PARAMUS GASTRONOMICAL WASTELAND

[toddevan]

in this mall-opolis

[tommy]

you may have an unhealthy preoccupation with the towns in NJ.

Legal Seafoods is quite good for oysters and wine. for other recs and discussion, use the "search" function.

Edited May 15, 2003 by tommy (log)

[toddevan]

Tommy, funny

- just wondering if any decent restaurants in Paramus

I usually eat in Hackensack or Englewood

- seems like a town with nothing but stores

[Double 0]

There are at least 10 towns within 10 minutes of Paramus by car (unless you don't have access to one and have to walk). Try the search function, I'm sure something will pop up.

[toddevan]

within 10 minutes of Paramus by car

10 minutes in Paramus can get you nowhere with the traffic

- I was wondering if anyplace to eat good meal actually physically In Paramus (i did not like Napa Valley as way way overpriced

[thereuare]

What type of food do you like?

I grew up there and still have my 'local favorites' which i return to when in the area about once per month... but i'm more of a 'hole in the wall' type of guy than a 'legal seafood' type, so my recommendations may not fit your liking.

[201]

You might want to try El Cid on Paramus Road. Probably nothing that's going to knock your socks off, but at least it's shielded from the malls and the employees don't wear flair.

Also Kuma on the corner of Midland Ave and Forest Ave used to be decent Chinese in its previous incarnation (Panda Forest), but I haven't been there in years and there have been a couple of complaints on this board if I recall correctly. Now it's Japanese (read, sushi) and Chinese cuisine.

Also away from the highways is a little pizzeria that someone on here once mentioned a long time ago as having the best chicken parm hero they'd ever had. I went there, I ate it, I found it average and promptly forgot the name of the place.

Namaskaar for Indian on Route 4 near the Jewelry Exchange has gotten some good word, but I haven't been there myself.

There are actually a bunch of "towny" type places in Paramus, but unsurprisingly, they aren't on the highways. Are they any good? I have no idea, but I know the backroads to Hackensack so I'm not too concerned about it.

[MichaelZ]

You're only ten minutes, max, from Fink's Funky Barbeque, on Kindermack Road in River Edge. It certainly isn't fancy, but really good for what it tries to be.

[tommy]

You're only ten minutes, max, from Fink's Funky Barbeque, on Kindermack Road in River Edge. It certainly isn't fancy, but really good for what it tries to be.

that would take some posters 20 minutes. because they'd insist on taking rt 4. on saturday. some are beyond help. see you at Fink's.

[thereuare]

Also away from the highways is a little pizzeria that someone on here once mentioned a long time ago as having the best chicken parm hero they'd ever had.

That was me, and i still stand by my assessment that it's the best chicken parm hero i've ever had (sorry you didn't like it). The place is La Bella Roma Pizzeria and is on Farview Ave, just south of Century Road.

Been going there for 20 years, and still one of the places i like to frequent when i'm in the area... chix parm hero is the thing to get if you decide to go.

Nothing fancy, but a great hero.

[tommy]

That was me, and i still stand by my assessment that it's the best chicken parm hero i've ever had (sorry you didn't like it).  The place is La Bella Roma Pizzeria and is on Farview Ave, just south of Century Road.

Been going there for 20 years, and still one of the places i like to frequent when i'm in the area... chix parm hero is the thing to get if you decide to go.

Nothing fancy, but a great hero.

please to tell you're joking. it'll take you word for it and try it this weekend.

[thereuare]

I do think this place has great chicken parm heros and have been eating them for 20+ years there.... was there just 2 weeks ago as a matter of fact!

Don't go expecting gourmet free range chicken and imported cheese, but for "basic pizzeria grub" it's the best damn chicken parm hero around.

If i wasn't busy this weekend i'd meet you there.

[toddevan]

anyone know of BIaggio's in Paramus

any word on it

El Cid is it any better than Meson Madrid

Kuma - for Chinese I prefer Lotus Garden

[toddevan]

i am within walking distance of Finks but do not go much

[Rachel Perlow]

but i'm more of a 'hole in the wall' type of guy than a 'legal seafood' type, so my recommendations may not fit your liking.

Why do people have to be categorized? It's not possible to patronize both sorts of places?

[Rachel Perlow]

201's suggestions of Kuma and Namaskar are reasonable. They are both decent if not knock-your-socks-off places.

You are near Fink's and don't eat thereof regularly?

[jhlurie]

I actually have to agree that the town of Paramus itself is fairly dreadful for food.

But tommy is very right as well. You don't have to drive very far outside of Paramus to find some pretty good food.

Oddly enough, with all of those malls, Paramus is still one of the er... "town-iest" towns I've ever seen (and I don't really mean that as a compliment--the locals are very insular, and many tend to live and die there, if you know what I mean). But does this manifest itself in good local eating? I've never really been able to tell.

The Forum Diner on Rte. 4 isn't bad though, and I've been told that the Suburban Diner on Rte. 17 is okay as well. The Mongolian food restaurant (it looks like a chinese "kitchen" from the outside) inside the Bergen Mall used to be good, but I haven't been there in years so I can't tell you if they've held up (really, with "Mongolian" the freshness and quality of the ingredients is about all that can make or break it).

Now these low-end places don't really help if you are looking for an upper-end eating experience... but at least its something.

But dude... what's with the all-caps post names? I don't want to be Mr. Internet Policeman, but most netiquette books say that's considered pretty rude--the internet equivalent of shouting in a public place.

Edited May 16, 2003 by jhlurie (log)

[thereuare]

but i'm more of a 'hole in the wall' type of guy than a 'legal seafood' type, so my recommendations may not fit your liking.

Why do people have to be categorized? It's not possible to patronize both sorts of places?

I didn't mean to offend or classify anyone, i was merely trying to show my own tastes and preferences, and therefore not waste the reader's time if they are looking for a 'legal' seafood' type of place.

[toddevan]

Kuma - tried once very uninspired not worthy of a recommendation

Legal - typical average unimaginative mall dining

Ridgewood - overpriced restaurants although I do want to try Joe's Malibu

Wyckoff - some places not mentioned here include ALDO'S brick House

Paramus - only place I have found worthy of going to is Cal Pizza Kitchen

Hackensack - good Thai and decent Italian

[201]

Kuma - tried once very uninspired not worthy of a recommendation

Legal - typical average unimaginative mall dining

Ridgewood - overpriced restaurants although I do want to try Joe's Malibu

Wyckoff - some places not mentioned here include ALDO'S brick House

Paramus - only place I have found worthy of going to is Cal Pizza Kitchen 

Hackensack - good Thai and decent Italian

So basically you're looking for inspired, imaginative yet inexpensive, clearly-above-average restaurants which are as worthy of a visit as California Pizza Kitchen?

[jhlurie]

So basically you're looking for inspired, imaginative yet inexpensive, clearly-above-average restaurants which are as worthy of a visit as California Pizza Kitchen?

Well, to be fair, if you take out the very debatable part about California Pizza Kitchen, that describes some of the better ethnic restaurants we frequent around here...

[201]

So basically you're looking for inspired, imaginative yet inexpensive, clearly-above-average restaurants which are as worthy of a visit as California Pizza Kitchen?

Well, to be fair, if you take out the very debatable part about California Pizza Kitchen, that describes some of the better ethnic restaurants we frequent around here...

You can't take the punchline out of the joke though... you just CAN'T!!

[tommy]

jhlurie. c'mon man. yer killin us here.

[jhlurie]

jhlurie.  c'mon man.  yer killin us here.

Okay, so I got the sarcasm and yet thought there was a legitimate point buried under it. Which clearly there wasn't. Maybe if I'd typed it in all CAPS it would have restored some humor.

Edited May 16, 2003 by jhlurie (log)

[201]

jhlurie.  c'mon man.  yer killin us here.

Okay, so I got the sarcasm and yet thought there was a legitimate point buried under it. Which clearly there wasn't. Maybe if I'd typed it in all CAPS it would have restored some humor.

Well, of course there was a point. Sarcasm is nothing if not pointed! I'm finding toddevan a bit hard to supply with recommendations since we still don't know what it is he/she likes about any of the few places he/she claims to enjoy on some level. I was trying to reach a definition which would be the opposite of the criticisms he/she's used against the places he/she doesn't enjoy.

edit: I've got to remember to be more consistent with my gender ambiguity

Edited May 16, 2003 by 201 (log)