tommy

that would provide more space, but there's still the parking and booze issues. Mike, if you guys could figure out a way to serve beer, i think you'd be poised to take over the world. broad street smokehouse still shows no movement. it looks like a tiny place. if i recall correctly, there was once a restaurant called "Daniel's, Finally" in that spot. i was there once, and i recall it being a bit bigger than Silver Oak. i wonder where Danny landed?

Darden Restaurants Inc: http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=DRI&t=my&l=on&z=m&q=l&c= not too shabby. not too shabby at all.

from my perspective, most restaurants serve shit food. OG is no different. people seem to like shit food. along with food, people have horrible taste in TV, music, books, film, etc. luckily, my taste is unmatched in everything. this way, i can look down on others, smuggly.

maybe they've changed the dressing since my last visit (oh, about 12 years ago, on a lark even back then), but i recall the salads being lightly dressed with what seemed to be no more than oil/vinegar/oregano/s/p. it would be a shame if they've somehow screwed that up with sugar/fat/too-much-salt. although i wouldn't be surpised, as they are in the business of selling sugar and fat and too-much-salt. i don't recall the greens being iceburg either. i like iceburg.

ancient italian secret, hmmm? the salad is good.

tommy, there's also the issue of which Bergen Record reviewer gets the assignment. With at least three people splitting the job, there's the luck of the draw on which reviewer writes the document. ← i realize this. although i can't say i can tell one from the next as far as reviews go.

christine, i respect your openness and honesty on this subject. but i have to ask: you do realize that most serious "foodies" don't respect the bergen record reviews, yes? given that as a fact, as far as i can tell, what explains it? i've always defended publications that seem to offer only "good reviews" by suggesting that they don't necessarily want to shit on local businesses. i'm the same way: if i visit a local struggling business and i think it's for sh*t, i probably won't post or blog or talk about it. so it might appear to the casual observer that i love every place that i eat. that couldn't be further from the truth. that's not so say that this is the way the Bergen Record operates, but i'm just offering an explanation to those who feel there's a conspiracy.

cornellrob, that was a very thoughtful response, and i appreciate it. between you and Daniel, it's clear to me that i have a few more places to try. in fact i'll be making a trek into NYC tomorrow for a lunch at RUB. for comparative purposes only, of course.

lest anyone misunderstand how i feel about SOB (and certainly not directed towards you Mike): i understand completely the approach that is sometimes found in "southern" food: lots of flavors, lots of action, heavy sauces. i don't necessarily agree or disagree that it's a good thing. i know my taste. but, i more importantly in the context of SOB, i know the taste of the general public. and there's no doubt they love what's going on at SOB. for me, and i think it's important that certain readers understand where i'm coming from: the BBQ is outstanding, as is a lot of what i'd consider the more straight-forward dishes. what chef gary does well i think he does very well. and i just looooove that SOB even exists in our neck of the woods. as i'm fond of saying: don't ever change. rock on.

thanks Keith, for that completely reasonable explanation. i'm looking forward to hearing about the possibilities! (although i'm holding back on my suggestion that you keep a pencil/paper log, and update a computerized database - cellartracker.com for example - once a month). either way i can only hope you enjoy all of your bottles!

I have to get over there, I'm sure I would like the place, Mike. Please note that I was NOT disparaging SOB, I was making a comment about the Bergen Record Restaurant reviews in general. ← which you do every time anyone even so much as mentions the bergen record. do get yourself over there though.

a wine cellar lends itself naturally to a computerized database solution. keith, are you comfortable sharing why you're going for a pen-and-paper solution, aside from the obvious romance aspect and whatnot?

Per Se Masa Le Bernadin Daniel Jean Georges Silver Oak Bistro i think your enthusiasm for the place might be getting in the way of reasonable thought. also, serving enough food for 3 people doesn't negate the average price of a meal. leftovers don't come into play when determining if a restaurant falls into an "expensive" category. SOB is not the cheapest BYO around. entrees reach the high 20's. i agree with this review, and others, that suggest that the dishes can be too busy, to my taste at least. there's no denying the brilliance of the soups and the BBQ, however. and it's just a pleasant place overall.

i was about to offer my comparison of FSS to Blue Smoke, but i suppose i won't now. i would add that "better" is certainly subjective when it comes to flavor, and "quality" might be as well. especially with something like BBQ. but FSS is really really good, as evidenced by their awards.

do you mean to say that you've had better BBQ in the tri state area? i'd be curious as to what is comparable or better.

curlz is right. the bartender kept us hydrated. i have to say, it's rare that you get refills of water without asking for it or noticing it. it might not be important to people who don't drink 2 gallons of water a day, but for a guy like me, when a bartender constantly refills a big ol' pint of water, with the grace of a server at Per Se or Jean Georges, i have to be impressed, and thankful. that's not the only reason to go to FSS. but it's a touch that helps make it a "great" place, as opposed to merely a "good" place. i've said it before, and i'll say it again: if you have a bar, a great bartender will make or break the experience. i've not been let down at FSS in this regard. i'll be looking for an internet-enabled jukebox soon. the current music selection is friggin great, but i'm thinking that a juke would really feed the vibe well. at least for me. and i'll add that the beef rib is "retahded good". my 12-year-old nephew lives outside of boston, so i'm allowed to say that.

i'm glad to see some movement on this thread, 'cause i'm really into the beef. one question for everyone: should i go just "beef", or should i go "combo". my first (and only) chicago beef experience is somewhat mentioned here. and if IRC, it was "wet, hot" and a combo, with the combo bit meaning beef AND sausage if i recall and understand correctly. should i go, for my next trip, for just beef (no sausage)? i guess the correct answer is that i should do everything on the menu if i have a few folks with me, but i'm wondering what the truest expression of the chicago beef sandwich might be. thoughts? ain't no place better than chicago, BTW.

some much beef. so little time. but let me axe this: in NYC, where i'm sometimes from, we can go just about anywhere in a cab, and then get back in another cab to go home. now, i know chicago has cabs, and i'm sure i'll be able to get one at the hotel, but then how does one orchestrate the trip from say Johnnies, over to Al's, and then to Jim's Original, and then back to the hotel? i recall that Moto called one for us during our last visit, but i don't know if the nice folks at Jim's would. are they radio dispatched where i can call myself?

i wouldn't draw that conclusion. many people simply dump it down the drain, never thinking of returning it to a store.

this goes back to my above comment about not having much faith in the average person's intelligence. it has the potential of being a nightmare.

i can't picture this as a real issue. if there's going to be liability or culpability, the restaurant's name will be brought to light anyway. if someone is drunk and hurts someone else, the record of where the person was that night will be easily available to the people to whom it matters. there is no additional culpability. the receipt that may or may not be still attached to a paper bag after an accident seems utterly meaningless.

possibly. the other possiblity is that people are ordering by the glass, spending just as much, and providing a much larger profit margin for the restaurant. it all depends on the situation. not to mention that in order for this to effect sales of bottles, not only would restaurants have to be aware of and understand the law, but so would patrons. and maybe i'm cynical, but i don't have much faith in the average person and his/her quest for knowledge.

in NJ you're allowed to take left-over wine with you from a restaurant. ask most owners/managers and they won't know that, but it's allowed. don't get me started on how ignorant most owners/managers are of the law. the theory, i suppose, is that if you don't sit at your table and finish the wine (since people don't like to waste wine or money they might be likely to do just that), you won't be as drunk when you leave, which i think everyone would agree is a good thing.

the sign has been there for quite some time, but i haven't noticed much movement. i've been keeping my eye out, rest assured. meanwhile, i've been considering opening a BBQ place in bergen county. perhaps my timing is a little off. it's just as well someone else makes the good BBQ anyway. less hassle and more BBQ for me. edited to add that you should definitely give Silver Oak's BBQ a try if you haven't already. he's not messing around over there.

i can't recommend TF. i'm not sure what the allure is with the place. blu and fortunato are so dissimilar. usually the BYO aspect will be enough to make me choose one restaurant over another, but it that's not an issue, you probably can't go wrong with any of the others on the list (never been to table 8, though). i'd think other factors like travel time and noise level would be important as well, so it's hard to really recommend one over the other without something more to go on. but yeah, it doesn't matter. they're all fine.