Rosie

There is a review of Carmelita's on the NJ page. Scroll down!

Great. This one sounds like trying.

I have another flour question. How much difference would it make if you used all purpose rather than cake flour in a recipe that calls for cake flour?

Has anyone been to Johnny's in Buttsville? The place is always crowded. Hope I spelled that right.

We had a scrumptious dinner last night at Corso 98, 98 Walnut St., Montclair. This establishment is a cut above the traditional Italian restaurant that we usually dine at and the food and service are always excellent. When seated bruschetta topped with finely diced cooked eggplant, onion, zucchini and tomato were placed on the table along with crusty addictive Italian bread. Specials written out with their prices were given to us along with the menu. For apps we had rock shrimp risotto cake surrounded by an oven roasted tomato cream sauce and mozzarella en carozza. Entrees were roast suckling pig with rosemary roasted potatoes and a balsamic sauce; roasted salmon with mashed potatoes and a vegetable and soft shell crabs. The crabs were sauteed and served with a lemon garlic sauce and sat on a vegetable spaghetti and greens. All of the dishes were winners. For dessert we had some biscotti and a very interesting homemade peach pie made with basil. The basil created a hot taste in your mouth. Coffee was very good. Chef Dino is to be commended for always creating delicious dishes.We always have a wonderful time at this restaurant. BYO. 973-746-0789 This is a more detailed review that I wrote last year on Corso 98. Weary of unimaginative Italian food? Then try Corso 98, a terrific, delightfully different BYO restaurant with seldom seen menu items. It was no surprise to discover that Chef Corradino Suriano and his brother Elio were originally from Abruzzo, as this area east of Rome on the Adriatic Sea is known to produce many high caliber professional chefs. After only one dinner here, I wanted to kidnap the chef or his "mama" to bring home to cook for me. We passed Corso 98 very early one Sunday evening and since it looked so charming we decided to try it. Although they weren’t open, David a waiter gave us the "cooks tour" introducing us to the staff and to "mama" who makes all of the pastas. "Mama" gave us a plate of cookies and asked us to return in a half-hour. Who could turn down a request like that? This restaurant was lovely with one exposed brick wall while the others were painted pea green with white woodwork. Antique padded chairs and fresh flowers on crisp white tablecloths along with Italian music in the background provided a lovely ambiance. The staff was friendly and willing to please but did not recite the specials with their prices. Service was attentive without being obtrusive. It was delightful to find menu selections that had some unique twists. Bruschetta, which usually comes with tomatoes and onions, was served here with an unusual topping of finely diced cooked eggplant, onion, zucchini and tomato. When we saw roast suckling pig and chitarra, a pasta, as well as an appetizer called warm goat cheese and fried green tomatoes we knew that we were about to have an Epicurean experience. APPETIZERS: A combination of field greens, grilled pears, chopped tomatoes, hazelnuts and gorgonzola cheese with a balsamic dressing produced an excellent salad. Pan roasted Prince Edward Island mussels swimming in a Pinot Grigio butter sauce, roasted garlic cloves and Roma tomatoes were so good that we fought over the last shell. A dollop of mascarpone cheese floated atop of a smooth white bean Tuscan soup with flecks of beans to give it textural contrast. This not often seen potage was very tasty but avoid it if you don’t like rosemary. Don’t hesitate to share the Antipasti Corso 98 containing mozzarella, roasted peppers, family cured prosciutto and marinated artichoke hearts. Scattered on the platter were the sweetest pieces of caramelized garlic I have ever tasted produced by slow roasting. A crisp, not to be missed rock shrimp risotto cake was surrounded by an oven roasted tomato cream sauce that we finished up with our spoons. ENTREES: Kudos to the chef who serves his marvelous veal osso buco with a small fork to excavate the marrow. Presented with creamy polenta, wilted spinach, crispy artichokes and oven roasted tomatoes this was a "must try" entrée. Pan roasted breast of duck with honey balsamic essence surrounding a savory bread pudding, caramelized roasted apples and wilted spinach was also outstanding and served rare as requested. Be sure to try one of "Mama’s" pastas. I especially loved the chitarra alla mama. Chitarra literally means guitar style and is a stringed instrument that cuts the dough into a four-sided shaped pasta that looks like a thick linguini. The version I tried combined rock shrimp, mussels, fennel, chopped plum tomatoes and chopped garlic in a scrumptious garlic broth. On other visits a vegetarian option was offered. If the restaurant is not busy ask Elio to show you this ingenious tool. Lamb is the most popular meat of Abruzzo and the giant ravioli stuffed with a ragu lamb, pecorino cheese and caramelized onions was so flavorful that I wanted to call my travel agent and plan a trip to Italy. Doused with a rosemary, garlic, butter, and truffle oil sauce this was an innovative entrée with earthy flavors. Crispy onion rings crowned a beautifully presented tender grilled rack of lamb surrounded with a Brunello wine sauce and broccoli rabe. The upright Frenched bones were interlocked and anchored in delectable garlic infused whipped white beans. Prime Angus sirloin steak simply grilled with a vegetable and potato blazed no new trails but was a tasty well executed dish for those in the mood for beef. At the other end of the spectrum was a complex dish offered as a special. A hunter's casserole containing quail, duck, guinea fowl, lamb, fresh artichoke hearts, wild mushrooms, pasta, zucchini, carrots and potatoes with a stock containing juniper berries, thyme, wine and herbs was a "knock your socks off" offering. It showed off the chef's talent of pairing flavors and textures to produce a sensational dish. Many of the options at Corso 98 demonstrated the fact that this was not your usual spaghetti and red sauce Italian restaurant. For example, I have only seen roasted suckling pig at Spanish restaurants. Here it was served with braised escarole, rosemary roasted potatoes and a sauce made from the reduced natural juices of the pig and balsamic vinegar producing a memorable entrée. For those wishing a simple light dinner try the sea bass, breast of chicken or prawns served atop of a field green and chopped tomato salad dressed with virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It’s not fancy but will fill the bill if you want an uncomplicated, straightforward dish. DESSERT: A caramelized pear perched on puff pastry with mascarpone cheese, chocolate sauce and pieces of pecan brittle was fabulous. Sometimes the peanut brittle is for the taking at the front desk so if you don’t have any with your dessert take a piece to munch on when you leave. I was also enamored with the homemade biscotti which was delicious dipped into cappuccino. Crème brulee, ice cream, sorbets, sour cream cheese cake with raspberry sauce, a blonde brownie and regular brownie with vanilla ice cream and tira misu have been available on different visits. Rosalie Saferstein February 7, 2000

ROCK-Can you give me the address of Marino's? Is it BYO and is it open on Sundays? What do you like to have there? Thanks.

That's how I serve it at my house!

Back to dill. You do realize that chicken soup is not chicken soup without dill.

Love dill. Hate cilantro. I have eaten soap that tastes better! I go to the Perona Farm game dinner and have had squirrel, bear, raccoon etc but the one item that I was not able to eat was the woodcock. You hold the bill and suck out the brain.

Where are the best dives in NJ? Which restaurants would you have never gone to unless someone told you about them? Julio's in West Orange comes to mind as does Stretches in Livingston.

A technical question. You wrote "The Chicken was freshly killed by the way--the "quaint" motto of Stroud's is apparently "we choke our own chickens". And they do... out back--the morning before they fry them up." I thought that freshly killed chickens had to sit a few days for the muscles to relax?

You can also make ravioli using wonton skins.

Try making a butternut squash ravioli. Browned butter on top or a cream/sage sauce is delicious with this. Pumpkin works well also.

It is illegal for a BYO in New Jersey to charge a corkage fee. If the restaurant has a liquor license they can charge a corkage fee. However, with the majority of restaurants in NJ being BYO why bother to bring a bottle to a licensed restaurant?

Great story! I was expecting to hear that Momo was in a scene.

I prefer whipped cream unsweetened and find that very few restaurants serve it this way. I also find that sometimes even fruit has been sweetened which IMHO ruins it.

Are these wines worth buying" Eileen Hardy Shiraz 1994, 1996 and 1997. Do you know what they are selling for retail?

We spent 24 hours at The Inn at Little Washington, Washington, Virginia and were completely enchanted with this luxurious hotel and outstanding restaurant. Upon on arrival we were offered tea in the garden among beautiful flowers, vines and a pond. Petit homemade pastries were presented to us on a silver tray. A brownie, pecan tart, huckleberry tart, raspberry tart, oatmeal cookie, berry cake, lemon curd tart, rosemary shortcake and scone were delicately placed on our Wedgwood china plates. After a walk around this historic town laid out by George Washington we had champagne in our room and got ready for dinner. When we came downstairs for dinner Lowell was given a boutonniere. We were escorted to our table at 7:30 and rolled up to our room at 11 PM. We opted for the tasting menu with wine and could not have chosen tastier dishes or wine. Our menu was imprinted with our name and the date. Each dish came on a different plate, some were decorated with flowers, some were overlarge squares and some were rectangular with smaller inserts. All of the silverware was replaced for each course. We were offered an assortment of hors d'oeuvres when seated and had smoked salmon, country ham in a profiterole, rabbit encased in pastry and a fried rice ball. After ordering we were served a cold soup made from local plums. Three types of breads and French butter were placed on our plates. We had a choice of a three course dinner, vegetarian dishes or a tasting menu with or without wine. Lowell and I had the tasting dinner with wine which consisted of the following: Chilled Maine lobster resting on avocado with lemon caviar vinaigrette. A dab of crème fraiche was topped with caviar. Guy Bocard, Bourgogne Blanc, 1999 Chilled, grilled black mission figs with Virginia country ham and lime cream. Pureed cantaloupe was used as a colorful and tasty base on the plate. Anton Bauer, Gruner Veltliner, Conauldland, Austria 2000. A crabcake sandwich with shrimp mousse served between fried green tomatoes with a flash of tomato vinaigrette, fresh potato chips and corn relish. Solitude, Chardonnay, Sonoma 1998. A marriage of hot and cold foie gras. Two rectangular plates sitting in a larger plate were used to serve this course. One plate had cold goose liver topped with sauterne jelly and the other had the most wonderful foie gras with a tart cherry sauce. Domaine Cauhape, Jurancon, Ballet d' October, 1998. Sassafras Granite-neither of us liked the smell or taste of this ice. Fall of the fork "lucky duck" sailing on a raft of wilted watercress in an aromatic broth perfumed with Asian spices. This dish was served in a very deep soup bowl and had fresh orange sections floating in the broth. Domaine Des Galet, Chateauneur-du Pape, Vielles Vignes, 1998 Cherry Intensifier: sour cherry sorbet, cherry clafoutis, and Black Forest cake. Barboursville Vineyards, Phileo, Monticello, Virginia, 1999. With coffee which was good but not as strong as I would have liked, we were given a tiny box with The Inn at Little Washington logo on it to keep that was filled with dried fruits and nuts. After dinner we were given a tour of the tremendous air conditioned kitchen and met Patrick O' Connell. His kitchen was remodeled a few years ago to his specifications and it was gorgeous. I had to stop myself from oohing and ahhing! I have never seen such a beautiful kitchen with a mixture of steel, copper, grills, ovens and workspaces. Patrick told us that he has 28 chefs working for him and that there was a crew in the kitchen 24 hours a day. We observed chefs quietly working while classical music played in the background. A huge glass window that went from ceiling to floor allowed a view of the outside. A large oil painting of Patrick with one of his dogs hung on the wall. Upon arriving back to our room port and biscotti were waiting at our bed. We slept very well. The next morning we had a continental breakfast which included homemade rolls, cakes and breads, an assortment of jellies, homemade granola, fresh squeezed orange juice, coffee and seasonal fruit. Upon leaving the inn we were handed a beautifully wrapped bag of local plums to enjoy on our trip home. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here. The service was extraordinary, the setting relaxing and the food memorable. I certainly would recommend this place as a getaway. The surrounding countryside was lush with vegetation and in the fall the scenery must be spectacular. We enjoyed exploring the winding country roads, Skyline Drive and Luray Caverns.

Lidia's, Kansas City, MO. would be my choice. Others are: The American Restaurant, Cafe Sebastienne, Riorella's Jack Stack Barbecue, Grand ST. Cafe, Jasper's and Milano. I've never eaten at any of these places except Felida in NYC so be sure to give us a report.

"I have had asommelier tell me I've made a bad choice though." Reminds me of the last time we were at Grammercy Tavern. We ordered a zin and the waiter said to us that he recently tasted a new zin and would like to recommend it to us. It turns out that it was about ฟ cheaper than the one we ordered. We gave him a glass of wine and a very nice tip.

Is there a special dish that you like to order at each of these restaurants?

Where do you go when you crave southern cuisine? The NY Times Jersey Section 8/19 reviewed Delta's in New Brunswick and gave them a satisfactory review. We ate there once and were not impressed. We like Neicy's in South Orange. Any other restaurants you can tell us about?

Haven't been to either yet. They are on my list. Let us know if you go.

We have all been posting our pet peeves but what about the pet peeves of restaurateurs? The biggest complaint I hear from them is about people not cancelling their reservations. "No-shows" cost restaurants money. Also, sometimes people make reservations at a few restaurants and that evening decide where to go. Even if they cancel some restaurants don't get walk ins and cannot fill those seats.

I fianlly got to see this temple of culinary delight last night. I still don't get it. But I didn't go inside and have never tasted their food. . First of all the place is so tiny how can anyone get in there? Do you go in one at a time?