Rosie

Take a ride to Hunan Cottage on Rt. 46 in Fairfield and ask for the Chinese menu.

Scott--Did you like/not like Martino's?

Tommy and Glenn--Check out Openings and Closing on Table Hopping With Rosie CLICK HERE You must be talking about Port or Point Liberte. In any case, Glenn it's BernardsVILLE not BernardsVILE LOL!!! There are many good restaurants in the Montclair area but not for Sat. night. There are many restaurants that you can walk into on a weekday night that are very good. Have you been to Amanda's in Hoboken? They have an agreement with a parking lot. Actually, we have been dining out more during the week locally and I have been cooking on Sunday. Well, except for today because it was MOTHER'S DAY !! And not next week because we have tickets to a show. BTW--instead of Lighthouse go to Casa Vasca in Newark.

Glenn--I think the problem is that you want to be able to walk into a restaurant on a Sat. night without a reservation. Even restaurants that serve "allright food" are hard to get into on weekends and are crowded and noisy. I would be suspicious of a restaurant that was empty on a Sat. evening.

Glenn--you're dreaming but we all have our fantasies! Can we omit the no reservations part? Also, the won't knock off your socks? Upscale restaurants are usually quiet and you won't have to wait for a table if you have a reservation. Off hand the ones that come to mind are Bernardsville Inn, Jocelyne's in Maplewood and Rosemary and Sage in Riverdale.

Has anyone tried this wine? Any comments?

In Hackensack try Wondee's for Thai. You are not far from Edgewater. Try Rebecca's for Cuban food. Both BYO

What about Casa Vasca?

Are you dining out this weekend? Where? Tomorrow night we are going to Berta's Chateau in Wanaque a town that I didn't know existed until a few months ago.

"Rosie-Have you considered 45 minutes? " Steve--I always do 45 minutes. I gained so much weight reading your posting that I will do two stints on the treadmill tonight. It sure would be nice if Tom gives us a few words. Even his opinion of "famous" egullet diners would be appreciated!

Steve, After reading your thread I am going to stay on the treadmill an extra half hour tonight. Thanks for such a complete desciption of your dinner experience. I was wondering if in the future you could give us a precis before your posting?

I do not know anything about this company or even where they are located. If you contact them please be sure to get everything in writing. I cannot endorse a company I have never worked for and know nothing about. If you do work for them let us know how it all works out. I still want to know how much they are paying.

Could you let us know exactly what is required? What type of report and how much time is involved? Do you pay for the dinner, tax, tip and wine/drinks? Do you pay a fee and if so how much?

Sure Glenn, Book a flight for the two of us. I never say no to a free vacation that includes good food! And we can also go to The Lark and The Whitney which are not far from A2.

Glenn, It is worth a plane ticket to fly to MI to go to Zingerman's. It is quite an experience. We have had food sent as gifts and reportedly it was excellent. They have a catalog and a newsletter.

Never heard of BeBimBab at Steve's Lunch? But I have been to The Whitney in Detroit. Actually, my daughter got her undergraduate and graduate degrees at A2 so we visited there often and of course left alot of money at the school! I still salvate when I think of the sandwiches we ate at Zabar's. You should start an A2 topic on the appropriate board. Go Blue! I guess The Heartland would be the best place to post about A2.

Glenn--How about a gourmet gift basket from Zabar's or Zingerman's, Ann Arbor, MI?

We eat out alot so and keeping the scale on an acceptable number is always a challenge. But what helps is that I walk everyday and watch what I eat for breakfast and lunch. Also, I drink at least one glass of water with each meal and water between meals. When we eat at home we eat simply. A small piece of protein, salad and vegetables. No carbs. I eat and drink whatever I want when we dine out. This has worked for me. At home I use fresh lemon juice on my salad rather than dressing and I have given up bagels and cream cheese. I'll eat a half of a muffin or bagel with nothing on it for breakfast. If I am hungry between meals I reach for a piece of fruit. Of course I cheat now and then but knowing that I will eat what I want when we dine out makes it easier for me to restrict certain foods at home.

Are you going out for Mother's Day? Where? We are going to Aquavit. I know it's not in NJ!

I'll check on that but I think they will be taking reservations. They will also have a liquor license.

Thanks Kim. Can't wait to return to Rat's.

Dinner at Epernay, 6 Park St, Montclair was outstanding tonight. We started out with mussels in a white wine, garlic and parsley broth. The broth was so good I was eating it like soup. Lowell went through a baguette of bread soaking up the broth. On Thursday Chef Mark Papera offers cote de boeuf for two and it was outstanding. (Hank, it's worth the ride.) Our four pound rib eye on the bone served medium rare with salad, French fries and a creamy mustard sauce was tender and delicious. And what is even better is that we will have it for dinner on Friday and I get the bone! Dessert was a lip puckering lemon tart in a graham cracker crust. Super! Do try this place. It's best to go here during the week. The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday from 5 to 11 PM. Phone: 973-783-0447.

Yes, but it is not official. I'll post the information on Table Hopping and here once I get the ok.

The owners of Moonstruck are interviewing for all positions. If interested fax your resume to 732-775-4493, or stop by the new place on Saturdays between noon and 2 PM. The address is 517 Lake Avenue, Asbury Park.

Be sure to dip your bread in the garlic sauce that the serve with the bread.