Rosie

Oh Vay! I went down to #12.

You're invited and so is Mrs. TCD. But I don't have 20 bottles of Turley ;( and Tommy is right. Turley doesn't go with Chinese food. Actually, I think I have 3 bottles of Turley and that won't go far with 30 people.

So now that makes three of us who have experienced very unprofessional service. Two of us have walked out. It's too bad because I thought the chef was very talented. Thanks for your report.

Tommy--About the wine----Maybe everyone should bring a bottle of wine they don't like and then it won't matter if someone else tastes their wine. And I was going to bring a Turley and give you a taste! ;)

and...what does that have to do with the price of tea in china? ;) Rachel told you to BYO. I told you to also bring a corkscrew. Tea in Korea. ;)

HELP!!! I am losing ground. I'm at # 11 and want to stay there until egullet can catch up and pass me. Please vote.

Tommy--We always travel with a corkscrew also. Some places don't have them. Lowell carries one in his shaving case also in case we need it when on vacation.

GREAT!! We have more to talk about? ;)

Thanks for the post Helena.

The Safersteins will be there. Also, this is a BYO. I would like to suggest that each person bring one bottle of wine or a six pack of beer. What do you think?

And you promise to vote for egullet and me on chef2chef a couple of times each day.

I am just wondering if the "regular" chef is on duty at lunchtime. You are right. One hour should be enough time to order lunch and be back to work.

Hey David--Good to see you on egullet. Hope all is well with you and your family. A suggestion. Why don't you preorder your lunch at Bella Rosa. Just stop in and get a copy of their lunch menu.

Lowell and I met friends at Bella Rosa last night. As always we had a very good dinner. (See previous posts) For appetizers two soups were tried; a shrimp bisque and a broccoli rabe and bean soup. Both were excellent. I shared a serving of sauteed escarole with lots of garlic. Yummy. Lowell had a fabulous special of chicken breast layered with eggplant, red pepper and cheese for his entree. I will order this next time as I really enjoyed the taste he gave me! I had a grilled salmon with a dijon mustard sauce. It came with mashed potatoes and fresh zucchini. One friend had chicken giambotta on the bone which he enjoyed. Another friend had a pork chop giambotta which she wasn't thrilled with.We shared an apple cobbler with ice cream for dessert. With coffees, tax and tip the bill came to ฯ a person.

It's next door to Terrazza's. BYO Check Table Hopping to see if it is listed.

Fresh Fields chef/owner is teaching. New place opened there. Cafe Regal. Haven't been. (Edited by Rosie at 10:18 am on Jan. 25, 2002)

Have you been to Il Capo? I haven't been there in a few years and was wondering if it was worth a return visit.

"If we get this going, maybe we can annex Rockland County to NJ..." Only the NY Times does that when they put NY restaurant reviews in the NJ section! Not here. ;)

Wow. This is getting sooooooooo exciting. Can't wait to meet everyone. And thanks for asking about the sugar free sangria Rachel.

Rachel. How much is dinner? I need to roll some pennies! ;)

Rachel--What name is the reservation under?

Rachel--just wanted to clarify this info. Jan. 27 5 PM Mediterranean Manor 255 Jefferson St. Newark I didn't want to go to the wrong restaurant!

I think we should be able to get to 41 today.

These are two postings that I wrote last November and in '99 about Rebecca's. There is another thread about Rebecca's on this board. Scroll down to a 12/5 posting. Dinner last night was at Rebecca's, 236 Old River Road, Edgewater, a lovely BYO serving Cuban/Caribbean cuisine. We stared with chorizo quesadilla containing spicy sausage, mozzarella, Monterey Jack, goat cheese and jalapenos served with a pico de gallo (chopped tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and cilantro) and avocado salsa. I could have eaten the whole thing myself. Then we had black bean soup and pumpkin soup both of which could have been more assertive. A few twists of pepper helped but neither soup had any "oomph." The roast pork came with mojo an aromatic dipping sauce made with garlic, lemon, oil and white wine that will transport you to garlic heaven. The other entrees were a spicy special of red snapper; a special of sea bass with mango; and salmon with a grapefruit butter sauce. All were excellent and worth ordering. If you go here don't miss the side of lumpy coconut mashed yams with slivers of unsweetened coconut served as if they were a scoop of orange sherbet. White rice or dirty rice were other options. We always ask for the back room here that is separated from the main dining room by heavy velvet curtains. It is a bit quieter than the main room but this restaurant is still noisy from the Cuban music. The ambiance is lively with dramatic dried flower arrangements, wood floors and high ceilings. Specials were recited without the prices and a note on the menu and when you are brought the bill asks that you leave a cash tip rather than putting it on your credit card. I like that a carafe of water, warm crusty bread and butter are placed on the table when you are seated. For dessert we had a fabulous flan topped with coconut and a flourless chocolate cake and of course Cuban coffee. The bill was ไ per person. The restaurant is now open on Sunday. Call 201-943-8808 for a reservation. 11/18/01 Rebecca's 236 Old River Road Edgewater, NJ 07020 201-943-8808 or 201-313-3537 Yuca fingers, chorizo with chick peas, shrimp with mojo and fried plantains are some of the delicious Cuban/Caribbean foods that you will enjoy at Rebecca's. This BYO non-smoking restaurant, located in an area of Hudson County that is known as the second largest Cuban settlement in the United States, serves vibrant upscale dishes at very reasonable prices. Rebecca, the hostess and wife of chef Glenn Chernalis, graciously greeted us in this renovated home facing the Hudson River. Cuban music, dramatic dried flower arrangements, wood floors and high ceilings with recessed lights all added to the lively ambiance. Weather permitting, a delightful area to dine was a courtyard with a bubbling fountain in the rear of the restaurant. Otherwise, we prefer a small lovely private side room (ten seats), separated from the main dining room by heavy velvet curtains. It was an ideal spot for a small private party or a romantic rendezvous. The staff was well informed about the ingredients used in the dishes and willingly answered all of our questions. Although the specials were written out on a blackboard at the entrance of the restaurant, the waiter recited them without their prices. A carafe of water and warm crusty bread and butter were placed on our wood table set with a votive candle and paper napkins. I would have preferred cloth napkins because some of the appetizers were finger food. APPETIZERS: We enjoyed a special of chorizo quesadilla (Ű.95) containing spicy sausage, mozzarella, Monterey Jack, goat cheese and jalapenos served with a pico de gallo (chopped tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and cilantro) and avocado salsa. The colorful accompaniments for dipping were so good that I finished them with my fork. Chorizo also made an appearance in a refreshingly different salad containing warm marinated chick peas and sausage sprinkled throughout mixed greens (Ů.95). Roasted red peppers and tomatoes added depth to this light starter that was ample enough for two to share. If you prefer not to eat sausage then try the shrimp quesadilla (Ű.25), yuca fingers (Ů.25) or the perfectly cooked grilled marinated shrimp with tomato cilantro salsa (บ.25) all of which were outstanding. Also, thick smoky black bean soup (ū.25) with a hint of lemon is not to be missed. I was disappointed with the bland dry jerk chicken (ů.50) on skewers with sweet potato, onion and red pepper with a Russian dressing. Some of the other choices were a house salad with feta cheese, olives, cucumbers, celery, tomato and greens dressed in a balsamic vinaigrette or a classic Caesar (ŭ.50). ENTREES: My favorite entree was Ropa Vieja which literally means "old clothes" (ผ.95). The rendition made at Rebecca's, which I would love to have their recipe for, contained shredded beef (flank steak) cooked in a red wine tomato sauce with red and green peppers, olives and onions. Our waitress, Maria recommended that we should have this with rice as it would soak up all the juices. She was right. This ribsticking dish was wonderful. Double cut grilled pork chops served with tomato corn salsa (ภ.95) were very good but the special of pork chops with a sweet guava glaze was better (ร.50). One suggestion, please provide a steak knife the next time we order this meat. Mojo an aromatic dipping sauce made with garlic, lemon, oil and white wine put me in garlic heaven. This flavorful dressing accompanied six tremendous juicy shrimp (ร.50) in the Camarones Con Mojo and the luscious fork tender Cuban Roast Pork (พ). Entrees were served with a choice of sides and all of our dinners had fried plantains which we adored. Don't bypass the fabulous lumpy coconut mashed yams with slivers of unsweetened coconut served as if they were a scoop of orange sherbet. White rice was available but why bother when you can have tasty protein rich dirty rice that combines rice with black beans. DESSERTS: The marvelous bread pudding (ŭ.95) with walnuts and yellow raisins exploded in our mouths from the ample rum in the accompanying rum butter sauce. I'm not a big aficionado of rum but I would order this dessert in a flash. Flan (Ŭ.95) made with condensed milk sat in a pool of tasty caramel sauce and was creamier than the Spanish version. Rice pudding and sorbets were also available. Cuban coffee (Ū.25) was served. Need I say more? It was strong and I savored every sip. Cafe au leche and cappuccino were also available. With tax and tip our dinners have averaged ี per person. There is a ผ.95 minimum on Friday and Saturday and an 18% gratuity for parties of 6 or more. Food Bytes® 8/2/99

They will be opening around 3/1.