as well as the owner. Not once have I been comp'd for anything. Not that I care about the money so much, but it would be nice if they showed their appreciation. There aren't too many places I'm a regular at and I wonder if this is typical or not. Anyone care to comment on comps?

Mixed feelings. It was gone in spirit a long time ago.

Won't have a chance to buy it - I'm in NY until tomorrow. Executive summary? Were you mentioned? Was I mentioned? I assume tommy was mentioned. That's all I care about.

Lou, maybe you should write that book and forget about the restaurant.

With the coaxing of a few whackos, Employee X agreed to let me relate the following. THANK YOU THANK YOU and that’s a BIGTIME THANKS. And there are so many to thank. The wonderful comments here [almost] made his 18 months of torture at the beet worth it. And the eglutton staff knocked X’s socks off with their professionalism and assistance. He’d love to name them all but there were so many who lent a hand. He’s afraid he’ll overlook someone and be banished to standing in the corner. Suffice to say, eglutton is a class act. Most all, a huge thanks to X’s Dad, Rosie - the NJ eglutton czaress and Tony Bourdain. GAT #1would never have been finished if not for the motivation and inspiration they provided. And that’s the truth, 100%. It remains to be seen whether the manuscript will ever hit the shelves of amazon.com. It’s still a pipedream, though negotiations are in progress. It should be understood that X does not consider himself a writer and he has never been published. GAT #1 was not originally intended for anyone’s eyeballs except a few acquaintances and friends. The original purpose of it was as a vent and an outlet for X’s klutzy and bumbling writing. Whatever happens, it served its purpose well.

That's C-fold, ya know, the kind you find at the Port Authority.

Beans, I guess I didn't make myself clear. Here's what I meant by preventing dishonesty: With the system you use, the indirect tips are based on a tangible number (sales) leaving no room for cheating. Most systems are based on actual tips, which often lends itself to dishonesty - cash tips can't be verified. I never heard of basing tips on sales, though I'm not saying it's wrong or I disagree with it. It may work well for your establishment. But what if the tips were abnormally high or low? Then someone is getting screwed, either the waiter or the indirect tipped employees. There is no perfect system. I found what works best for one place might not be best for another.

What is the purpose of basing the indirect tips on sales instead of strictly on total tips rec'd? My guess is to prevent dishonesty?

Hey beans, chill. :) I was saying that sdelgato was incorrect when he said the 8% thingy is a myth. It was a reality about 12 years ago or so. You lost me on this. Where do the waiters fit in? And where does the total tips received fit into the formula?

I believe sdelgato implied that the 8% IRS rule is a figment of someone's imagination. There was an IRS regulation years ago that 8% was the minimum amount that could be declared. However, the law is and has always been that tipped employees are required to declare 100% of their tips. Every restaurant is required to complete IRS Form 8027 each year. This is an informative report that lists the sales, broken down by credit card and cash, and tips, broken down in the same manner. It also differentiates direct and indirect tips - what Beans was referring to before with payouts. It's pretty simple at a glance for the IRS to see if there might be a problem with under reporting. Any restaurant owner with half a brain will report 100% of credit card tips. Some try to get away with under reporting cash tips. The 8027 report makes it somewhat easy to discern if that is the case. It really doesn't pay any more to mess around. When a restaurant is caught by the IRS for under reporting, often the IRS will sometimes coerce the restaurant into signing an agreement where the restaurant follows strict rules about reporting. Restaurants do this to avoid punitive measures. In fact, this is a very controversial area and one that the Restaurant Association opposes bitterly, but that's another story. Really? I just allocate it to the front of the house staff I hate.

Golden rule - never go shopping if you need more than 15 items - send the wife Top 5 or so Check Out Time - Mudhoney Abominable Snowman in the Supermarket - Modern Lovers Supermarket Checkout Queen - Plotz & the Registers Super Market - Iggy Pop Check it Out - John Mellencamp Rockin' Shopping Center - Jonathan Richman Abominable snowman in the market, That's right, you heard me right, gang. And the housewives, they all remarking, "Looks like a dirty marshmallow with fangs." Well, there's an abominable snowman in the market, Now he's down by the peas and carrots. Abominable snowman in the market. And they cannot chase him away

This may be one of the biggest understatements on this board. I've been there 3 times since the above post hoping to prove this statement wrong. Unfortunately, with each visit, it just got worse. The food is good and cheap, but not again for me except when the place is empty. First off, what a waste of a liquor license! Last time (Thursday) was the first time I ordered wine. There is no wine list or no mention they serve wine on the menu. Probably with good reason. So I asked about the selection and received, "red and white." Me - "okay, red." A solid 5 minutes later, it was served ice cold and was awful! When I say ice cold, I'm not exaggerating. Then they forgot one of the appetizers and served the wrong one for the 2nd one. Anabelle's entree was served about 5 minutes before mine. I was starved and ended up sharing her steak, which was excellent. The final straw was my entree of pork was served sans rice and beans that I ordered. I was told it'll just be a minute. The waiter forgot about it and I never got it. And I was too lazy to go looking for him. Again. It was a joke and frankly, I couldn't get angry because it was so absurd. I collared the waiter one last time to get a check. I think he is part of the family of owners. I asked him what gives. He kind of apologetically said that they needed more help. While that might be true, they need someone there who knows how to manage the place. You can add 10 more staff and I don't think it would make a difference. They're used to being a hole in the wall lunch place and still have that mentality. I'm really rooting for them. They have the potential to be a real winner and just need a compass to show them the way.

So so sorry to hear the sad news! I'll definitely be making one more long tortuous journey from JC to Fink's in the next week. Best of luck.

JSQ = Little Calcutta with every discount store and fast food place imaginable. At last count, there were 4 Dunkin' Donuts within the area. However, within Little Calcutta is Little India with a dozen plus inidan restaurants, as well as grocery stores. There's a few that aren't bad, but I definitely wouldn't make a special trip there. Think 6th St but not quite the same exalted level. There's also a cool Chinese restaurant right in the heart of JSQ which has been there since forever and is worth it for its incredbly ostentacious decor, but keep away from the food. Having said all that, it's fun to walk around there -- you have 2 historical movie theaters, one of which just started showing movies again and lots of cool buildings, the Journal Square building notwithstanding (named after the newspaper, the Jersey Journal.)

Yeah, the Grove Street stop is lots closer and not a far walk and very simple. Just walk west on Newark to Brunswick and make a right. It's about 1/4 mile. The JSQ stop is also walking distance, but a little further and you don't get to see the lovely shops on Newark Ave [ahem ahem]. If you want directions from JSQ, just holler. It's probably 3/4 mile.

Well, if you truly want conservative, Casa Dante is the place. Very stuffy. Mucho dinero. Decent Italian. I've been meaning to check out Edward's for a while. Have heard some good things about it too. However, I'm not a big steak eater and can never get motivated to go there. I also get the impression is that it's nothing really different. But it might be what you're looking for. I'm not sure what qualifies as being a hole in the wall, but I get the feeling that Madame Claude might loosely fit that category and not be for your friend's parents. You decide -- it's a laid back very casual french bistro with very close seating and very casual service, a point of contention I sometimes have. But the staff/owners are friendly and it's a real neighborhood joint. It's byo and if you go, you should byo glasses. A compromise, if that's in the cards is Marco & Pepe on Grove St, another neighborhood place. It's a fun laid back mediterranean bistro with innovative food and a decent selection of wine and beer. ramble ramble

Chalk it up to the proliferation of commercial buildings, most notably Goldman Sachs, now sporting the tallest building in New Jersey (and blocking lots of views!) I have not heard about any new residential construction in that area, though there is more going on by Newport. There are many new businesses, cafes and restaurants opening up in the entire downtown area and just outside. Health food stores, upscale delis, etc. seem to be opening up everywhere. Many of them are on side streets and aren't so obvious. I have a feeling that many of the restaurants on or near Montgomery Street by the river thrive on business from workers in the area and do most of their business during the week at lunch time. We've been to Oddfellows and Baja at least 15 times between the two of them, mostly weekend evenings. Not once did we have to wait for a table and very often they weren't half full. That's the draw for us, not the food. Which leads me to your comment on Baja. It's been a long time since I've been to the one in Hoboken, but if my 1 good brain cell remembers correctly, it has a far more interesting menu than the one in JC. As far as I'm concerned, Baja in JC is 1 step above fast food, and not a big step. There is nothing interesting on the menu and there is nothing authentic. The only good things about that place are the sangria and the good service (because it's never croweded.) Or have I said all that before?

I know there's a more detailed discussion of this some other place. I think. But anyhow, whatever, we went there for lunch today. It was our first time there since they renovated a year or so ago. The history of this place so much reminds me of La Isla, not that I pretend to know all the facts. In a nutshell, they've both been around a long long time and were both sort of holes in the wall with good food. Then each renovated and expanded their menus. Btw, La Conguita is on Grove, not a "hop over." Sorry to get technical. It's on the corner of Grove and Bay. La Conguita seems to attract more of a Spanish clientele than La Isla, which gave me a good feeling. We were the only gringos there and it was fairly crowded. The offerings are very standard -- no trendy dishes like La Isla. That's not a good or a bad, just the facts. Another difference is they have more tables, though service seemed spotty. Glad we sat at the counter. Great decor too. I had a cuban sandwich with the best empenada I ever had EVER, while Anabelle had pork, rice & beans and plaintains. Her dish was really incredile and I think I had more of it than her. The food is 1000 times better than it was before they renovated. I don't know if they changed chefs, but ownership is the same, a family it seems. They also have a liqour license, though we didn't drink or see the wine menu (or if there is one). Actually, I had a mango shake which was great. The best part of all (for me) was their prices. $20 including tax and tip. An espresso is only 75 cents! A tea is also 75 cents, which doesn't make sense, but who's arguing? I can't believe it took me a year to get there -- this place is a real jewel. Rest assured I'll be going there for dinner very soon.

BIGTIME congrats to both! What time is dinner served? That's so weird though, that is that an egluttoneer and eglutonette appear in the article. How did you guys get chosen?

Not that I wanna be a shill for Amanda's, but they're having another wine tasting 6/16 for something like $85. We went to the last one and it was incredible in every respect. Has their new place opened? [why was it so crowded at Madame Claude last night!]

Robyn, thanks, we ended up at Cap's and it was exactly as described which was perfectly fine with us. That place is a trip and one of a kind, and I (not my wife!) especially enjoyed ogling the tatooed waitresses ;-) We shared an appetizer of Oysters Napoleon which was a bit cheesy (fit right in). Then chowder and salad, which comes with the meal. The chowder left a lot to be desired but the salad (plain old house salad) was excellent. For an entree I had extraordinary crab cakes and my wife had nothing to write home about scallops. I doubt I'd go again (it was overpriced), but I'm glad we went.