New Jersey Monthly

[JohnL]

Is it a coincidence that the best seafood restaurant Esty Street and the best steak restaurant The Park Steakhouse both are located in Park Ridge yet neither has been highly discussed on egullet.

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these threads always start with innuendo and then it just keeps building.

Rather than attempt to hint at a massive conspiracy, can anyone look at the two restaurants in question and present some solid evidence that they are not deserving of being in the top two or three restaurants in their respective categories?

I haven't been to Park and I have dined at Esty street several times (though I haven't been there recently).

I always found it to be one of the better spots in North New Jersey area.

Northern NJ is a relatively small area with relatively few top notch restaurants (my guess is there are a dozen or so) so naturally 1,000 or so respondents is a pretty decent turnout.

Tommy pretty much put the Park/steak issue into perspective in this thread.

If Park is not number one it surely has to be in the top two or three.

so far--no one has presented any evidence that Esty street is not one of the top two or three spots for fish in Northern NJ.

I just can't see where there is any fix or conspiracy here.

NJ Monthly is a reputable publication and if the poll was fixed they run the risk of losing their credibility--it just doesn't make sense.

It is pretty boring to see restaurant owners and chefs and other employees hint that these polls are fixed with the results tied into advertising.

Never have I seen any credible evidence to support these veiled hints--they always seem to remain innuendo and never emerge as a well supported specific charge.

So, a lot of this makes little sense.

If the Park and/or Esty Street served lousy food--if there was a large number of diners who howled in complaint or if reviews by sources other than NJ Monthly were in total disagreement then I might believe there was a problem here!

until i see some evidence otherwise there doesn't seem to be anything "fishy" about Esty street

and there seems to be little support for anyone with a "beef" over the Park's poll results.

[bergen]

Is it a coincidence that the best seafood restaurant Esty Street and the best steak restaurant The Park Steakhouse both are located in Park Ridge yet neither has been highly discussed on egullet.

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these threads always start with innuendo and then it just keeps building.

Rather than attempt to hint at a massive conspiracy, can anyone look at the two restaurants in question and present some solid evidence that they are not deserving of being in the top two or three restaurants in their respective categories?

I haven't been to Park and I have dined at Esty street several times (though I haven't been there recently).

I always found it to be one of the better spots in North New Jersey area.

Northern NJ is a relatively small area with relatively few top notch restaurants (my guess is there are a dozen or so) so naturally 1,000 or so respondents is a pretty decent turnout.

Tommy pretty much put the Park/steak issue into perspective in this thread.

If Park is not number one it surely has to be in the top two or three.

so far--no one has presented any evidence that Esty street is not one of the top two or three spots for fish in Northern NJ.

I just can't see where there is any fix or conspiracy here.

NJ Monthly is a reputable publication and if the poll was fixed they run the risk of losing their credibility--it just doesn't make sense.

It is pretty boring to see restaurant owners and chefs and other employees hint that these polls are fixed with the results tied into advertising.

Never have I seen any credible evidence to support these veiled hints--they always seem to remain innuendo and never emerge as a well supported specific charge.

So, a lot of this makes little sense.

If the Park and/or Esty Street served lousy food--if there was a large number of diners who howled in complaint or if reviews by sources other than NJ Monthly were in total disagreement then I might believe there was a problem here!

until i see some evidence otherwise there doesn't seem to be anything "fishy" about Esty street

and there seems to be little support for anyone with a "beef" over the Park's poll results.

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It seem you have not seen the restaurants that received the most votes. The area included in North Jersey included restaurants in Union County so some may say northern NJ is not a relatively small area. I have read very good reviews on this board for Mignon but little talk of The Park with one person saying or inferring it is a good steakhouse to order something other than steak.

[bergen]

[bergen]

Is it a coincidence that the best seafood restaurant Esty Street and the best steak restaurant The Park Steakhouse both are located in Park Ridge yet neither has been highly discussed on egullet.

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both are highly regarded and have shown up in the past in NJ Monthly. discussion on this website is certainly not the end-all and hardly a barometer of the dining habits of NJ diners.

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if both are so highly regarded why have neither been mentioned on this site for years

[tommy]

Nobody is saying it is an end all but I disagree.  Why is it not a barmoeter of the dining habits of NJ diners. Were Blu and Fascino not highly discussed here and both hard to get a reservation. 

Has Sakura Bana not been discussed here and also a place that is crowded.

Was Picnic not discussed highly here and also the winner of best take out.

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you're confusing correlation with causation.

Edited August 1, 2006 by tommy (log)

[bergen]

[Tommy pretty much put the Park/steak issue into perspective in this thread.

If Park is not number one it surely has to be in the top two or three.

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[tommy]

Is it a coincidence that the best seafood restaurant Esty Street and the best steak restaurant The Park Steakhouse both are located in Park Ridge yet neither has been highly discussed on egullet.

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both are highly regarded and have shown up in the past in NJ Monthly. discussion on this website is certainly not the end-all and hardly a barometer of the dining habits of NJ diners.

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if both are so highly regarded why have neither been mentioned on this site for years

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because discussion on this site isn't the end-all and hardly a barometer of the dining habits of NJ diners.

[bergen]

[but to make a blanket statement that they are fixed doesn't seem Kosher to me.

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[PicnicChef]

[but to make a blanket statement that they are fixed doesn't seem Kosher to me.

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who said they were fixed? I certainly never said this.

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[bergen]

[-promotion or PR firms? Perhaps..........

That was to what I was referring...not to you by any stretch.

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[ghostrider]

The fact that Thai Chef (Montclair edition) won for best Thai/Asian in NNJ tells me that the folks who voted there value ambience more than quality of cooking.

In some other categories, places that do have serious cooking seem to have shown up. But the overall incosistency is why I find these polls just a passing amusement.

[lmkennedy53]

Our restaurant Restaurant David Drake won for best new restaurant - north. I can only go by my own experience with the NJ Monthly poll. We didn't send out an email or encourage anyone to vote at the restaurant. In fact, I'm the only one connected to our restaurant that even voted!! Neither David nor my husband who is his partner even voted!! We don't advertise in NJ Monthly either or anywhere else!!! We were thrilled to be named best new restaurant and I can feel confident it was all legit!!!

[bergen]

The fact that Thai Chef (Montclair edition) won for best Thai/Asian in NNJ tells me that the folks who voted there value ambience more than quality of cooking.

In some other categories, places that do have serious cooking seem to have shown up.  But the overall incosistency is why I find  these polls just a passing amusement.

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Thai Chef is a big place compared to the smaller Thai restaurants.

[Rachel Perlow]

Moderator Note: I have had to remove several posts from this thread because of personal arguments, sniping, and baiting. Please keep this thread on topic and civil or I will be forced to close it. Thank you.

[JohnL]

[Tommy pretty much put the Park/steak issue into perspective in this thread.

If Park is not number one it surely has to be in the top two or three.

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Is the Park better than River Palm, Mignon, Mortons, Frankie and Johnnies, Ruth Chris. This Park place seems to be so great. I guess nobody goes to the Park anymore though it must be too crowded.

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[bergen]

[Tommy pretty much put the Park/steak issue into perspective in this thread.

If Park is not number one it surely has to be in the top two or three.

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Is the Park better than River Palm, Mignon, Mortons, Frankie and Johnnies, Ruth Chris. This Park place seems to be so great. I guess nobody goes to the Park anymore though it must be too crowded.

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That's the whole point!

These polls always inspire debate. The magazine probably loves it!

There are several places to go to gauge the NJ Monthly results.

One is obvious--Zagat's.

Others are local papers etc.

I have seen nothing to suggest that placing Park or Esty in the list of say--top five is a "mistake"

something to suggest there is a problem. From there it is a matter of the voters who participated in the poll and their preferences.

Whatever the category, most likely there will be at least three (often more)

places that could be considered "tops." Which one specifically wins out in any given

poll will always be a matter of debate.

Remember this is a popularity contest--not a critical evaluation by a singular reviewer.

(often --to be really gimmicky--a magazine will have two "Best of" categories--one for readers and the other for the magazine's opinion--talk about milking the whole best of phenomenon!).

Most of the time there isn't all that much disagreement.

Everyone would agree on a list of the top three or five etc. and then debate away as to their pick for number one.

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[JoRic]

I was thrilled to see that my restaurant, Raymond's, was voted "best" in two categories this year ("Lunch" and "Family Dining") for Northern NJ. We do not advertise in NJ Monthly, do not have a PR person, and have done nothing whatsoever to encourage voting. (Heck, our website isn't even up yet!) From my perspective, the suspicions voiced previously are unfounded.

[PicnicChef]

I was thrilled to see that my restaurant, Raymond's, was voted "best" in two categories this year ("Lunch" and "Family Dining") for Northern NJ. We do not advertise in NJ Monthly, do not have a PR person, and have done nothing whatsoever to encourage voting. (Heck, our website isn't even up yet!) From my perspective, the suspicions voiced previously are unfounded.

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Congrats! And, it seems David Drake, Picnic and Raymond's are all in the same boat...no PR no requests. Just friends that liked us enough to take the time to vote. It feels kind of good, don't you think?

[ejebud]

no hot dog category

[LNorman]

I shouldn't have been surprised that Jose Tejas won for best Mexican/Tex-Mex Central. It's very popular but I find the food incredibly salty. There is a small place on Main Street, Woodbridge- Girabaldi's- that has good food.

I was wondering if anybody else thought the critics' picks might be biased. Why is Ryland Inn always the critics' best pick? I haven't had the chance or the funds to dine at the Ryland and I'm sure it's very good but I thought Restaurant Nicholas was one of the best dining experiences I've ever had.

[lmkennedy53]

  no hot dog category

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There definitely should be a hot dog category!!!! I have been dying to get to your place!! I've never been and I hear yours are the very best!!! The best of the best in hot dogs!! I don't get up to your neck of the woods much, but we made a special trip to Picnic (40 min. away) and felt it was well worth it!! So we will have to come sometime soon! (even if you aren't in NJ Monthly!!!!!)

[PicnicChef]

  no hot dog category

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There definitely should be a hot dog category!!!! I have been dying to get to your place!! I've never been and I hear yours are the very best!!! The best of the best in hot dogs!! I don't get up to your neck of the woods much, but we made a special trip to Picnic (40 min. away) and felt it was well worth it!! So we will have to come sometime soon! (even if you aren't in NJ Monthly!!!!!)

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They sure are in NJ Monthly! They had an article with a photo! Just as an aside, thanks for thinking Picnic was worth the trip. We're closing in two weeks and my staff and I are heading to your place to celebrate our win!

[bobferdon]

According to the rules for the Readers Choice Poll--"Restaurants assisting in the submission of poll ballots and restaurants distributing ballots or magazines containing them will be disqualified. New Jersey Monthly reserves the right to reject ballots that appear to have been submitted improperly."

An outside auditing firm is used to ensure that all votes are counted and treated fairly. The auditing team also inspects the ballots for signs of ballot stuffing and other fraud.

I've always enjoyed the food at The Park Steakhouse and if it was closer to my home I would dine there more often.

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Are the poll winners only restaurants that advertize in NJ Monthly?

[steakas]

According to the rules for the Readers Choice Poll--"Restaurants assisting in the submission of poll ballots and restaurants distributing ballots or magazines containing them will be disqualified. New Jersey Monthly reserves the right to reject ballots that appear to have been submitted improperly."

An outside auditing firm is used to ensure that all votes are counted and treated fairly. The auditing team also inspects the ballots for signs of ballot stuffing and other fraud.

I've always enjoyed the food at The Park Steakhouse and if it was closer to my home I would dine there more often.

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Are the poll winners only restaurants that advertize in NJ Monthly?

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NO

[menton1]

Are the poll winners only restaurants that advertize in NJ Monthly?

I don't know, but the "restaurant listings" section in the back of the magazine is a paid section. And it has the appearance of a real, unbiased listing, but only advertisers and restaurants that pay get listed. Very sneaky.