thereuare
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Just wanted to follow-up and thank everyone for their recommendations.
Unfortunately, this dinner outing was cancelled, so there won't be a report about where we ended up. (although right now it looks like it will be the wife and I at Saffron in Hoboken with a bottle of Alsace One (which has been sitting in my refrigerator for a few weeks, and after reading the positive reviews about this bottle at the China 46 dinner, i've been yearning to for an excuse to take it out and try it))
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I like the Grand Buffet on Rt 17 S in Ramsey.
You left out the chicken kabobs on a skewer at this place, which is one of the main foods i go there for!! They taste a like a chicken version of a spare rib!
I agree that this is one of the best buffets around.... and about ~$11/pp, how can you beat it?
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For what you're looking for, La Isla hits the mark dead on. It may actually be too casual, but the food that comes out of the kitchen is excellent! Limited seating of about 5 tables of 4 and 1 additional table of 2, but plenty of counter service.(you can wait for a table if you'd like, but just letting you know about the limited seating)
For Indain, Saffron is a new restaurant (and one of my favorite), although the service can get a bit 'iffy' when they're busy, which they are likley to be on a weekend nite (they're fairly new, and haven't worked out all the kinks just yet when they're busy)
I also like Margherita's for anything red sauce Italian, although it's a bit too 'amateurish' for some tastes on this board.
All the above are BYOB!
If you'd like more details about any of these (or others in town), feel free to ask.
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Where have you been and what type of food are you looking for?
There are a few new restaurants in town, a few somewhat pricer then the rest of the town.
Post what you're looking for and i'll make some suggestions.
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Mostly my wife's decision
Based upon the suggestions given already, my personal choice would probably for the Korean suggestion, but i'd go to The Lighthouse instead of the dumpling place, but the couple we're going with isn't that adventurous. I'm already preparing myself that any Asian ethnicity place gets met with the proverbial "we don't like that?, what's that like?, can't we go to some place normal?, etc, etc"
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No go on China 46 for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the 5-6 stairs to get into the place.
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Anybody have thoughts about how Napa Valley Grille might work given my circumstances? (i suppose Legal Seafood is an option as well, but don't know if it's a seafood eating group) Can't seem to find a menu for NVG online, anybody know of a website? How's the food?
I'm thinking that a place like this might only really have one turn of tables on a Saturday nite, so if we we ate at about 7:30 or 8:00pm, we might be good as far as not being rushed out after dinner. I've never been there, so am i Right or Wrong?
Appreciate all the suggestions so far, and hopefully they'll keep coming! (i haven't ruled out any of the recommendations so far, just trying to come up with the best plan, so i'm posting things as i think of them)
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Menton, thanks for the suggestions.
Since you mentioned the place in Englewood, my friend's first suggestion was Blue Moon Cafe, but i didn't think that place would be understanding to a 'slow' table and also wouldn't want us lingering afterwards (would you agree with this? since you mentioned the place in Englewood, i figured you would probably know the Blue Moon Cafe too (i may have the name slightly wrong, but it's the Mexican place down there))
Thanks!
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Need a recommendation for a Saturday evening within 15-20 minutes or so drive of Paramus. Meeting a friend who is handicapped and legally blind, so need a place that will not 'rush us out the door' and we can have some time to talk after dinner (as well as understand the extra time involved for a blind person to eat).
In the 'moderate' range, about $50-$60/couple NOT including alcohol.
I've been thinking about this for a few days and couldn't come up with too many ideas, but as i was typing this i thought of perhaps Wondee's in Hackensack. Probably fit the bill well as it's causual, they'll let us linger after dinner, and no steps involved that i recall, but if i can get a slight step up in atmosphere that would be great. As well, i don't know how the other couple feels about thai food, so i'll at least need a back-up plan.
On the other hand, maybe a place with finger food (sandwiches and the like) might be best given the circumstances. Even a place like Brooklyn's Pizza would be fine, but as i imagine there would be a line there on a Saturday nite, i'm sure they wouldn't like the idea of us hanging around after we were done eating.
Thanks for any help.
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Maybe someone can expound on exactly why Hoboken is exempt.
Because they are the most corrupt?
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I wanted to follow-up on this as i wrote the owner of the restaurant and received a personalized reply apologizing for the incident and an offer to try the restaurant again 'on the house'. I will indeed give them another shot as the owner seemed truly disturbed by my conversation with the hostess (ie- treating me like a 'billfold', a simile suggested in another post in this thread) and is going to address the situation with the staff.
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once you eat 10 burgers, the next one is free!
Hope that's not in one sitting :)
I too like your burgers.... i'm usually not a 'cheese sauce' fan, but you guys do it right!
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"Or perhaps you two should find another couple waiting in the bar and chat them up to see if you're compatible."
We came close, for when i returned from talking with the hostess, there was a drunk guy trying to pick up my wife! (i ain't lying, it's the truth!)
Based upon this discussion, I am no longer amazed by the number of restaurants that go out of business (although i AM amazed by many of them that stay in business :) )
RESTAURANTEURS: i know it's a tough business, but don't be penny wise and dollar foolish! You may make $10 less on that table today by seating us there, but how much will you make when we return again and again (vs. how much you won't make when we never return).
Incidentally, i've probably eaten at this place 25 times in the last 3 years, and 80% of my visits have been on Sun-Thur, so i think i'm certainly somebody that they 'want' during a mid-week visit (i dont' imply this to say that i'm a 'regurlar' or even 'known' in the place, quite the contrary, i just add it regarding the mention above about how restaurants need the mid-week business.
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Every odd number table i get ..i lose £30.If i only take tables of 2 i,m down £120.
And have that table of 2 walk out and you're now out £60.... not to mention the negative publicity you receive from the 10 people those two people tell.
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They don't take reservations, if they did, my whole viewpoint would be different (waiting for a reservation to show is understandable).
Shortly after we were seated (after 20 minute wait) there we plenty of 4 tops turning over, so it's not as if they had just recently filled all the other 4 tops and, if they gave us the last 4 top, the next party of 4 would have to wait an hour.
My point of view is that, in this situation, you can keep a customer waiting 5 minutes or so if you expect a 2 top to open up, but 15-20 minutes is too long to make a customer wait while they stare at an empty table and the restaurant hopes that a larger party comes thru the door.
Telling me to visit the restaurant on a Monday misses the point entirely (i think)... it's not the wait that i was upset about, it's being told to wait while there is an empty table there waiting for a customer that they hope walks thru the door (again, not waiting for a reservation to show up, just an unspecified party to walk thru the door).
If you treat me like you don't want my business on a Friday nite, don't expect me to return on a Monday when you need my business.
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My wife and i decide to eat out tonite and go to a local bar with a separate restaurant attached... yet i always comment that as good as the food is, something always goes wrong there. It's often little things that i can overlook, running out of dishes on the menu and things of that nature, but tonite i learned the manager's 'policy' that will likely cause me to vote with my feet and my wallet and not return. Am i unreasonable, and what do the rest of you think:
We arrived and told the hostess we were a party of 2 and were told there would be a 15-20 minute wait, which we said was fine. Although i saw a table for 4 which was empty, i naturally assumed it was in the process of getting filled. From my seat at the bar i could see a table of 2 get up, have the table set, and then the hostess come to the bar area to retrieve the party of 2 for the new table. When another table for 2 was emptied, the hostess asked us if we were the "Christine" party, to which i replied that we weren't, but i asked if they had somebody waiting for the 4 top which was still empty.
The hostess replied that they didn't have anybody waiting for that table, but it was for 4 people, and it's against her manager's policy to seat 2 people there. I gave her a dumb look of disbelief and she said she'd go speak to the manager about it and disappeared... and didn't return. After a few minutes i went to the hostess desk to speak to a different hostess who i had the following converation with:
HOSTESS: Well, it is a Friday nite and it's our busiest nite, so i'm sure you can understand.
ME: If it's your busiest nite i'd think that the manager would want somebody seated at that table in order to get it started and turn over faster.
HOSTESS: Well, it's not fair to the server since you'd only be 2 and it's a table for 4.
ME: What's not fair to the server is sending me to the bar to get my drinks instead of ordering them from her.
HOSTESS: A table for 2 just got their check so it should only be a few more minutes.
We would have left at this point, but we already had drinks in front of us at the bar and didn't feel like going to someplace else late in the evening, but it will certainly affect my feet walking thru their doors again.
I realize i'm not dining at Jean Georges, but is this acceptable at any restaurant?
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I'm not sure who does the PR for them or if they do it themselves (or if this even qualifies), but i think that the $30 off dinner for 2 that the Restaurant Associates group puts out are GREAT! Very few restrictions as far as times, and diners are treated with the same respect as 'full paying' customers.
I'm not such a fan of their 'beer dinners' and other 'special events', but i'm an active user and advocate of their $$ off coupons. Due to these coupons, i have recommended their restaurants to many and have dined there much more often than i would otherwise (each time still spending more than $100 for 2).
It's a win-win.
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No mention of Benny Tudinos? Was my favorite Pizza.
Was my favorite too... still the best in town, but not what it used to be!!
They are a victim of the town's growth. As you probably know they don't like to re-heat their slices, and since they never know when a crowd of people will suddenly come in, they've begun to keep too many slice pies on hand. The result is usually a luke warm slice that is past its prime. (NOTE: i'm not saying it isn't fresh, because it is indeed fresh, but it's often not hot anymore, and the requesting of reheating slices there comes with an unfavorable stare and a discouraging comment along the lines of "it's hot already")
I often only go inside now if i see a bunch of people waiting for slices to come out of the oven, as this is the only way to ensure you will get a good slice.
It really is too bad, because they used to have the best pizza in a wide vicinity.
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I think Vito's is good but overrated. I like Lisa's better and the one on Hudson around 2nd or 3rd St.
That one is called Biaggio's.
My list:
Margheritas: BYOB, red sauce italian
Saffron: recently introduced to Indian, this is my favorite, BYOB
Vito's/Fiore's/M&P Bianocmano: delis i like
Ali Baba: would never order a dinner, but the kabob sandwiches are great and best hummus i've ever had
La Isla: BYOB, Cuban, surprisingly MUCH better than it looks, but limited seating and usually too crowded
Mission Buritto: great Mexican take-out (stick with chix buritto w/ black beans)
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I'll allow the post to remain here if you agree to copy it over to an appropriate thread on the NY forum.
I vote get rid of it. It's not conducive for dieting, though neither is this board. Speaking of bored....
Just make a promise to yourself not to leave Jersey City and you shouldn't have any problems at all!
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I'll allow the post to remain here if you agree to copy it over to an appropriate thread on the NY forum.
Done!
Do you happen to have any pics of Denino's pie, since that is your favorite?Sorry, i do not, but as my wife was very embarrassed at me taking this picture, i'll have to hide the camera on the next Denino's trip!
I hope to make it back to Denino's soon, and now that the weather is getting nicer (well, it's supposed to be getting nicer so i assume it will soon) i have an added incentive since Ralph's Ices (across the street from Denino's) has re-opened for the season. (the 'creamed ice' is my favorite... not quite ice, not quite ice cream)
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I finally made it to Totonno's in Coney Island last nite.
Just to give a brief history about this place, so you know it ranks up there with the "great ones", this pizzeria was started in the early half of the 1900s from an ex-employee of the original Lombardi's in NYC, and is noted at the second pizza parlour in NYC.
Very non-descript and non-decour type of place, with many articles and pictures of famous people that have visited adourning the walls, and a VERY laid back atmosphere. There seems to be a 'banter' that exists between the owner and one of the waitresses, with them each taking turns yelling at each other and calling the other one "stupid", but they both seem to enjoy it. You can see the decour yourself:
They produce a Patsy Grimaldi type of pie, but with more sauce and a much more charred crust. I think this version is better than the 'under the Brookyn Bridge' Grimaldi pie, but suffers from the same fate of turning soggy after the first 2 slices (it's not the crust which loses its crispiness, it's the dough under the pizza closest to where you take your first bite that loses its crunch). Here's what it looks like:
(notice the thimbles of soda served in a bottle, a pet peeve of mine, as i like to have a constant supply of liquids near me)
I would rank this pizza in the top 5, but it can't take the #1 position. The location is very out of the way and it was a long subway ride to Coney Island, so i don't know if i would necessarily make the trip again just for pizza, but if i was nearby (20 minutes) it would definately be a great stop to eat.
As of now, i'm in a toss up for #1 pizza between Lombardi's in NYC and Denino's in Staten Island... with Lombardi's being another "fresh mozzarella" type pizza and Denino's being a more 'traditional' cheese pie. (i know this is the NJ thread, but it continues my tri-state area pizza journey, so please don't move the post)
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I finally made it to Totonno's in Coney Island last nite.
Just to give a brief history about this place, so you know it ranks up there with the "great ones", this pizzeria was started in the early half of the 1900s from an ex-employee of the original Lombardi's in NYC, and is noted at the second pizza parlour in NYC.
Very non-descript and non-decour type of place, with many articles and pictures of famous people that have visited adourning the walls, and a VERY laid back atmosphere. There seems to be a 'banter' that exists between the owner and one of the waitresses, with them each taking turns yelling at each other and calling the other one "stupid", but they both seem to enjoy it. You can see the decour yourself:
They produce a Patsy Grimaldi type of pie, but with more sauce and a much more charred crust. I think this version is better than the 'under the Brookyn Bridge' Grimaldi pie, but suffers from the same fate of turning soggy after the first 2 slices (it's not the crust which loses its crispiness, it's the dough under the pizza closest to where you take your first bite that loses its crunch). Here's what it looks like:
(notice the thimbles of soda served in a bottle, a pet peeve of mine, as i like to have a generous supply of liquids near me)
I would rank this pizza in the top 5, but it can't take the #1 position. The location is very out of the way and it was a long subway ride to Coney Island, so i don't know if i would necessarily make the trip again just for pizza, but if i was nearby (20 minutes) it would definately be a great stop to eat.
As of now, i'm in a toss up for #1 pizza between Lombardi's in NYC and Denino's in Staten Island... with Lombardi's being another "fresh mozzarella" type pizza and Denino's being a more 'traditional' cheese pie. I know just the solution to figure out the top position.... I'll have to make a trip back to each!!
(i know this is the NJ thread, but it continues my tri-state area pizza journey, so please don't move the post)
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I thought you agreed to try the chicken parm hero this weekend (from the Paramus thread)
Becco
in New York: Dining
Posted
I tried Becco when we considered it for our rehersal dinner, and like Pan, i too was unimpressed.
I recall one of the pastas being sticky (as in the noodle, linguini if i recall, was clumped together in bunches) and the pasta dish with clams was very sandy (i would question if the clams were rinsed at all).
I know this place sounds like a great deal on the surface, but the 2 'all you can eat pastas' and a bottle of wine still ended up costing us about $85 or so, and i felt i've had better meals for nearly $100/couple.