Lreda

Talk to you next............ April 10...............2006. Later dude.

Dude, Question if you don't mind. Why bring this topic up after 9 months and use my quote? Not breaking balls, just curious. I'm missing the reason for it. Were you at Formia?

While I believe this is a great cause, I don't believe it's been well run as of late. There put a lot of effort into running this charity event but they have a problem because The Madison Hotel runs their regular business leaving us to make due with wherever they decide to put us in the tombs of the hotel. I did Taste of the Nation two years in a row, the 1st, they shoved us in a basement with pizza ovens when we were supposed to have a good run of the kitchen. I made goat cheese ravioli in a pizza oven without pans. Silly!!! The next year I made sure I didn't have to depend on the ovens and made due to with the portable stoves we bring to shows. The food nevertheless is 1st rate and the wine companies bring wines good enough to make the $75 tariff well worth it but it could be soooooo much better perhaps in a better venue.

I'm stuck on a meat course. Don't know what to serve with the Alluvium as I think it'll go better with The Short Rib ravioli. The Stemmler Pinot Noir needs a robust meat that doesn't overwelm the meat. I won't serve pork but would anyone mind if I served a Bone-in Rib Eye? And for dessert, any favorite? After all, this your dinner people, I'm just here to make it a fun night.

Let them jump-start themselves. I'm in business, let them get a grasp of the world as it is. Not my place to tell someone how to run their business. I've got enough headaches. See ya on the 21st. Lou

Rosie, I have us at 18 including Phil & Erin who have donated the wine. I think we'll keep it at 24 so we have room for 6 more. Cut off date is Friday the 16th, then I'll plug a few people in. Lou

Kelly's was boring and we were there last year during spring break.

I've been here 3 times. 1st Louie's Backyard is good for sunset drinks but as far as dinner forget it. Shula's Steakhouse in the Wyndam is very good, expensive but good. Alice's at LaTiDa's was by far the best dining experience, food on par with what we're used to in the NYC area. Bar's : All, but seriously, Sloppy Joe's at lunch can't be beat, band playing, food good, simple but good. Hog's Breath also fun. You hang out about 8 blocks from the pier and everything is within blocks. I'll post more later as I think about this. Gotta get to work. Lou

Sex and the City...., shit all I've cooked is Italian food for everyone since The Soprano's started, I was actually grateful to eat at a Japanese buffet yesterday.

Actually, while not generations, my girlfriend and I cook every Sunday for our 4 kids plus whatever customers of mine have nothing to do and whatever family decides to show up. We can have anywhere from the six of us to 20 on Sundays. Sunday is my family day and I don't work in the restaurant unless we're "REALLY" short. We cook pretty much everything. The kids are between 9 & 13 and really enjoy cooking with us. It'll help them to learn as I tell them that if they can cook for their college pals and save money perhaps their pals will help them out when they're short on cash. By the way, there's no children's table in our house like there was I was a kid growing up in a Italian household. Good luck with your story.

Oh oh!!!!!

Hmmm, I have to say this wasn't a bad deal. My 10 year old Brandon ate everything he put on his plate and even experimented with things he never had. Well worth the 1/2 price he got. On the other hand is my picky 13 year old Alec who had hibachi, some eel sushi and dessert. Not worth the full price I had to pay for my puberty stricken teenager who looks 16 already. As for me. Sushi was decent, lobster scarce, made a couple of trips but the pan was already empty. Service was good, lot of young servers, cleared plates on time, were good with the kids but they should teach the ones with colds not to wipe their noses on their sleeves. Alec had a good time with that, he notices all that shit, must have been tough to listen to me all these years but at least he'll be able to cook for his pals in college one day. Management was also considerate of the kids and even took them up to the sushi station to have hand rolls made fresh. Bottom line, it's across the street and cheaper with the kids than a habachi house that has a sushi bar will be for me. They also have a liquor license. How do i know? Because I brought a bottle of wine with me and they told me it would be $20 bucks to open it. I had a Saporo beer. Don't blame them, insurance on the license is a bitch. Also, get here when they open cause when we left at 6:30 ( We opened the place) picking were slim as I guess they were judging what was coming through the door. Desserts sucked, fruit was good and I had jello for the 1st time since I was 12.

rosie, it's your lucky day!

Taking the kids here tonight as it's across the street from me. Looked in before they opened and it's huge. Seats up to 700. Heard the rent here per month is $40,000. That's crazy money. This is the 7th location they've opened. They're in Little Ferry NJ, The east side of Manhattan, Carle Place NY, Atlanta GA, Matlick MA. Dinner is $23.95 for adults Children 4 1/2 ft and under 1/2 price Children 3 1/2 ft $4.95 Just what I needed, another place to suck some of the somewhat non-existant lunch business away. Lunch is $13.95. www.minado.com.

If it's a Sunday I'm in. We should all have options for lodging.

Ken, check out my menu on www.anamericangrill.com and let me know what you'd like to substitute the prawns with. No problem. Lou

Hello all, just an update with the menu and wines. Last course is undecided, will let everyone know by next week. I will begin to invite my customers at the end of next week if egullet members do not fill the 24 spots. I believe we're at 14 now. Dinner will be $85 per person including tax & gratuity. Phil Ward and his salesperson Erin will be talking about the wine. An Amuse, at this point I'm leaning to Ceasar Salad soup with Vueve Cliquot. 1st Course: Tuna Carpacchio with chives, Topico caviar & wasabi dressing will be served with Chateau Ste. Michelle "Dr Loosen" Reisling. ( I don't have all the years yet but will next week) 2nd Course: U-12 Maya Prawns over a watercress & mache slad with a flax seed dressing and blood oranges will be served with Newton "Unfiltered" Chardonnay. 3rd Course: Braised Short Rib Ravioli with either Morel or European Chanterelle mushrooms, oven roasted tomatoes and a touch of truffle butter with Stemmler Pinot Noir Carneros. 4th Course: A meat course with Berringer Alluvium. 5th Course: Dessert with a finishing desset wine. Once again, I'll update next week. Lou

Just left there after having lunch. I'll let The Rock comment as he had a different perspective then I did. Rock, be careful before I St John's you.

That's very kind of you to say. Thank you. Lou

A huge difference between the two are that Eccola's pastas are homemade, at least the majority, if not all.

Now, THIS is a place we intend to visit again. Stopped in for lunch Friday, sat at the bar and had a delicious house salad, best salad I've had in a while and I duplicated it for dinner at home last nighty. Sue had for a main course, a pork panini, cuban style and I had a fritatta. Both were great, I even tasted her panini event though it's Lent. It was a very small taste. 3 glasses of Tocai and we were out of there for $85 with tip. Look forward to coming back here soon.

Went here early Friday evening and were extremely disappointed in the food. An amuse of Rockfish was served to us in a coconut-citrus broth that was ok. We had the 3 course prie-fixe, I had yellowfin tuna with crispy carrots and what I remember to be a sweet miso sauce, average at best, little flavor in either the tuna or sauce. Sue had hamachi with blood oranges that was also uninspired. For the main course I had lobster and it's sad to think that I can't remember a single thing that the lobster was served with because by this time I was getting a little peeved. I might add service was excellent and I had every chance to complain but where to start, besides it's just not my style, I just don't return. I really didn't want to write this as I find the place attractive and I felt bad for them as we left at 7:30 and there was only 4 tables seated but I'm looking at my bill for the dinner and it came to $268 with tip and I'm asking myself for what? In addition they sat a 3 top right next to us when the dining room was empty and I had to listen to this woman on her cell phone, waiting for her guests and the menu and restaurant clearly ask the cell phones be turned off or at least to vibrate. I even mentioned this and she couldn't care less nor did the staff. Should have gone to Oceana but Sue had a marvelous lunch here recently. Chalk it up to experience.

Just can't figure out why if you have a bar, why not put a few chairs there. You've already got someone serving drinks there. Oh well, I've got my own problems.

Had lunch here a couple of weeks ago. Let me say 1st, I trained under Tim Principale, chef at Eccola 20 years ago when he worked for my father at the now closed Italian Chalet in Denville so I'm a little biased. I find for lunch they are very expensive. Entrees up to $18 for pasta, homemade pasta but never the less pasta. I had a Spedini Romano for a app, white bread stuffed with proscuitto & mozzarella and served in a anchovie & lemon sauce. This was always a personal favorite of mine and I look forward to having it here. Next Tim made me Venison with wild mushrooms which wasn't on the menu. Good, but I've been doing variations of this dish for years. Can't remember what my friends had but Tim and I caught up on old times and had quite a few laughs remembering the decandant 80's.

A white tuna fillet? I don't know what to make of this. I've never been offered this as a fillet before or a whole fish for me to cut up. I've always thought of this a sushi item, a chunk which you slice to make sushi.