coquille

I know, I know... it's New York so of course there are tons of new places... But I have been away from the area for over a year and would like to catch up on the latest and greatest. What would you say are the top 5-10 restaurants (at all price points) that I should check out to help get me back into the swing of things? Many thanks in advance!

looking for a place to meet up with friends for lunch or dinner on a Sunday in this general vicinity. must not be overly expensive, but food should be good and there should be at least a couple of non-lame vegetarian options. mojave grille seems to be the only thing fitting the bill so far, but I wanted to offer a choice. any ideas? thanks!

can anyone make a suggestion about where to have a rehearsal dinner at the end of March up near Rockleigh, NJ? looking for a place (either the NJ or NY side - was wondering if there might be something in Tappan or Nyack?) that can handle ~80 people and that's not tacky but is not formal (if it were summer, we'd do a barbecue or something else fun and casual). food doesn't have to be awesome and definitely should not be a whole big production - not trying to compete with the wedding the next day, but some place with a good atmosphere. i really don't know the area, so any help would be great, thanks!

Let's remember that the original poster, acting as if he was doing the restaurant a favor, said he called right at the time of his reservation. What good does that do a place like this? None! AMEN!

So you were the no show... I couldn't understand why the table next to me was empty (I, btw, came up from NJ in the morning and had a 7pm rezzie there). Being familiar with how small the place is, I can only assume you know how tough a cancellation like that would be for them - and a walk-in on a night like that at a place like that where everyone knows you have to reserve is highly unlikely. Sure, it would have been nice for you to have had a less agitated response from the restaurant, but if you want places like this to exist and be able to remain open, you also have to appreciate the truly delicate financial situation they juggle, as well. Personally, if it were me, I probably would have tried to compromise and asked if they could do some take-out for me and my family, instead. That would have been great for you - since you still would have gotten to semi-eat there, and it would have at least been something to help mitigate lost money for them. Just a thought.

Just to get a better gauge, how sweet do you generally prefer your desserts to be? Not very, in fact (and I do some pastry work for special clients, periodically). "Cloying" is my most frequent complaint with desserts. This was truly a bizarre situation - I have never had "sweets" that were so... not. My male dining companion also was baffled. What was even more strange was that since these are samplings of desserts, there were essentially 8 different ones (with multiple components per), and out of them all, I would say only one sorbet was worthwhile (the cumin one) - the rest, a waste of time and calories. The reason I posted this was because of how really odd and truly disappointing this was.

Just ate at JG on Sat, and had a very odd experience -- I have never eaten at a restaurant at this caliber and had an abysmal dessert experience! Had the signature menu, and most everything was wonderful (though yes, that squab was very tough to cut) - especially the wine service, for which I am very appreciative. However, had the winter and late harvest desserts, and there wasn't an item in either tasting that was worth consuming! How on earth is that possible? The biggest problem: it was as if there was no sugar in the restaurant that evening! Imagine if someone tried to cook a whole meal without salt - well, that was the effect on these desserts. We *almost* felt like sending them back (which I have never done - it would have seemed so odd!), but it absolutely spoiled the effect of the meal, and I would be hard-pressed to fully recommend them because of the truly bad note on which the meal ended. If I were to go back (and I'm not sure I would, right now), I don't even know how I would be able to since each ordering option includes dessert, and I would be inclined to order everything BUT and then finish up the evening with dessert elsewhere. How is this 4 star?

*SIGH* Used to LOVE Aquavit, but was just at the new location on Saturday, and... I'm disappointed. The decor is really, really lousy, and the wine service was terrible. The food, though... Best dish of the night was the Seared Octopus on a Smoky Avocado Sauce - there was Wagyu Tartare on the plate, too, but the octopus and avocado stole the show! Could have eaten this dish for each course! Absolutely outstanding. The beer-braised short ribs were also yummy, as was the spice-rubbed venison. Desserts were alright.

I know we're spoiled living in NYC - we have a ton of really great restaurants in all sorts of price ranges and styles. 4 of us are planning a short trip to London (never been and are looking forward!) and are looking for memorable/delish meals that we truly can't get back in the states. On the list for dinner so far: St. John's, The Gun (for a gastro-pub), and maybe Tamarind (while we have a ton of Indian places, we certainly want to try some across the pond!); for lunch, definitely can't-get-at-home-ethnic and some yummy fish n' chips joint (want the good stuff, not the junk we have). Anyway, have 3 dinners and 4 lunchs to plan - please tell me where we really shouldn't miss. Nothing is off limits, but no car at our disposal. Thanks, gang!

When? Various places (such as Gordon Ramsay at Royal Hospital Road) are due to be closed at times over the summer for refurbishment so timing will affect suggestions. ← September 2-10 - thanks! ← Yikes - if GR RHR is closed until the 5th, how might I go about getting a rezzie for the 9th? And, if I can't, should I aim for another Gordon Ramsey or somewhere else as my not-to-be-missed London dinner?

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When? Various places (such as Gordon Ramsay at Royal Hospital Road) are due to be closed at times over the summer for refurbishment so timing will affect suggestions. ← September 2-10 - thanks!

2 days in London, then trip to France, then 1.5 back in London. Never been, and as someone in the NYC area, I know this is tantamount to asking "what to do/where to eat in NYC" in that timeframe, but still, any guidance would be helpful and very much appreciated. Re: food, I'm thinking 1 fancy meal at Restaurant Gordon Ramsey, 1 Sunday night meal at a gastropub (Gun?), and then maybe St. John's Bar & Restaurant? Thoughts? What about Tamarind or something else? Figure some good fish & chips, maybe at Fish Club for lunch one day... dunno what else... Thought maybe a bar one night - perhaps Shochu Lounge? I am very open to other suggestions/alternatives! (And if anyone would mind throwing in a few suggestions on great things to see/do, I would appreciate it. I can do without the cliche changing of the guard, for example.) Thank you in advance!

Am planning to be in the Lyon/Northern Rhone region for about 5 days at the end of the summer. I don't need to stay in Lyon, but I would plan on visiting. I would love suggestions for: -any charming accommodations that won't break the bank -places to eat - all price ranges -special vineyards to visit -not-to-miss sites -any other tips/suggestions? Will have a car, so I'm looking for info from Lyon to Valence. Thank you so much!!!

I live in Metuchen - if you're there, Marianna's Gourmet (on a corner downtown on Main) has changed (and not for the better) over the years re: what they sell, but while they have some nice prepared food, I definitely recommend going for their sandwiches. Fabulous value (usually, 1 sandwich is 2 meals for me) and excellent quality. There is one Thai place on Main Street that has an extensive menu - some things are better than others, but the better Thai place is behind the Afghan place next to the train tracks. (If you're facing the Afghan place by the bakery and bus stop, go to the left around the building - when you hit the next street, there's a *tiny* Thai place that's got much yummier food.) The next closest and very good place I would suggest is Meemah - leave Metuchen via Main Street and when you hit Rt 27, hang a right. Go through 1 traffic light, and a mile or so down the road, just at the next light (by the Dunkin Doughnuts) in a strip mall on the right is a Chinese/Malaysian place that has really flavorful cuisine at the right price. I can give you a whole bunch of other places in the area, but I don't know how far you want to schlep... feel free to write for more info...