pete ganz

The lunch menu was far less varied than the dishes Adam mentioned, but everything we had was very good. Very nice steamed mussles and chicken curry puff with excellent flaky pastry dough. The pad thai was pretty standard, but very fresh tasting. Delicious carrot soup as well. The dinner menu looks great, I will definitely be back to try that. Here is their website: www.tessencenj.com.

I went to Goffle Farm in Wyckoff yesterday to get some chickens, and they had a sign up advertising suckling pig. The guy said they can get any size, they just need a week's notice. I think he said $2.50/lb, but don't quote me on that.

I have been thinking of that exact same trip for a long, long time. I think you would need a good 3 weeks.

What did you think of the food?

I'm fairly certain you can get a whole pig from any of the Seabra's grocery stores. I used to go to the one in Kearny on Schuyler Ave, which sold every cut of pig imaginable.

I believe it's called Thai Essence and heard that it was already open. Have not been yet though...

I would definitely recommend Al Ceppo. We had a very good antipasti and grilled veal chop with delicious roasted potatoes on the side. I also got the cheese plate for dessert and received a bunch of interesting cheeses that I have not had before. The owner was very sweet and the fact that I made my reservation through e-mail seemed to tickle her. I also have to highly recommend Armando al Pantheon. This is a fantastic, no-frills little place right near the Pantheon. I think I found the rec on Chowhound. It was about 75% Italians/25% tourists...many people were turned away who had not reserved a table. Very good renditions of some classics like spaghetti carbonara, ravioli al tartufo, and abbachio scottadito. They also had a terrific cake for dessert, torta antica roma, which was made with ricotta and berries....delicious. Piperno was a bit more upscale than the other places we hit. It was a bit pricey and not worth it in my opinion, although I did have brains for the first tiem there and they were very good (somehow they tasted like chicken mcnuggets!). Have fun! Edit: Here is Armando al Pantheon's web site.

Yet not as carb-laden as one might think. Great travelogue, as always.

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That's odd. Anyway, they were open today and I picked up some very good bbq chicken, mac and cheese, and collards. $9.50 is a little steep for every day, but I would like to go back and try the fried chicken at some point (15 minute wait for that).

Definitely. The first couple of times we went for brunch, I saw that menu and did not order off of it. I only discovered that those items were included in the price because someone mentioned on this thread a few months ago. A daily printout of the specials would also be a big help....I always end up leaving the table to go look at them again.

Exactly, which is why I hope people don't judge them by the brunch. The brunch is good, but they don't even put out the good dim sum...you need to order it. And the real standout dishes are the ones off the specials and regular menu that are frequently mentioned on this thread. Traffic is always kind of light in there...I hope they stay in business.

Some chicken parm can be pretty tasty made this way. Jo-Jo's on Ridge Rd. in Lyndhurst makes their chicken parm with an egg batter rather than breading and it's very good. It doesn't have the consistency of shmeg!

This place sounds great Rich....will definitely check it out.

I wouldn't judge a place based solely on their buffet offerings, but that's just me.

That spot could use a good hot dog place...it is a culinary wasteland. Nothing but chains and fast food. That highway gets a lot of traffic. The nearby chains (Panera, Baja Fresh, Saladworks, Macaroni Grill) are always packed for lunch.

Where is this place on 23? Is the name NY Ice? Google turns up nothing.....thanks.

I've heard good things about Maria Brazil.

To me, what Epernay really excels at is appetizers. We had the new chicken liver mousse and the mussel bisque last night. Both were excellent. The mousse was served with brioche and was very similar to foie gras (obviously), but a bit lighter. The mussel bisque had great mussel flavor and was not as heavy (with cream) as some bisques you find. I had the rabbit with home made pappardelle, mushrooms and peas for a main. Good, but the rabbit flavor did not come through. Maybe I just don't eat enough rabbit to appreciate it...but I expect it to be a bit gamey. Anyway, they also added a few other apps, which you can see on their website.

D'Artagnan. To avoid the $20 S & H charge (which they will charge you even if you are 30 minutes away), you can pick up the items at their warehouse in Newark. It's not in a bad area and was a pretty painless process.

Not sure about Kearny, but there's one on Washington Ave. in scenic downtown Belleville, right next to the Jiffy Lube.

...just finished downloading and watching the Iceland episode while catching a buzz (maybe that helps)....very amusing. This is not National Geographic, people! Sorry to be yet another sycophant, but I thoroughly enjoyed it...

The ones I think Curlz is thinking of in Lyndhurst are Appetizzio's, Michael's Salumeria, and Lentina's. They're small, but do carry a fair amount of imported Italian products.

Actually Seabras is Portuguese, just like most rodizios in Newark are (even though this tradition comes from Southern Brazil).

Brasilia on Ferry St. (2nd floor).