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Meredith380

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Everything posted by Meredith380

  1. What? I'm confused-- in my 10 years of driving I've never hear of a Varityper. Or seen one. Sounds exotic I'd LOVE a Wegmans, I remember the rumors during round 1. Route 10 is a big mess period in my opinion though, especially with the construction going on in Livingston. Makes me nuts on my way to work, but it is Jersey after all.
  2. Mamma Tucci's is gone (I liked it there too.) I also liked the Brick Oven, but not sure when they are re-opening. What's Poor Herbie's like? ← Right, I forgot Mamma Tucci's is in Livingston now. Terra Mare, next to their old location is good also. Poor Herbies is mostly a burger/ steak place, good prime rib, cozy if not kitchsy atmophere, casual. Depending on when you're going, it could be crowded with Giants fans. In Whippany, Billy's Red Room is super casual and generally always an experience. What type of food are you leaning towards? And can I ask why you don't want to go to Copelands?
  3. Brick Oven had a fire in August, I'd be surprised if they are reopened already. Also, in Madison, maybe Mama Tucci's or Poor Herbie's.
  4. I'd suggest Rod's Steak House (www.rodssteak) in Convent, although prices are a little higher. Valentino's in Morristown.
  5. I rarely go to work (I work on Prospect less than a mile from the Kmart center) during rush hour but even at 3pm its backed up. Thank god for Pleasant Valley ave and Woodland. I guess working in a restaurant helps with avoiding commuting during regular hours too. What ever happened to the rumor (?) about a seafood restaurant going up above the WF?
  6. I agree about Ilan being the "villian". I love this show. But I only catch it in its rerun, immediately after its first airing thanks to a "Quantative Applications in Hospitality Management" class I'm taking that ends at 10:30pm. Meaning I get to miss out on the shameless "text message your vote for so and so constestant" crap ala "Flavor of Love". I honestly think I prefer working cash flow statements and determining market values than watching shameless plugs. That said, this show rocks, but it's too early for me to think about who will come out on top. Last season, Tiffany, Harold and Louanne (?) appealed to me immediately. Harold seemed polished and honest as a judge and is easy on the eyes as well.
  7. Good to know about the SR in the Essex Green Mall, I always avoided it because the parking looks horrid. Luckily for me, someone in my family deals with the Costco crowds well, but that Kosher chicken sounds tempting... I may stop in after work (9-10pm) if they're open that late.
  8. I avoid anything in that strip mall after dark, although admittedly the only time I'm there is to grab a slice at Frank's or hit up Wendy's during lunch. I only work in WO and don't live there, but nothing in that mall seems to do high volume business.
  9. The traffic at that intersection is horrible as is, but it gives me a solid option for lunch which is great. I guess I'll have to leave for work earlier now.
  10. Headquarters Plaza is now owned by Hyatt. Their prices went up with their renovation and they are a hotel property.
  11. The Wayne Manor closed in July. It's hard to think of a location for a prom with such a large number. Maybe the Gray Cliff near Secaucus?
  12. The Manor can't accomodate 300 people.
  13. ← This something I have heard a million times over in various restaurant management classes. I do not hold a lot of merit in that-- think about the holidays with corporate holiday parties, the bathrooms can be destroyed in a matter of seconds with drunks. That said? I hate when management has a bad attitude towards keeping their facilities clean. At place I frequent often (more for the Brooklyn Pilsner than the food), I told the manager I had a suggestion. It was to add a special to the menu, but he looked at me and said "let me guess, the women's room is a mess again, right?" The look on my face said it all. And this wasn't in a bar, but a restaurant with a decent bar frequented by more men than women. When I was a hostess, I did my best to ensure the facilities were in proper order, and called housekeeping when they weren't. I hate paying for a meal and being disgusted by the bathrooms. Especially if it was a good meal up until that moment.
  14. Lobster Thermidor, Beef Wellington and Seafood (mixed-- scallops, shrimp and lobster meat) Newburg are all on the menu at the Manor in West Orange, NJ. They also still do "old school style" table side caesar salads, chateaubriand, etc. Yes I work there, but considering these things are almost extinct, I had to point it out.
  15. Chains can be cheap because the offer promotions-- ie: at Bennigan's kids eat free every Tuesday, Charlie Browns, TGIFridays and Applebee's promote coupons and a lot of them have "member rewards". The prices are reasonable if you're not ordering a boat load of food-- and they are everywhere which, I'd imagine is easy for a family who is on the go. I do not find them expensive, although I'm sure there are places which are considerably less expensive, doing the research to discover them is not that easy. That said? I hate chains. I rarely if ever eat at them. But I'm in my 20s, single and have the time and take the effort to eat at places because of what the offer and to try new things, not because I have a family that needs to be fed quickly and with minimal fuss.
  16. The crystals are not a bad thing - on the contrary - they're indicative of a good aged Parmigiano Reggiano. I find Romano much saltier then Parmigiano, and the stuff in the "green can" is definitely saltier. Could that be one of the reasons you find they have more taste than the Parmigiano? I'm just the opposite - I dislike the saltiness in the Romano, and much prefer the Parmigiano. I won't go near the Kraft stuff. ← I love the crystals in a well aged Parigiano Reggiano!
  17. This is NJ, not Europe and while I agree there are lots of independent restaurants in which children are accepted and the food is good, there is a reason these chain restaurants thrive. They are popular and succeed at giving decent (at times), affordable food to the masses. Some of them do it better than others, CBs is an example. As someone who studies the industry, you can't over look the value of a chain-- they promote specials, coupons and even "kids eat free nights". I'm not a mother, but I can see the appeal-- it's fast and easy, the food is basic and the kids get their crayons. For one to snub all chain restaurants, one must be wealthy and have time on their hands. Most family owned places are not open past 8 or 9pm on weeknights, closed Mondays, weekend days, and can be limited in their willingness to accomodate children, whether it is a lack of high chairs or no children's menu. I work for three restaurants that fit in that category. Chain restaurants give consistent food, no matter where you are, and value. Living in New Jersey, I would think anyone would be able to appreciate those traits at one point or another in their lives, given the cost of living.
  18. Good points! Whenever I am up now at 3am and resort back to the "blue box" I'm always sick the next day-- although those culinary creations are always made under the influence. I'll still vouch for Ramen with an egg it though!
  19. You and everyone else is welcome to use Kraft or whatever they want, that is personal choice and not the issue here. It is not an "interest" to note that Kraft Parmesan is an inferior product that makes your food taste worse than it would without it. The debate here is supposed to be between people that want to make their cooking better, not settle for the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and canned green beans with canned mushroom soup with canned fried onions. It's fine to like that dish, bit it's not fine to argue that it's good cooking. Would you argue it's fine for me to put a bunch of syrah in my pinot noir and call it pinot noir? It would not taste like pinot noir although you may like it. To be against a product like Kraft Parmesan is not sanctimonious, it's just caring about food. ← I may have misinterpreted the topic of this post but I didn't think the point was a debate about making anyone's cooking better, just an appreciation for an admittedly inferior product. To compare putting Syrah into a Pinot Noir and calling it Pinot and Kraft's product and Parmesan is hardly equal. The topic of this post suggests that Kraft is not "Parmesan", which is a given. This type of debate irkes me, because it infers that cheap products are somehow "unworthy". They are out there because they are sold, and used by many, despite differing tastes. A steak is still a steak, whether it's ordered at Sizzler or Peter Luger. I thought the point of the post was admitting a taste for an some what gauche product, and letting it be at that. No one suggested it was "good cooking". ← You're probably right and I apologise to all for my intensity. It is brought on by a life committed to making a product that matters and also by my time living in Italy. It Italy I learned that the name Parmigiano meant something that should be respected and I am probably overreacting here where that is not the fact. However, I firmly believe that simplicity as a goal applies both in making wine and in cooking. To cook well and to make good wine means only seeking out the best raw materials and then not screwing them up. I also believe sometimes the name of something should mean something and if a product does not live up to that name you should avoid it. For me to try to make cabernet sauvignon here in the northern Willamette Valley would not do justice to that vine. There may be many consumers that love it, but it would not be an honest thing to do. That's how I feel about Kraft Parmesan, it's just not an honest product so it should not be used as it only degrades a dish. As this is my life, it is also my obsession, so perhaps I was carried away and I apologise. ← Don't apologize, I also took it a little too personally-- and without real merit as I completely agree with your attitude towards fresh and basic foods. I must admit I haven't even had Kraft "Parmesan" in at least 6 years (and I'm 26). I'm reminded of how the other day in my Food and Beverage Management class when asked what the Olive Garden was, I immediately responded "it's disgusting" and felt I spoke out when younger classmates said they loved it. But I stand by it being revolting. As someone who is just venturing into appreciating wine, I appreciate where you're coming from. And I can see how Kraft is not an "honest" approach to cheese, btu sometimes their little blue box of garbage Mac n Cheese is somehow appropriate at 3am!
  20. You and everyone else is welcome to use Kraft or whatever they want, that is personal choice and not the issue here. It is not an "interest" to note that Kraft Parmesan is an inferior product that makes your food taste worse than it would without it. The debate here is supposed to be between people that want to make their cooking better, not settle for the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and canned green beans with canned mushroom soup with canned fried onions. It's fine to like that dish, bit it's not fine to argue that it's good cooking. Would you argue it's fine for me to put a bunch of syrah in my pinot noir and call it pinot noir? It would not taste like pinot noir although you may like it. To be against a product like Kraft Parmesan is not sanctimonious, it's just caring about food. ← I may have misinterpreted the topic of this post but I didn't think the point was a debate about making anyone's cooking better, just an appreciation for an admittedly inferior product. To compare putting Syrah into a Pinot Noir and calling it Pinot and Kraft's product and Parmesan is hardly equal. The topic of this post suggests that Kraft is not "Parmesan", which is a given. This type of debate irkes me, because it infers that cheap products are somehow "unworthy". They are out there because they are sold, and used by many, despite differing tastes. A steak is still a steak, whether it's ordered at Sizzler or Peter Luger. I thought the point of the post was admitting a taste for an some what gauche product, and letting it be at that. No one suggested it was "good cooking".
  21. To dislike Kraft "Parmesan" is one thing, that's fine. But to tell others what they should use in cooking and how they should determine what to make? Just seems sanctimonious to me. I thought this place was about sharing different interests, not inflicting methods and interests on others.
  22. Thanks, I'll check out that place in Montclair. I work in West Orange, but not for much longer, and am slowly discovering how great Montclair is (and Verona, I went to Amazing Hot dog for lunch today). Armark is awful. I'm a Mets ticket holder and luckily we have a few (ok one) decent vendors there. Forget about $4 waters, its the $6.75 for beers that can catch up with you!
  23. My comment wasn't directed at the importance of the game, it was regarding the importance of finding a place to go this Sunday.
  24. In general, I'm looking for a decent place to follow the team this season, this Sunday is not crucial. I've heard great things about An American Grill but haven't been. Is there a website? Hitmanoo, I've been to the Frog a number of times, but never on a Sunday, I'll have to check it out. Good to know about their wings. Enjoy the game-- I'm jealous you're going! Main Street Cafe in Madison has a good Monday night set up; drink specials and giveaways and some appetizer specials. But the wings...they aren't good at all. Oh well I could always go to Cluck U!
  25. As a Giants fan, I like to go out and watch the game in restaurants/ bars with other fans. Any recommendations for favorite places to watch the game? While it's easy to find a bar with the game on, it's seemingly impossible to find a place with the game, a nice selection of draft beers and quality wings. I live in Morris County, but would consider traveling (within reason, if I'm traveling more than 20 minutes, I'm at the stadium to see it live). Let's go Big Blue! And lets hope some decent wings do exsist in this area!
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