tommy

i thought they had very good pasta and good food overall. i like the family-run atmospere. i did, as you mention, balk at the price. wow. if it was BYO it would be a God-send to the otherwise destitute hoboken dining scene, and one that i would return to again and again. as it is, it is more of a "special occasion" place, which roughly translates into "i probably won't go back". oh well.

Pete's tavern claims to have opened in 1864 (slightly after mcsorely's) but to have remained open during prohibition, making it "the longest continuously operating bar and restaurant in New York City". in the interest of staying on topic, i have no recollection of the bog at Pete's.

would it sound overly stupid, shallow and naive if i suggest that his book changed my life?

more like 150 yrs (if that matters). and i don't think it has been continously open since then. maybe i'm confusing it with some other pub. but by the looks of the bathroom, *it* is 200 years old.

thereuare (and anyone else reading), well you just don't know what's good. ;) sure, the chicken isn't spiced, but it's pretty much just poached. the green and red sauce (that you might not have gotten for take out) make the thing happen. without the sauces, you're looking at poached chicken, raw onion, and cilantro, which isn't a horrible thing, but not very exciting. for 2 bucks though... ;) i'll try Mission again at some point. the 2 aren't comparable though. different styles altogether. if you go back to los dos rancheros, have a seat, and order chicken mole or one of their goat dishes (mostly thurs-sunday. they don't offer goat during the week). half of the experience is the atmosphere. additionally, try andalusia (sp?) right up the block from los dos. tapas. freaky bar. freaky people. but very interesting. no place to sit, so you'll be eating at the bar for the most part. bring a gun. also, stop at Cascina on 9th and 45th for some italian wine and apps. i mentioned this place on the NY board and was ignored :(. it's pretty good though, and in the same hood if you find yourself in that area much. let's get together for a pre-hoboken snack some time. cheers.

i've never eaten there, but have been there at night, and the place does become quite the scene. i always assumed it was typical chain-style "tex-mex". it's good to hear that it has promise. rosa mexicano is by far my favorite. actually, it's one of my favorite places to go mexican or not. however, the new Lincoln Center outpost is an atrocity. i would never go back, and i think it's tarnishing the 1st ave (and 57th or so) outpost's image. and of course, los dos rancheros has the most authentic if not the cheapest mexican food in nyc (38th and 9th) how about ####'s Kitchen on 9th? don't hear to much about it. went once, enjoyed it, forgot all about it. hmmm.

or they turn the ringer off. and your theory is again in the running. ;)

do they take reservations?

right. never been to china. my first version of this post assumed you meant Chengdu 46, which i wasn't impressed with. i'll check out china 46 though. thanks. when i say bland i don't necessarily mean "lack of flavor". perhaps i chose the wrong word. more importantly, the concept doesn't do much for me. again, no fresh herbs, no spices to speak of. lots of heat, yes, lots of sweetness, yes, fresh veggies, sure, but that's all i can see. i wish China 17 was still around, as i heard that was pretty good for what it was, and Nixon liked it. ;) (Edited by tommy at 11:37 am on Dec. 2, 2001)

does this ranking really have any effect on anything? possibly a bit of increase in traffic, as people who go there to vote for their current favorite site might see egullet and check it out out of curiosity. but really, does it matter? i hope i'm wrong. and yes, i've voted.

Had dinner at Marco Polo in Glen Rock tonite. This is a chinese place, with some sort of hint of Italian. Not sure where hint lies, but that’s what I’ve heard. Before I go on, let me say that I despise chinese food, unless I’m hungover (which wasn’t the case tonite). I find it bland, lacking in any herbs or exciting spices. Salt and cornstarch don’t usually get me going. After eating chinese food, I generally feel disgusted, disgusting, and bloated, and wishing that I hadn’t made the mistake again of ordering it. I’ve also eaten at the “better” chinese places in NYC, including Chin Chin, shun lee, and numerous places in chinatown, not to mention others in various parts of the country. All have left me with the above feeling. However, this marco polo place threw me for a loop. I’ve heard that it’s “the best” chinese. I’m pretty sure I’ve had “the best” that this area and others have to offer. Well I was mistaken. Dishes as follows: Hunan chicken – not overly sauced, and the sauce that was there wasn’t overpowering. Lots of fresh vegetables, and tender silky chicken. Kung Po Shrimp – I never really had this dish, and only ordered it because it was featured in a recent episode of HBO’s Larry David Show. My curiosity got the best of me. Shrimp (not those little tiny poor excuses for shrimp that you usually get at chinese places, but rather, well, slightly larger ones – why don’t chinese places serve shrimp the size and quality that most thai and vietnamese places serve?!?!) with diced vegetables in a slightly spicy sauce. Again, not overpowering, and rather satisfying. 10 ingredient fried rice – yeah, couldn’t make up my mind. A very reasonable version of fried rice. Wonton soup – the wontons weren’t too doughy or pasty, which is what I generally find. Rather light actually, and very good. I hope this doesn’t start the inevitable “that’s not real chinese food” discussion. It is what it is, and it’s better than all the rest! Highly recommended for a chinese fix. and they now have sushi as well. Marco Polo Secret Restaurant 206 Rock Rd Glen Rock, NJ (201) 612-1188

what's that joint up in that part of NY...Xaviars? is that how it's spelled? supposed to be very good. cash only last i checked. in Piermont if i'm not mistaken. never been, sorry i can't supply more detail!

actually, it's 8 guys who are going to basically get rip-roaring drunk and loud! ;) thanks for the info. i feel more confident in my decision and won't let my friends bust my chops now.

i have reservations for a large party at Cite for their post 8 PM wine dinner. i just saw in the 2002 Zagat's that Cite Grill has the same deal, and i think it's cheaper. am i throwing away money here? shouldn't i have made reservations at the Grill?

another interesting read is A Drinking Life by Pete Hamill, who is a newspaper reporter. it's especially interesting if you are familiar with New York City and its surroundings, as he takes many strolls down memory lane through old new york.

yeah, so freakin what? you gotta problim wit dat? ;) and to directly respond, yes, i was being humorous, perpetuating stereotypes, and generally making an ass of myself for you all to enjoy. :) (Edited by tommy at 10:43 am on Nov. 30, 2001)

yeah, so freakin what? you gotta problim wit dat?

what would you suggest in bergen county? near the paramus area if possible.

i'll buy the "fruit flavors maturing" bit, but the obvious question is, with longer contact with oak, especially new oak, wouldn't you expect more oak flavor and sweetness to be imparted to the wine? i sure would.

i noticed that this year's Georges Dubœuf Beaujolais Nouveau had a synthetic cork. i also noticed that it was practically undrinkable!

agreed!

i think the perfect solution/cure lies in a combination of water before bed (for the dehydration and headaches/muscle aches), excederin before bed (for the headaches/muscle aches), and a bong hit in the morning (for the nausea and general pain of being awake and hungover). there ya go. ;)

i think willie gluckstern's book "the wine avenger" is a great place to start. it's short, funny, irreverent, and provides a great overview of the many different grapes, regions, and styles. it's geared towards the dynamic btwn wine and food, which i have much interest in. it's inexpensive and can be purchased here. willie also holds wine tastings in NYC. upwards of 30 tastes during his classes.

oh i have, and i never get a headache. i drink lots of water while drinking alcohol, and before i pass out (not ice cold, but fridge temp). i think it's important to note that hangovers come in many flavors. while i can see how the excederin/water routine staves headaches and other muscle aches, it probably doesn't do much to address the rest of the symptoms that some people get. these include, but are not limited to: cotton mouth, nausea (12 beers sloshing around in one's belly isn't a good thing), inability to concentrate, loss of appetite, weakness, extreme exhaustion, the shakes, the green hue that some take on, the red hue that others take on, etc. i'm getting hungover just thinking about it! (Edited by tommy at 1:53 pm on Nov. 28, 2001)

i've tried to sharpen myself, but haven't had good results...SOOOOO, where can i look to find a pro? do places like Williams Sonoma have this service? yellow pages maybe?