tommy

this thread has lots of great ideas for places that have "really good steaks". however, does anyone think that any place in NJ is serving the quality of USDA Prime dry-aged beef that the better restaurants in NYC (and elsewhere) are serving? it's pretty clear that 95% of the places mentioned here most certainly aren't (and i can buy better beef than they're serving at Whole Foods or a good butcher). some will argue that the River Palm does, but i just don't think that's the case. i'm hoping Sammy's does, and am planning a trip soon. but i'm not holding out much hope. is anyone else serving the minimum baseline, which, to my mind, is dry-aged USDA Prime (or at least angus or something approaching Prime) beef? i'm of the opinion that no steak is great if it's not dry-aged. it might be "good", but you can do better at the market and cooking it at home.

Sazon, the restaurant to which Anonymouze is referring, didn't lack in flavor and tasty food, but it sure lacked in PR: even i barely noticed the place for almost a year. related, i wonder if anyone knows the percentage of customers that actually live in the town in which a restaurant is located. i'm guessing it's not as high as some might be led to believe. unless by "ridgewood clientele" we mean "the people who eat in ridgewood", i'm not too sure i buy into the argument.. in fact, i think that almost all of the people who rave about Silver Oak don't live actually in Ridgewood, for example. ridgewood and monctlair are desitination dining towns. I don't know if Tenafly ever was or will be, which might go to explain restaurant failures.

nah. i probably couldn't even find tenafly with a GPS. it's safe to say that rent is more expensive in ridgewood. i don't need access to MLS to know that (although i have it: www.njmls.com ). the success of restaurants no doubt goes beyond rents and parking, though. the restaurants listed appear to be mostly old-school italian restaurants. not exactly making the splash that restaurants in montclair and ridgewood might. ( although, if you look at failure rates, you'll see failure in both of those towns as well.) if they're not good or popular it probably has a lot to do with their food and promotion.

i don't even let my wife in there. that's no place for a lady.

i can barely tell you where tenafly is. and until 3 or 4 years ago i had absolutely no idea. i guess i had no reason to know, which is probably part of the answer to your question.

what time and where.

there's really no debate, unless people choose to pointlessly argue about their favorite style of BBQ. quite favorably. it's tough to compare, though. try michael's. continue to go to franklin steakhouse. and if you're up near mahwah, stop at the "the jar" for a burger. it's got a good, young, college vibe. franklin has an ex-stripper vibe. michael's has a shot-and-beer joint/diner vibe. they're all different, and all good.

i think silver oak will definitely be a contender in the BBQ game. i don't mess around.

it should be a great place. as it turns out it's not. haven't tried the burger yet (and it didn't look promising), but i will soon. i do like the young vibe they've got there. no doubt due to its proximity to a college. ← take two: one of the best burgers i've had in NJ. good enough to make me forget the mediocre pizza and barely passable BBQ.

feet don't actually smell. the stuff that grows under toe nails for months on end does. and it smells reeeeally tasty.

it should be a great place. as it turns out it's not. haven't tried the burger yet (and it didn't look promising), but i will soon. i do like the young vibe they've got there. no doubt due to its proximity to a college.

has it been confirmed anywhere that the brilliant chef Jody Williams has left gusto? one one hand, i'm looking forward to wherever she is going. on the other hand, i'd like some reliable confirmation.

is this dish on the menu does anyone know? or do i have to remember it.

barely passable BBQ. a pretty cool place overall.

the differences are pretty clear (i'll let experts address them), but so is the commonality: people think their version is the best and the gold standard. given that, i have a hard time taking anyone's opinion on BBQ without a grain of salt.

Does that mean places like Fink's weren't even close to real BBQ? I haven't been to KC, but I'd consider a trip for BBQ alone! ← Took him to Fink's. He laughed at that too. Real KC BBQ is an etheral experience for those that have never had it. I warn you though, once you get the real thing, you won't want anything else. ← i'm not sure Fink was serving just KC BBQ, or if he claims to specialize in KC BBQ. i'm sure there are some mediocre BBQ places in KC, just as there probably are in the carolinas and texas.

El Gran Mexicano 64 West Main St. Bogota, NJ 07603 201-489-0905

it's not in my experience. tasty stuff though. i don't order it enough.

the egg omelet type of thing. i've also heard/read that you can judge a sushi chef by this. i don't believe that any more than i believe any other generalization.

You could start a war with a statement like that! ← yeah, because everyone knows that Amazing Hot Dog has the best fries!

it can't be stressed enough that this place is very popular and there's almost always a painful wait on popular nights. the place it tiny, so it's not unusual to have to wait on the sidewalk. the new place (Kumo) is a couple of years old now. they do a great job as well. they're not serving real wasabi, that's for sure. i have to think they get some overflow from Sakura Bana. the liquor store next to Sakura is convenient, and their prices reflect that fact. try to plan ahead and pick up your booze elsewhere.

http://www.medievaltimes.com/ ?

per rosie, from NJ Monthly, Dish closed. your choice just got easier. unless you're talking about another Dish, in which case i'm of no help whatsoever.

different cultures have different standards regarding cleaniless, freshness of product, and other factors that might be related to the smell of rotting fish and fruit fly infested vegetables, for example. hell, different states have different standards. i know what my expectations and standards are, and i suppose everyone has their own set. no one is suggesting that people are getting sick or dying from this stuff, although people will use their apparent non-deadness as a reason to not be concerned. more power to 'em.

the halal places on/around newark street in jersey city and similar in south paterson should do the trick.