Hank

Even though we never heard anyone really like the food we were talked into going there on Thursday evening. Now that I have heard about the smoking problem I will not go there even on a bet. Thanks for pointing that out. We are now meeting at Bennies.

Rosie, this is really weird and at a really weird restaurant. When I called to make a reservation a few weeks ago the owner (Hector) told me that he had closed. Yesterday I received an e-mail from the former chef letting me know that he would notify me as soon as he knew where he would be cooking. Seemed quite angry with the ownership as he felt that he had some good ideas for the restaurant to succeed but that the owner would not listen to his ideas.

Absolutely correct, Rosie. Kitchen staff usually come with a reputation and or resume but waitstaff can easily BS their way into a job and can kill your dining experience. I will never forget being invited by a now very famous restaurant in NY to a pre-opening and our waiter did not have a clue about wine service, and much less about food service. Needless to say when we went back as paying customers more than half of the waitstaff had been replaced. So there is nothing "slick" about weeding out potential problems with non paying clients who can identify them and let ownership know but rather very good business sense.

As promised we did actually go to La Ciboulette twice and we were going to go a third time before commenting about it, but, lo and behold it closed a couple of weeks ago. This truly was quite an amazing place. Visually it was beautiful, most professionaly run and the food was for the most part fabulous. But, the two times we went, (once on a Thursday evening and the second time on a Saturday evening) we were the only people in the restaurant. Most uncomfortable to say the least. Three people did come in as we were leaving around 9:30 on Saturday. By that time the waitress had already come to our table to say good night and had left. Very weird. Since the food was so good my only thoughts as to why they closed was LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. Though BYOB a three course dinner ran between $100.00 to $120.00 per couple and a blue collar neighborhood like North Bergen was not going to support this restaurant. Also, the parking was horrendous. Too bad for in a better location it could have been a winner.

I DON'T THINK THAT YOU SHOULD WRITE NEW YORK OFF THAT QUICKLY. ONE OF THE BEST RESTAURANTS, IMHO, IS GRAMERCY TAVERN AND THEY ONLY CHARGE $20.00 PER BOTTLE CORKAGE. SO, IF YOU SAY THAT YOU HAVE TWO VERY SPECIAL BOTTLES OF CHATEAU MARGAUX I WOULD THINK THAT YOU WOULD ALSO LIKE TO HAVE VERY SPECIAL FOOD TO GO WITH THEM. I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU SPRING FOR THEIR MOST REASONABLE CORKAGE CHARGE AND MAKE A RESERVATION SOON.

Thanks so much for all your wonderful replies and advice. Of 11 wines and spirits tasted with chocolates the favorite went to a 1976 Banyuls and 1995 Maury. The least favorite were a Cabernet and a Syrah. High on the list of favorites were a Brahcetto D'Acqui, a 1977 vintage port, a tawny port and to my surprise a 10 year old single malt scotch. Again, many thanks.

most chinese restaurants, including nyc. an exception would be the shun lee.

Why is it that the moment we don't agree with or like something we are called snobs?

Tommy, I do agree with your statement about low tolerence and diversity but should we not be looking at WHY quite a few very good members of this site have been lost to go to other sites and try to address what has turned them off. Personally I don't believe that most members are really too interested in pizza parlors, red sauce joints, diners and etc. There are too many fairly new and serious restaurants that should be discussed on this site and I for one believe that we should concentrate on them. Gertrude Stein would have said it very well. "A diner is a diner is a diner".

Thanks Rosie for reporting that Fascino was reviewed in this weeks NYT. I am thrilled that Mr. Corcoran gave it such a glowing review, as I did also. They absolutely deserve it and if , after reading the article if any eGullet members still don't go you are, IMHO, making a big mistake. Yes, this is serious food. I know this will make some people very angry but I am tired and very uninterested in reading posts about pizzas and red sauces and diner food. They have their place, for sure, but not on a serious food site and I know some people who have left for that very reason.

Right on Tommy. The stemware is wonderful as is the restaurant and it does behoove you to go. Stemware was a major complaint of mine for a long time and I did solve it by bringing my own. At one point I thought it was silly but when I had to pour a fine wine into a thimble sized glass I realized it was not so silly at all. I cannot for the life of me understand why the more upscale restaurants can't serve decent glasses. I don't mean Riedels but there are certainly excellent choices for around $3.00 wholesale. What is your take?

We went to Fascino a few weeks after it opened and we thought it was wonderful. Went back last night and this restaurant is nothing short of terrific. The food , the service and the ambiance (and the glass ware) are worth every minute of my 45 minute drive to eat there. Must say that I lucked out in finding parking immediately although the time to find parking was a popular topic at nearby tables. We had the pleasure of speaking for quite a while with the chef, Ryan, and what a delightful young man he is along with his brother. Ryan has worked at some of our favorite restaurants in New York and it certainly shows in his competence. He has learned his lessons well from some of the best chefs around and will be seeing quite a lot of my wife and I. These are very hard working young men who produce a first rate product and they deserve our support.

You are right Alberto. My apologies for not mentioning that they will be all dark chocolates.

I am involved in doing a choclate and wine tasting for our wine society. I would love to learn from you what type of wines you like best to drink with choclate. So far the dozen or so people I have asked mentioned most often Banyul and Tawny Port. So please, your thoughts.

About 2 months ago, while looking for another wine in my cellar I came across a long lost andf forgotten bottle of this wine from 1967. My notes told me that I had bought it in 1970 from Post Wines out on the island for $75.00 a case. At that time Madame Joly was still making the wine. I took it to a monthly tasting with 5 of my "wine" friends only as a curiosity and we were all stunned. The wine, which had been stored in a 58/60 degree cellar from the day I bought it had a very dark golden color, an intense honey nose and a long and magnificent sweet, fruity, nutty finish to it and just a hint of acidity. After 15 minutes it did fade very quickly in the glass but what an enjoyable and most surprising 15 minutes we all had. I dream about such things happening to me. Hog that I am I will be looking very carefully if there might be a second bottle.

Having never said "no" to a beautiful woman I will do just that, ASAP.

This restaurant in North Bergen has been recommended to me a few times and I would like very much to know if anyone from eGullet has been there and what they think about it.

Definitely interested and ready to give you an order. Hank

Actually Rosie, it's more than a few. With the like of Bennies, Saigon Republic, Wild Ginger, Zarole, China 46, and now these two I'm saving a lot of $6.00 GW Bridge toll charges, BUT, for really extraordinary dinners (at a price, I admit) we still gladly and often go across the water. Two questions. Where is Il Forno and what type of food do they serve and also what was your problem with Aozoro? At least 3 different friends from the Livingston area (all Chaine members and officers) whose palates and recommendations I have always trusted now go to Aozoro quite often. Also Fascino. Their complaints are that there is not a decent upscale restaurant in Livingston and I have heard this from quite a few people. Any comments?

We are on a roll. First we drove 45 minutes to have dinner at Fascino, loved it and have gone back since. Last evening we met friends at Aozora (across the street from the now departed Blue Sky) and once again had a wonderful dinner. They do have an extensive Sushi and Sashimi menu and what we saw delivered to other tables looked quite beautiful in its presentation. We opted to order from their fusion menu and quite a menu it was. Many choices of soups, salads, appetizers and entres. I started with a sashimi salad and my wife had the seared spicy tuna. Both were excellent and would gladly order again except for the many other interesting appetizers we are anxious to try. Our 1998 Zind Humbrecht Gewurtztraminier from his Hengst vineyard was a perfect match for both the slightly sweet salad dressing and the peppery crust of the tuna. For our entres my wife had the jumbo grilled shrimp with risotto and grilled mushrooms and I ordered the seared scallops with wild mushrooms, Japanese risotto and a tomato coilis. Both dishes were perfectly cooked and again, something we would be happy to order again. Our friends ordered the breast of duck served with a berry sauce, spring rolls stuffed with the duck confit and sweet potatos mashed with just a touch of cinnimin. Again, a perfectly executed dish. A 96 Nuit St. George from Burgundy (can't remember the producer) was just okay. Would rather have had a 2nd Gewurtz. Everything was, as only the Japanese can do so well, beautifully plated, and the service was very friendly and professional. Are we going back? Absolutely. It's a 45 minute schlep but well worth it.

If you don't mind driving to New York my suggestion would be Molyvos at 871 7th Ave. (55th st.) Authentic Greek food beautifully served and excellent service. Owned and run by the same family that owns Oceana, the sea food restaurant.

As of yesterday Al's kosher deli in Fort Lee is closed. I can't believe that they held on as long as they did. From the moment that the new owners (they are non jewish hispanic) )took over, the deli went down hill very quickly. Unfortunately they did not have a clue about kosher deli food and I can't imagine why they bought this restaurant in the first place. There was a time that you could not get near there during lunch time but within a few weeks of their ownership it was mostly totally empty except for a few die-hards.

For years I have complained (right or wrong but my opinion) about supposedly better NJ restaurants and how badly they compare to NY restaurants and how my wife and I are almost always disappointed. Well, with new restaurants with such fine, well trained and innovative young chefs as Ryan at Fascino I am definitely changing my tune. We went there on Thursday evening and had an exceptional meal. Except for a slight lapse in our server the dining experience was perfect, even getting a parking space directly across the street which I understand from previous posts is not an easy thing in Montclair plus a 45 min. car ride almost kept me from going there. My wife had the Scungilli and I had a penne pasta with veal. Both very good. We then had the aforementioned Salmon and Scallops and both were as good as any we have ever had. The hazelnut ice cream was a perfect dessert as were the biscotti to accompany our coffee. By the end of the evening we had met Ryan, his brother Anthony, their father and ofcourse their mother Cynthia who could easily pass as their sister. What a wonderful family running such a wonderful restaurtant. Parking problems or not we will certainly go back and have already recommended Fascino to family and friends. P.S. Our meal with tip came to $92.00 plus $35.00 for a 90 Brunello I bought 7 years ago. Delicious.

DRIVING ALERT. GOING WEST ON 46 THERE IS NO GRAND AVE EXIT (ONLY IF YOU ARE TRAVELLING EAST) BUT RATHER LOOK FOR BROAD AVE EXIT AND FOLLOW DIRECTIONS AS ABOVE. JUST CAME FROM THERE AND WE HAD A WONDERFUL MEAL. STARTED WITH SHRIMP WITH EGG WHITE, THEN THE SOFT SHELL CRABS WITH PEPPER AND SALT (TOO MUCH SALT TO MY TASTE) BUT THE CRABS THEMSELVES WERE VERY GOOD AND ENDED WITH FRESH BAMBOO SHOOTS (THE SEASON IS ONLY A FEW WEEKS UNLESS YOU LIKE THE "YUKEE" CANNED VARIETY) WITH WONDERFUL MUSHROOMS IN AN OYSTER SAUCE THAT WE SPOONED OVER OUR RICE TO END A MOST ENJOYABLE MEAL. P.S. HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THE REST. WAS QUITE FULL AND MORE PEOPLE COMING IN AS WE LEFT. I WOULD HATE FOR THIS REST. TO CLOSE BECAUSE OF LACK OF BUSINESS BECAUSE THEY REALLY SERVE EXCELLENT FOOD.

In our quest to find a very good restaurant in our area(aside from Bennies, Saigon Republic and the Wild Ginger in Englewood) we decided to go by Menton's1 suggestion and try Cafe Boulevard. Well, Menton, to call this stunningly georgeous is just beyond the pale but I will not elaborate on that since decor does not dictate good or bad food. For your information this space used to be a kosher deli and the only thing they changed was build a bar where the deli counter once was and they added a little brick. The dining area remains exactly as it was for the deli. Yes, the service was friendly. Now to the food. My wife ordered a salmon napoleon. Some smoked (salty) salmon that was layered between what looked to be giant chips (out of a box) of some sort with a very poor rendition of what was probably an attempt at creme fraishe. My wife ate the samon and left the rest. Could not blame her. Yuk. I ordered the fried calamari. The moment I saw my plate I realized that I was in trouble. The calamari were dark brown and any decent chef will tell you that that is the result due to old and too often used oil. I manged a quarter of the plate and am still sorry. GREASY. For mains my wife ordered a pasta dish with stir fried vegetables and shrimp at an extra $5.00. The shrimp were about the size of your nail on your pinky, were very tough and without question came from a can. You could count the pieces of vegetables on one hand. Most of the dish was spaghetti in a horrible sauce that we are still trying to figure out what was in it. Actually we really don't want to know. I ordered the hanger steak which came in a terribly cloyingly sweet sauce that for me was inedible. I could have asked the waiter to put the meat on a clean plate without the sauce but at that point we were so disgusted we could not wait to pay the bill. $79.00 which included a bottle of $28.00 Oregon Pinot and tax. With tip $93.00. Once in the car I made my wife a solemn promise that we would never go to another rest. in the Englewood, Fort Lee,Tenafly area with the exception of the three aforementioned rest. From now on she has my word that we either drive across the bridge or to Ridgewood. Ngatti, both my daughters and their husbands (who live close to this rest.) made me promise not to waste their inheritance on this rest. DaMora , which was open a very short time because it was so bad and now this DiNora they say is just as bad.