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charlotte baker

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Posts posted by charlotte baker

  1. We usually go to Northside Trattoria when we are in the area, but we decided that we want to try something different. Any ideas??

    Chez Catherine in Westfield

    Fujiyama Mama " "

    Robert's Steak House in Garwood

    Acquaviva in Westfield

    Bensi's in Garwood

    Drive a little further and go to Lana's in Clark or Freshwaters in S. Plainfield

  2. Has anyone been to 22 West in Union yet? If so, what did you think of it?

    yes,

    I went on Thursday night with a group of about 15 and had a private room behind the bar. Had some nice HDs including a lovely Foie Gras dish. Dinner was prix fixe and no choices but all was prepared nicely. Did not see the wine list as we had brought our own from one the wineries we represent. I know they have a well rounded list from all I have heard. The space is quite attarctive although I think it might get loud due to the high ceilings and not much accoustic cushioning. I would go back.

    Phil

    We went for lunch last week. Good black angus burger, good fish and chips with celeriac slaw. Lunch for two, no booze, was about $40. The place is attractive and I agree about the acoustics. We were the only diners at lunch. The kitchen is open, the chefs were talking with some visitors and the noise was distracting. And we were sitting at the farthest possible point from the kitchen. I would , however, definitely go back. I looked at the dinner menu and the prices ranged from $30 to $50.

  3. Hi all,

    I'm looking to see what your favorite gourmet or Artisinal chocolate bar is. I've tried "Vosges Chocolat" and love them, especially the dark chocolate, ginger wasabi bar. Anyone out there have their favorites.

    Has anyone tried "Chuao" or "Burdick" chocolate bars ?

    Vin

    This one is my favorite and she is a poster on this board. She's currently shut down until the spring but the chocolate is well worth waiting for---particularly her salt caramels.

    http://www.samakichocolates.com/

  4. thanks for the memories rlibkind and charlotte. Elmora bagels (still the best anywhere), Snowflake bakery (mmm butterhorns... although once in a while we trekked to Wood ave in Linden to go to Buttercake) or Mother Hubbards....I forget how the landscape has changed since I grew up around there (my parents still live off Park Ave)

    dbrociner do the words pappy and nooks mean anything to you? :smile:

    on a side note....people always mention Tabatchnicks and Goodmans, but does anyone miss Kartzmans in Irvington as much as I do?

    Pappy and nook's, if I can trust my doddering memory, was the gin mill next to Mother Hubbard's. I may have bellied up to the bar there once or twice.

    And wasn't there a Kartzman's on Bergen Street in Newark?

  5. I work in Elizabeth New Jersey right by the Ikea and Outlet Mall. I have been working here for the last 5 years and have been able to explore some places during my lunch hour when i take one. I have discovered that elizabeth has wonderfull foods from all over the world. I was wondering if anyone could suggest any good places over here for lunch.

    RLibkind's comment on the Elmora section still being nice ( which is true ) reminded me of a place for you to try for lunch. It's the University Diner on North Avenue right next to Kean University. Very good diner food including their matzoh ball soup.

  6. It seems that most posters here are describing a place that no longer exists.. I work in a pretty rough part of town over here.. Right in the old singer building. But when i drive around and look at places like that amazing church, or the pretty park across the street from it, or I can even imagine how cute elizabeth avenue must have looked years ago, i wonder at what point in time things started to change.

    You're right. The Elizabeth we are nostalgic about no longer exists any more than do the places in Newark we were talking about. I left Elizabeth in the late eighties. By that time I was the last person in my garden apartment who spoke English. Drugs were being dealt not too far away. The Westminster section where I grew up was becoming seedy. There were no longer any places to shop that didn't have wire grills and security personnel on patrol. The city simply decayed and life as we knew it was gone and so were we. If I recall properly it started to happen not long after the riots in Newark. It was pretty much the same story as in many places. The affluent left because they could no longer get the goods and services to which they were accustomed, crime was on the increase etc. etc. And so it went.

  7. Hey--I remember the Weequahic Diner!

    As well you should! Remember 'Weequahic Salad'? Here's the Weequahic Diner page from the Virtual Newark website.

    Now, here's a real age-tester:

    Millman's and Sabin's

    The Tavern.

    The New Roumanian.

    And does anyone remember The Newarker, the high-toned restaurant at Newark Airport? If I recall correctly, it was Joe Baum's first creation for Restaurant Associates, who next opened the Four Seasons for RA.

    The Newarker was a beautiful restaurant and the late Joe Baum did indeed create it. I still preferred the food at the Tavern but the Newarker was always an exciting, glamorous experience.

    I don't need your age tester ( Battin High School class of '44 ) since I do remember Millman's and Sabin's. I don't remember the New Roumanian.

    And wasn't there a big, raucous place near the Weequahic diner called Stash's?

  8. Ribkind: 

    You brilng back some long ago memories.  My father would take me on a Friday or Saturday nite to Watsons Bagels where a family friend was one of the bagel bakeers.  We used to buy a bagful.  Back then there were two kinds, plain and salt.

    Went to Syds on Chancellor Ave when in high school and also frequented Daves which was a hot dog place across the street from Weequahic.  Good memories.

    And you bring back memories for me. My dad took us to Watson's but we also went to Silver's Bakery on Hawthorne Avenue on Saturday nights to buy fresh rolls. And what about the Tavern and the Tavern Pantry? And Bragman's on Hawthorne Avenue for corned beef?

    I grew up in Elizabeth long before many of you were born. Does anyone remember Brownfield's bakery or the French Pastry shop on Morris Avenue? Brownfield's had the best eclairs and the French Pastry shop had the best brioche.

    How about Schutt's for ice cream?

    By the way, Goodman's is also in Berkeley Heights and serves a pretty mean corned beef sandwich.

  9. This may sound crazy but I bake mini tart shells using the back of the mini muffin tins. Just butter the individual backs of the cups, put a ball of dough on the top, flatten it slightly and bake. The dough will spread down the sides forming a little cup. The tart shells will slip right off. The downside is that the edges of the shells are not even but I figure if the filling is good who cares.

  10. Randi

    Skip Sally Lunn in Chester or in Princeton. Used to be great but the last two times I've been there this year it was appalling as well as over-priced. There seems to be a dearth of afternoon tea places in your area as in most of NJ. Canterbury in Flemington is not bad and you have the added advantage of fun shopping. Haven't been to Veranda but it's on my list to try.

  11. "P.S. There's a newish maroon-and-gold steakhousey facade on the corner of Center St. & South Ave in Garwood. Anyone know what it is?"

    It's called Robert's and it is a steakhouse but I don't think they've opened yet.

    By the way, not a steakhouse, but if you haven't been to Fujiyama Mama you're missing a very good Japanese restaurant. It's on South Avenue in Westfield.

  12. I'm a Jack Cooper's fan but the best corned beef sandwich I've found is at Goodman's in Berkeley Heights. ( This is the same restaurant that used to be in Elizabeth. )

    Casey--Yes, you'll find something to eat at Cooper's. They have egg salad, smoked fish etc.

  13. Nightscotsman---I'm glad you tried the Michel Roux recipe I posted. His book was

    published in 1995. I wonder if that was where Nick Malgieri got the recipe.

    I've never had the " white ass " problem. I guess I've been lucky.

    If you want to try a different way of using the cannele batter, pour the whole thing into a Nordicware Festival tube pan. Unmolds easily, has the same dark, crisp exterior, custardy interior and looks spectacular.

  14. You now have to subscribe to Better baking to get the recipes. she is a wonderful Jewish baker. Actually, she is a great baker,period.

    What recipes have you tried? I've tried many of hers and the only one that works is the Passover Buttercrunch. The recipes on her website are full of what I call " dangling ingredients " which are not accounted for in the instructions. Her first book is visually very attractive but has some similar goofs. One of my favorites is one in which the first instruction is to preheat the oven which is kind of interesting because the instructions call for the cake batter to be refrigerated overnight.

    On her website, she very often says to put yeast dough into plastic trash bags to rise. Most plastic trash bags I've seen are not food safe.

  15. :cool: There's a new Japanese restaurant on Westfield on South Avenue called Fujiyama Mama. Despite its off-putting name, we loved the restaurant.I thlnk it :cool: will be a big hit. Very good food, nice decor, accomodating servers and moderately priced.

    Has anyone else tried it yet?

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