menton1

I think veal parm is germaine to this discussion, Sam; this, again, I would analogize to Chow Mein-- they only exist in the American quasi-equivalents. Not in the country they are supposed to represent. Note to Marcus: I found Ribbolita on almost every restaurant menu throughout Tuscany, including stops in Lucca, San Gimignano, Siena, and Viareggio. That leads me to believe it's really a Tuscan dish.

I think profit margins are extremely difficult to calculate in the restaurant biz. A science in itself. I think the "likeliness to succeed" is the real factor, and I don't think the odds are better for a "red sauce" Italian rather than something innovative. Over the years, I've seen these red-sauce places drop out like flies-- probably ANY type of restaurant venture is risky.... As far as rents, I've heard that downtown Montclair is very high for rents-- in Bergen, there are really no downtowns, except for Ridgewood and Englewood-- most of the restos are on the highways or on "suburban" roads-- so I don't know how those rents stack up to downtown Montclair anyway...

I know this is quite a digression, but the APHIS site has always been quite ambiguous about seeds and bulbs; they tell you to check with the originating country's consulate, where, upon inquiring, the consulate will direct you back to APHIS!! (Dizzying!) One of the most memorable plant materials we have come back with is something called "Billes d'Argile", little decorative balls about 1/2 inch in diameter that we put on the top of the soil in most of our potted plants-- very attractive, unusual, and a real-attention getter!! You have to go to a Pépinière to buy them. (Garden Center).

You do have access to the best chocolates in the world, (IMHO) Neuhaus. They are sold in the Lord & Taylor across from city hall. But be prepared-- they are also among the priciest chocolates in the world! (From Belgium).

I think another factor playing into this duscussion is actually defining Italian cuisine-- A lot of the "Italian" food served in the US is actually a stereotype of itself; I think it's something like the Chow Mein of Chinese cuisine-- something never found in China! I don't think I've ever seen Veal Parm in Italy, either. On the other side of the coin, I visited Liguria this past September, and had dishes like Trophie with Pesto, and Lasagne Verte. I don't know if there are even 2 restaurants in all of New York where one could find this dish; same would be true for Ribbolita, a traditional Tuscan soup.....

Possibly, but does a higher rent mean a lower-quality restaurant? With the 4 new places opening that I mentioned earlier, there are probably over 25 of these "red sauce" Italians in Bergen. I've also seen them fold up as quickly as they open many times. Why aren't innovative restaurateurs attracted to this county?

Like Ralph Kramden used to say, "You did it, Alice!!"

C'est merveilleux qu'on peut parler ici dans une langue étrangere; mais je ne parle pas italien.... seulement anglais et francais!! Et d'accord, Craig, c'est un sujet très interressant!!

I saw just about every episode of your show on Metro TV with Ed Levine-- it was a terrific show. I really miss those blind taste tests you used to do. I still remember the one about ketchup-- alas, the D'Agostino's ketchup that won the test is no longer available!! But with all the drek they show on Food Network these days, your show was a standout. Any prospects for a revival or re-incarnation of that show?

Absolument!! By the way, does "Le Grand Colbert" really exist or was the name changed to protect the innocent? I loved the movie, and I thought it could have gone on longer, it was such a delight!!

Also, right in or near Tenafly are Christino's, a red-sauce place in the Clinton Inn; and Cafe Terrana, on the corner of Clinton Ave and Washington in Bergenfield. Actually, I once had a decent Eggplant Rollatini there. These Italian red-sauce places are ubiquitous!! Which reminds me, why do all these "Italian" places with the name "cafe" use the French spelling, instead of the Italian spelling, "caffe"? (pet peeve)

From the Philadelphia Smart Pages: Dean & Deluca 4311 Main Street - Philadelphia, PA 215-487-2078 Anybody been?

I don't understand-- Do you mean by this that all these ethnicities prefer inferior food? I also think that Italy as a tourist destination probably attracts all of the above...

Isn't there a Dean and DeLuca already somewhere in Philly?

Well, seriously, it doesn't have to be a Babbo-- but what about places like Fascino, Corso 98 and Epernay in Montclair, Citrus Grille and Xaviar's in Rockland, Jocelyne's and Celebrated Food in Maplewood; can't Bergen support interesting/creative restaurants like these? What's so different demographically between Essex, Rockland, and Bergen?

You already had Ciao Bella in Cresskill, which IMHO blows Felice away. (No cigarette smoke either!) Also Cassie's in Englewood. And countless others. As a matter of fact, if ambience is not an issue, Uncle Frank's Pizza in Dumont probably has the best pasta and Eggplant parm around. My point was, we didn't need 4 MORE of these places-- there are already dozens. Why can't a place like Fascino open in Bergen? Tommy-- the line about crayons made me LOL!!

Congratulations, Louisa!! It should certainly be a "bonne année"! What are your plans for 2004? Will you be going back to California? (Did you discuss it with Karli?) BTW, I just saw "Something's Gotta Give", and I would tell all Egulleters to take note of the Paris hotel-- it is the Plaza Athenée!

The month of December has brought us 4 new "red sauce" Italian restaurants in Bergen County-- "Felice" next to the Diner in Oradell (no name on the place), Bella Italia on Main St in New Milford about 7 blocks away from Felice, Intermezzo in Dumont, replacing the TriValley, and a yet-to be named place on Schraalenburgh Road opposite Delmonico's in Closter. These places are all little more than more attractive Pizza Parlors, and in some cases the pizza parlor food is better and cheaper. For one of the most upscale counties in the US, Bergen County's restaurants show a tremendous lack of imagination. The restaurant situation here shows no creativity.. The towns of Montclair and Maplewood put Bergen to shame. Even the Ridgewood restaurant scene is a bore lately. If I'm going to travel to Montclair or Maplewood, I might as well go to the city. How can we account for this tremendously dull restaurant environment in Bergen County?

This illustrates my point!! In Eurpoe, a good tomato is readily available to everyone a short distance from their home; In the US, 280 million people can not possibly be served by 3 tomato farms-- And yes, I also think that most Americans have never tasted good produce...

Some comments re-- Fat Guy's list: Firstly, you have included many meat and fish items that would not be in the produce category that we have been discussing; Also, for your list, conspicuous by its absence is corn, or maize, which barely exists in Europe and if you do find it, it's horrible; I think the most salient point for me is the idea of READILY AVAILABLE. Sure, you could drive the 150 miles to that tomato farm in Pennsylvania (or further) but that can hardly serve 280 million people. The produce that is accessible to everyone in Europe is at thousands of daily and weekly markets, usually within a few miles of their residence. And that is the product that is so superior to what we can get here easily. You will also find American consumers stuck on appearance rather than taste and quality. Some of the worst-looking fruit can taste heavenly. Here, it looks great, and tastes like cardboard. So it's a combination of cultural and other factors that make consuming produce in Europe so far superior to consuming it in the US.

Absolutely, Craig! I didn't think it was a matter of soil geology or climate-- It's just the fruit itself-- And yes, sadly, it seems that the American public does not want better... I can even taste the different flavor intensity level of the fruit in the imported fruit yogurts!

I wasn't aware that the restaurant had changed hands. It used to be run by a Dutch fellow who claimed to have studied in France. We ate there in the Fall of 2002 and were quite disappointed. Service was very standoffish, even though the place was only 50% full; Also, the portions were MINISCULE!! I still remember a $28 Shrimp entree with 5 medium sized shrimp! If it is under new management, I would try it again. Can you confirm this?

I have to take issue with this. In all my years of European travel, one of the things I think about doing as soon as possible while I'm stepping off the plane, is going to a market and getting some produce! The produce available readily in the US is pretty much awful. The supermarkets have about 14 varieties of apples now, none of them edible. Pears are like rocks. Melons are a roll-the-dice proposition, with more than 50% of them tasting like styrofoam. At a town market in France or Italy, they have melons cut open for tasting. One bite and you feel like you went to heaven! The strawberries are sweet and taste like woodlands. Peaches drip down your face while you eat them, and plums are like nectar of the gods. Most of the locals explain this phenomenon by the distance traveled from field to market. Also mass production methods. Whatever the reason, the produce in Europe is about 5000% better than in the US!!! Just stop at a local town market!!!

Actually, Nice east to Menton all used to be under the wing of the House of Savoy. In the unification drive of Vittorio Emmanuelle he made a pact with Napoleon III in the 1870s whereby Napoleon would not stand in the way of unification, and Savoy would give to France this coast all the way to Nice. The Nicois cuisine is more Mediterranean than Italian, they do have a pesto-type soup called Pistou, and olive oil reigns, but otherwise the cuisine is not much like Italian. As Robert Brown has indicated, as soon as you cross over into Ventimiglia the differences, both food and cultural, are striking. Mario Batali also has said in interviews that it is really difficult to reproduce the Italian dishes here, mainly because of the differences in the ingredients.

The Marais has a plethora of Middle Eastern restaurants. If you go to the corner of rue de Vielle du Temple and turn right onto rue des Rosiers, you will encounter one after another. A traditional Moroccan on the right, with food served in a Tajine; on the left, one of the best middle easterns, Chez Marianne, with a "buffet" where you point to the dish and they pile it on a plate for you-- you select 4, 5, or 6 choices! (Very reasonably priced) Also, for a snack, you can get a "Schwarma" that is huge, something like a gyro, but much better, at many little stands in the area. Also Jo Goldenberg, with NY-style hot pastrami, corned beef, and matzo-ball soup is on the rue des Rosiers. Take the métro to Hotel-de-Ville or St. Paul, and it is about a 3 block walk. (Don't miss the Louvre metro station on this route-- it is full of museum-quality sculptures and artwork-- unbelieveable to see that in a subway!!)