dbrociner

This strategy isn't working in Short Hills where LS is always packed at peak hours. On a separate note, I'm a big fan of Bloody Mary's with my oysters. You can get good oysters at the Trap Rock in Berkeley Heights but they serve them with a small amount of olive oil on them which I've always found weird. Still, I haven't had a bad-as in not fresh-oyster there. The best places I know of for eating oysters are all in NYC. Aqua Grill, The Pearl and the Oyster Bar at Grand Central. In that order.

I'm your man. When do we start?

I would go to March. I've been to two of the 3 places mentioned by Rosie and they aren't in March's class. To be fair they don't cost as much either. I've heard great things here and elsewhere about Restaurant Nicholas but if you're going to drive all the way down the parkway to Middletown you may as well just go through the tunnel to March. And I don't want this to seem like a slight to the folks at Fascino because we had such a great Egullet dinner there and I'm dying to go back so if Anthony or Ryan are reading this please don't feel slighted. As for Jocelyn's I was so underwhelmed that I still can't figure out what all the fuss is about. So go to March and opt for an extra course instead of the beggar's purse. If you're really adventurous you can let the wait staff pick your meal for you. You just tell them how many courses and they'll do the rest. Plan on spending around $350 for 2. Yeah, I know thats obscene but you'll only have one 10th anniversary. Enjoy and report back.

I'll second Barth's Market in New Providence. Not in Mo County but just over the border from Chatham in New Providence. I buy my cold cuts there and I got an excellent stuffed whole turkey breast there for holidays last December. They do their own smoking as well so its a good source for slab bacon. Good selection of sausages, et. al. Maybe a good stop for a guy like Hot Dog John.

RS, Vernon is a long way from Mo County. Any chance they'll take orders and bring the meat with them to the Mo County farmers markets they attend?

One update on the North Maple Inn, the price of the brunch has been raised to $35.99. I still think its a good value. The Pfizer employee discount has also been raised to 25% which helped to offset the price increase for us anyway. They had the Easter Bunny walking around handing out candy to the kids, nice touch imho.

Here's where I'll be going with my wife's family. I think that I've posted about this place before under a brunch topic. The food is good for a hotel brunch and the price of $30 per person is reasonable for what you get. I also like the fact that its not a mob scene even on Mother's day when we also go there. One of the best things for us is that kids under 5 are free and kids up to 12 are half price. Also, since the hotel is owned by Pfizer they give an employee discount of 20%, something worth knowing about that isn't well publicized. North Maple Inn at Basking Ridge 300 N Maple Ave Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 908-953-3000 edited to correct spelling: doh!

As the topic states: how long is too long in the barrel when it comes to Scotch, Bourbon etc. ? I remember hearing the master blender from J & B interviewed on the radio back when J & B introduced their Jet label and he said that after 20 years in the barrel the spirit takes on so much wood flavoring that it becomes impossible to distinguish one spirit from another. Whats your opinion of this? As you well know, there are several 21 and 25 year old products out there all fetching mega bucks are they worth the money?

Rachel, this was the best you could come up with? And that salad bar in Florham Park, Cosimo's, is lousy. I wouldn't send anyone there.

Kim, I buy the dry aged steak(porterhouse, ribeye) and it is wonderful and at very reasonable prices for this quality of meat. I have also bought a stuffed pork shoulder roast, some very good cold cuts, premade chili and pulled pork in bbq sauce and fresh baked bread. If only they weren't closed on Sunday and Monday, my only 2 days off during the week, I'd be there all the time. Its worth the 45 minute drive from my house in Warren.

and worth the trip!

RS, add me as a definate maybe. I'll bow out if the space is needed and go onto the wait list as I can't be sure but I certainly want to be there. Any chance to eat Lou's food with such good company is a chance I don't want to pass up.

I'm just curious about the term "cult favorite" because it sounds as if you don't like this restaurant very much. Isn't The Show owned by the same people who own the French restaurant in Kenilworth? One thing I did like about The Show was the proper use of the word bistro. Just down the block on Main St. in Chatham is an Italian restaurant, Danielle, that calls itself a bistro when the proper term is tratoria. Just another quibble. Hey its Saturday night and I'm home babysitting, this is the best I can do!

A radical departure from the Blue Sky. I wonder how much of his food will travel with him? Sounds more like a place for eggs over than country pate and flank steak.

Perhaps an Egullet lunch in Elizabeth is in order. Any interest? We could all clomp down memory lane together at an appropriate restaurant, Goodman's maybe? Post if interested.

Ah, the "candlelight room" a favorite haunt of former Mayor Dunn.

I just tried to upload photos from imagestation but I've done something wrong. I'll try to fix them and edit this post to include them. It might have to wait till the morning I have to go give Daniel a bottle. I just tried again. I give up for now. Someone PM me with some ideas. Thanks. David

I guess I was speaking about a decline in Goodman's that had taken place while the Goodmans' themselves still owned the place. Let me explain: I had my first meal in NJ in Goodman's. I was 4 years old and my family had just moved from Prospect Park in Brooklyn to Elizabeth, this was 1967. While the movers carried the boxes into our apartment on Jersey Ave. my mother took my brother, then 2, and me to Goodman's for lunch. Now I'm not going to say that I remember that meal but I will say that I grew up eating cornbeef and pastrami combo sandwiches at Goodman's and that over the years I felt the quality went down. Yes, the place stayed the same and is probably the same now, although I bet they don't close for the week during Passover as they did when I was a kid. I'm glad to hear that the Greek owner has maintained the traditions of Goodman's. I was just waxing nostalgic for an Elmora Ave that doesn't exist anymore. I remember the way the street was decorated for Christmas when I was a kid, with lights strung across the street from lightpost to lightpost and how over time this was eliminated. I remember how people lined up in their cars late on a Saturday night to buy the Sunday morning papers by the corner of West Grand St. I remember eating in the Pathmark Hut, Pathmark's failed attempt at a fast food restaurant. I remember standing in front of Butler's Liquors at 14 asking adults to buy me a six pack. But I digress. And I'll agree that Elmora Bagels was a great bagel shop, the gold standard by which I judge bagels to this day and a standard which most modern day bagels fail miserably to measure up to. David

Just to clarify: this is a line from Elvis Costello's "Radio Sweetheart".

Tommy's or the Fleet Bank?

Great night, great food, great company an excellent time. Why did I have to go and drink so much? What did I say? "My head is spinning and my legs are weak". Its good to let your hair down every once in a while, especially when you have as much hair as I do. I'm sorry to report that the food pictures came out poorly. I should have gotten more distance between the camera and the plate. Christopher Heirsheimer can rest easy, I won't be taking her job any time soon. The people pictures did come out good, Lou and Ryan, Rosie and Ryan, a couple group shots, I'll post them tonight when I get home. I'll try and make it to the AAG dinner in April. Thanks to everyone who made it such a fun evening. David

Tim Shafer's Cuisine in Morristown had Ostrich on the menu the last time I ate there. It was served in a similar fashion to filet mignon and I remember thinking that for less money I'd rather eat the filet. If you go to Tim Shafer's make sure to have the calamari and kalamata olive appetizer. Simply awesome.

Tommy's for killer sausage sandwiches, just off Elizabeth Ave. between the viaduct and the Harmonia Bank (I doubt its still the Harmonia Bank). Three doors down from Tommy's is Jerry's Hot Dogs which makes boiled then grilled hot dogs and made Hot Dog John's top ten list in the NY Times. I second Rosie's nominations of Madrid and Manolo's, especially since I recommended them to her. If you can make it to Elmora Ave on your lunch hour you could try Goodman's for Jewish style deli. Not what it used to be but then what is?

Confirming for tomorrow, I'll be there. And I'll be hungry. David

Poor Lowell!