suzilightning

ok - so i lied...er changed my mind. after a bad 24 hours(my personal october curse kicked in and i lost a tooth off my dentures - eating my homemade macaroni and cheese), a full day at work and an hour on the hawkwatch i decided i wanted soft comfort food - lasagna so i decided to try Il Dolce Vita. walked in and there was a deuce and a four top. the space has been slightly reconfigured and painted to look like the outside of a stuccoed house with columns and vines. guess i caught all the staff off kilter(single female?) because i had to tell at least three people "one for dinner". was seated at the furthest table in the place under a ficus tree so i swapped to the seat opposite. i barely sat down and hadn't looked at the menu when an older waiter asked if i wanted something to drink. no thank you, i haven't even seen what is available. no lasagna - it's only on the lunch menu time to regroup.... a small plate of marinated vegetables and bread was brought to the table. i thanked the young lady but said she could keep the bread and butter(i am not a bread eater) so i don't know if it was hot or not i love calamari so ordered that as a starter. also ordered shrimp on grilled zucchini with mushrooms in a wine sauce. DO NOT ORDER THE CALAMARI. about 3/4 of it was inedible pieces about 1/2" thick and chewy as rubber bands. the pieces were lightly battered and fried, served with a marinara sauce and a wedge of lemon. when the plate was removed i was asked if i wanted the remainder to go but i said no. i felt uncomfortable saying that they tasted like small pieces of rubber. they were very solicitous - did i want some soup, perhaps a salad or a different starter. at least 3 different people stopped by to ask. guess i'm odd but when i get a taste in my brain i find it difficult to make substitutions. the entree was lovely. 4 u-12 shrimp grilled, 3 slices of zucchini also grilled with the mushrooms and wine sauce. the sauce was so good i was sorry i hadn't kept the bread basket so i could soak it up with some. the only odd thing was they were served with two small slices of carrot and one small brocolli spear and mashed potatoes. i would have liked to see rice instead of the potatoes but i guess that is the american part of the italian american equation. 2 of the gentlemen who had stopped by previously came back to see if this was to my liking. the bill came to 18 plus tax(the calamari was removed from the bill) - i tipped on the total before the appetizer was removed. it is byo and i would try it again(they have some fish dishes that look interesting). maybe with john

i found this in my paper catalog - thn in the online one. maybe it will help all the corn dog cravers http://www.lighterside.com/website/store/s...eyword=corn+dog

actually they use a miracle whip - i asked because i don't like mayo. the chicken they offered(not the wings though) was broasted as i remember. really moist. but wings.......

I just caught this. I've been in Dale's Market a hundred times and I like it fine, but I must be missing something. What is their secret specialty that puts them in the top 20? probably the coleslaw, potato salad and wings. when we used to go up to sunrise(before johnnybird started our hawkwatch) we would stop there for a takeout picnic lunch before hitting the mountain.

no- they took the spot next to shoprite that sonny's was in. stopped by and looked at the menu. looks like all the other italian-american joints in the county. veal, pasta - choose your type and choose your sauce, lasagna, etc. prices run in the 6-9 range for appetizers and salads, 10-15 for plates sorry rosie - i'd rather pop over on mount pleasant ave and go to east cafe for pho, sushi, or dumplings - then hit up grapevine fine wines.

cool - hope all arrive healthy and happy. keep the pics coming so we can live vicariously through them. a wedding tomorrow(brother-in-law - i give it 3-6 months tops before she dumps him) for which i am doing the major foods other than anything on a grill( no not bbq or smoked - these people think you put meat over fire and that's it). this is the only thing that would have gotten me off a hawkwatch - oh, so very reluctantly - other than rain. wish i were there with a sea breeze or a glass of bel castel in my hand. let us know when the video hits the airwaves and make copies for us "yankees" take care all

Boston fans rioting??? Sheesh, must be some bad New York influence blowing in the air... not ny - sounds more like dee-troit on halloween. growing up on eastern long island with soooo many cousins in leominster, melrose, malden i am a sox fan through and through(we live in hope and die in despair). living in northern nj is a pain - especially when dissed by yankee fans(well, i guess if you can BUY the best...) don't know what is available near fenway but will be going down to the local bar that has a sign outside that says "beat the beans out of boston" with my red sox hat tomorrow to harass any and all i can.... cubs vs sox in the series - as martha would say(before being indited) - it's a beautiful thing

not quite that time for me yet i am craving buffalo winds and a salad. maybe tomorrow, after the hawkwatch, i'll have to hit up the moose for an order and a brew

Updating the statistics... We now have, what?, 1120 views on this thread. I am adding ambra to the list. That makes 4. fifi- i only wnat one from outside the wal-mart in new boston tx. shoot - i KNEW we should have stopped when we were through there last april.

all the ones rosie mentions are wonderful but a expect to spend $75+ for dinner for two. some other places(you did say any and all) you might consider: Bell's Mansion- Rt 183 Stanhope - go here for a late lunch, forget about dinner Shakey Jakes - Rt. 183 Stanhope just down the road from Bell's midpriced and good ribs Francesca's - Rt. 181 Sparta upscale Italian Restaurant Il Porto at Lake Mohawk - byo and lakefront Krogh's - White Deer Plaza, Lake Mohawk - my favorite place for homebrew and a bacon blue cheese burger Perona Farms - Andover-Sparta Road - Sunday Brunch Warehouse Grille - Rt. 181 Jefferson good family place Plaza Bistro - White Deer Plaza, Lake Mohawk - byo american Village Saloon - Rt 181 Sparta - comfortable place, does basic steak, chicken pasta dishes course if you are on the lake itself you have another set of places to stop - none i would really recommend

regular, peanut , almond or peanut butter sad, isn't it?! hope you had a wonderful time

We picnic all over Minneapolis. My favorite spots are in the parkland near the Rose Garden in South Minneapolis. Karen prefers spots on the Mississippi. Someimes we'll go to this or that lake, sometimes we'll go along Minnehaha Creek. Most of the time we drive, but sometimes we bike. Bruce almost makes me sad that johnnybird doesn't trael to minneapolis for business anymore... the sausages sound heavenly. course i didn't get to eat at sofitel, famous dave's or goodfellows i love your posts - thank you

johnnybird can not be disuaded from this - when the server presents the check he puts his card down, puts down cash for the tip and when they pick it up , usually saying "do you need change?" he says "no the cash is for you but i want the card back"

why would you want to pay interest on *any* money if you don't have to? perhaps along with paying the tip in cash, one might also pay a max of 50 bucks on the card for dinner and pay the rest in cash? where is the line drawn? although now i think i'm off topic. exactly why if it is a big bill (30.00 or over)i put the principal on the card and leave a cash tip since i pay my crdit card bill in toto each month. many times i stop for a burger and beer or wings and beer in local spots and it comes with tax and tip to 20.00. when johnnybird took me to american grill or warehouse grill the bill for two with drinks, food and tax was about 60.00 which went on the card(i pay his cards in full each month, too) but the tip for bartender(american) and waitstaff(warehouse) was cash.

being the psycho librarian bitch that i am i always look at the check and add it quickly in my head. if i am using a card i NEVER include the tip. i always pay that in cash in case they have to share it out plus - though i pay my credit card bill in toto every month - why would i want to pay a percentage on a tip if i had to ?

sorry guys but growing up on the water i don' t eat tinned tuna UNLESS under extreme duress and for that i keep tiny cans of season in oil. my tuna salad is grilled or poached fresh tuna, minced shallots, fresh chopped parsley, some tarragon and dill from the window boxes, some celery salt(can't eat real celery), and miracle whip(grew up with it cannot stand the taste of hellmann's) but just enough to bind with a squeeze of lemon juice. either mix with whole wheat elbows, more binder and onion for tuna noodle salad or spread on toasted wheat and ONLY if they are good, fresh tomato slices with some iceberg lettuce leaves. crunchy, sweet, tangy, fresh - ahhhhhhhh.

Word. Say your Rosary. First you get down on your knees, Fiddle with your rosary. Bow your head with great respect and... Genuflect, Genuflect, Genuflect! whatever happens i just want the stations to show Challenger flying during our National Anthem. If you don't know the story of Challenger and George Steinbrenner's use of him during Yankee(sigh) playoff games http://www.eagles.org/challenger.html

since we had a rain day at the hawkwatch i could cook for a few days - did something john loves(please remember his mom didn't really cook and his dad is meat and potatoes) - whole wheat pasta, oven fried brocolli spears with garlic and olive oil and(shudder) chicken a la pizziola(chicken breast pounded thin, sauteed in olive oil, finished off in the oven after being topped with sauce, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes and a mix of 4 cheeses) also did a butternut squash casserole and some red flannel hash for my breakfast the next couple of days

you could have dropped the claws off at my house(just off rt 80 and nj rt 15) since it was hot a cold lobster plate would have been divine. toasted, buttered pepperidge farm top split rolls for the claw meat with a drizzle of chipotle mayo, some good slaw and potato salad, the cold tails with drawn butter and lemon........ sorry ... we finally had a rain out so i could get my egullet fix

sounds as if you have had enough sangria already being a lifelong red sox fan ( i even saw yaz play his senior year in high school - basketball as well as baseball) as most east enders tend to be i can only quote our motto we live in hope and die in despair but cubs and sox - wouldn't that be a great series to watch?

'scuse me.... don't blame the Pats - the jets lost to them? coollllll.... something to bust the bil about(he is a rabid jets fan, i'm a rational pat fan) and the Red Sox will win the wild card and beat the Yankees( the only reason i want the yankees to win is because george has challanger - the bald eagle- fly down from the rafters during the national anthem). ohhhhhh...... what kind of 'cycle? not an indian ?!

Suzi - you were there in spirit. I noticed a big flock of migrating birds (doubt they were hawks) and said, "Hey look at the big flock of migrating birds, everybody!" (everybody being the 5 or so people sitting near me) "Suzi told us we should keep an eye out for some kind of migrating bird, didn't she?" I said, in between sips of powerfully good sangria ala Rock. we did have some good migration on sunday. hope you saw something(probably black and turkey vultures but you never know) ohhhh... thanks rachel - was it white or red sangria. i could have used some. i sooooooooo wanted to be with all of you especially after seeing the rainbow coalition mold you did rachael. something i can't do at all - jello and it was a truly inspirational piece. happy holidays to you, jason and sandy

i wish i could have made it too. i sent a fat-headed prick in my place, apparently. No, that was you. tommy- you look sooooo different from the front. sorry i didn't get to see/meet you. was counting migrating hawks glad all had a wonderful time. maybe the next get together? after 1 dec? jason - all that food porn made me hungry....but it is now too late for me to eat :

try not only vintage but wine as well at local "upscale" italian restaurant. i asked the waiter which wines were to be had by the glass. he said red and white. i asked again were they pinot grigio, barbera, barbaresco? he said red or white? i said the white ones - he said yes. finally i asked for the wine list, made my selection and he brought me a bottle. it was a) the wrong vintage and b) the wrong wine. when i pointed it out to him he said they were out of the one i asked for. i said then i would like X. his comment to me was before he went down to the cellar again would i like to make another choice in case that one was out as well. yes, i said, a glass of water and forget the wine. perhaps, since i am female, he thought it wouldn't matter?

well, all - looks like sunday will be a beautiful day so.... will not see you since we are expecting the final push of broadwing hawks beginning to go through once the rain clears new england. keep looking up and if you see what looks like a tornado of birds you are experiencing the migration. also look real well at those kettles(anything over 5 birds that use a thermal updraft to rise - like water boiling in a kettle) to see if you have any osprey or bald eagles migrating with the smaller broadwings. suzilightning and johnnybird