menton1

Who, me? But seriously, folks, the Snackmasters brand that they sell here is actually miles better than some of the homemade stuff I've gotten online. My favorite is the Beef Teryaki jerky, and its really good. No chemicals whatsoever, and its a bit chewy and soft, you won't chip a tooth on it like some jerkys I've sampled. New item I discovered at TJs: Jarred marinated mushrooms, no oil. Light and garlickly, a pleasant change from the oil-soaked variety. Also the prepared char-grilled chicken strips make a great sandwich or lunch.

I think that photo was more information than we needed! I think we once had a thread devoted to this, and for me nothing can spoil a food experience faster than a disgusting rest room. As a matter of fact, Hudson Valley Magazine just did a restaurant reader survey and one of the criteria was the "restroom experience". And, on the other side of the coin, immaculate restrooms are very pleasing to the senses...

For 10 bucks less, ($36) Alan Kaufman and the Pickle Guys opf the Lower East Side will ship a gallon of their pickles. Personally, IMHO these pickles are a lot better than Guss'. Less hype as well. Check out the photos on the web site, your mouth will water!! http://www.nycpickleguys.com/index.html

I think the closest one to you is Westfield. Google maps says its about 20 minutes up the parkway from you. TJ's web site: Trader Joes

I assume you are talking about a Jewish-style pickle, the half-sour type, made without any vinegar. If so, Trader Joes has some excellent half-sours in quart jars, in the refrigerated section. They are a bargain at under $3 for the quart jar. Worlds above anything available in the supermarkets.

Waiting for your report!

I've been to Market Basket, and, frankly, I don't think much of it. It's not "high-fallutin" at all to me, really a great pretender. Alot of things that just don't merit the pricing that they have. Maywood defintely soars above Market Basket, no matter which "fallutin" you are. Great cheeses, cold cuts, prepared foods, breads, etc. I have been touting the place for a couple of years here. Glad some others have enjoyed it as well.

Latest great find at Kings/Cresskill: They are promoting about 6 varieties of Carribbean fish flown overnight from Tobago. The fish are said to be caught less than 36 hours ago in the warm tropical waters. We bought some of the Grouper, had it Saturday night, and I must say that it has to rate as the best store-bought fish I've ever prepared at home! Taste was unique and fabulous! It's a little pricey at $13.99/lb, but you do get what you pay for. I will be back there to try the other varieties. I understand that they also have this overnight Caribbean fish at the Hillsdale store.

They also now have a hand-carved applewood smoked ham, absolutely wonderful. At $7.99/lb, it's a real bargain. I have returned for it several times. Re/King's Ridgewood: I chatted with an Asst Mgr at Cresskill, and he said that the Ridgewood Kings is too small and is not one of their key Bergen County stores. Cresskill and Hillsdale are the ones that they have done the most changes with in Bergen, said he, and in Essex the Short Hills Kings is supposed to be the star player.

What time should we show up?

I've never heard of the place. Seems like a very peculiar name, subject to many sorts of jokes and malaprops. I've only been to Cornetta's in the summertime outside on the river, but Í've heard that inside is more serious and pretty good for seafood. Link: http://www.cornettas.com/test/index/

We have discussed this before, but basically North Jersey is a seafood wasteland. Unless you travel down to the Shore or the city, there are pretty slim pickings for good seafood. There is a place in Piermont, NY, called Cornetta's, it's OK but not great. That's about it.

The hardest part of your request is finding a restaurant open in this area on Mondays!! If you can wait until Tuesday, I recommend these: Citrus Grille, Airmont, NY Relish, Sparkill, NY Freelance Cafe, Piermont, NY These are all above average, creative, New American cuisine, really worth going to. But alas, they are all closed Mondays... Edited to add: There is, of course, in your town, the Park Steakhouse, but I don't think this falls into any of your criteria. A straightforward steak house, pricey, and nothing creative here. Just steak. But it is open on Mondays.

Yes, but I only know it as a retail seafood fishmonger. They did open up the back with 10 tables about 9 months ago, but the space looks very cramped. However, it is always packed, and I presume the food is decent, as their prepared foods are quite good for takeout.

It's interesting how it's so rare on Eg to find anyone who admits to liking Starbucks coffee. (I like it!) I have been to scores of them all over the East Coast, and have yet to find one that wasn't very busy with lots and lots of customers. Is this one of those Yogi-isms??

If you dine out, it would definitely have to be a non-traditional meal, as any place with traditional Jewish New Years food will be closed! I suppose some of the Greek diners try to throw out a Jewish dish or 2, but how good could those be, and who wants to eat in a diner, anyway? Are you considering Asian food?

90 Grand is a bit risky, not much info about it since it just reopened about 10 days ago from a mysterious 2 month hiatus. While not fancy, Saigon R in Englewood continues to be its steady self, having consistently wonderful Pan-Asian/Vietnamese (No sushi) wth congenial service. Ambience is not gorgeous, but not awful either. Only 12 tables, reserve ahead if you go. About 10 minutes north of Englewood is one of my faves, Harvest Bistro in Closter. Beautiful environment, and really interesting creative food. Was in one of the designer magazines for the decor. Worth the extra few minutes to get there, IMHO. http://www.harvestbistro.com Edited to add: Zarole just went belly up 3 weeks ago...

I don't agree at all, I am neither of these and have not been to any of these chains in years. I think that the idea that they are "cheap" is a perception, not a reality. As a matter of fact, it is definitely possible to eat more cheaply and have a much higher quality of food and a dining experience at a family run single owner restaurant. For example, in pricey NYC, New York Magazine listed about 100 family run places to eat at in the city for under $25 in a spread a few weeks ago. There are maybe not as many in NJ, but they are definitely here. Of course, it may take a little research to find these places. The chains are much "easier". That is probably the best explanation for their success. They are easy. They are not really cheap, and they are mediocre at best.

Don't count on it. With about 8,000 stores now, they are expanding at quite a clip. I think that Shultz says he wants over 15K locations in another 2 years. And I have yet to go to a Starbucks that wasn't busy busy busy... They have flaws, they are not great, but they are good. And yes, you know what you are getting there.

Well, this brings up a multitude of issues. But surely Charlie Browns is not the answer to lower prices. Plenty of good restaurants at reasonable prices. Frankly, I don't think CBs is either cheap or a good value at all. High chairs probably means toddlers, might be harder to find other than diners and chains. "Kid's menu" is another ball game. Paying the extra charge for sharing may solve that problem. While traveling in Europe, noticeable by their absence are any chain restaurants. However, young children are seen everywhere in most restaurants in all categories. What is noticeable is how well behaved the children are. They are also allowed some wine, but that is another topic altogether.

I totally agree with you. And while fresh Reggiano and Kraft or 4C are polar opposites, there are some products in between. There is really no reason whatsoever to use that horrible green can. Reminiscing about one's youth is one thing (like spaghetti and ketchup) but that doesn't mean that we can't know better now. Most supermarket deli departments now have some recently-grated cheese, parmesan, romano, or similar, in a 1 pint plastic container. Locatelli is one of the brands here in the Northeast, but there are several brands, and from time to time they are on sale. While not like a fresh grated Reggiano, they are an acceptable substitute and worlds above that Kraft stuff. I don't think that American food means settling for a poor, inferior product.

We have had this "kid friendly" discussion before, I believe in the "General Food" board. This is a nebulous term. Does kid friendly mean that the kids can run around the tables shouting and playing? Does it mean that they can throw the food on the floor? Or does it mean crayons and lollipops? I think that good-food restaurants can be a great experience for parents and kids as well, but its up to the parents to have a well-behaved child that respects the parents wishes and the restaurant environment. If the parents have done their job, most restaurants, including the good food places, can be "kid friendly". You don't have to settle for inferior food.

Forgot to mention that in adition to Balthazar breads, they also have a selection of Eli's Breads and some Pain d'Avignon. Bagels are way above supermarket quality, they say they are from "Millburn Bagels" , whoever that is. Some nice cheese tastings today as well. The new Kings is definitely worth a visit, if you have not been in a while.

Ever been to Magiarge in Bordighera? A real gem. http://www.magiarge.it/

A rare visit to the King's in Cresskill a couple of weeks ago was quite a surprise. The store has upgraded all of the departments and has seemingly increased their business as well. They now have a service cheese department, a much improved deli department, and the bakery dept includes Balthazar Bread, Bindi pastries, an olive bar, and many interesting and unusual produce items, bordering on the exotic. A repeat visit on Sunday was met with an almost-full parking lot. I haven't seen that at this King's for years. Seems biz is dramatically up, looks like a new management team took over, and they have some good business philosophy. Check out the deli, the apple smoked on-the-bone hand carved ham is wonderful, as are some new cold cuts imported from Italy. Cheese section is nice and selective with tastings, the Balthazar Bread is wonderful and priced a bit lower than the factory store in Englewood; also they had in the produce section some Rambutan lichees (look like sea urchins) and Jujubes, or Chinese dates. I believe that they have upgraded the Hillsdale King's in the same manner, I don't know about the Ridgewood King's because that is a much smaller store than Cresskill or Hillsdale. But King's management, keep up the good work, and I think it's worth a visit to check out if you haven't been in a while!