Rosie

I don't know if the food was microwaved or not. I thought it might be because the potatoes were cold on top and warm underneath. Same with the soup. It could have been a problem with timing. Usually when you microwave food you need to swirl or stir the food so the heat is even throughout. I have no problem with microwaving food if it is heated properly. Bearstew--not sure what you mean.

It's open. Let us know if you go.

The inn is charming. You did a great job. I stand by my report. In addition I was with a restaurant reviewer that evening who gave a similar review to mine on the radio last week. There were four of us there. No one was happy with their dinner. I would also suggest that the chef would be better off in the kitchen rather than standing on the front porch drinking beer, walking through the dining room drinking beer and sitting and talking to customers. Perhaps then the food we were served would have been better. In addition, when asked if the salmon was farm raised salmon the waitress told us no it was "fresh." I wrote about my experiece. Others should certainly try the restaurant as they may have a much different experience than I had. Try it and be sure to give us a report.

Do you know if Abracci is open on Sundays?

Have been to LouCa's many times and they are consistantly good. Haven't been to Abracci in years. Both are BYO.

Awaiting your report.

I think they have been under new ownership and have had a new chef for a few years. Don't know about cheese.

We had dinner at Mendocino, 2917 M St, NW, Washington, DC last week and had a delightful experience. Chef Drew Trautmann and owner Jared Rager are to be commended for the exciting menu and excellent service. It was hard to order as everything read so beautifully. Luckily there were six of us for dinner so we were able to taste many dishes. We started off with a roasted pumpkin soup with cinnamon cured duck and garlic yogurt; meze dip trio containing hummus, skorthalia, and muhammara with pita bread; red wine braised octopus with beluga lentil-fennel salad, crispy chorizo and a red wine reduction; and organic mesclun salad with a roasted shallot sherry vinaigrette, oil cured olives and hummus crostini. Loved everything. The entrées were equally delicious and contained exuberant flavors. The day boat scallops were made even more special with a topping of red pepper-olive piperade and accompaniments of creamy polenta, sorrel and saffron aioli. We "oohed and ahhed" at the stunning presentation of a whole roasted dourade surrounded by a purple potato, egg, and wild mushroom salad, spinach and a citrus caper brown butter. Lowell helped me finish this dish and you would never have known that the fish had a head and tail by the time he finished devouring what was left on my plate. Fall off the bone rioja braised lamb shank accompanied with beguiling sweet potato pear puree, rapini, gremolata, and beer battered onions was a study of contrasting tastes and textures. It was declared to be the best ever tasted. New York strip steak with braised greens, roasted garlic twice baked potato and a red wine Stilton butter was also devoured and the plate left clean. Desserts were equally satisfying. A cheese plate with wine pairing were shared by all. It contained two goat cheeses (Monte Enebro and Garratxa); two cow cheeses (Red Hawk and Livarot); two blues (Valdeon and Stilton) and what was listed as "smoke and fire" (Fumasion and Ibores). Of course we also had a "worth every calorie" Irish sundae containing a warm chocolate-walnut brownie, ice cream, hot fudge sauce, and port soaked cherries and a warm cinnamon apple dumpling with maple cinnamon ice cream. If you haven't been to Mendocino do put this restaurant on your must try list. Phone: 202-333-2912.

Ike--Welcome to eGullet. Where did you end up for dinner? Have you been to Taste of Asia in Montclair or Chatham?

Health Checks 10/26 http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=e...UVFeXk2NDQzODQx

My husband and I never order the same thing. I usually order fish because I don't make it often at home. And as a rule I don't order chicken because..........I do cook it alot at home. If I can't decide what to order I pick the dish based on how interesting the sides are. Of course I have regretted some of my decisions!!

Food67--Welcome to eGullet. Where else do you like to dine in Hoboken or in NJ?

"tip added to a check without informing us, things that seemed to be freebies magically showing up on the check," Not a good policy. There are too many places in Hoboken and Jersey City for the dining public to go to that don't pull these stunts. Was the "tip added" phrase on the menu?

David Joseph from Blue Sky used Open Table. E-mail me if you want his e-mail address.

The Star Ledger would give the Bloomfield Parkway McDonalds three stars!!! Be careful dude. I got 2 1/2 from Cody about 9 weeks after I opened in 94/95. I opened 11/26/94 for those of you who wonder why I lapped 94/95. Gotta be honest, for what I was doing and being 28 at the time in retrospect she might have been right. If I could get 3 stars I'd open a Mickey D's. Just hate that fried food smell. Ehhh!!! Lou--I've noticed that the Star Ledger has been reviewing restaurants very soon after they have opened. The rule of thumb used to be six months. How did you feel about being reviewed nine weeks after you opened?

Adeqiulio---Well? Did you go to Fascino? How was it? Give us a report--please!

I'd go for lunch if I am free that day.

Tassert's, 176 Columbia Turnpike,Florham Park: BYO. 973-822-3712

The bread at Tasserts is outstanding. And the service was very good also. But we were so disappointed with our dinner especially since everyone who has posted here (although it was for lunch) had a good experience. Specials were recited without prices. Wonderful bread was brought with strange tasting salty butter. We asked for olive oil and that was fine. Appetizers were three overcooked small scallops with some greens and an onion soup that tasted as if the beef broth hadn't been diluted. In all fairness, Lowell liked the soup. Entrees were inedible cod fillets that tasted of iodine. They looked like they had freezer burn. The waiter did not charge us for this entrée which I couldn't eat and did ask if I wanted something else. Lowell had a fish called basa which he didn' t like and felt tasted old but he has an iron stomach and ate most of his dish. I asked the waiter where basa comes from and he told me it was a farm raised fish from South America. A search on the internet came up with basa being a freshwater fish farm-raised in Vietnam that is native to Vietnam's Mekong River Delta and can be compared to catfish. Iin any case we didn't like it. So we had three fish dishes and I couldn't recommend any of them. Dessert was a poached pear in pastry dough with ice cream; ho-hum. This was also taken off the bill as a courtesy. Coffee was good. If you go to Tasserts please give us a report.

You may get more responses if you post this note on the cooking forum.

Try HARRY WILLS in Secaucus (201-770-9111) and ask for Emilia. Let us know when and where you find the lavender.

dinerrm--Thanks for the posting and welcome to eGullet. Tell us where you like to dine.

Been to Zoe's quite a few times and they are packed on a Sat. night and the weekday that we were there. Parking wasn't a problem at Plaza Bistro for us. We parked in the parking lot which has been recently paved behind the restaurant and near the country club. BTW--Do you know anything about Spartina?

Health Checks 10/19 http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=e...UVFeXk2NDQxMDk0

Cody Kendall give Tassert's 3 stars in the Oct. 19 Star Ledger.