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Rachel, How busy does Silver Pond get for dinner on weekends? We were actually planning on doing Dim Sum tomorrow evening, and I wasn't sure if the wait would kill us. We recently waited 2 hours for a table at Sally's Pizza last weekend, so we're waited out.....

Has anyone heard the status of a 'new' Xaviar's in Yonkers to replace the Garrison location? We were married in Garrison in 10/01, and are looking forward to the 'grand reopening.' The Piermont location is another option, but we were hoping to check out the new spot this summer. We had heard rumor of a July date. Any truth to this?

First, I should mention that I do have a bit of an agenda here, because I do a low carb diet when I'm trying to lose weight and flour doesn't really work for me there. But the fact remains that the best wings I have ever had were not breaded or dipped in flour. Yet they still managed to create a crispy, juicy wing with tremendous flavor. And standard 'buffalo wings' do not use breading or flour. In fact, the Quaker Steak and Lube wings that FG mentioned earlier are served 'naked' and are raved about. Perhaps a blind taste test is in order? Edited to add: my wife just mentioned that she had the Quaker Steak wings in Pittsburgh a few years back and they kicked a$$.

Mark, Very, very, interesting. And on a long weekend to boot.

Um... I beg to differ on this one. I went to The Thirsty Moose during my misspent 'quest for wings' autumn last year (nice drive btw...). The wings were decent, but not naked. According to the server, they use either breading or flour on them (I forget which). We purists are hard to please.

I must have been 'channeling' this thread via a plate of spare ribs, because I just posted my ardent desire to attend a good ole fashioned pig roast on the NJ board. Mark was kind enough to send me here. So, even though I just found this site a couple of days ago, the idea of driving 500 miles to attend a pig roast with people I don't really know is somewhat intriguing. The Colombus Day weekend date is key here.... the wife and I both have that day off. And speaking of the wife, I don't think I should have much trouble convincing her go along with the idea, as she is involved in several online boards. So the way I see it, if she can have her group of dangerous, axe wielding, internet friends, why can't I have mine?

Some friends and I are going to lunch at Jean Georges this Saturday, and yet my posts seem to be more along the lines of a Homer Simpson: beer, wings, pizza places, etc. Am I being reactionary? So to continue my 'slummin it' series, let's talk Pig Roasts! We are (ever so) slowly entering the summer season, and I have been dying to find a legit pig roast in the area. A good friend of mine had friends that did an annual pig roast in Point Pleasant for many years, but it no longer exists. Apparently, the thing grew from almost nothing to an event of hundreds upon hundreds, complete with tshirt sales and a beer truck. One year the Point Pleasant cops decided enough was enough.... So what are my options short of having one myself? The ideal situation would be to find one akin to the above, which basically sold tshirts to cover their costs for the roast. I'm guessing that might not be so easy to find, but are there any places that do this periodically (annual events, etc?). I'll bet y'all have some stories to tell!

Sharky's is on the Clifton/Passaic border on Highland Ave. You take rt 3 to rt 21 north, and get off at exit 11A, I believe. Then it's a right off the exit, and it quick left onto Paulson. You take that for about 4 miles through Passaic, pass by a strip mall, and eventually turn left on Highland. The bar is about a block down the street on the lefthand corner. Regarding Quaker State & Lube.... I read all about them and they sound fantastic, but they're all in western PA. 4 hours is a bit of a drive to get good wings. I actually found out about them right AFTER taking a cross country trip last year that took me along rt 80. If only I had known....

Everyone shout out for the best buffalo wings in north Jersey. So far, the best unbreaded wings I've managed to find are at Sharky's in Clifton. It's a bit of a dive bar, but the wings are crisp and juicy, and the hot sauce is top notch. Any other diamonds in the rough out there? Oh, and wings with breading and/or flour need not apply! BTW.. the best wings I've ever had probably were at Duff's in Buffalo. Those guys know their stuff.

One of my personal favorites is Caffe Capri in East Rutherford. The pizza is fantastic (try the gustoso if they have it on special) but the pasta is even better. The gnocchi sorrentina gave a similar meal in Sorrento a run for its money. I haven't seen any mention of this place on the boards here. Any other thoughts/opinions? Also, the same person who recommended Caffe Capri also raved about a more formal and expensive restaurant in town called Jerry's. I have yet to try it. Any positive or negative experiences?

Ok, let's take these one at a time. First, there are definitely times when I would rather have a corona Amstel light at 5 carbs than a couple of Mich Ultras at 2.6. But there are times when I might want to drink more and sacrifice taste. Sometimes 4 Mich Ultras are better than 2 Amstels. This is especially true when in a social setting for several hours and having 1 or 2 drinks may not cut the mustard. Moving on to alcohol and fat, beans is correct that alcohol is expelled from the body first. In fact, those who are on the Atkins diet and are in ketosis will have that condition 'paused' by the consumption of alcohol. The good news is that when the alcohol is burned off, the body returns to its previous ketogenic state.

Jason, That link was quite an eye-opener.

As someone who has lost 100 lbs over the last year or so, I do pretend to be on the Atkins diet, and have had an Ultra on occasion. I can't say it's particularly good, but it does taste a bit like beer, and it does bring back memories of drinking beer while dieting. And to answer a question from above: when you are limiting your carbohydrates to 30 or so per day, even having 1 regular beer can add up to almost 50% of your daily carb intake. 2.6 carbs can be forgiven. BUT.... I have to say that I find their commercials to be the funniest I have ever seen. After seeing people playing basketball, cycling, and rock climbing, one might think they were marketing Gatorade and not beer. One of these days someone is going to drink a 6 pack of the stuff, go rock climbing and fall, and sue them for every keg, case, and 6 pack they own....

I must be with the 'hoppy' crowd because I've always preferred Sierra Pale Ale to Anchor Steam. The Liberty Ale does sound intriguing, though. I'll have to check it out.

This thread really does bring back some memories. And I can honestly say that I've tasted many of the same horrendous brews as the rest of you (Olympia, the beast, Stroh's, natural light, etc) but I think the award for worst beer has to go to Narragansett Light. I remember thinking the aroma had the essence of motor oil. And Ed's Cave Creek Chili Beer does deserve a mention. I had a bottle of that sitting in my dorm room in college. I always kept it around as a conversation piece because it had a chili pepper in the bottle. I don't think it ever occurred to me to actually drink it...