Rosie

Moonstruck has just opened in Asbury Park. Whispers or Sister's Cafe in Spring Lake.

You forgot to mention how they bring the bill handwritten on a laundry tag! Were those 1/2 bottles of wine?

I just finished writing a piece about a cooking class that Chef Francesco Brattoli will be doing in NYC. Anyway--I like the food and artistic presentations at the Columbia Inn. But it can get noisy and zooy. If you go later in the evening you have a better chance of dining without children running around. But otherwise it is a popular family restaurant. The last time I was there I ordered the hot antipasto for my entree and could barely finish it. I like the pizzas there also.

Cafe Matisse Rutherford Bernards Inn Bernardsville

Yep! And good businessmen/women.

Stefany---How was your dinner? Should we put this place on our list?

Lowell wants to go to a steak house for Father's Day. Our favorites are Sammy's in Mendham, the Park in Park Ridge and The River Palm in Fairlawn. Do you have any other suggestions? Where in NJ do you go for steak?

=Mark How are things shaping up for this dinner? Who's coming?

The Market Basket is an upscale food market in Franklin Lakes.

Bravo to you Lou. It's important that the public knows that a restaurateur wants his customers to leave the restaurant happy. I applaud your handling of this situation.

So glad to hear that everything worked out. When you go to Mignon be sure to give us a report.

Lowell is feeling a bit better probably because of the meds and not my chicken soup!

Fink--thanks for posting. Don't be a stranger. Glad to have you on eGullet.

Where are you dining this weekend? Lowell has pneumonia and we had to cancel all of our plans this weekend. I will be cooking chicken soup!

"Are you normally weary about restaurants that are not busy or crowded? Do you alter menu choices because of it?" I am leary of an empty restaurant on a weekend and will order chicken, veal or pasta rather than fish. I usually don't order fish on Sunday's either. And I am really turned off by dirty menus. If the establishment doesn't care that the menus are dirty what else don't they care about?

I have this place on my list. Thanks for the report. Would you go back?

Thanks for the info Rail Paul. I have been going to Costco on Rt 10 and they don't have wine there. I'll check out the Willowbrook location next time I need to stock up.

Lou, Thank you for taking the time to post a most gracious and generous response.

I received the following message from David Corcoran from The New York Times. "Donatello has never been reviewed in the Times. Nor do we publish a Top 10 or Top Anything list. Feel free to quote me on the eGullet site. cheers, David"

Thanks for following through Hank.

246 Rt. 10 West Randolph 973-442-9311

I was there in Oct. 2001 when Peter Angelakos took over and thought the decor needed sprucing up.

Pt. Pleasant is Dennis Foy. Sonoma Grill was John Foy. Brothers.

I had no problem with Foy's cooking when he first opened Sonoma Grill.

Paisano's 132 Park Ave. Rutherford or village Gourmet 73-75 Park Ave. Rutherford.