Rosie

I am hoping to get there next week. I love his goose and this is the only time of the year that he makes it. I don't go anyplace else for German food. Black Forest Inn is the best.

"MOST expensive place in NJ,"??? Really? How much would a dinner for two cost? David Corcoran recommended coconut shrimp, a napoleon of salmon-tuna tartare, lentil soup, lamb chops, ostrich, tuna and chocolate mousse pyramid in his review of 2/10/02. He also said that the base price for entrees were $22 to $32.

I really don't like dining out on New Year's Eve but friend's insisted and we had a lovely dinner at Corso 98. What I liked was that they had a shortened version of their regular menu so you had plenty of choices and the prices were the same. We came back to my house for dessert and champagne.

If I am driving 45 minutes I want to sit down! How many seats and are the customers polite enough to give their seat to an old woman?

I think Panico's requires jackets. Anyone know for sure?

They only included restaurants that were reviewed the last two years.

More on Origin here http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...=4267&hl=origin

Did you wear a jacket to Nicholas? A tie?

I saw an ad for Valentino's, Park Ridge and it said "jackets requested." Do you know any other NJ restaurants that jackets are requested or required?

Yes. Been to Origin Thai about 3-4 times. Excellent. However, the room is small and gets very noisy. Make a reservation even on a weekday night. We like going there early on a Sunday evening. BYO

Here's the list. What do you think? Extraordinary--Ryland Inn Whitehouse EXCELLENT America--Tenafly Chez Catherine--Westfield Dining Room--Short Hills Jocelyne's--Maplewood Madeleine's Petit Paris--Northvale Makeda--New Brunswick Nicholas--Middletown Origin Thai--Somerville Rat's--Hamilton Ristorante Da Benito--Union Sogno--Red Bank Stage Left--New Brunswick VERY GOOD Ajihei Japanese Restaurant-Princeton An American Bistro--Nutley Arthur's Downtown--Newark Brix 67--Summit Brix 560--Tinton Falls Café at Rosemont--Rosemont Chex Dominique--Bergenfield China 46--Ridgefield Daniel's on Broadway--Cape May Déjà vu--Montclair De Lorenzo's Tomato Pies--Trenton Dong Won--Jersey City East Japanese Restaurant--Teaneck Epernay--Montclair Da Filippo Autentica Cucina Italiana--Somerville The Frog and the Peach--New Brunswick Happy City--West Windsor Harvest Moon Inn--Ringoes Joe & Maggies Bistro--Long Branch Kervan--Cliffside Park Kinara--Edgewater Lahiere's--Princeton Lobster House--Cape May Nha Trang Place--Jersey City 90 Grand Grille--Englewood Pasage to India--Lawrenceville Le Plumet Royal--Princeton Saigon republic--Englewood Scalini Fedeli--Chatham Siam Garden--Red Bank Soupe Du Jour--Hopewell La Tartuferia--Hoboken Tre Piani--Plainsboro Twenty-Eight Oak--Ridgewood Verjus--Maplewood

Thanks for the report on Nicholas. I am returning there soon for my birthday and can't wait! By any chance did you meet our eGullet connection?

Can I BYO and does he take reservations?

Jocelynes in Maplewood--one of my favorites Le Rendez-Vous in Kennilworth-Disappointed the last time we were there. However, the owners were away on vacation. Brasilia in Newark--never been Origin --love it early on a Sunday. Very noisy. Verve --haven't been in a long time. Would be interested in your thoughts. Jeffrey's in Westfield--was there once. It was ok. Girasole in Bound Brook--Excellent. BYO.

What restaurants haven't you been to that you MUST get to in 2003? I hope to get to Finks if someone can give me directions from the NJ Turnpike or GSP coming north.

Lou--You are allowed to be a pain in the ass as you are so gracious about it! If they are not charging for the champagne toast then it's ok. Or there is champagne at the restaurant and each customer serves themself. I don't know. It's New Year's Eve. Many BYO's serve a complimentary glass of champagne. ONE glass Lou! Don't be a pain in the ass. Have a Happy New Year. Love ya! Rosie

Hoisin sauce

Epernay is one of my favorite restaurants and they will have a gorgeous ten course tasting menu for New Year's Eve. They will be serving a champagne toast followed by roasted Blue Point oyster with creamed spinach and osetra caviar; tuna tartare with fennel and Granny Smith apple salad; lobster pot pie; seared foie gras, grapes, spouts and sauterne; pan seared turbot with porcini mushroom, pearl onions, and red wine sauce; black truffle risotto; rack of Colorado lamb with mashed Yukon potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts, and baby carrots; Montbriac cheese with baby beet with mache salad; chilled pineapple ginger soup; warm chocolate cake with caramel ice cream; truffles; and coffee or tea. BYO. Be sure to give us a report.

We returned to Tai Pei tonight. Had the meatiest slightly greasiest spareribs ever. Do order them. Yum! Then we tried the homemade cut noodle ten ingredient soup. I didn't count all the ingredients swimming in the bowl but it was delicious and could easily feed four or more. Then we had a special of seafood and bean curd casserole. The calamari, shrimp and scallops were perfectly cooked--not rubbery which can happen with 30 seconds of too much of cooking! This restaurant has many Asian diners and I noticed that they received what looked like a pickled cabbage amuse. The last time I was here ( a few days ago) I asked if they had a Chinese menu and was told that it was being printed up. When leaving I noticed some very interesting dishes that a couple were eating and asked them about these dishes. When they described the dish I asked if it was on the menu. I was told that it was on the Chinese menu! We love the food here and but found that many dishes were heavy with ginger. Is this typical of Taiwanese cuisine? Also, they serve a dim sum brunch on Sat and Sun. which we would like to try.

What are you doing? Dining out? Staying home? Be sure to give us a report.

It was a pavilion before it was a Mc Donalds. My parents had a house in Belmar and I spent many summers there. They had organ concerts and sing alongs in the pavilion.

We did not enjoy our dinner at Matisse, 1300 Ocean Avenue, Belmar (BYO). The restaurant was originally a pavilion and has been transformed into a restaurant with a view through dirty windows at the beach. The room is cold and the only indication that I saw that the restaurant is named Matisse were a few small Matisse prints on the wall. Lowell felt that with the open kitchen the place looked like a cafeteria. It took us an hour and fifteen minutes to drive to the restaurant and an hour to eat. Specials were recited without the prices. I always tell everyone to ask the price; we didn't and got taken. Lowell's grouper, a special which was less than fresh or tasty was $27.95. Most entrees were in the low $20's. The accompanying celery root puree tasted like farina to me. We started out with lousy bread and olive oil. Apps were a weak three onion with dry sherry soup topped with gruyere. However, it was better than my grilled calamari with arugula. The calamari tasted steamed and the salad was so oily I couldn't eat it. The waitress noticed my barely eaten dish and offered to bring something else which I declined. My entrée was Jack Daniels braised short ribs which were not falling off the bone and tasted as if they were topped with barbecue sauce after cooking. It came with tobacco onions which were tiny fried onion rings with a bit of a peppery bite. The string beans and baby squash were fine. At this point we were so unhappy with our meal that we bypassed dessert. With tax and tip the bill was $80. Phone: 732-681-7680

They have a veal bolognese with porcini, arugula and tagliatelle and a wild mushroom tortellini with prosciutto, herbs, cream and parmesan. Lowell has had the free range chicken and it was excellent. They also have lamb chops with an artichoke and mushroom ragout and parmesan crisp. Does that help???

Hank--Please elaborate. Also, the NY Times doesn't list any restaurants as "best." Which ones in the excellent and very good catagory don't you like? I wasn't awed with An American Bistro; Brix 67; Deja Vu; and Harvest Moon Inn all of which received a very good. I think Nicholas deserves an extraordinary.

I thought that Steve Santoro was a very talented chef. The last I heard he was teaching at the CIA. Does anyone know if he is working in a restaurant also?