albie

Surprised nobody's mentioned Bistro Scala (in the Sir. Francis Drake hotel), Pane e Vino and Via Vai! in the Italian category; I know it's a minority opinion, but I wasn't impressed by Rose Pistola; also agree that Tadich Grill shouldn't be missed.

Rosie, re my NJ BYOB article: it ran on Bloomberg Multimedia and it's their property; let me see whether I can sweet-talk my boss into letting me onpass it to you.. best, albie

Rosie.... re your query as to NJ restaurants w/ excellent wine lists; I'm sure these are no surprises to you, but those that spring immediately to mind are the Ryland Inn, Nicholas, Stage Left, La Fontana, CK Steakhouse, Restaurant Serenade and Lahieres in Princeton. I'll go back over some notes and see what others I can find

Rosie, re Scalini: Whether it's fair to compare them is entirely a matter of perspective; if ethnic orientation sets your parameters, you have a point; however I wouldn't want to attempt to convince Cetrullo and the Lairds that they are not in fact direct competitors for the same diner dollar in the area's ``special occasion/fine dining" category. With the closure of Assaggia in Wood Ridge, I would be hard-pressed to pick another New Jersey Italian that enthuses me; maybe Samvera in Monmouth County would get my nod currently. To my mind, authencity is paramount, and Scalini scores low here; IMO it more closely resembles what we used to call a ``continental" restaurant that happens to have a few pastas and risotti on the menu. To put this in context I must say that I'm a wine/food professional who lives and works in New Jersey (at least for 3-4 days of the week), but does 90 percent of his restaurant dining in NYC, so much of it job-related; that's why for the money it would cost me to dine at Scalini, I would much sooner cross the Hudson and eat in at least ten Italian restaurants that I vastly prefer.

Kim, I respectfully beg to differ with you re Stage Left and its wine service; they just got NJ Monthly's highest rating for wine dinners, and thier adjacent wine shop is loaded with cutting-edge bottlings from artisan producers, as is their restauant's wine list. I'm a wine specialist by trade and I can tell you that they're certainly close to the top of my list.

Betsy. I guess we're comparing apples and oranges-- I totally forgot about the value-priced glass Riedels. You're quite right, however, about how crucial glassware is to the enjoyment of wine. I did an article sometime back about how New Jersey was the BYOB capital of the country, thanks to its restrictive liquor licensing; I pointed that the fly in that ointment was the deplorable quality of the glasses proffered to the brown-bagging wine-loving diner! Riedels, of course, are first-rate, but I do think Herr Georg takes his insistence on just one `right" glass for each type of wine more than a bit too far.... My breakfront, let alone my budget, is not big enough to hold a full service for eight of all his permutations!

This is a long thread and I don't know whether anyone's mentioned perhaps the latest claimant to thte prixe of "New Jersey's best Pizza:" La Pizza Napoletana on Route 35 in Point Pleasant Beach, not far from Dennis Foy's latest eatery. The guy hails from Naples and learned his craft at their legendary pizzerias Brandi, Trianon and da Michele.

I've not been there for a while, but the Ryland Inn used Riedel on my last visit, about a year ago. Personally, my impression is that it's a needless extravagance for a restaurant to use them. They're much too fragile and expensive for commercial use, and Speigelau is a more than acceptable alternative-- sturdier, cheaper and of a quality that compares well with Riedel. Manhattan's celebrated Chanterelle and its Master Sommelier Roger Dagorn, among others, get along just fine with Speigelau.

Interesting, although my impression is that because Zagat is basically a readers' poll or plebiscite,its ratings are much less reliable beyond the big cities, especially New York. I know this is very much a minority opinion, but I just don't get Scalini Fedeli. Admittedly the ingredients, produce, etc. are first-rate, but the food in general lacks the intensity and purity of flavor that separates the great from the so-so. Pointless slathering of cream and butter marred several dishes. Sorry, but I find the place un-Italian, overpriced and underwhelming; and for my money Restaurant Serenade, just about across the street, offers a much finer dining experience.