Helena Robinson

We only had one meal during the Averbeck reign in the kitchen, but it was in the spring. I recall enjoying our meal and looking forward to seeing what he'd do with the fresh Jersey produce. Then I got laid off and spent the summer living the Procrit commercial... We got a sneak peek at the renovation in progress in September when we stopped by after the food fest in New Brunswick (nice idea, pretty good food, could've been better organized). Having dined at this place since the beginning, things were changing quite a bit... And then, a few weeks ago, we learned how difficult it is to get a bunch of doctors to get their calendars in sync when my next (brain) surgery got scheduled for Nov. 22, after we had dearly hoped for (first) the 7th and then the 18th. Looks like it'll be another Thanksgiving in the hospital. So... It was obvious that after I hung up the phone with the doctor's office, we were in for one of those "drown your sorrows" nights. Since I had desperately wanted one more meal at Stage Left before the surgery, we got a reservation, a little earlier than expected. The renovation has really transformed the atmosphere of this restaurant! The dining area now looks bright - the light colors remind me somewhat of Montrachet in New York. The food? I didn't take notes that night, so I can't remember exactly what we had, though I think Ken had a filet. The one thing that did stick was that the gentleman in charge of the wine offered us a sampling of some German wines, and Ken noted that one went especially well with au gratin potatoes. The response we got was, "Oh? It got thru the bacon?" Bacon??? We don't eat bacon (and the management knows that), so obviously we have to break someone else in on that. We now know that the chef has a penchant for mixing in pork fat or bacon, for those that are concerned about such things. We got a free dessert in compensation. All in all, though, we think the food is just as good now, if not better. But that's just our (somewhat) humble opinion.

Maywood is in Bergen County, probably not far from the malls in Paramus. I'll leave it to the local experts to provide specifics - after all, we don't take trips to Bergen County, we have "adventures."

We get our bagels from Bagel B.O.P. in Hillsborough: 450 Amwell Road 908 359 7929 The fact that it's about 5 minutes from our house doesn't hurt. B.O.P. stands for "Baked on Premises" - and the bagels are "mixed, rolled and baked on premises daily," according to the flyer. And they taste great! The place has a few tables, but no waitress service. It's not a kosher place - they offer all sorts of cream cheeses (some of which I've had, and enjoyed) and Boar's Head deli meats. There are all sorts of specialty sandiwches and breakfast specials. Hours are 6 a.m. thru 7 p.m. Monday thru Friday, till 3 p.m. on Saturdays and 7 a.m. til 2 p.m. on Sundays. Mornings are especially busy, as one can imagine with such a place. Great place!

This is "prime time" for venison to appear on restaurant menus. It could easily appear as a special on any given night these days. But, as already stated, it's not cheap. Having said that... I noticed that Pierre's in Harding (which might be a little north for you) has venison on its menu for tonight at around $26. And The Frog & the Peach (New Brunswick) has venison on the menu for $35. I think I also may have recently seen it on the menu posted at Soho on George in New Brunswick, but I may be mistaken. In addition, I believe The Grain House in Basking Ridge has venison as part of an upcoming wine dinner. Like I said, 'tis the season... Good luck!

This winery is from the Wilamette Valley in Oregon, and was featured on "FoodNation with Bobby Flay" on the Food Network Tuesday night. Alas we won't be able to attend this dinner. Speaking of Oregon wine... After visiting doctors in New York yesterday (yeah, more surgery to come ), we stumbled upon a wine shop on 67th Street that was having a complimentary tasting of Henry Estate wines, from south of the Wilamette. Boy, were they great! (And yes, November 4th is a Monday, the day before Election Day...)

Well, Kim... Yes, Teresa's would be a hike, if the campaign office is where I think it might be (by Tumulty's, right?). We weren't quite sure where we were going to dine before tonight's George St. performance. Our original intent was to try out Toscana, but we didn't see anything on the menu posted on the window that really enticed us, so I suggested peeking in on Soho and then Safra. If nothing there "grabbed us," we'd go back to Toscana. We ended up at Soho - and probably had the best experience we've had at that establishment in a long time! First of all, we were amazed that we were able to get in without a reservation, but probably just beat the crowd; as there were a few tables set for large parties. For a change, we actually got the bottle of wine we ordered on the first try. (We had two consecutive visits when we ordered the exact same zin, only to learn that we'd been given an old list. OK, but these visits were MONTHS apart!) I'll review my notes and post details tomorrow.

I believe Stage Left is open for lunch on Fridays only, but I also believe there's a bar menu as well. Might want to call ahead and confirm. Also, The Frog And The Peach serves lunch.

I believe there's been some talk of the Republicans doing just that - taking their case to AG John Ashcroft as a possible Voting Rights Act matter. One legal analyst I heard on CNN last nite indicated that he didn't think the AG would take it, though. (But then, these "predictions" have been all over the place.) The issue surrounding whether the US Supreme Court would even hear the case, though, is that this is a state matter; and there were no references to any Federal laws in the yesterday's decision. Stay tuned...

Speaking of Restaurant Serenade... Hopefully by the end of the week (technology gods willing ), you'll be able to order a gift certificate to this restaurant online. The website is www.restaurantserenade.com - but give it a few more days for the updated stuff to go live.

The NY Times web site had a wire service article listing the members of the NJ Supreme Court and their political affiliations. I believe most are Democrats, one is an Independent. Interestingly enough, most are Whitman appointmees. However, the court is known for not voting strictly along party lines. As this case is being heard as I write this, you'll most likely see some or all of the following (if not more): 1. Reference to a 1952 ruling that permitted a replacement (Democratic) candidate in a county election (Hudson, of all places. It's known as Jersey's answer to Chicago ) when the candidate passed away one day after the 51-day deadline. The ruling stated that election law shouldn't be held above the opportunity of voters to exercise their franchise. 2. In a scenario I'm surprised didn't happen (but still could in this strange state), Torch could resign, leaving McGreevey to appoint someone to complete his term. Along the way, the guv could also cancel the Nov. 5 election for Senate and call a special election at a later date. 3. On the other side of the aisle, there's the matter of a recent Republican primary (wither for Senate of Governor, can't recall which offhand) that was delayed a few weeks, but the specifics suddenly escape me, sorry. Curiouser and curiouser, eh?

Let's see - things within a walk in downtown Princeton... Also in the Palmer Square area is Theresa's. Had lunch there several years ago, yet wasn't that impressed at the time. It was crowded, noisy, and the service left something to be desired. However, it might be worth a try if it's not too crowded. We tried the New Brunswick version last spring and liked it, so we'd be willing to try the Princeton one again. Les Copains was one of our big dinner disappointments about a year or so ago, but I've read some better things about it of late. I think it may be open for lunch. I think Chambers St., if it's the place I'm thinking of, may have some ethnic places that may be suitable. By "ethnic," I mean Mexican and Indian. The one place I'd really recommend for lunch, though, is a cute little place on Nassau St., near the Orchid Pavilion (a Chinese restaurant we've never tried, but haven't read many good things about). Sorry to say, I don't know its name, but it has a downstairs bakery full of temptations and a charming little dining room upstairs with a nice variety of light foods that I found perfect for lunch when I tried it with a friend about a year or so ago. Have fun!

Since we're talking about Hoboken... We're planning to meet up with a friend at the NJ Transit Festival at the Hoboken train station at the end of the month. Any recommendations for (non-chain) casual dining within a short walk of the station? (We'll all be taking trains to get there.) Last year, this friend and I wound up having lunch at a Malaysian place. (Ken was out of town.) I kinda liked it, but I don't think my friend did. I'd like to be less clueless this time. As to cuisine, almost anything goes - except seafood places and rib joints. (Ken and I don't eat pork or shellfish.) Thanks in advance!

Kim, as folks who grew up in the Toms River area... And having lived in Middletown for 8 years (If we still did, we'd be regulars at Indigo Moon and frequenting Nicholas much more often. ), there are no good backroads between Island Beach and Middletown. And the few mediocre ones are probably just as jammed nowadays. If you really want some recommendations, contact Ken (aka the walking road map) directly.(KenRbnsn1@rcn.com or KenRbnsn@rbnsn.com) Meanwhile, he's racking his brain trying to recall road names... And yes, the meal will certainly be worth the trip!

The property in Whippany that was once home to Le Delice is now Cinque Figlie, formerly of Morristown.

One place I haven't seen mentioned in this thread is Martinos in Somerville, which has had a good reputation for its Cuban food. Since there aren't enough choices for us, we can't vouch for or against it. I also used to drive past some small Caribbean establishments in Morristown when I worked there (until May), but I nver entered any of them. Sorry, can't provide any specifics.

A 30 to 45 minute trip from Island Beach State Park to Middletown on a Saturday in the summer seems awfully optimistic, IMHO. You may wind up using that extra hour you think you may have just trying to get to the Garden State Parkinglot. There is no bar at Nicholas, just a foyer that may or may not have a nibble to two to tide you over until your table is ready. If you do find you have time to kill, you' best bet is to head for Red Bank; just a few minutes away. And yes, this place is VERY popular. Enjoy!

I guess I'll go back to taking notes over dinner again, now that there seems to be an audience for them. Our recent dinner at The Brothers Moon was probably our first time dining out since returning from vacation. Since I still don't have a job, we've been confining ourselves to quarters. However, this particular Friday night, the only thing Ken could think of making were reservations; and we were fortunate to be able to get this one. And so we found a bottle of zin and the aforementioned sauvingnon blanc and off we went... (The zin came back with us, unopened.) The weather had been threatening as we left the house. The skies opened up in a downpour as we parked the car. (We managed to dry out by the time we finished dinner.) The restaurant had just insituted its summer menu, so we had the opportunity to try "different" things. Dinner started with soups: a gazpacho special for Ken and the roasted corn soup for me. Although both paired well with the wine, the gazpacho was an especially great match. Appetizers were items we've enjoyed before: smoked salmon for Ken and the carmelized onion and summer squash tart for me. The wine went surprisingly well with the tart; but not with the salmon (which was not surprising). Entrees were fishy: A tuna special for Ken (which, alas, I can no longer recall enough to elaborate on) and the Wild King Salmon for me. The salmon came with a Vietnamese chile sauce (or so the menu/web site said), and it played off the wine very well. The tuna also paired well with the wine. Desserts (with coffee) were the peach and blueberry cobbler for Ken and the chocolate mousse for me. All in all, a lovely meal. Can't wait to be able to return!

Yes, we are members of the Cafe Club. And since both of us have birthdays in June, we had received certificates for "something special" (either the cheaper meal free or free dessert, can't recall which) during June. Alas, we managed to lose these precious things while getting things ready to go away; and the restaurant wouldn't honor them without the piece of paper. Oh well. At least we'll get more points, which will (hopefully) earn us another certificate of some sort when we might (finally) be able to afford dining there again.

Although we haven't been to the Garden State Plaza's NVG in about a year, we have dined at three of its "siblings" around the country in the past year. Last summer, we had a nice dinner at the "original" NVG in (yes!) Napa Valley. This was a standalone place, as opposed to the mall settings that many NVGs seem to be. Menu style was very similar to the one in NJ, and we managed to have a decent time in spite of the fact that I was in agony from having messed up my leg earlier in the day. (We went to the ER the next day and found out it was broken.) On this recent vacation, we had pleasant times at two NVGs. One was in downtown Chicago, a few blocks from our hotel. We had the cheese course as our dessert there. Looks like a similar presentation to the one described in this thread. Since we had eaten plenty at Charlie Trotter's the night before, we weren't really up for having that much. (And the appetizers/salads can be quite generous.) And two night later, we had another nice NVG dinner at the Mall of America. I believe this was the one where Ken had the apple cobbler, which he thoroughly enjoyed. (Sorry, don't have the notes in front of me.) All in all, these are pretty similar in style/price; with some variations in menu selections according to locale and chef's whim. Service, for the most part, is good. And... Did someone mention zin??? It's our red of choice; followed by merlot, cab and pinot. We've been broadening our wine palate of late; having recently enjoyed some Sauvignon Blanc a week or so ago at an area BYO.

Two places that immediately come to mind are: Stage Left in New Brunswick Brothers Moon in Hopewell I understand that Soho on George, also in New Brunswick, has recently begun to offer outdoor dining.

Ain't necessarily so... Ever since Origin got a "Very Good" from the Times last year, it's been next to impossible to get in even on an early weeknight without a reservation. And we've still seen lines of people hoping for a cancelled reservation waiting outside on Saturday nights (and sometimes during the week). Not that Somerville is hurting that much for good restaurants...

We have finally decided to go on vacation after all, in spite of the current job (or lack thereof) and medical situation. (The doc felt that while I'm not working, it would be a good time to see how well my body could tolerate an extra 100mg of "stuff" a day. Just when I thought I had finally learned to work around this fatigue...) Therefore, we'll be in the midwest on June 30th. We'll look forward to reading all about the dinner! Hopefully, once our respective job situations have been resolved, we'll finally have a chance to try out Mie Thai. Have fun!

Well... Our probable attendance has now gone from a "definitely not" to a "big maybe." You see, I was laid off from my job on Friday, so I'm (needless to say) actively job hunting. (Rosie, you night want to take my work address of your mailing list.) IF we can swing it financially, we'll take off on our vacation as scheduled on June 21st, returning on July 3rd. (Eventual desitnation is St. Paul, MN and we've got a reservation at Charlie Trotter's in Chicago for the day after we leave home.) If we can't leave town, we'll join you folks at Mie Thai. We'll keep you posted...

Gee, can't wait to see what happens when the Record reviews a Shore restaurant. They've been known to review one or two during the summertime - after all, ever think that some folks who live in Bergen MIGHT want to travel down that way? Conversely, we sometimes have a reason to visit Bergen; even though it's an hour's drive (or more) for us. It's one of the reasons I check the site on Fridays. By the same token, I can't begrudge the NY Times for the occasional NY - or even PA - review. Some of us live close enough that it might be worthwhile o...nce in awhile

We had a great time at Bella Rosa last night! Thanks to Jason and Rachel for making the arrangements! Ken had the halibut and I got a taste (I had pasta for my main course). Great stuff! We'll probably return on our own some weeknight in the future. It was great seeing folks again, though the noise level made it difficult for me to hear very much. But such are the joys (!) of living with only one functional ear. Looking forward to the next dinner...