Betsy Alger

I'm in Central NJ, very close to Princeton. I'd be willing to work with someone who is located 20-25 miles away, as long as they are reliable, good at what they do and trustworthy. ← I can help you. I own The Frog and The Peach in New Brunswick. Call me at 732-846-3216 x 19. Another resource is the NJ Restaurant Association 800-848-6368. ← Thank you so much! When would be a good time for me to call you? ← Late morning on Monday would be ideal.... and if I am not at my desk just leave a message with your contact info and I will call you back. Cheers, Betsy

I'm in Central NJ, very close to Princeton. I'd be willing to work with someone who is located 20-25 miles away, as long as they are reliable, good at what they do and trustworthy. ← I can help you. I own The Frog and The Peach in New Brunswick. Call me at 732-846-3216 x 19. Another resource is the NJ Restaurant Association 800-848-6368.

Hello, I am looking for suggestions for dinner near the Kimmel Center. One of the members of our party is a vegetarian. Any thoughts? Thank you!

The cold cut and smoked meat vendor at the Pennsylvania Dutch Market on route 27 in Kingston has andouilli and it's not expensive (sorry, I don't recall how much but have purchased it and never thought that it was out of line.) It is the first vendor on the left when you enter the space. They are only open Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

I will be passing through Chinoteague on our way to the Outer Banks from New Jersey and would like to have a really good dinner; preferably not at a place that dishes up grub for masses of tourists.... something prepared with passion by a chef who loves what he/she is doing and served by trained servers who are gracious and hospitable. Is this available on Chinoteague and if so, please, tell me where? Thank so much!

Mr. Tods Pies on Easton Ave. in Somerset (just off 287) has fabulous pies! You need to call an pre-order them a day or so ahead of time. You still have time!

You can go to the web site for the NJ ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Control). It is www.nj.gov/lps/abc.

Oh my Lou and Glenn, my experience of the NJRA is very different from yours! They lobby for issues of relevance to those of us in the industry. They lobby on behalf of restaurants with a concern for our bottom line and our positive image. Their stand on a smoking ban in restaurants initially was that it should be the decision of the restaurateur to decide if his or her establishment allows smoking or not; not a government mandate. As the issue unfolded in the legislature and it became apparent that there would inevitably be a government mandate about smoking in restaurants the NJRA position evolved to one of that if there is smoking ban it should be uniform with no exclusions or exceptions. (By the way, my restaurant and bar are smoke free and have been since 1993. Personally, I can’t stand cigarette smoke! Still, I don’t like government telling me what to do….. I guess that’s why I have and am a strong advocate of independent restaurants!) Currently the position of the some legislators is to prohibit smoking in restaurants but allow it in casinos. The NJRA opposes the exemption for casinos saying that this is unfair to restaurants. The NJRA does not lobby on behalf of the casino industry! Another issue that the NJRA has recently been involved in in Trenton includes persuading the Assembly to think through an emotionally initiated peanut signage bill rather than rush through a mandate that is flawed. They have supported a bill which allows dissolving businesses to take advantage of the suspended loss carry forward tax deduction. This change in corporate business tax law will benefit restaurants that close due to economic circumstances. In Washington DC, in September, the NJRA worked with the National Restaurant Association to lobby for Association Health Insurance, a measure that would permit small businesses to combine to purchase affordable health insurance. These are all good things! Outside of the political arena the NJRA has programs available to member restaurants that can provide a savings on services including but not limited to Temporary Disability Insurance, credit card processing and natural gas. On an educational level they offer programs in Sanitation Education and Alcohol Awareness training for employees in our industry as well as seminars and discussion groups for owners and managers on topics including but not limited to Labor Law Compliance, Succession Planning and Marketing. They sponsor trade shows. They are a resource for answers to technical, operational and legal quetions. They collaborate with groups such as the Department of Travel and Tourism, Slow Foods and NJ Fresh to promote the industry. They promote professionalism and they offer camaraderie within the industry. For me personally they have been a resource and they have provided me with colleagues which is why I participate as a Director on the board of the NJRA and encourage all in the industry to become active members, taking advantage of programs and using the association as a resource. And Glenn, about 3 calls and no response…..there is no excuse for that and I couldn’t begin to try to offer an explanation. The NJRA office is staffed by 5 people and unless there is a trade show or a conference such as the annual Restaurant Operators Conference, several are in the building. Please, if you had an unresolved concern call again! I think that what happened to you must have been a fluke! Respectfully, Betsy Alger Proprietor/Director of Operations The Frog and The Peach

Try callind Design Line Construction Services in Eatontown NJ. They are a design/build firm with architects on staff. They specilize in the food industry. 732-935-1440. Ask for David (owner) of Jennifer (Manager). Good luck!

Call Nova Terra in New Brunswick. They do this one night a week. I forget what night and I have not been but the word is that it's very good. So is the music and the mojitos are fabulous!

We would love to do your wedding! Please contact me if you would like to discuss arrangments. Betsy Alger Proprietor The Frog and The Peach ewalger@frogandpeach.com 732-846-3216 x 19

In my experience, Speigelau, which we use at The Frog and The Peach is more expensive than the restaurant quality Riedel which is glass, not crystal. It is also a nicer glass (higher quality) We use them for all bottled wine and for upper end wines by the glass. We have a generic glass for wines by the glass at the bar. With regard to fragility, the Speigelau is indeed too fragile! A red wine galss costs about $7.00 and breaks if polished with too much gusto, if a glass rack is set down too quickly (loosing more than one glass!), if bumped togeher when being carried, and sometimes just sort of explodes on the shelf...... But... they are beatiful! As expenses are on the rise for the stuff we have little control over like utilities and insurance, we are looking into the possibility of changing to the less expensive, more durable Riedel. I hadn't realized until reading this thread Riedel is willing to promote those establishments that use their glass. There is an extra plus to that! Please however, realize that what they are giving credit for and what the restaurant going public is being lead to believe is a really big deal is not the same quaility glass as the Riedel glass you would use to at home for your very best bottle of wine shared with your very best friends. Nor is it the best glass that a restaurant has to chose from. Enjoy your wine and take care of those glasses. A nice glass does make a difference! Thanks for supporting independent restaurants!

I just heard (not sure how official this is) that Zagat’s has changed how they solicit response from the dining-out public. Years ago in order to be an official Zagat’s evaluator one needed to complete some rather extensive paper work. Among the qualifications were that the evaluator had to dine out frequently (not sure what was considered frequent.) That has changed. Now all one needs to do is go to the Zagat’s web site and file a report on a specific restaurant. As an incentive to participate, those who do are promised a copy of the guide. A friend’s neighbor who is far from a sophisticated diner (won’t eat mushrooms, doesn’t like fish, favorite wine is white Zin…..) voted for one restaurant just to get a copy of the guide! So, in response to ‘how to get in the guide?’ it seems like all you need to do is to vote for your restaurant of choice.

How about gift certificates to a restaurant!? We all offer them! Just call the restaurant of your choice and order them over the phone. They will be mailed out right away to either you or to the recipient. (this is standard policy) Respectfully, Betsy Alger Proprietor of The Frog and The Peach

Regarding a previous post about Bon Appetite in Princeton (in the shopping center on Harrison Street). They have a huge selection. I bought three cheeses recently. One was great, one was rancid and the third as so slimey on one side that I wouldn't dare put it in my mouth. (yet a store employee sliced it and rewrapped it...yuck!). They would do better to limit the selection to ensure a fresher product.