tommy

i think he was just focusing on the plates of food.

Which picture, Tommy? The blurry Greek Fest shot from tonight, or my avatar "Katie-with-Hat" photo? no, silly, the blurry one.

that picture looks *nothing* like you, and does you no justice whatsoever.

so few lupa threads. that's odd, given the popularity of this spot. i'll agree with Besha in that the chairs are really really uncomfortable. rather than bore everyone (and more importantly, myself) with minute details, i'll just say that the fried pork shin with rose petals was one of the most pleasant dishes i've had in quite some time. mrs. tommy was elated that i *finally* had a smile on my face during a meal (she seems to think that i'm "hard to please", have "crazy high standards", and that i'm basically a "miserable bastard"...although that last one probably has nothing to do with dining). 2 other notable dishes were the sunchokes, and the pancetta served with parsley and parsely root. i don't think i've ever had parsley root. but if i have, it sure weren't with fried pancetta. asking for a tasting menu was not terribly easy, as the server suggested that the kitchen wouldn't split most dishes. however, pastas could be split. we suggested a few dishes to share, and asked that wines be paired. the wine pairing was an extra 25 pp. a good deal i'd say, if not for the quality, for the explanation of those stranger-than-strange italian grapes. prosecco and a dessert sparkler were complimentary. i'm not going to get into a huge discourse here, but i wish i had gone here before i went to Otto. it's seems to "link" babbo (which i've loved since day 1) and otto. while that probably has no relevance to the rest of the dining public, it does for me. the service was casual, informed, friendly, and attentive. the water-guys were spot on, and completely friendly (something that i find is sorely lacking at most restaurants). while i find babbo to be a bit too "scene-y" and even "stuffy" in some strange pink-floyd-playing-on-the-stereo-during-dinner-service way, and Otto to be a bit too blah, the atmosphere at lupa was right where i wanted it. jeans, t-shirts, ink, piercings, whatever. all there. and everyone was pleasant and having a nice time (except for, perhaps, the people lined up to get in), which is more important than how one dresses. i'm looking foward to returning. edit: shin, not chin.

the best part about the vintners blend is that it can be found for about 7.67 here in NJ. it's our throw-away "house wine." love it.

just saw that last night. too funny.

off topic: is "andrea" immer pronounced as "on DRAY ah", or "AN dre ah". emeril called her the former, whereas i always say the latter.

huh?

i'm assuming there's a "major" airport nearby? one with a car rental place and running water?

that's a good question. i don't recall seeing many recipes that specify "thai" vs. "vietnamese." i use thai all of the time. but only because i'm married to the brand "three crabs" (because ming uses it). i'd be interested in knowing if there is an actualy difference. my vietnamese dipping sauce always turns out different than the stuff at vietnamese restaurants. perhaps that's part of it.

you took the words right out of my mouth.

proseccos, which have been discussed on egullet in a few places, are a great bargain. Zardetto is about 7 bucks a bottle at discount stores in NJ.

dude: food. sleep. food. sleep. food. drink. edited to add first 'food' and last 'drink'

hscottk, how about just a *little* flour. isn't that acceptable? i mean, i'm with you on this one and all, but sometimes a little flour helps the crisping, and is unnoticeable otherwise.

that's what pint glasses were invited for.

where be the thirsty moose.

considering one of the side effects of drinking beer is catching a buzz, taste isn't the only consideration.

additional discussion on grinding/chopping meat for hamburgers can be found here.

tastes great.

some existing links: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...5&t=4343&hl=&s= http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...0&hl=hoboken&s= for me: la scala - northern italian BYOB with homemade pastas and good grilled meats ali baba - always good. casual, but good. vito's deli - my favorite out of the 5 or so (everyone has their favorite, but mine's the best) those places have all been around for close to if not more than 15 years.

well, we can always make a trip up to satin dolls if Dee wants. it's much, um, nicer than Shakers. looks just like it does on da TV.

different than piccolo's. i don't necessarily appreciate the style of piccolo's sandwich. first of all, they put a whole steak on the sandwich, which makes it hard to chew. second of all, they use (very good) italian bread, which, again, makes it hard to chew.

after posting this thread, i found Fink's in riveredge. one of the best cheesesteaks i've ever had. hands down.

6 might be a wee bit early. however, i don't think we'd need to spend more than 1 hour at P&O, yes? P&O 6:30-7:30 SG 7:30-9:30 shakers 9:30 - ? does that sound reasonable?

i'm in for thursday the 5th. paul, i don't suppose we'll be seeing you at Shakers if you're in for 2?