paperwatermelon

I wanted to thank everyone who assisted me with selecting a location to celebrate. I appreciate all your assistance! We would up taking an afternoon boat ride/guided tour throughout the Hudson Valley and dining at a cafe directly on the waterfront where a band was performing. (A nice touch!) By the time we got back to shore after the tour, all we wanted to do was sit back and relax from the very long day out on the water. So, we will be going back in the future to dine at another one of Hudson Valley's great establishments. Thanks again.

Do you know any cruises that drop you off at some of the historic sightseeing locations? I found out that NY Waterways conducts a tour similar to that, but they only run that tour during the fall months. The waterfront looks very nice, do any of the dining establishments have a pre-fixe menu? Or if we don't do the Newburg waterfront ths time around (depending on the weather), were open to other locations in teh Huidson Valley as well. As a precaution, I would also like to have a NJ itinerary on stand by, just in case the other half isn't up for the couple hour drive to the Hudson Valley? Thanks everyone!

The Princeton and/or Lambertville idea(s) also seems to be about right. Although I have not been to the New Hope area since before the flooding, so I am not sure. Hmm, decisions, decisions! The board is still open for suggestions.

It's going to be a bit difficult getting into the Culinary Institute, seems as if they are pretty much booked with many tours..any other suggestions?

Thanks for responding to my question. I would say were more of boat ride then kayaking people. I especially like your idea involving the sightseeing boat ride and historical tour while finding a resonable place to dine. Any suggestions? The fruit stand and P-Y-O also sounds great, but I guess it's all about timing. I was actually thinking of coming up with a couple options and then having a final decision made by you know who. Keep the evolution of ideas coming!

You have all assisted me in the past, so I am seeking your advice once again on activities for Wednesday to celebrate an anniversary, where one of the highlights of the days events should include food, of course. Any suggestions? I'm not set on an exact location, anywhere from Monmouth/Ocean County (NJ) to as far as the Hudson Valley or Catskill Region (NY), so there's a large stretch for your ideas to flow. Thanks again for your help!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who was able to provide a lunch destination for me on such short notice. We did dine at Basilico and it was a very nice meal in addition to a stroll through the park. I will certainly have to try the other recommendations in the coming weeks. Thanks again!

I know it's short notice, but I would like to entertain 2 very close friends for lunch tomorrow for their birthday in either Union, Middlesex or Essex Counties. If you highly recommend another restaurant outside the area, we're game. I guess we are looking for suggestions on a quailty dining establishment that is somewhat reasonable for 4 adults. It should have a nice selection of entrees, but it doesn't need to have a liquor license, although it could be an option. Cuisine is your choice. Thanks so much for assisting me on such short notice.

Well, I did find myself near the Rockland Bakery in West Nyack, NY the other day and I need to thank you for the great recommendation. It is truly an experience if you have never been there before. I especially enjoy being able to go into the back (where you see them do the actual baking) and pick out your own breads literally right out of the oven. They were so hot and fresh, we couldn't even touch them at first. I was so overwhelmed I don't think I saw the entire operation (something about there being another section in the back, I think I missed?) I wasn't going directly home so I only purchased items that would travel well. The egg rolls, challah, onion rolls were excellent. The bagels were alright, and the French Nut Cake was out of this world! Anything else that I should definitely purchase next time. I feel that I might be there sooner than I think. Thanks again for the recommendation(s) and please keep em' coming to add to the list!

Wow! I am certainly going to make a few pit stops in the near fututure. Thanks to everyone who has posted their comments and contact information for the bakeries. As I stated in my earlier post, many of the establishments that I have patronized in the past don't have a posted price list for the customer to review before placing an order at the counter. I just wonder why that is? How come most other food-related establishments have a menu posted with prices? Does this have anything to do with "keeping an old tradition alive?" Why should some bakeries who don't list their prices be held to a different standard than others that do? I can certainly understand that some bakeries don't bake every item on a daily basis or sometimes quickly run out of a specialty item and that most of the time, you get what you pay for (as far as quality is concerned), but those are both topics for another day. At the time I was posting, I was seeking your own personal experiences about the bakery industry, but now that you have began also creating a running list of places I should try, it looks like I will need to spend some extra time at the gym. Keep em' coming - they look great! Thanks again.

What are your thoughts on the prices of bakery items? For what some bakeries offer, are they too low, just right, or too high? How come most bakeries do not list their prices for customers to see? I sometimes feel when I patronize a bakery for the first time (either by impulse shopping, word of mouth or a write up) that they "get to charge, what they want." It's almost as if they will charge one price to their regulars and another to the one-stop-shoppers? What are your thoughts on how much a muffin, cake, pastry item, specialty item, cookies should cost? Is it all about the location, quality, etc? Comments?