Nockerl

I was never stopping anyone from going. I just asked a question. Obviously there is not a definitive answer. I was at non Asian restaurant recently that similarly had been slammed every weekend, and the past month they've been 1/2 to 3/4ths empty on the weekends. Why is that? IF the economy is not affecting people why are there so many reservations to be had in some of NYC's top restaurants? or easy walkins for that matter? I wish China 46 all the best and hope it turns around for them.

SARS fears taking toll on business, owners of Chinese restaurant say "Fear of the SARS virus is becoming a more dangerous epidemic than the disease itself" Philly Chinatown hit by SARS scare Unfounded SARS rumor hurts Asian-themed shopping center I was referring specifically to China 46. I've read accounts about other cities. And the Chinese restaurants in Englewood that I've passed or gone into seem to be doing ok. Could the downturn have something to do with the economy? Restaurant business in general is down.... why are you trying to put a damper on such a good cause nackersl? I'm not trying to put a damper on anything. I just asked for specifics as to why it's SARS that is going to cause this restaurant to close. People ask for news coverage, for a reported story but all that is being tossed about is hearsay and rumor. Sorry I asked for anything tangible.

SARS fears taking toll on business, owners of Chinese restaurant say "Fear of the SARS virus is becoming a more dangerous epidemic than the disease itself" Philly Chinatown hit by SARS scare Unfounded SARS rumor hurts Asian-themed shopping center I was referring specifically to China 46. I've read accounts about other cities. And the Chinese restaurants in Englewood that I've passed or gone into seem to be doing ok. Could the downturn have something to do with the economy? Restaurant business in general is down....

That pulled pork was great that night!

Mark, it might make a difference if we get some kind of press coverage. "Food Group tries to save fave restaurant from the spectre of SARS" or something like that. But there is no proof that anyone is staying away because of SARS

nackersl, i was referring to the amount of selections. i'd be full by the second table! I'm not so sure. I saw you put it away at China 46

Tommy, it was very possible to taste everything, and go back for 2nd's or thirds. There were 350 guests but the tables were never crowded so getting hot food was never a problem. It was set up for people to graze. SO you'd his a few tables, sit down, eat, drink, then go back for more. Very pleasant, very fun and very delicious.

Besides not helping out a great cause, this is what you all missed and let me say it was an impressive assortment: HD's by Back Street Baker and Caterer: (Christine COgan Kimmerle) Italian style lump crab cake with red onion remoulade Grilled pesto shrimp skewers with sun-dried tomato Warm caramelized onion and goat cheese tarlets Tuna aux poivre with wasabi aioli Dinner Alpine Country Club (Nick Gatti): DOminican SLow Roasted Pigs with Mojo, Yucca Mashed and Fried Plantain chips Andiamo(Linda Dickstein):Mini Crab Cakes with Sweet Corn Relish and a drizzle of Mustard sauce America (Kenneth Collins): Apricot Glazed Baby Lamb Chops Arthur's Landing (E.J. Laguerra): Moo Shoo Weapped Hoisin Roasted Grouper Assembly (Jack Koumbis): Grilled Marinated Scallops with Wild Mushroom Risotto and Frizzled Leeks Bacari Grill(Artie Toufayan): Chicken, Pork and Shrimp with Asian Ccumber salad and Peanut Soy Sauce Chart House (Gene Scola): Seared Yellofin Ahi Tuna with Garlic Miso Ginger Sauce Citrus Grille (Steven Christianson): Ceviche Duo:Scallops on the Shell and Salmon Ceviche Roll The Dining Room at Anthony David's (Anthony Pino): Juniper Chipotle Crusted Pork Tenderloin Golden Dynasty (Tom SHen): Crispy Shrimp with creamy White Sauce and Vegetable Lo Mein Fink's Funky Chicken and Ribs(David Finkelstein): Pulled Pork and Chicken Sannies with Sweet Potato Torte Indigo Smoke(Lance W. Knowling): Kansas CIty Baby Back Ribs In Napoli(Michael De Nigris): Cajun Pork Casserole with Red Beans Legal Seafoods: (Steve Calise): New England Clam Chowder LuNello (Louis Seger): Grilled Breast of Duck with field greens and Dried Fruit Maize: (Terrence Soto): Pink Peppercorn Crusted Tuna and Maya Prawn Duo with SUn-dried Fruit Risotto Napa Valley Grille(Ken Trickilo): Grilled Pekin Duck Breast with Chipotle Pepper and Asparagus Flan Park and Orchard (Buddy Gebhardt): Grilled Blackened Salmon with Lemon Butter Sauce The River Palm Terrace(Christopher Tate): Lemon Pepper Grilled Sea Scallop on Polenta Cake with Balsamic Glaze; Grilled Marinated Kobe Skirt Steak on a Garlic Crostini with Heirloom Tomato Salsa Rosa Mexicano (NYC) (Roberto Santibanez): Rosa Mexican's "Best in NYC" Guacamole and Tortilla Chips (made right there as they served it) Ruga Restaurant (Mark Speight and Michael Antolino): Roasted Loin of Pork with SMoked Tomato Sauce and Chipotle Corn Risotto Cakes Spirito Grill(Joseph Mastrella) WIld Mushroom and Black Truffle Risotto The Westmount Country Club (Dennis King): Sasage and Chicken Gumbo Village Grille(Tom Okempo): Kafte Kabob with Hummus and Pita Dessert La Petite Patisserie(Tricia Vanech): Friandise; Alpine Rose Starbucks Coffee San Pelligrino Acqua Panna Fabulous Wines from over 30 Different Producers arranged by Carlo Rossi Chef Charlie Palmer (Honoree) CHef David Burke Chef Peter Kelley and others were all in attendence So, the $150 bucks bought a lot and helped out a great cause. It was great to meet Elyse, a gentle soul, a wonderful spirit and a person who helped out in her own way to make a difference. And she got a ride back to NYC with Charlie Palmer, not bad.....

you're much more attractive. of this i'm sure. but you gotta admit, your emotional plea was a little over-the-top. Much more attractive! I don't see that she made a plea but rather tried to make a rational to how better to spend ones money and make a difference. And if it does come down to a plea, then sometimes that is what it takes to get people going. Neither MSP nor I are trying to politicize this. Just trying to get people out to have some fun, some great food (this site is about food right? ) and at the same time help out some less fortunate folks.

$75 per person would seem more reasonable. Maybe it's limited seating. It's Bergen County NJ. High median income.....

$150 per person though... ouch But the $$ does go to a great cause. Look at it this way, how much money do you spend to eat out in any given week? Maybe close to that? IF so, using that same money at the Pig Out helps a great cause and allows you to sample grub from a lot more restaurants than if you went and had dinner at 1 or 2.

The Great Grill and Pig Out at the Alpine Country Club (Home Turf of Chef Nicholas Gatti) is on May 15th and is a fund raiser for Table to Table. Please do your part and join hundreds of other New Jersey folk help raise money for a super cause. Table to Table is the sister organization to City Harvest in NYC. Currently Table to Table, through the generous donations it has received, is able to supply needy folks with meals at the incredible cost of only 11 cents a meal. Help them continue to to do this work. Please do your part. Hope to see you there! Click here for details and the restaurant line up. Fink's is a gonna be there!

Anyone going?

Hey Folks, please don't forget this wonderful event. It's for a great cause that supports the NJ Table To Table Organization. And our very own Fink's Funky is involved. Not to mention the guy with the Pompadour who will remain nameless unless you read here very carefully here.......

From your post it sounds as if I have definitely not frequented the Manor as often you have. I'm glad that you frequent the Manor and have very positive experiences. Unfortunately, the experience I had over several visits was consistenly not at the level that warranted 4 stars like it garnered in its last review and as you noted I reported it. Not at all. But if more restaurants subscribed to the "Danny Meyer Hospitality Philosophy" then there would be no need to say how you would have a more personal experience while I or anyone else less known to the staff would be treated extremely well and not made to feel "as welcome." What it comes down to is that I am not discounting that regulars are "known" but that my $150 check should buy me just as good an experience as your $150 check. This goes for a restaurant that charges $10, $15 or $20 an entree. It's about Hospitality. Record Policy is that we do not review restaurants based on wine lists since there are so many BYO's and it would be an unfair handicap to those without (i.e. lack of wine service, etc.)

For that kind of money every diner should have "a more personal experience." No excuses No, it was 10 minutes. I checked my watch when we walked up to the podium. It would be poor reporting to write that I waited 10 minutes had I not. David Bonom

Might as well have a link to the review.......

That's from the Food Lover's Companion, a very reliable source of information. I doubt Barron's would publish an erroneous entry. If you have Rick Bayless's "Mexican Kitchen", you can turn to page 392 and read about Mexican Chocolate as well. He explains the process of making the chocolate and how it is ground over heat with sugar and flavored with cinnamon, almonds and vanilla. He goes on to state how Mexican chocolate is primarily used as a beverage but also has another important use--in the making of moles. In "Food From My Heart" by Zarela Martinez, she talks about Mexican sweet chocolate, how it is produced and used as both a beverage and in the use of making moles. Ms. Martinez also has an excellent explanation of the process of making Mexican Chocolate (grinding the cocoa beans with canela and sugar) in one of her other books "the Food and Life of Oaxaca" As you know the 3 states most famous for making Mexican Chocolate are Oaxaca, Tabasco and Mihoacan. I hope you find this information useful. Edited: to add punctuation

Mexican Chocolate

Jason: Mole Poblano is made with Mexican Chocolate. I don't know if you have had any experience or not with this wonderful product but it is not unsweetened. Mexican Chocolate is a sweetened chocolate flavored with almonds, cinnamon and vanilla. The texture is grainier than regular chocolate due to its sugar content. This product is commonly used to make Mexican hot chocolate and Mole Poblano. Two of the most common Mexican chocolates available are Ibarra and Nestle's "Abuelita" brand. You can find them in Latin markets and better supermarkets throughout the region. I believe Altagracia in Englewood carries one or both brands. As for the "scorched" taste. I think most chefs versed in Mexican cuisine will tell you that the chilies used in the dish were over toasted and slightly burned thus imparting a bitter/scorched flavor. Mole poblano is one of the most refined and elegant of the moles and it can have a slightly bitter flavor but should not have a burnt finish. And yes, Mole Poblano was named for the region it heralds from. It was created by nuns from three provinces: Puebla, Oaxaca, and Mihoacan for a dinner in honor of a new archbishop. The Nuns took a basic mole made from chilies and added Mexican chocolate, peanuts, sesame seeds and sweet spices such as cinnamon to help balance out the heat in the original dish.

Jason: I am most admiring of the experiences you've had eating throughout Mexico. Certainly, they must have served to educate your palate. While I too have traveled in Mexico, much of my education about moles and other matters of Mexican cuisine came when I worked with Diana Kennedy. Granted, it was in '94 and I may be a bit stale, but what I can tell you is this: mole can, indeed, have a slightly bitter flavor. Americanized moles, more commonly made with unsweetened chocolate, tend to have a bitter edge. Mexican moles are typically made with sweeter Mexican chocolate. Under no condition, however, should it taste scorched or burned. Obviously, there is a profound difference between scorched/burned and bitter. Moles, as I am sure you know from your experiences in Mexico, differ quite a bit by region. In some regions, moles are elegant, complex sauces with mysterious layers of flavor, and in other regions they are less refined and consist of bold notes. I hope this clarifies for you any issues surrounding moles. David Bonom

Balthazar Bakery in Englewood.

at Tapas De Espana in North Bergen or Migdalia's in Bergenfield for a great Cubano or Fink's or El Gran Mexican in Bogota and that is what came to mind

Shrove Tuedsay, worth the click for the photos.......

Los Amigos (Mexican) Los Amigos Los Amigos is a one of kind Mexican restaurant located in the heart of Atlantic City. The unique building doesn't jump out at first because of the highly distracting area (The Light House, Caesars, etc.), but once you do see it, you won't forget it. For the summer, they have an outdoor deck and bar, and inside, they welcome you in a comfortable and authentic atmosphere. The food is always great and they have accommodated a group of 20, but wouldn't take the reservation. None-the-less, we have had nothing but fun and great Mexican food at Los Amigos. Los Amigos (609) 344-2293 1926 Atlantic Avenue, Atlantic City, NJ I've eaten there a number of times over the years. And have enjoyed it. Good mexican at decent prices. The above description was from some website.