tommy

so, how does sweetened boiled wine with fruit taste? and why would anyone want to drink it?

rachel or someone would serve the restaurant by changing the title of this thread to reflect the restaurant's name: Oceanos they will be getting the word out through adverts starting today, as far as i understand.

it's pretty good. not as good as Varka i'd say from what i experienced, but a nice addition to the area.

i find the same holds true for NY and NJ as well.

The Cornets are a classic! It's the only way to start a meal at either restaurant.... ← Oh, sorry, how "green" of me... sorry... *Sheepishly* I guess I'll be having the cornets twice... at least there'll be a control in the comparison. u.e. ← you won't really have a choice regarding the cornets. they'll just bring them to you. why say "no"? the pearls and oysters are likely on the menu at each place every day since it's basically a signature dish (and not seasonal). there are overlaps, but i think most dishes change day-to-day within each restaurant. certainly there are differences over a few weeks or months in some dishes. just do it and don't over think it. that's my approach, and it seems to work.

i have tried, and tried, and tried. but i cannot for the life of me come up with a better use for a potato.

i agree. while there are obvious commonalities between the two restaurants, they'll provide different experiences. assuming that you'll probably go to either only a handful of times in you life, it think it's also interesting to hit them within a few months of each other, as u.e plans on doing and as i did, so the experience of the last is fresh in your mind. unless, of course, you don't want the previous experience fresh in your mind, then i'd say wait a few years. would i take the money back and give back the experience of either or both? no. i have no reservations about eating at both.

i'm all for road trips. but as i said i'm not about to debate it. the only BBQ that i've experienced in NJ that even remotely resembles anything that, to my mind, would rival the best places in KC, are Fink's and Silver Oak Bistro (not that they are KC style BBQ). i've had BBQ at "native locations". they were grimey, crowded, uncomfortable, and had crappy wine lists. i'll take Blue Smoke over native. by rich's admission, his friend "laughs" every time someone mentions BBQ in NJ. to me, that suggests at least one of two things: 1) rich's friend thinks it's impossible for someone to produce good BBQ inside the borders of NJ 2) rich's friend has tried every restaurant's BBQ in NJ and finds them all inferior to the places back home. i don't believe either.

assuming, of course, that we like KC BBQ the best. i prefer central south carolina and eastern north carolina BBQ. to me they are true expressions of BBQ. and to a lot of other people as well. comparing KC BBQ to all other BBQ makes about as much sense as comparing it to dry-aged steaks or pasta. while they are related by name and smoke, they're totally different animals. if you'll pardon the pun. ← I'm not so sure that the point is KC BBQ or Carolina BBQ or Texas BBQ per se--I think the point is enjoying genuine BBQ at its origin where they really do it right vs having BBQ in NY/NJ where they can imitate but not duplicate genuine BBQ. ← perhaps i misread rich's thrust. "imitate" vs "duplicate"???!?! poppycock. on the notion that you can't make KC or texas or memphis or eastern carolina BBQ in NJ, that's just ridiculous. whether or not anyone actually is is debatable. but you can take a pit master from KC, hitch his smoker to a pickup, drive it up 95, and back it into my back yard, and he will be producing the same exact product. you could even buy a smoker up here instead of dragging it from KC. there's nothing magical happening inside of the essentially arbitrary borders of KC, no secret element inherent in the air or water or trees or pigs or dry rub, that isn't happening or doesn't exist in NJ. but i'll agree that NYC water is essential for a good bagel.

assuming, of course, that we like KC BBQ the best. i prefer central south carolina and eastern north carolina BBQ. to me they are true expressions of BBQ. and to a lot of other people as well. comparing KC BBQ to all other BBQ makes about as much sense as comparing it to dry-aged steaks or pasta. while they are related by name and smoke, they're totally different animals. if you'll pardon the pun.

jason addresses these issues in this thread.

stacey, i'm pretty sure the bbq sauce that chef gary sends out with his chips is not necessarily the same sauce he serves with his BBQ. regardless, his BBQ is excellent. and so are those chips.

i don't think the restaurants are doing the freezing, but i'm pretty sure it happens at some point in the supply chain. i've never had "bad" fish on sunday or monday. while i won't go out of my way to order fish on monday, i do think that the "no fish on monday" rule is a little blown out of proportion. i'll continue to order fish on sunday, and monday at times, until i get some bad fish. frankly i've never noticed a difference. considering top sushi and seafood restaurants are often open on monday, and since top restaurants serve fish on monday, i have to think that other factors are need to be taken into consideration, and they're probably the same as the factors you'd consider when choosing to eat anywhere, any day of the week.

well, you do work in a professional capacity and have aspirations to open a place, according to you. not that there's anything wrong with that. but i'm puzzled why you seem to refuse to listen to people who are probably older, smarter, and more experienced than you. when i was 21 i made sure i listened to people. hell, i still do. for example, katie has forgotten more about the restaurant business than i'll ever know. you should listen to her. it's just that simple. and i'm still taking the under.

and to think i was planning on going to picnic today. jason's "quick bite" showed up in the jersey section of the times.

i don't find contentious threads a reportable offense. i do, however, find them amusing.

lou, next time you'll know to ask me, rather than bruni.

while kaite has been nothing but open and honest about her restaurant connections and employers over the years here at egullet, you, and your motives, to my mind, have always been suspect. people who are paying attention don't trust you. i say this as a favor, just in case you're actually considering going into business for yourself. edit: i see you've managed to properly credit your comment to ms. kennedy. same goes for her. and still for you.

edited for stuplication.

Hope you're right. I'm skeptical. Same owners as Peter's Whale, which was very diner-like. But I guess the word "oysters" on their sign gave you pause. ← peter's whale was, at least at one time, related to peter's fish market in midland park, which was related to frank's fish market in glen rock (frank and peter were partners at one time, if my history's correct). since i respect both of these markets, i'm hoping that the new place will have some good fish. peter's whale, in that incarnation, just didn't serve the type of food i like, even though the fish may have been fresh-from-the-local-fish-market-fresh. i'm skeptical, but i'm going to do my best to make this place good. and i have to admit, the new sign is very sexy. ← I don't think that is true, Tommy. It certainly is true that Frank worked for peter before he went off on his own, but Peter's Whale, that used to be next to Frank's (which, BTW is under new ownership; Frank is quite ill) was not related to the best of my knowledge (living in Fair Lawn forever, here). Anyway, I'm excited to try it when it opens. The owner of Peter's Whale is a nice guy. Looking forward to hearing and posting more. ← thanks for the clarification. i gotta knock around my MIL for the bad info. nice guy or not i'm hoping the owner of peter's whale (and now, apparently oceanos) is interested in creating a destination restaurant. they've sure got the parking capacity.

i was using the general "you", jason. why is it always such a battle with you? so many NJ threads are contentious. it's troubling. edited to add: http://www.americasbestbbq.com/moreinfo.cf...ct_ID=455628952 sweet rig!

i've got nothing to gain by promoting this place. (silver oak) as i've said, it's good. no "oohs" no "ahhs". my word, i think, matters. i visit. i pay. i eat. i return. i'm not passing judgement when i'm not paying. maybe that's something some should consider? you should.

i just don't think the burgers at rare are very good. if i'm in the mood for a burger i go to Blue Smoke, which trumps Rare on wine selection, beer selection, atmosphere, food, waitstaff, etc, etc, etc.

i'm taking the under.

rahway, of course. but only if i was as good as david drake. which i'm not. which 99.999% of restaurateurs and chefs aren't. which is why they fail, regardless of the town they set up shop in. the demographics of a given 8 square miles matters not. are you not yet convinced? i'm really baffled by the reasoning here. yeah but's that's delaware, so it doesn't apply here.