dbrociner

Oops, missed the link.

We are staying in with our kids but friends are going to the Traprock in Berkeley Heights on my reccomendation.

pnapoli, could you give us an address? When I think Mine Hill I think Rt. 46, am I correct in this? And how would you rate the cornbread in comparison to the delicious corn bread you brought to the egullet pig roast last September? PS, just in case you think no one gets it: I loved the Pixies.

Thanks for the effort and based on your report we'll start popping those corks! And we'd be glad to share a bottle, just come to NJ and we'll go to any number of good byo's and drink ourselves a little silly. Isn't that what champagne is for?

Produced by Francis Ford Coppolla for his daughter Sofia's wedding and made available shortly thereafter. Purchased by me for my daughter, Sophia, who was born in 2000, the vintage year of the champagne. I have a case and in the back of my mind I've always wondered if this would hold up long enough for my daughter to actually enjoy it. I didn't start to really appreciate champagne until I was 30. Has anyone drank this? I think I paid around $25 a bottle, I honestly can't remember. I figured we'd open a bottle on Oscar night and toast Bill Murray and Sofia Coppolla for their little movie which we liked even if we might be puzzled by all the fuss its generated. Separately, do you think this wine will go up in value as Ms. Coppolla's career advances? She's white hot right now and my Sophia could use the money in her college fund more than the champagne anyway. Thanks. David

Oops, I thought it was this Thursday. Can't figure out how I came to that conclusion. Thanks for the clarification.

Are we still on if the weather's bad?

I posted on the NJ board but Jason moved it to the bios, which was ok but a note would have been a nice touch. As for the t shirt, we're still accepting baby gifts.

Nuts (tree nuts, but peanuts are okay) and poppy seeds (which I guess rules out opium as well ). Sorry for the bullshit but I'd rather not leave on a stretcher.

RS, here's the info. My Webpage

You take time off to have a baby and everyone forgets you (or is that wishful thinking?). If you need one more I can strand Stephanie with the two kids and come alone. 6PM is better for me. David

RS, I believe that the address is Mountain Ave in Mountainside. I hope this restaurant does well as my parents live just up the hill. Being from the area I can tell you that this location has hosted several restaurant failures over the last 5-7 years. I wish the owners good luck and I'll plan a visit to check it out soon.

I have brought knifes to Classic Thyme in Westfield to have them sharpened. A long way from Ridgewood but if your going let me know and I'll meet you for a beer and some ribs at Famous Dave's in Mountainside while you wait for your knives to be done. Just a suggestion. Or you could drop off the knives and go looking for those people to slap around.

At the risk of being labeled the egullet grinch I have a story about this restaurant. Two stories actually. I was there once and we were talking to the owner or maybe it was his son and when our lunch was over he made a big deal about us ordering an expresso or a cappucino. I didn't really want one and when I said so he got so insulted that I ordered one to make him happy. I assumed that he was buying but I was wrong! When we got the check there were 3 expresso's on the bill! I thought this was wrong because he badgered us into the order but the lunch was great, I had a lamb shank with white beans, so good I still remember it 4 years later. A few weeks after that I went back, again for lunch. We (a party of 4) got there around 2:30. We were seated and served a basket of bread and water for the table. We were given menus and were ready to order when this same owner came out of the kitchen to say that lunch was over and we needed to leave. Leave we did and I've never been back. Too bad because the food was good and there's only so many places in that area worth eating in but there's only so much you can take.

Went to Maresca's yesterday. It was worth the trip! As soon as I walked in the door I smelled something delicious. I never did figure out what it was, possibly the pies and quiches sitting out on a table. Very unassuming place, I'd guess it looks the same as it has for most of the last 60 years. Hard to believe that anyone could survive running a butcher shop in Sergeantsville 60 years ago but thats their story. The trip down Rt. 523 was exactly as described in Saveur a blend of "x-urban" sprawl mixed with old time western NJ country living. The Maresca brothers were both there and Emil was very nice to Sophia (my 3 year old). There is no hint of the Saveur piece in the butcher shop except for the presence of far flung foodies like myself. I picked up 2 ribeye steaks which I had hand cut to 2" thickness, some Italian sausage (sweet), some deli ham, a loaf of excellent Italian bread as well as some chili and some pulled pork from their refrigerated case. Made the steaks last night and they were some of the best steaks I have ever eaten at home. The meat is dry aged, well marbled and amazingly tender. It has that slightly sour smell when you take it out of the package which might fool someone into thinking its gone bad but is really a sign of its great flavor. I had the deli ham for lunch, it was low moisture and slightly smokey and was great on that Italian bread. Will be making red sauce with the sausage as well as grilling a few links to eat unembelished. The chili and the pulled pork both look great, I will post about them another time. Maresca's does not take credit cards but they will take your personal check. I had no cash and a woman behind the counter told me how to find the MAC machine, "so close you could spit to it" she said. Just past the shop on the same side of Rt. 523. They are closed on Sundays and Mondays. A great destination stop for a Saturday drive into the country and I believe there may be a good restaurant nearby, the Sergeantsville Inn? I'll have to ask Rosie. Or you could buy a loaf of that bread, some cold cuts and have lunch on the hood of your car, it'd be worth it.

featured is an understatement. I've read smaller pieces in Saveur about entire cuisine's than they did about this butcher shop. Living only about 40 minutes away I called for directions only to find out they are closed on Sunday and Monday, my only two days off. Tomorrow is a rare exception and I'm going to buy some steaks and whatever else looks good. I'll report back.

Had lunch today at Muse, 11 South St. in Morristown (973)292-6300. I was attracted by the chance to sit outside on this Indian Summer afternoon and the people watching in Morristown is surprisingly good. Sorry to say the food at Muse is another story. Typical greek menu in an upscale setting. My dad and I each had lamb shiskabobs served over rice with a tomato and onion salad on the side. At least thats what the menu said. In fact, the tomato and onion salad was mixed in with the rice and the rice was room temperature. Kabobs were hot but lamb was overcooked and overspiced, not spicey just overwhelmed by paprika. Cannot comment on the rest of the menu but it isn't a good sign when you can't get a decent lamb kabob in a greek restaurant. This restaurant advertises heavily on my cable system, Cablevision, and I have to admit that the ad helped bring me there. As my dad said " as a rule, its always a bad sign when a restaurant has to advertise" I'm not sure he's right but he was in this case. Big thumbs down, look elsewhere.

Thanks for the report on Robert's. We've been waiting for them to get a little time under their belt before venturing there. As for the first Star Trek movie, remember what a stir it caused that they had a bald woman?

Another vote for Spiritos having very good thin crust pizza. I'm not sure its worth a long trip but if you're in the neighborhood.... They also have great ravioli.

Monday the 10th works for me too. Anyone else interested?

How about Monday Nov 3rd around 1PM?

Rosie, sorry to hear that you had a bad experience. As you mentioned, I've only been for lunch and its always been good. The cuban sandwich is always a winner and I've also had a "triple seared steak" salad and an italian cold cut sandwich. As you mentioned the bread is always excellent. I also had two soups: a corn soup and a New England style clam chowder. Both were good, not great. For one lunch I had a small steak that I could not recommend, it wasn't bad but it also wasn't worth $15.99. There was talk about an egullet lunch here a few weeks back and both LReda and RailPaul said they were interested. Anyone still up for this? Rosie, would you be willing to go back?

Sam, what kind of music does that ferret like? I'm with Matthew on this. Can I supersize my meal at Burger King?

Someone finally mentions a restaurant in Elizabeth and now I remember what I wanted to talk to Lowell about at the pig roast/pot luck. The 640 Club is indeed right across the street from Elizabeth High School and I remember that some of my teachers would go there. I also remember that the 640 Club salad had a great reputation, I think if you asked people who know the place what to order they'd all mention the salad. I can't say I ever heard of anyone mentioning the steak so I don't know. I also can't imagine anyone driving from Westfield to eat there. Maybe an egullet road trip is in order, if the place is even still in business. Maybe they have burgers and Elyse could do a Burger Club tasting there. If all else fails there's always Jerry's Hot Dogs just off Elizabeth Ave. which made it into Hot Dog John's top 10 list in the NY Times Jersey section. Sorry, I'm rambling. Long week.

RS, please don't take this the wrong way but this is a problem you have. You have a list of restaurants you recommend and you stick to it even when it isn't called for. No one looking to go out for a steak in Westfield or any other part of western Union County for that matter wants to drive to Mendham to go to Sammy's. You did this same thing the other day when someone asked where her boss could take her out to dinner in the Cranford area. Every place you listed was miles from Cranford. Sometimes people want a good meal thats close over a great meal thats further away. PS: I still love you. David Brociner (one very crabby egulleteer) PPS: on top of everything else I think Sammy's is way overrated.