tommy

i'm in (steak/hat) as soon as i figure out where the eff randolph is. i can't think of many restaurants in NJ where jeans aren't acceptable. let's see:

i'd be up for a korean outing. where's this place in paramus, nick? i can check it out beforehand. i'd just as soon not go to any place in pal park or whatever town is over there, as those people don't seem to like non-koreans very much. (this is an opinion based only on 2 places, but from what i've heard from others as well.)

chefb, do you prefer restaurants that require "neat casual" more than those requesting jackets?

you can do so much with potato salad. it's a blank slate. a near-perfect canvas.

does anyone have any thoughts on this? i've never heard that plastic dulls knives. and if so, what types of plastic? i'm assuming several different types of plastic cutting boards are on the market. also, there is a flexible plastic cutting "board" that i've seen used on TVFN. when you're done chopping, you just make a half tube of it and slide the stuff into wherever it's going. brilliant i say.

if you care that much about the record, can i suggest that you write a letter to the editor? that's the general procedure for bitching and moaning as far as i know.

finker says: "To ensure compliance I know many establishments that mandate a second washing of the hands at a sink in the kitchen, both to ensure that it is happening and you never know what is on the bathroom door knob." this is what i'm saying when i say "good luck teaching someone how to wipe their arse." you can't legislate someone into washing their hands in the dumper. however, if you can bring it out in the open you shift the responisibility over to the owner/manager as well, which is a step in the right direction.

"yeah," mrs. tommy "told me what to say."

returned to this byo in allendale recently. i do enjoy this place. it's "asian-fusion," for lack of a better phrase. chinese, thai, indian, and even italian flavors all make their way to the menu. wife in the kitchen, husband running the front room. always a good sign. apps: spring rolls - these are fried rolls with an "italian" slant. filled with radicchio and ricotta cheese. served with 3 sauces, including a soy-based sauce, a sweet orange sauce, and a pesto. interesting, but not mind-blowing. crispy calamari salad with lemongrass vinaigrette - this was a very large salad, and could have been an entree. it wasn't the usual "o-ring" calamari, but rather the solid tubular part of the animal that you often find at vietnamese restaurants. the calamari was lightly fried, and wonderful. the dressing was tasty enough with nice citrus overtones. went well with the sauvignon blanc that we brought along. entrees: indian lamb chops - 5 chops were served on the rack. they were tough to cut, but were tender afterall. i think the knives could have been a bit sharper. served over a white bean ragout, which i like very much. however, as with my previous visit, the ragout suffered from over-salting. which is a shame, because it's very good otherwise. the lamb chops were cooked perfectly to order, med-rare. chilean sea bass, steamed cantonese style - yeah yeah, i don't usually order this fish, so put your soapboxes away. served with a *light* citrus sauce over leek and edamame. this was probably one of the healthiest things i've ever eaten. however, it lacked flavor. i think the dish would have been a lot better had the fish been seared. the steaming didn't do any favors for this near flavorless fish. the fish, however, was perfectly cooked, and had to weigh in at about 9 ounces. served with "forbidden rice," which is black rice. i don't see black rice often, but i love the texture and the nuttiness. the service is friendly and efficient. they offer both red and white wine glasses, which i appreciate. so many byobs have the most horrible stemware. it's a nice touch. total before tip was about 74 if i recall. here is their website as an aside, they are now a proper "chinese restaurant" (operating under a different name) for take out and delivery, which a completely seperate menu. details on their website.

i don't see why you would compare a restaurant like craft to the restaurant in question (which is a small mom-and-pop place), unless, of course, you had no idea what you were talking about.

not necessarily. but that *would* be funny.

well, maybe if it was you.

i'd be mad too if my reservation wasn't honored.

"not as funny as he thinks he is," tommy offers a "seemingly non-stop" barrage of "witless" and "mind numbing" comments, supported by often "inane stupid pictures" culled from the internet. obviously fueled by "too much beer and boredom," his posts seem to "pop up more than zits on a prostitute's backside." while fans say he's "cute as a button," and cheer "more kittens!," most just find themselves wanting to "kick his ass."

dat was part of what i was saying in my parody. a little too subtle though. perhaps i should revert back to bulldozer tactics.

YUCK!! i would NEVER eat in your restaurant after seeing the "conditional" report in the bergen record. NEVER! that's disgusting.

i think the review i offered above is better.

i don't think you'll find disagreement with that sentiment here.

I'm glad *you* don't care Tommy. Many here may also not give it a second thought. But many do you may have missed my point: the "nonsense" to which i refer is the exploitive and sensationalistic media. i've been around the block enough to have a good feeling if a place is "safe" or "not safe." i choose to eat at places at which i don't get sick, which is evident as i've never gotten sick from eating out. although, i'm not sure why i care enough about people who sit at home and read these reports to type as many words as i have on the subject. sit your ass at home any worry about the fall of modern society as we know it. i'll be out enjoying sushi and sancerre. edit: rereading ngatti's post, i see that he's agreeing with me. ok then, all is right in the world, once again.

in the end, it will be the same small group of people here, ultimately (or is that intimately) agreeing with each other, because the pain of going on is just too much to endure. and i like it.

and i am now inspired. i can almost promise that this weekend i'll be doing *something* with meatloaf.

am i the only one who thinks the Delmonico cut is a horrible piece of fat surrounding a dry piece of junk? the extreme of all worlds, and the best of none?

wow. my first thought is that it had better pretty good to compete with little saigon in nutley. but if it's bigger, it might even get some overflow, since LS is so small. good news though.

it would seem that you're being unnecessarily belligerent. what the eff do you care what restaurant rosie suggests?

gknl, the exceptional situations clearly are horrible (although i don't think any of us would be eating in places like that. some things are just evident when you walk into a place).