tommy

glenn, certainly get some prosecco (italian sparkling wine). having sparkling wine at a byo is something that few think of, i think, but it's a pleasure. and don't be afraid to pick up a few bottles of Dr. Loosen riesling. each of the above should be about 8 or 9 dollars.

i find that if i'm in a situation where i have to alter my order to make it "right", the odds of it ending up right are pretty slim to begin with, and so i don't have very high expectations. i would have expected more from Epernay, however. but kitchens do have missteps.

i'm still under the impression that Little Saigon is not going to sprout from that hole, but rather from somewhere else altogether.

those table clothes and wine glasses must be expensive. i wonder how the hundreds of non-licensed restaurants in NJ manage to provide them.

it's really not the same, mark. but this discussion has been hashed out time and time again on egullet and countless other places and always ends up the same exact way. so i'll let you continue to gouge me as i step back a bit from this discussion.

i think the average wine drinker *does* understand that people are making money on wine and that it doesn't magically go from grape to glass. but the issue at work here, i think, is that i can get the same product in my home town at 100 Main Street for 8 dollars, and next door at 102 Main Street for 28 dollars.

the average person can't get wine from any other source down that chain. so it's generally restaurants, and retail. and that's why people compare and kick.

i was about 23 and not terribly discerning a diner, but i remember a few visits in South Carolina (or was it virginia???) being fun.

i agree with anthony on all points. as far as BYO being limiting...i've eaten at Rocca 5 times. each time i've brought a bottle of prosseco and a bottle of red. i've never felt limited. in fact, i felt that i was receiving better options than i would have from a mediocre/standard list. and obviously for a lot less.

right. and i would urge Rocca to put as much thought into their wine program as they have their food. in my experience, this rarely happens. if they don't want to, i will. for free even.

I think I owe it to people who generously took time to make suggestions to recap some of the meals I ate in Point Pleasant. Red’s. on the inlet in PPB. Back when I was sort of growing up in PP, Red’s was nothing more than a tiny little shack. “Red’s Lobster Pot”, I believe the sign said. They have clearly expanded (although the original shack still remains) with a very nice outdoor deck on the water. I had a very good lobster roll here, and plan on going back. We went for lunch, but it seems like it would be a good place to bring some beers and wine and friends and hang out for dinner. Shipwreck Grill. Brielle. This used to be an old-man’s fisherman’s bar of some sort years ago. The inside still has that feel, although it has clearly been updated. We went here on the strength of sabq’s recommendation, and because we wanted something a bit upscale after a long day of beating the boards. We were SO pleasantly surprised that on our way out we made reservations for the following night. I rarely do that, but without many other options, we figured we’d secure a reservation so we had some kind of plan. I think we started with some oysters and a tuna roll tempura. The oysters were right on, and the roll was pretty decent. I could have done with a bit more tuna and less rice, though. The entrees included a salmon special and the Chilean seabass with curry infused oil. I used to eat Chilean seabass all of the time, and now I remember why I stopped. It’s an odd fish that is really rich, but doesn’t have much flavor. Regardless, this was a good dish, and completely inoffensive. The wine list, iirc, was serviceable. Una Pizza Napoletana. Route 35 PPB. We got here at about 10 minutes to 1, and they were to open at 1. a line of a few people started forming, and they finally opened the doors at about 1.10. the pizza was very very good. Like nothing I’ve had down there, or anywhere for that matter. It’s really something special and everyone should have a pizza here. I’ll no doubt return. thanks for all of the reponses.

hard from a legal standpoint? or hard because people like me won't go back.

well beekman's is certainly a better source than something like nj.com, that's for sure. and that's unfortunate. i was really hoping it was some sort of wild speculation.

putting my NYC pride aside for a moment, do any of you well-traveled folks think that seatlle is underrated.

i don't know how many people on this thread own restaurants, or even businesses, but i think there's a clear line between bringing out an amuse or an extra dessert, and giving away free services to friends. i'm sure there are some cultural and geographic differences at play here as well, but where i come from, that's just smart business. and no, it's not expected and to that end it's always a nice surprise. but i will say that under the right circumstances a comp'd belly dance would be a welcome surprise.

nugent, brine the shoulder overnight and consider 5 or 6 hours at 280. just a thought. and do serve it with corn.

sort of off topic, but i do a "one-beer grilled asparagus". although, over the years the asparagus has come out with different levels of "char", depending on the circumstances.

while i'm a fan of grilling (with and without the husk, and a combination of both), i've found the following method trouble-free: boil a pot of water. salt. turn off. throw in corn and let set sit for 5 minutes-5 hours, depending on when you want to eat it. cutting out the "timing" factor is always a good thing for me.

the same thing has happened to me at indian restaurants. i think it's tied to tradition, although in my experience it has been brandy or something like that...which i had no interest in.

i knew it was too good to be true: a reasonably priced local place serving good food. now they're going to ruin it with a liquor license. it will be crossed off my list soon after (unless they are doing something special with the list, a la otto, et al). although i question the source. liquor licenses are not easy to come by in glen rock from what i understand.

Exactly, and what do you do for a living? Ever give your customers something for free? i think this type of thing goes on in many many industries.

this, i think, is a very very important point.

screwdriver or something and a hammer. bang it *into* the bottle. it's a helluva lot easier to brute force a cork into a bottle than it is out. in my experience. edit: "brut force". that's a good one.

note to self: don't ever bring redfox flowers.

i've been extremely regular a a few restaurants over the years. at some i was comp'd (glass of wine while waiting for a table or after dinner, extra dish here and there, a lot of "try this, what do you think" type dishes mid-dinner, etc). at others i wasn't comp'd. i never felt slighted when not comp'd. i'd feel more slighted if, perhaps, it wasn't acknowledged that i was a regular, but that usually wasn't the case as the owners/staff would remember me and always seem pleased that i was returning. freebies are only nice if i actually want them. otherwise it's an obligation of sorts, and i can understand why some restaurants don't bother.