menton1

My vote is for Maywood Marketplace, on Pleasant Ave in downtown Maywood. One of the few places to get loose Brussels Sprouts, large and firm, $1.29/lb. Nice selection of lettuces, had asparagus yesterday for $2.49/lb. (Supermarket was $4.99/lb) Good prices on everything, good, fresh quality. Also a big selection of nuts and seeds, trail mixes, etc. While you are there check out the prepared foods, very good quality and prices. Cheese and olive bar as well. Great place! Maywood Market Place 78 W Pleasant Ave Maywood, NJ 07607-1337 Phone: (201) 843-8361

Hasn't Rosie stated that in New Jersey charging corkage is illegal?

Good question; but I think if you asked this question of Taillevent or Lucas Carton they might bristle a bit!!

This is a good point; it's somewhat of a gray area as to whether the dress and demeanor of the other patrons is part of the "ambience" of a restaurant. I don't know if I've ever seen that described by other critics. It does seem like treading on dangerous ground, though. I know dress habits at Broadway shows, for example, have changed dramatically in the last 15 years; you used to feel the need for a business-type outfit, tie, jacket, or "preppie" look-- now, the crowd at Broadway is a mixed bag, with scores of shabbily-attired folks. But no Broadway review ever discusses that.

Wow, so in addition to print ads, electronic media, press releases, and ads on the internet, they are also doing pre-opening parties for the press and influential people in NJ-- Sounds just a little too slick, makes me a little queasy about the place. I'm more disposed toward places opened on a shoestring, where the owner really cares about his/her food and his/her customers....

This place is also apparently well-funded; lots of advertising going on, newspaper, radio, and even pop-up ads on the web! I guess advertising sells-- the new place Harvest Bistro in Closter looks a lot more promising than Chakra, but no one here seems interested in Harvest. Advertising gives instant credibility.

At the better restaurants in Europe, they only give the males menus with prices, the females get ones without prices. (Sir Walter Raleigh lives on). But I think that Mikeczyz suggestion about calling ahead will work most of the time, many restaurants use computer printouts these days. (Reciting specials without prices is a whole other issue, a real pet peeve of mine. Has this been discussed on another thread?)

Looks like a displaced mall food court place; Probably some good opportunities to catch people slurping noodles while trying to be discreet!! (At least Joel's Malibu is right nearby, always a good meal there......)

Pasta or Asian?

While suffering through an awful winter here in the Northeast US, I was hoping to vicariously live through someone's interesting experience in the South of France during the winter. Anyone?

Certainly nothing to speak of in the area proximate to JFK, unless you want to do Forest Hills, about 20 minutes (w/o traffic) up the Van Wyck. Probably better to just get to the airport (Terminal 4, I assume?) In T4 there is a place called Delancey's that could be called "acceptable" for an airport.

Is that in a building that used to be a chrome diner? Just on the Eng. Cliffs border?

Maybe M. Delanoë, after establishing the popular "Paris-Plages" and the new traffic patterns on the boulevards, could institute a ground-breaking regulation about pooper scooping!!

What's the address?

This past September, I noticed a dramatic decrease in dog poop on the sidewalks of Paris; are the Parisians finally doing as they do in New York, picking up after? Also, the "Green Men" do a fantastic job, they clean and hose down the streets EVERY day!!

The Pizza thread now going on this forum has for the most part concentrated on whole pies, or bar pies, eaten like a meal. On the NY side, they have done a report mostly of Pizza by the slice. If New York has their DiFara's, are there comparable places in New Jersey where, you can get a slice or two of pizza that will be fresh, good, and not oxidized? The vast majority of NJ slice pizza is awful. It would be interesting to hear of good, pizza-by-the-slice available in the Garden State. Thanks! (No bar pies on this thread, please!)

Thanks, shugga, for a review of this place, I pass it by every day. I hope someone gives a review of the new Intermezzo in Dumont as well, the place looks really nice from the outside... It also seems that this place started with the name "Bella Italia" and then changed all the signs after 1 month. Possibly some infringement of a name involved? Could you also give us an idea of the ambience of this place, the service, and how busy it was. Thanks!

Well, if dogs in restaurants were a hygiene issue, the 60 million people in France would all be suffering from serious maladies, not to mention that their life expectancy is about 7 years longer than the average American (sans dogs!!). More rumor than fact, there is actually more risk to a dog's health contracting illness from humans than vice-versa. And dogs everywhere is one of the lovely things that lets you know that you are in France. It IS French culture. I think this is a mistake on Starbucks part, but at the very least they won't be seeing me in their stores in France. It would also be nice to keep the personal attacks out of this forum, edm, there is room for a difference of opinion, and Loufood has lived and worked long enough in France for hers to have merit as well. One of my favorite vacation snapshots is a shot I took inside Galeries Lafayette of an escalator with a giant Samoyed sitting patiently waiting for the moving stairs to reach the top!! Vivent les chiens de France!!

"Chiens Interdit" is a big mistake-- that crossed Starbucks off my list in France; Unless they are counting on a big take away business-- Very disappointing!! France could not be France without all the dogs everywhere!!

At this time of year there is a deal with the Philly tourist bureau and major hotels where they give you two nights for the price of one. This should save you some money, and then the hotel will give you a discount card good for some dining discounts as well. The web site is: http://www.gophila.com I second the rec for the White Dog, and right next door is Le Bus which would be great for lunch. (Great breads as well).

Well, not the French. The Loire river is 700 miles long, that touristed area is sometimes called "Loire Valley" or Chateaux Country, but the " Loire" means the area near the source of the river a little west of Lyon. We'll check with Bruce for his opinion after 4 months there! Probably the best dining spot in the area is the Domaine de Beauvois, about 15km down the road from Azay, in a little village called Luynes. A gorgeous room to eat in, with the best food in the area. Tours will have some good restos as well, but parking is a problem. For atmosphere, the towns of Montrichard, Bléré, and Chinon are great-- and don't miss the Chinon Castle, not a "Chateau" but an historic ruin where Jeanne d'Arc paid a legendary visit. Nice to think of these places in the drab winter weather!!

Well, I expounded on it today! (Driving a point home?)

Salads at diners..... Iceberg lettuce, all texture, no flavor; Refrigerated tomatoes, guaranteed to suck out the minimal flavor these "winter" tomatoes had!

OK-- but that's not the Loire; that's the Indre-et-Loire.... The Loire is about 300 more miles upstream towards Lyon. Azay is my favorite of the "chateaux" on the tourist track. A little jewel, don't miss the great staircase that is so unique. While I would have opted for the Southwest for an extended stay personally, there is really no part of France that is unappealing. This "Centre" Region is fairly flat, undulating, farmland and fields. It is quiet and pleasant, unless you go to the hotspots, like Chenonceaux or Chambord. Tours is the prefecture and is a large city of 90,000 with many events. And from the Tours station, (St Pierre des Corps) Paris is only 55 minutes away by TGV. We have friends in this area who live near Loches, and have stayed with them so I know the area well. There are a couple of very good restaurants, but mostly the area proliferates with decent, moderate restaurants. While there is no particular distinguishing cuisine of this area, do not miss the Vouvray wine-- that is a treat.

Can anyone hazard a guess as to why they leave these "better" food shows off Food Network US?