scarlet knight
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Posts posted by scarlet knight
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Rat's is far from Riverdale. I like Jocelyn's in Maplewood for special occasions.
Has anyone in the Riverdale area tried Ruga in Oakland recently? We ate there several years ago and we liked it. I do recall that it was very loud, but I thought that the food was good.
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I enjoy the coffee drinks at Cafe Eclectic, but I have found the cake and desserts to be subpar--sickly sweet, pre-fab and mass produced.
We enjoy the pastries at Marzullo's, which is near Walnut Street and Grove Street in Montclair. It was closed due to a fire for a long time, but I think that it's open now. Go there in the warm weather and sit outside!
I've never had a good dessert at Cafe Beethoven in Chatham. Someone must explain to me how they stay in business.
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What kind of cuisine will it have? Montclair is catching up to NYC in restaurants!
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When a person ordered rack of lamb at The Show, they garnished it with a lit sprig of thyme. I am told that this smells exactly like pot. I thought that it was a cute touch. It got people laughing.
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The dinner menu at Sweet Basil's has not changed much. They used to give a free salad with dinner, but now it's $2 extra. The entrees are very similar to past menus. It's modern American.
The decor is better. They got rid of a big hutch or cabinet. Its walls are bright yellow. The utility meter and the fuse box prominently protrude from the wall.
If you live in the greater West Orange area and you forgot to get a reservation at Epernay or Fascino, Sweet Basil's is OK. I just find it annoying that they can't keep a chef for 6 months. If you enjoy a menu item, it may leave with the chef.
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I called it a "cult favorite" because Sweet Basil's appeal seems limited to myself, my wife and 2 or 3 other tables this past Friday. Like The Show, it has its charms, such as friendly, helpful servers and the occasional great meal, but something is missing, such as consistency and other diners. Nevertheless, I'd like to see thiese quirky, individual places stay in business. We don''t need more chains.
I think that the chef at The Show is a relative of the chef at Le Rendez-Vous in Kenilworth. That was a favorite of ours, but the last time we went the fish tasted fishy and a medium steak arrived well done. We were turned off.
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We had many memorable meals at The Show in Chatham. The service was quirky, the food was variable, but the staff had a certain joie de vivre and the food appealed to our francophile sensibilities. As we passed by it tonight, there was no furniture, lights or patrons. This is not a good sign for a restaurant at 6pm on a Saturday night.
P.S. - another of our cult favorites, Sweet Basil's of West Ornage, has a new chef and new decor. Our review is "so-so." Cloying sweet dressing on an arugula salad, serviceable entrees, pre-fab icky chocolate cake. We'd go back in a pinch because we live nearby. Wait a few months for a new chef
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I guess that the key to trying a new restaurant is to wait until the kinks have been ironed out. I don't think that this restaurant will make it to that stage. We appreciate your pioneering efforts; hopefully, you'll get a good tip from another e-gulletter to make up for this disaster. When we look back on our disastrous experiences, we usually find them funny in retrospect (but not at the time).
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My wife and I ate at Stephen's Cafe. I agree that this is not the right neighborhood for this type of restaurant. Tapas is only a short walk up the street. I haven't heard any buzz about that restaurant on this board in a long time. Been there, done that?
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I think that J. Emanuel in Morristown has closed.
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Several years ago, we ate at a restaurant in Metuchen called Culinary Renaissance. I remember it fondly. I also remember a sea of empty tables. I suspect that it is out of business. Anyone else try it or remember it? I presume that it went out of business.
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I've been to many of the many Spanish restaurants and I think that Tapas is clearly the best. This tip made me an e-Gullet enthusiast.
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Thanks for the recommendations!
We had steamed vegetable dumplings and scallion pancakes for appetizers. For entrees, we had large shrimp with pea shoots(the menu called them pea leaves) and chow fun with chicken. Our friends had a whole fried flounder and a pork and squid dish. I liked the shrimp best because it had a broth-like sauce instead of the more goopy sauce of the chow fun.
Overall, this is a very good Chinese restaurant. One of our friends who went with us is of Chinese origin and she seemed pleased with the restaurant, also. Her linguistic skills helped, too. I think that this restaurant is very close to China 46 in its culinary abilities and authentic qualities. A good choice for the Essex and Morris county residents.
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Has anyone been to Hunan Cottage recently? We expect to go with friends this weekend. What dishes do you recommend?
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I noticed that 77 Walnut was closed. It appeared that work was being done on the premises. Any one know what is coming there?
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My wife and I ate here on Friday night. I can't complain about the food.
My wife had a brontosaurus-sized veal chop. At $38, it was pricy, but given its size, one could not complain . It was also very good. I had angel hair pasta with lump crab meat, tomatoes, olive oil and garlic. Could not be better for this type of dish, which can be marred by too much garlic or oil or not enough crab. This was a perfect balance of ingredients. At $25, this was tied with many items for least expensive on the menu. We each had a $10 glass of a good Chianti--we didn't feel like a whole bottle. The wine list is extensive. No half bottles, which we like.
The atmosphere is not one that we enjoy. There are three levels. The two main levels are dominated by bars with their wafting smoke. The workers seem to have a bit of a snobby attitude. There was a 14 piece band warming up as we ate and preparing to blow out the diners on our floor just as we left. I appreciate music and food, but not at the same time. The patrons are a colorful group out of central casting--people look familiar, but you just can't place them. Many "characters" are attracted by the bars and the band. The place has a Las Vegas-type vibe.
Overall, the food is very good although pricy. But I prefer a sleepy BYO to the atmosphere at Cecere's.
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Has anyone tried this place in Montclair? I vaguely remember a post, but didn't find it in a search. Any feedback?
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Where is Marra's bakery, exactly?
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Jocelyn's, Maplewood
Fascino, Montclair
Lilac, Millburn
La Veranda, Cape May
Aozora, Montclair
Off-topic:
Bouley, NYC
Charlie Palmer's Steak House, Las Vegas
Spago, Las Vegas
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Don't you hate it when you bring a great bottle of wine and the server wants to pour an entire glass to the top? I usually tell them before they pour that we just want a small taste first. I also prefer to pour my own wine. The servers think that they are being helpful, but they pour off the whole bottle before you know it. Just another wine pet peeve.
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Spiegelau glasses are much less expensive than Riedels and almost as good. Also, one does not feel so bad when one breaks. We use them at home.
My wife and I enjoy good wine and good glasses. However, we really don't want to call attention to ourselves or make a big production by bringing our own glasses. I think that it is a "dis" to the restaurant. Also, it's a burden to us.
What do you do with the dirty glasses when you leave? Ask the restaurant to clean them? Just pack them with wine residue?
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The old ownership and the old chef are more inspired and more generous than they previously were. We were pleased with the place.
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I'm just guessing on the new management. The hostess seems to be of Russian origin and the last two times that we were there (once last month and last night), she seemed intensely interested to confirm that we enjoyed everything and that we would try the place again. She was trying to cultivate us as "regulars" with the subtle fervor of someone who was trying to improve the restaurant's attendance. Also, I confirm that our portions were very fair and the prices are maybe only a tad more than comparable places. I remember a few years ago here I ordered a bouillabaise (spelling?) that was paltry for the price. I did not find that to be the case our last two times here. It is a better restaurant than it was in past years.
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We really enjoyed Lilac in Millburn last night. For an apppetizer, my wife enjoyed the foie gras. It came with a generous piece of cooked foie gras, a terrine of foie gras, cooked apples, a dollop of sweet potatoes and a triangle of grilled toast. A very generous portion and it tasted great. Almost enough for dinner in itself. I had a lobster and crab salad with jicama and avocado. Light and refreshing.
For entrees, my wife had a crusted chilean sea bass with risotto. Generally, we don't like this fish, but it was great. It had a silky texture because it was cooked lightly. It didn't have the rubbery texture that we don't like in C.S.B. The risotto was also creamy and silky with fresh peas-- a great compliment, along with a generous dollop of halved cherry tomatoes.
I ordered the roasted duckling, which was a generous serving of leg and breast on the bone. The fresh blackberries and sauce were a perfect foil. A sweet potato cake and mixed vegetables also came with it. A refreshingly retro switch from the ubiquitous rare sliced duck breast that I often find tastes too much of liver.
As a BYO, our '99 Vosne-Romanee red burgundy complimented the meal and allowed us to avoid a big wine bill (of course, we had to buy the bottle originally).
Speaking of liver, sauteed liver was an entree choice, for those who enjoy it, but never find it on menus anymore. If you need to boost your cholesterol, this is the place!
We ordered dessert to go, since we were full. The apple pear cobbler was not so good. Perhaps it is better at the restaurant. Some things don't travel well.
If you haven't tried this place in a while, it seems that the chef and ownership may be of new and recent vintage. I recommend that you give it another try. I think that it's better than or competitive with the New American restaurants in Montclair.
Il Ripasso
in New Jersey: Dining
Posted
I have posted on this restaurant before. It's a sleeper in restaurant-barren Livingston. I had a bountiful bowl of mussels and cockles. Very good in a light tomato and basil sauce. My wife had a spinach salad with poached pear and goat cheese. Great pear!
My entree was white tuna with lemon and capers. I had a nice conversation with the manager about what white tuna is. He said that it was a French or Mediterranean fish. It reminded me of swordfish, but it was softer, not as firm and fairly light . Whatever the heck it was, it tasted good. My SO had large shrimp in the shell that were grilled (gamberoni). These were the Giambi of shrimp, so large one would think that they are on steroids! But they were good!
For dessert, we had a special. It was a crepe filled with cheese. At our suggestion, it was topped with fresh berries. For those who complain about tepid cappuchino, mine was served as hot as molten lava. Even a couple of ice cubes could only cool it a few degrees. It also tasted good once it cooled.
I think that Corso 98 is a little better than Il Ripasso and Fascino is clearly better. However, this place has its charms, the food is good, the staff tries very hard and we are happy to patronize this place. We are sad that on a Wednesday night, it was rather unoccupied. Give it a try and see what you think. It's in our regular rotation and we are very selective. Note: it's BYO.