jsibley

I was away. I believe they were "best of" "viewers' choices".

Just a reminder that Five Burro Tacos, 9266 Kennedy Boulevard in North Bergen, was quite good, although I haven't been in a while. The owner is a CIA grad who used to cook in New York and opened up this place with his Mexican former sous-chef, if I remember correctly. It's a small place with take-out and a few stools.

Chand Palace in Parsippany and Udupi in Montclair are very good Indian vegetarian restaurants.

Has anyone been to La Famiglia, on E Main St, in Bogota (I'm told it rhymes with pagoda), NJ? Apparently, it was featured on "The Best Of" on Food TV, although I'm not sure that is much of an endorsement. Anyway, it made me curious. Unfortunately, I missed the episode, so I don't know what they said.

I ate at Umeya in Cresskill a couple of weeks ago, and forgot to write it up. I thought it was quite good. It was a mixed crowd, and not that busy on a Saturday night, but there were a few tables of Japanese there. We had a combination of sushi and small dishes (probably my last Chilean Sea Bass for a while, now that I've read a number of articles about overfishing).

Brazilia has often been recommended to me by Brazilians, and I think it's pretty good (and I preferred it to Mediterranean Manor). They have a second restaurant, Brazilia Grill around the corner at 99 Monroe Street that has it's own parking, which is an added feature. I don't remember how much either one charges, though. Also, the atmosphere isn't anything special at either restaurant (although I believe there is music at Brazilia Grill some nights).

By the way, I should have mentioned in my earlier post that the seating at Fink's Funky Chicken and Ribs is at a counter. I don't think there is any table seating. Other than that (and I'm not sure this is even a negative for some folks), I think Fink's is worth checking out.

It's a mexican soup/stew with hominy (dried corn cured in lime, not the fruit), pork, and lime (the fruit)

Fink's Funky Chicken and Ribs on Kinderkamack Rd in River Edge is REALLY good. As much as I hope Indigo Smoke succeeds, I thought the ribs were much better at Fink's. Thank you, whoever suggested them. I believe that the meats are smoked much longer at Fink's (5-7 hours for ribs, and longer for the pulled pork), unless they've increased the smoking time at Indigo Smoke. They also had a really good Posole at Fink's today (on the other hand, I wasn't crazy about the bourbon pecan pie).

For fans of Kinara, is it as good for a weekday lunch as it is for dinner? I went for a late weekend lunch, and it was ok, but not great. However, I think the chef had left, and there was only the buffet, which was good, but not great.

There is also a restaurant in West Orange that is almost right across from the Turtle Back zoo. I only had their Dim Sum once, but it seemed quite promising. Maybe someone will drive by it and post the name?

China Gourmet in West Orange, quite near Pal's Cabin and just of 280 has quite good Dim Sum. They tend to have a lot of Chinese customers, which can be a good sign (if they are Chinese with good taste). Like many Dim Sum restaurants, there can be a lull in the service, if you happen to get there at the wrong time, but the food is usually quite good.

Although the service can be quite slow for dinner, and there are some non-Thai and fusion dishes on the menu, as well, Deja Vu, in Montclair, has some very good Thai food. It's a particularly good value for lunch, for a nice red or green curry, for example.

In the Montclair area, China Gourmet can be pretty good, and authentic (depending what you order). It's right beside Pal's Cabin in West Orange. Like many Chinese restaurants, there is a separate more Chinese menu. They also have good Dim Sum.

Does anyone know anything about Tawaraya in Paramus? A friend mentioned it and I was wondering if it was any good (I heard the service was pretty bad, but that the food might be good).

Rosie, I don't want to upset anyone, but I thought Carmelita's was fine, but not great, and a bit Americanized. That was my impression.

I published this in the wrong thread yesterday. Sorry about the duplication. Five Burro Tacos in North Bergen is a hole in the wall with a couple of stools, but they make good, authentic (Mexican, not Tex-Mex) tacos. The owner is actually a CIA grad, who used to work in NYC and opened this place with some Mexican colleagues. My only regret is that they don't have carnitas (and that they aren't in Montclair).

I met a Portuguese man who has lived here for a while who recommended the following restaurants in Newark (I haven't tried them yet): Seabra's Marisqueira (this is the only one I had heard of) Sol Mar Vila Nova Taste of Portugal Fernandez Steakhouse Pulaski BBQ (for grilled chicken and ribs) Anyone familiar with any of these?

Hi, Jason. Guilt about posting somewhere other than you-know-where..... I realize I drifted from the original thread topic in my last post. Should I just repost the restaurant piece as a new thread?

Thanks, Rosie. This group seems to have a great job of finding the places I like, such as Wondee's (by the way, has anyone mentioned that there is a very good Thai / Indonesian grocery just down the block from Wondees in Hackensack?) I had to think for a while to come up with a place that is off the beaten track and worthwhile, and I came up with Five Burro Tacos in North Bergen. It's a hole in the wall, with a couple of stools, but they make good, authentic (Mexican, not Tex-Mex) tacos. The owner is actually a CIA grad, who used to work in NYC and opened this place with some Mexican colleagues. On another note, I met a Portuguese man who has lived here for a while who recommended the following restaurants in Newark (I haven't tried them yet): Seabra's Marisqueira (this is the only one I had heard of) Sol Mar Vila Nova Taste of Portugal Fernandez Steakhouse Pulaski BBQ (for grilled chicken and ribs) Anyone familiar with any of these?

First, I think the beef at John's in Scotch Plains merits a few more words. They have prime, dry-aged (yes, dry-aged) beef. At about ผ per pound for a NY Strip Steak, not a bad deal, at all, imo (and delicious). On a totally different note, I like Fritz's, which is in Union, near Elizabeth at 550 North Avenue (around the corner from Kean). It is German / Austrian. There are some very nice sausages and hams, as well as very good strudel and prune dumplings (sometimes, apricot dumplings, too). I particularly like a sausage called Cabanossi. All in all, a good find.