Hank

The Whole Food store in Edgewater has an excellent cheese dept. with a large selection as well as wonderful produce though their produce is mostly organic and therefore pricey but well worth the extra sheckels. Their fish has always been very fresh though not a big selection. We bought a beautiful piece of halibut there today for $11.99 per pound. Not bad.

Stacey, we certainly all have a right to our own opinions and thankfully in this country we can vocalize them without fear but to say that Minado is better than China 46 proves to me that you have either some kind of agenda towards China 46 or you do not have the slightest idea what good Chinese food is all about. That comparison, IMHO is nothing short of being terribly dead wrong. Also, in my many years of going to restaurants I have never, ever yet gone to an "all you can eat" restaurant where I did not walk out as hungry as when I walked in and that includes Minado. The food was nothing less than God awful and inedible and any of my friends who have gone have felt the same. Again, I cannot for the life of me understand your comparison. You also remark why some folks push this place. Simple answer my frined. We go because we think it is some of the best Chinese food in our area and keeps us from driving to New York or Chinatown for comparable food. That said, if you like the food at Minado that is fine and I wish you many more enjoyable meals there. A Votre Sante. P.S. Personally, I have been lucky enough over the years to have gone to some of the best Chinese restaurants in this country and in China and I truly believe that I have learned good from bad Chinese food.

I know where you and your husband are coing from and I have been guilty myself in the past. But it does behove us to let management know when we have a problem so that they can rectify it and more importantly make sure that it does not happen again. With that said I do hope that you will give them another chance as the food is very good and they deserve a break. Also, please let them know what made you unhappy so that it won't happen to anyone else and ofcourse yourselves.

I do have one question to ask of you and that is if you complained to ownership, either Cecil or his wife Connie? If in fact you did and they did not rectify the probelm immediately then ofcourse they are to blame, which knowing them I can hardly believe but stranger things do happen. If in fact you did not then why shoot the horse because the wagon lost a wheel. Unfortunately too many times that is the case in restaurants and owners suffer because of poor service by a waiter or kitchen staff. I know exactly where your husband is coming from since both my wife and I also dislike with a passion those very strong tasting peppers and always remind Cecil to please not add them to a dish we have ordered.

Thanks Rail Paul but that's my bed time.

CulinAriane 33 Walnut St., Montclair Tel.: 973-744-0533 ← Thanks for the info. I already left a message on their phone and am waiting for a confirmation. Hank

Does anyone have the exact address and or telephone number. Sounds like a restaurant to try.

i suppose i'll start with this one: entrees (from the SOB website:) 19 23 26 25 22 25 18 26 27 28 26 average = 24.09. not too far off the 25 dollar mark. if i have time later i'll try to explain why people have lower expectations when prices are lower. honestly i don't know if i'll be able to come up with anything more simple than "people have lower expectations when prices are lower." hank, now, i'd appreciate it if you could response to *my* queries here. thanks in advance. ← My appologies to Menton1 as to my math. After using a calculator I came up with the same $24.09 as you did. I was surprised but numbers and calculators do not lie. As to the questions you asked of me I believe that I answered them in prior posts and this last one. By saying 5 bucks less he feels the price is too high and lets forget the decor stuff. It doesn't swim. And how can he assume to be more forgiving if he has not tried the food and therefore does not have a clue as to the quality which I know that you know always comes at a price, especially meats and fish. And, speaking of decor. Did anyone on this site ever go to 28 in Montclair. They had absolutely zilch decor but were packed 7 days a week and the noise level was atrocious. (A tin ceilingt no less)I have not been back since they closed for a while to renovate but I am told there is no change. I could mention so many more including NYC but I do think you understand my point. Once the plates arrive it's all about the food and may I please repeat. I have gone to many restaurants all over the world (part of growing old and being able to afford to travel) and have never, ever heard anyone say that though the food was delicious they would not go back because of the decor or setting. With all that said Tommy, I would love to break some bread with you (after passover) and discuss some serious restaurants we have both gone to, even Hoboken.

I was going to let this topic go to rest but since my name has been mentioned twice recently I feel it necessary to defend my position concerning Menton1. In his post of April 5th he says "the pricing of SOB seems to be in the top 90% of New Jersey restaurants". I questioned where the 90% came from and received no response from him. The same day he writes, "About the looks of the place. 5 bucks lower per entree average I might be more forgiving." Since when does decor have anything to do with the pricing of the entrees, entrees that he has as yet not tasted. YES, we all love beautful, interesting decor (Venue for one IMHO) but shouldn't a restaurant first concentrate on the food before worrying about how it looks and this place is not that terrible. Also, why just 5 bucks, why not 10 or 15 bucks while the owners are at it. Why should he feel more forgiving if he pays $15.00 for an entree instead of $20.00 when the quality of the food might and probably will be compromised if they do go down 5 bucks. Tommy, you seem as bright as they come when evaluating food on this site. Please explain all this to me. I am truly more than willing to listen and learn. Menton1 also mentioned in the same post about the filthy door with which I could not agree with him more. That should never happen anywhere. But, I went there the following evening and the door had been cleaned and painted. Case closed. Why not just plain tell the chef and or owner instead of posting about a dirty door considering that the rest of the restaurant and kitchen are spotless. I'll bet that some people read into his comment that just maybe the rest of the restaurant might also be filthy. I know %100 that I would have. On another site Menton1 posts that the average price of entrees are $25.00 to $28.00. PLEASE, will someone tell me where he got that info? What is his problem? If Mike walked into my office I would have no idea who he was and I am certainly not affiliated in any way with this or any other restaurant but what IMHO are very poorly thouight out comments about SOB can only hurt a fairly new and fragile restaurant that is trying very hard to be a success in a town with many restaurants. Menton1 and everyone else on this site should realize that decor takes a lot of money and after investing in a professional kitchen there is not always any money left over to put into the walls and furniture. I'll bet that once the owners make enough money they will re-invest some of it into the decor. Until then, please Gary, just keep up with the wonderful food and Menton1, please be more considerate of honest people who are dreaming the American dream. You love or hate the food, so yes, please post that for that is what food sites are all about but the rest is all BS.

actually, if one assumes the food is very good and knows the pricepoint one can certainly conclude "the place doesn't look as nice as it should for the level of food and pricepoint." that, i believe, is what menton is saying. ← Since all our tastes are different we should not "assume the food to be very good." hank, i believe you are missing the point. menton said: menton here suggests that the food deserves better than the surroundings. (yes, i believe menton thought the food was pretty good. a point that has apparently been lost) menton went on to say: menton here suggests that the price-point isn't exactly low. i agree. he also qualifies his previous statement of why he expected a spiffier looking place. or at least one without huge black marks on the kitchen door. Mike said: and went on to say: i said: here i pointed out that menton doesn't have to have dinner here to have a valid opinion that the looks of the place don't match the level of food and price-point. you said: i think that's completely and utterly invalid in the context of this discussion, which happens to be focused on menton's thoughts on the level of food/price-point as they relate to the decor. menton *has* tried the food, *does* know the price-point, and has a valid opinion that the food/price-point doesn't match the surroundings. ← And I still feel very strongly that food/price point as you call it should have nothing to do with how you perceive the rest. as per the decor vs the PP. It's all about the food man. Menton said that he lliked his lunch and he should have left it at that, told someone in the rest. about the door and not post a nit-pick like that. He also mentions that $5.00 less on the entree's would make him feel differently about SOB. This is not Per Se, JG, Daniel, etc. where you pay hundreds of dollars to enjoy the decor along with the food. And, I am still convinced that my argument is completely and utterly valid and I stick by it. SOB is a jewel of a find and I and I am sure a lot of other people who frequent it couldn"t care a fiddlers **** about the decor. In fact you have gone often, posted about it often and never mentioned the decor so it seems to not have bothered you neither. I mostly enjoy reading your posts but this time I am pissed. How can you defend someone who has gone to a rest. for a $10.00 lunch once and then equates the decor with the food.Please tell me how he can say that the entrees are too high when he has not yet gone for dinner a couple of times, tried them, and then make an opinion as to price versus quality.

actually, if one assumes the food is very good and knows the pricepoint one can certainly conclude "the place doesn't look as nice as it should for the level of food and pricepoint." that, i believe, is what menton is saying. ← Since all our tastes are different we should not "assume the food to be very good." We have to actually try it for ourselves and to hell with the decor. I wish I (and I presume you too) had a dollar for every time I was IMHO been fooled by posters on this and other sites. And again not to beat a dead horse but the restaurant Tocqueville in lower NY had a zippo decor even though very expensive and yet you had to call weeks in advance for a table on weekends. Many people complained but came back for the wonderful food. By the way, they recently moved down the street to new and much larger quarters and the decor is now magnificent. I would imagine that they made enough money to put into the decor that they could not do when they originally opened. Hopefully that will happen to Mike and Gary also. They certainly are deserving.

Tommy I have 2 issues with your post. First of all if you have not tried the food and therefore cannot realize the quality being offered then price point on a web site is completely mute both pro and con. Secondly, Yes, we often walk into a restaurant for the first time and comment on the decor, both pro and con and it is a plus to sit in nice surroundings. But, when is the last time you heard someone say that they would not go back to a restaurant because they did not like the decor even though they thought the food was very good? Rarely, I would think. Also, warmed up bread is very subjective. I am on your side on this one but my wife and many friends love it served warm. Also, you say, jokingly I am sure, that Menton is a pain in the butt. Well, I agree. He really is.

We went last evening and had another excellent meal and when we left at 8:30 there was not an empty table and people waiting to be seated and people willing to pay more to get top quality food beautifully prepared and served and not caring about decor which, if I remember correctly is not edible. I for one cannot count how many "beautiful and expensive" rest. we have gone to where the food sucked, the food being the reason to go in the first place and not the glitz as per Harvest Bistro which some peope seem to be so fond of. Yes, the door had been painted earlier that day (truly a nit-pick from Menton) but what was never mentioned by him (and should have) was the fact that the rest. itself and the kitchen is spotless. A very important factor since IMHO his comment may imply that the rest. itself might have been dirty also. I would love him to explain where the 90% figure comes from and why 5 bucks makes such a "forgiving" difference to him. Mike questions his motivation. Honestly, so do I.

Yes Rosie, my personal list of New Jersey "destination" restaurants has really grown over the past 2 years and my wife and I are very happy for it. We now have quite a few options to go to as compared to only a few years ago when I constantly complained (on this site) about the quality factor in most NJ rest. Unfortunately most of Bergen County is still a waistlandbut who knows. Maybe some day an aspiring young chef will open a rest. in this hood. There is certainly enough money around to support a fine rest.

Just got home after a 40 minute drive from Blu and all we talked about was our experience at this restaurant and I am very glad to say it was all in the affermative. The warm welcome, the quiet surroundings, the service and presentation of the marvelous food made for quite a wonderful experience. I started with the charred octopus salad and my wife had the risotto with msuhrooms and a truffle sauce that was easily as good as we have ever had. Our friend had the seafood dumplings that she loved. My wife then had the cod with a puree of cauliflower and I had the monk fish in a magnificent broth for which I asked for a spoon so that we could slurp up every last drop.. Both fish dishes were perefectly cooked and the flavors are still with us. Our friend ordered the breast of chicken and said it was very juicy, tender and had a very special taste. She always judges a restaurant by the way they prepare chicken breasts because it is so easy for them to come to the table dried out and chewy. Not this one. She was very happy. For dessert my wife had the poached pear while I had the chocolate bread pudding. The pear was most refreshing while the bread pudding, to me, may have been a little over the top. Too sweet for someone who rarely orders dessert. All this with a 1996 Charmes Chambertin by Magnien made for a totally memorable evening of dining. We shall return shortly but first we have to get on the phone and let our family and friends know about Blu. P.S. Now we must pray to the appropriate gods for someone to open a rest. like this in our hood, but until then I will gladly drive the 40 minutes.

We hav a res. for Wednesday evening and after looking at these terrific pictures I can hardly wait. Anything that looks that good must be special in taste also. And yes Rosie, I will be happy tp give a report and hope to be able to say that here is another restaurant that will keep me from crossing the Hudson. If only we did not have to drive 40/45 minutes to get to some of these wonderful restaurants but I guess that is the price we have to pay for living so close to the GWB.

If I understand you correctly you are in effect saying that when I bring a bottle of wine to Jean Georges (a $60.00 corkage charge) I cannot experience fine dining. In fact there is hardly a restaurant left in NY that does not allow you to bring your own wine. All you need to do is ask when you make your res. Last week 4 couples brought 5 bottles to Gramercy Tavern and they charged us $125.00. Please do not tell me that we had anything but outstanding food. Therefore I totally disagree with your premise.

This is good news. Please tell me where I can find them.

what, in your opinion are the other 3?

i still miss Blue Sky, and especially the bread pudding. but a while ago, Rosie was nice enough to procure the recipe for me click here and scroll down thanks again, Rosie! PS: i recently had a really good banana bread pudding at The Blue Pig in Cape May. ← I ditto the bread putting at Blue Sky. I very rarely ever order dessert but I could never resist having some there and yes, I also miss this place.

Great idea but please warn Lowel first.

I'm speechless! ← Rosie, Didn't you know that the Turley wines are aphrodisiacs.

Could you kindly give us a complete report of your experience at Harvest Bistro? As has been indicated herre, info about Northern Valley Restos is scarce and any and all input is needed! Here: Harvest Bistro on Egullet N.B. Major roads? Hmmm. Everything's relative. When I moved out here, I had originally tried to rendez-vous with friends a couple of times at Andiamo. When both times, the people were an hour late and lost, I decided that was the WRONG place to try to meet at! IMHO it's a bear to find that place, especially at night. Yes, those two roads have a line down the center, but they are hardly major. ← Hank and MHassett: Please post Harvest comments, good or bad, on this thread: Harvest Bistro on Egullet This thread is about why Tenafly restaurants go bust. ← You mentioned the Harvest Bistro first on this thread but I will be ever glad to move to the Harvest Bistro thread if you go there also and explain to us where you picked up the "rave" review. The reason why Tenafly restaurants go bust. Simple. In the 40 odd years I have lived in the area they have not had a single serious destination restaurant (as in Ridgewood and Montclair) that is worth driving even 5 minutes to. And that is my last post on Tenafly restaurants.

I have to come to Samdam's defense. One does not always need to be titillated when having dinner. Sometimes having dishes you like, consistently prepared, is worth a trip. Although my wife and I are fairly adventurous eaters, we always have the same meal at Samdam--Shepherd's salad, meze platter, and yogurtlu sis. The Shepherd's salad, in particular, is the best I've ever had. We have taken many friends there (all under the age of 50) and the restaurant receives universally approving comments from them. And no one holds the sauce ← To defend Samdam when you write that you always have the same salad, meze and yogurt is very weak. Next time you are there why not be just a notch more adventurous (you say you are) and order their fish dishes or chopped lamb or beef and then we can have a debate as to what their kitchen can do. Again, all safety food without even a hint of diversity and or taste. Their menu has not changed even one iota since opening their doors. They thrive on bland.