tommy

no, stevens couldn't supply enough customers on their own. i was just typing some things that popped into my head. i'm pretty sure that the ferry service in hoboken is going to be expanded at some point. having a downtown hoboken ferry to midtown would be nice. although as i type that i think they may have added that already. at any rate, it's a good commute, and sometimes companies in NYC do put people up in NJ hotels to save a buck or 2. the definitely applies to certain types who might be on extended stays in the area. i just read that stevens had to stop construction on the new management school/parking lot building. i guess i mean to say that they're hopefullly doing something about parking (the 6th street lot is closed due to construction, which is no doubt not helping the parking situation there)

that hotel in weehawken seems to be doing very well. i can see even less of a reason why people would want to stay there! but seriously, aren't a lot of office buildings moving into hoboken? if that's the case, there might be a need for a hotel on that level. also, i wouldn't be surprised if it takes business away from hotels in JC, weehawken, and even newark. my parents stayed at the weehawken hotel when i lived in hoboken. so i'm assuming that others might share that same need occasionally. additionally, family of Stevens Tech students stay in nearby hotels. obviously a hotel 4 blocks away would be super-convenient. food.

i take in a healthy daily dose of alcohol and cigarette smoke which i'm sure takes care of those pesky bacterium. mutated strains and all.

i suppose they'd need a reasonable definition of that demographic first. care to supply one?

no, glenn. augustino's is on washington at 11th. family run with pleasant service. now go back to bed and don't get out until you're in a reasonable mood. the current Clam Broth House, as i suppose you all know, bears little resemblance to the old hoboken institution. i don't even know if they serve clams. but, ranitidine suggested, it used to be something special...or so i'm told. speaking of institution, someone is building a big hotel in hoboken.

could you PLEASE get back on topic. this is SO ridiculous.

*finally* i get some respect around here.

no, i didn't. i, and probably a lot of others, are still trying to reconcile your views on ordering from the menu vs. asking for the chef's input. it was not my intent to deceive you or anyone else by pasting together two different conversions. i was merely referencing the words that you wrote, which, as i've said, i assumed were universal, or at least not Blue Hill-specific. i apologize if i've misrepresented or misinterpreted your views. additionally, i'm not sure why you'd think i harbor so much anger or resentment towards you, as i generally like you and find you interesting and amusing. in person at least. regards, dick

while i fail to see what one has to do with the other, i'll inform you, and all of those playing along at home, that i never used the word "arrogant" to describe this practice. if i did, i'd appreciate you showing me where that was, and you'll no doubt accept my most hubble apologies. perhaps you weren't listening?

it seemed that you were talking about universals on the blue hill thread. i was. and i'm pretty sure others thought so as well. if there was a misunderstanding on that basic level during that discussion and this one then i see no reason for you to resort to name-calling. additionally, i have no vested interest in bringing you down to my level of incompetancy and self-loathing, so get that out of your head.

what plotz *did* say is the following: i'm going out to pick up some bottled water. anyone want anything?

plotz, as you've said, you only have yourself to blame when you're not eating well.

what you pay in parking you make up for in (BYO) wine, assuming you drink wine. i haven't been here for dinner, but i'm looking foward to it.

duck confit in puff pastry with hoisin and sliced scallion. pinch of cinnamon. 95 argyle brut. ribeyes, on a cast iron grill pan, as it's way too cold and white outside to use the grill. cooked perfectly med-rare without a meat thermometer. Heston Blumenthal's egullet approved roasted potatoes. jim dixon's egullet approved roasted cauliflower. 2001 joel gott zin. (love that url, "gott wines". needs a question mark though) bliss for dessert. i'm looking foward to doing this duck thing with something besides hoisin. suggestions welcome. no fruit.

nevah heard of it. location? hawthorne and fairlawn have a lot of these places, as i think there is/was a large italian-american population in that area. we also go to volare's in fairlawn sometimes. they were just reviewed in the bergen record a few weeks ago. here.

we were in search of a red sauce and pasta joint last night. having been to so many mediocre italians in bergen county, we were at a loss. then it dawned on us that hawthorne has a few restaurants that seemed like likely candidates for a decent fusilli puttanesca. we ended up at giovanna's. the place seems like a mom-and-pop. most of the people there seemed to be regulars, and referred to the staff by name (note that the servers did not speak italian and were unfamiliar with basic aspects of italian culture ) the menu consisted of your usual suspects. clams casino, fried muzz, crabcakes, salads, veal dishes, chicken dishes, pasta, and seafood. we started with the crabcakes, which were very crabby, with little filler. just enough to bind the cake together and provide some contrasting elements. these were served with a *bit* of spicy marina (i say bit because it was just enough, not overly sauced), and a side of mashed potatoes, which i thought was odd. however, by the time we were done, we had happily finished each cake and the pile of mashed. a dish of chicken breast with roasted potatoes, hot peppers, and sausage was quite satisfying and very sizable. the sauce was not the brown gloppy thick stuff that i was expecting. i think there were 3 good sized breasts. my penne puttanesca lacked the elements that i would associate with a usual puttanesca dish (specifically, olives and capers). but, it was evident that they were used somehow in the preparation, but they just weren't visible. not sure if they pureed them or what. this was a huge bowl of almost perfectly done pasta (these places always overcook pasta for my taste). each entree is served with a salad of mesclun, cherry tomatoes, and red onion. dressed lightly with an italian dressing that was quite good, with nice acidity, herbs, and garlic if i'm not mistaken. byo. i think it was about 40 dollars before tip. 234 lafayette ave (973) 423-4345 hawthorne, nj

we were in search of a red sauce and pasta joint last night. having been to so many mediocre italians in bergen county, we were at a loss. then it dawned on us that hawthorne has a few restaurants that seemed like likely candidates for a decent fusilli puttanesca. we ended up at giovanna's. the place seems like a mom-and-pop. most of the people there seemed to be regulars, and referred to the staff by name (note that the servers did not speak italian and were unfamiliar with basic aspects of italian culture ) the menu consisted of your usual suspects. clams casino, fried muzz, crabcakes, salads, veal dishes, chicken dishes, pasta, and seafood. we started with the crabcakes, which were very crabby, with little filler. just enough to bind the cake together and provide some contrasting elements. these were served with a *bit* of spicy marina (i say bit because it was just enough, not overly sauced), and a side of mashed potatoes, which i thought was odd. however, by the time we were done, we had happily finished each cake and the pile of mashed. a dish of chicken breast with roasted potatoes, hot peppers, and sausage was quite satisfying and very sizable. the sauce was not the brown gloppy thick stuff that i was expecting. i think there were 3 good sized breasts. my penne puttanesca lacked the elements that i would associate with a usual puttanesca dish (specifically, olives and capers). but, it was evident that they were used somehow in the preparation, but they just weren't visible. not sure if they pureed them or what. this was a huge bowl of almost perfectly done pasta (these places always overcook pasta for my taste). each entree is served with a salad of mesclun, cherry tomatoes, and red onion. dressed lightly with an italian dressing that was quite good, with nice acidity, herbs, and garlic if i'm not mistaken. byo. i think it was about 40 dollars before tip. 234 lafayette ave (973) 423-4345 hawthorne, nj

well, providing an analysis of *why* a dish seems overpriced might yield better results. i know if i were the owner and someone said that to me, my first thought would be "come back when you find a higher paying job." not that i'd *say* that of course. but again, some sort of analysis would probably be received well.

the bit about it being overpriced seems a bit too subjective.

i love it when you speak yiddish to me. desperately yours, tommy

everyone has an opinion. not everyone loves babbo. but obviously a lot do. while i appreciate your hesitation, personally, i would go, as you've been planning on it. with any luck, even if it's horrible, you'll have plenty more meals to make up for it in the future.

1) stay away from these threads 2) go 3) make up your own mind 4) post about your experience

i feel dirty after reading this thread. i don't know why. but the bright side is that you guys make *me* look like someone who sleeps a lot.

the midwest is for tourists. seriously, thanks for expounding on the whole "having the chef cook for you" aspect of the evening. i shall now return to the blue hill thread to post your findings, as i'm glad to see that they were in line with many peoples' assumptions about what would happen if one walks in and requests this treatment. and please, don't blame the restaurant for the bad bits. you only have yourself to blame.

dude, are you in the US now? oblig topical comment: i love this thompson book. i refer to it just about every weekend, if not to cook then to just browse. mine's falling apart already. actually, the binding was broke when i got it. is anyone else having this problem?