gmi3804

Yeah, pretty much trapped.

Thanks, but it's a one-night-only shot. On Monday, we're going to go to Esty Street. Any info on that one? We have to go to The Park on Tuesday - we have no say in the matter. I appreciate your help.

I'm looking for a good place for a Monday night dinner in or near Park Ridge, NJ. Something New American/French/Italian. I'm open to any upscale (but not stratospheric) suggestions. Thanks!

Bakers Square has a soup-and-half-sandwich item on their menu. One of the half sandwiches is a plain turkey sandwich. I ordered a whole turkey sandwich, and they charged me for soup-and-whole-sandwich. When I brought this to their attention, they said it was "impossible" to order just a sandwich and no soup, but that one could have soup and a whole sandwich. The manager ended up charging me only for the soup-and-half-sandwich, even though I had the full sandwich and no soup. ::Hangs head in shame and waits for eGullet Police to confiscate eGullet card::

Perhaps not, with regards to calories. But it is generally considered wise to spread your calories out over the day (i.e., smaller meals more frequently) to maintain blood sugar levels. I wish Chipotle would give us a chance to have a half-sized burrito. And offer brown rice instead of white, would considerably boost the "healthy" quotient. Still, it is possible to eat healthy there, so I am grateful.

Though I love Chipotle too, "organic" and "fresh" doesn't necessarily equal "healthy." [rant] Did you know, for example, that one of its one-pound-plus burriots (does anyone really need that much food at one sitting?) has over 1,300 calories? Are they trying to make us feel better about eating "natural" ingredients? Sure, it's easy to eat healthy there (just omit the flour tortilla, sour cream, and cheese), but are they trying to lull us into complacency by making us think that anything we eat there is good for us? [/rant]

You know what I have a hankering for? They almost had me with their Primordial Ooze Fondue, but my pick is definitely the Intelligent Design Carbonara. It's a Kansas specialty!!! ← I'm rather partial to the "Artifact Stack" myself: "...fried sweet onions and pickles (!), piled high and served with our BBQ Ranch and Ranch dressings for dipping."

God help us all. I found their WEBSITE. No bloomin' onion, but they do have Pterodactyl Wings, T-REXadillas, and Lava Me Tenders. The dessert section is aptly titled "The End Is Near."

I wonder what T-Rex's version of the bloomin' onion is called.

Wonderful review, Ron! It's nice to pull up your review and relive the experience!

[True Confession] When I get hungry at work, I come back to this thread to look at the pictures.[/True Confession] Thanks for the fantastic pictures and report, Ron!

Bouchon is located at The Venetian - always wonderful, and some great vegeterian (not vegan, right?) options. You may also want to try Zefferino, also at The Venetian. Their trofie with pesto, green beans, and potato is heavenly. Ask for it if you don't see it on the menu, as well as other specials they may have in the back. The bitter truth is that they need to market to tourists who want lasagna and spumoni, but this place offers serious northern Italian cooking if you know to ask. I'm not sure why it doesn't get more attention. It's just like eating in Italy.

Let's not lose sight of the fact that the food, service, and decor of the respective #1s are all worthy recipients; whether or not they're the best is always up for debate. It's not as if Johnnie's grabbed the top spot for decor!

Yup - still there!

When I see "tempura bacon" on a menu I consider it a personal challenge!

Being one of Ron's dining companions that night, I have to echo everything he spelled out in his great review. This is some of the most exciting cooking in the city at the moment. Sola is a major new place on the restaurant scene. Service is knowledgable and courteous, and the room is soothingly gorgeous. I must point out, however, that the noise level went way beyond what should have been acceptable. Even with a "wall" of high upholstered banquettes the noise-baffling was insufficient. It's a shame for a restaurant to hit almost ever mark and then to provide such an ear-splitting environment; it greatly detracts from the overall experience for me.

Luckily, the Chicago city council isn't well enough informed to know about sous vide . . . yet. =R= ← They'd probably want to know who she is first!

Hey, FFB, you won't have to wear skirts at TRU; nice pants will do. I love Cafe Spiaggia for its (relative) casual atmosphere and nice views. Its prices are not as stratospheric as Spiaggia's, but you'll still spend upwards of $100/pp if you order any kind of good wine. Same high quality as Spiaggia, but with "simpler" dishes. Ditto to the previous suggestion of Custom House - I love the place. For a unique "NY experience" lunch, try RL. Dinner's not as exciting because the menu's so old fashioned. Have a GREAT time. And sorry about Josie.

Both, but not in that order.

Ron, what a great write-up! It was like being there all over again. We definitely have to get out to Vie more often.

Is this a new high?

Nice report, ChzHead. Of the $500 per person, how much was devoted to wine?

Sorry, John, for taking so long to get back to you - I didn't notice your question. All three preparations contained oysters. P & J, by the way, is the purveyor. A friend of mine who saw this thought it said PB & J!

When we visited during its opening week recently, Trattoria D.O.C. (on Main just 1/2 block west of Chicago) was experiencing some service glitches, but the staff couldn't be nicer. The thin-crust pizzas are wonderful (ask them to cook it just slightly more - I like really crispy crusts and think it's better that way) and the calamari salad (we asked for grilled instead of fried) is simple and delicious.

Maggie, if he doesn't any time soon, you're welcome to join us! I'm so glad you enjoyed your meal; I get excited each time I read of someone discovering the joys of Custom House. Thanks for sharing.