Lreda

Mr Klein, I find it refreshing that you can give us all some insight into how you edit the Phila. Zagat's. I am a restaurant owner in Northern NJ and am approaching my 10 year anniversary and year after year am not listed in NJ's edition. I have a upscale place that has been well-reviewed in print and here of course on egullet ( At least the majority has. ) How can I go about gaining inclusion? Ms Clurfield, who edits NJ's edition has refused to give us answers both on this board and through personal email. Thank you, Louis Reda An American Grill Randolph NJ

I'm going to open this up to some of my regulars at The Grill also. Anywhere from 6-10. I'll wait til mid-March to inform them as I'd love to make this a pure egullet event but I don't want to piss off some of my customers that have been asking if I'll do a tasting. I have some lurkers that dine with us and have yet to post here. Is that correct Wayne & Gil?

Ok let me start although because of my hours in the business my answers will be different. I hope this little Q & A goes well and I can use you all as both a sounding board and a source of info. I go out every other Thursday, I enjoy cooking at home and find I do it better than most restaurants in my area at a 1/4 of the cost. Sunday's are family day as I have my kids and Sue has hers so we generaaly cook at home as we're feeding 4 kids between 9 & 13 with different tastes. I drink all the time. Seriously every day lends itself to someone looking to put a wine or liquor into the restaurant. I limit myself now to a glass or two with my lunch and 3 to 4 after dinner service. There's a lot of downtime between 2-5pm and 9 to 11pm. I dine alone ( Sue lives in NYC so we're not together all the time) usually at the bar. As a couple we will also dine at the bar most times. More atmosphere. If we're with others we'll dine in the dining room although once agin most of our friend enjoy dining at the bar. I have a decent wine cellar in my house and also at the Grill. I'll bring a bottle to a place with a license only if I know the owner and he's willing to share. I will bring a red and order a white off the list. I don't BYOB usually. It's a personal thing and I've really only done it with egullet members. I'll drive 20-30 minutes as I feel the restaurants in my area are rather mundane and once again feel they can't offer me anything different. When I dine out I'm looking for ideas for dishes at my place. I won't rip off a dish exactly but look at the components and use them as motavation for a different dish and play with it. We dine in NYC probably 3 times as much as NJ. Once again because of Sue's location. We refer to her house as our flat in the city and my home as our country home.

.Just curious, what night do you go out to eat and why? Do you drink more weeknights or weekends? Do you prefer to dine as a couple or with others? Is anymore more apt to dine at restaurant with a liquor license if they waive the corking charge? How far will you drive to a restaurant on a weeknight? Weekend? I figure after all this time on egullet, I could ask some questions that haven't been answered in my mind as an owner. Call it a exit poll.

Ahhh, the Chalk Hill Chardonnay!

S'cuse me but what's CB?

I doubt I'll serve pork. I might served prawns but It'd be only one course or the prawns might be served with let's just say risotto so we'll be able to make it without shellfish. I'll post a 1st draft of the menu come mid-march. It might change slightly based on what's seasonal. The wine will be posted at the same time. The cost will be between $65-80 including tax & gratuity based once again on seasonal items. Lou Rosie, how many we have? Phil and his salesperson that handles my account are coming.

I'm bringing a 3 Liter of Joesph Phelps LeMistral. I like to share with the staff also.

OK Guess I am mistaken it will be $70 including tax & grat. My bad.

If I'm not mistaken we're going for $75 icluding tax & tip. I'll call Fascino's and talk to Anthony on Thursday or Friday to set up the menu. No nuts for David and if anyone else has any dietary restrictions or allergies let me know. I'm thinking between a 4-6 course meal. Small portions, a tasting menu. Lou

No offense taken.

I met with the people of opentable recently and knew I wouldn't be able to set up in time for V-Day. I will call tomorrow to start up the system and should have it up and running within 6 weeks, just in time for Easter. Starting with holidays and then weekends I believe I will start taking credit cards for reservavtions. Anthony, yes I had 10 servers covering 39 tables. Based on each table staying 1hr 45 min which is more than adaquate. I was able to serve 104 tables between the main crunch which was 5:30 to 9:30. I'd like to thank you all for your opinions on this topic as my blood pressure has finally dropped to a normal (for me) 130/95.

"take requests on the telephone, I'm on a wavelength far from home" I couldn't help myself with this one. It was just another reminder of something I forgot.

Shows. You can't feel my pain here.

The thing is, your regulars are smart enough to avoid ANY restaurant on a holiday. Although, like i said, plenty called Friday night hoping to get in. I had been booked between 6 & 9:30 for two weeks. I left two tables open for every 1hr and a half just in case we screwed up. Happens. The thing that drove me nuts was that the majority of no-shows were at prime time, 7:30 to 8:15. 7 no shows and all confirmed as of 7 days prior. Boggles the mind.

The Twelve are full as of now but you are 1st on the waiting list.

You really can't charge someone legally for services not rendered.

Not for anything but I turned down a minimum of 750-1000 calls since Wednesday alone. People that wanted to dine with us weren't allowed because people book reservations at 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30 in differeent places based on whatever whim they want. Nevermind the time it takes to book a certain amount of people and your regulars that call you 2 days before and you have to refuse or coddle with the hope that you don't keep them waiting for a half hour. Ahhhhh, I'm done kvetching.

Holiday's are starting to piss me off year after year. Now, I don't overbook on holidays, don't want the bad rep but I'm reconsidering. An evening like V-Day only frustrates me more. I had no-shows at 5:30, 6:00, 6:30, 7:30, 8:30 and 9:30. Everyone confirmed. I have 36 tables in the main dining room and using a system of each duece eating in a 1hr 45 min span I booked the room. I didn't have a single table wait more than 10 minutes for a table. My servers, all 10 of them, didn't make what they could have. How long are you willing to wait for a table on a holiday in Jersey? It took my bartender and head waiter 15 minutes just to get me away from the reservation book as I was ready at 12:30 last night to start calling the no-shows and ask if I could send my chef home as I wanted to make sure their reservation would be honored. We all lost money last night, my servers, bartenders, bus boys and myself. From now, I will tell all my fellow masochists, " OVERBOOK". They don't give a shit about us.

Not to mix topic's together ( Sorry Rachel), but WHY don't restaurants have special priced. It boggles the mind.

Sorry Kim, the name of the restaurant is An American Grill. Larry Forgione has a place in Barney's now. A bad start to the social calendar if you ask me.

Supposedly, a place right down the road a few miles.

I don't know, the way StInGeR spell his name looks like a ransom note. Might be best to hold off a meeting for a while.

Shit, $2.50 for a cup of coffee. That's a bit much.

How about Weds April 21st. 7pm. Let me talk to a few wine people and I'll get back to you. After I choose the wines I'll fomulate a menu. We'll take 30 people in my new party room.