According to the Pei Wei website, the Princeton location is a Pei Wei Asian Diner. I'm not sure what the difference is since I've never been to either.

http://www.peiwei.com/menu/menu.aspx?...

+1! Is it just me or does it look like the "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" set?

no way! they had pimentos in them!

meh - based on the lengthy description (which included virtually every type of ethnic cuisine in the known universe) I'd guess they are destined for failure. Based on the name, I expect Indian cuisine (not a fan, so I'd pass it by without a second glance) but based on the Facebook description, it's more of an anything goes bar/lounge/restaurant/diner. I give it 6 months...tops.

+1 but my dad hated the pimentos too, so he would dig them out with a toothpick. My mom would get soooo angry at us for doing that! She made us save the pimentos and then she'd put them in her deviled eggs.

Sorry to resurrect such an old thread, but I was wondering if anyone could provide a more recent update for any of the pizza places mentioned. We prefer NY style pizza (vs. Chicago or California), but not the super thin cracker crust type.

I'm pretty sure the BBP in Princeton has communal tables. At least that's what it looked like when I peeked in last week. Maybe it has both and I couldn't tell from my angle. Now that it has officially opened, maybe someone can confirm (or deny). I don't mind counter seating, but I will run screaming from communal tables. I feel like It's harder to control personal space at communal tables.

+1 on the community seating. I get it in places like NYC where space is at a premium and people are used to being cramped and crammed together. But in the 'burbs where people buy houses with an acre of land so they don't have to bump up against their neighbor, it seems odd.

I know this thread is almost 4 years old (!), but the BBP in Princeton (Market Fair Mall, Route 1 South) is opening today. DH suggested we give it a try tonight, but I'm hesitant for a few reasons...
1. Opening day - no time to work out the kinks
2. Will probably be packed (word on the street is that "the Grillmaster" will be onsite for the opening)
3. Reviews of the food seem to be lukewarm, at best.

Has anyone been to BBP recently and had an experience that would catapult me into the fray tonight?

I get the feeling that just one weekend isn't going to be enough time to cram in all these great places! Hunter Gatherer sounds perfect. Good food and house-made microbrews? I want to go to there!

Mr. Friendly's and Baan Sawan both sound great! Definitely putting them on the list.

We will be in Columbia for the USC vs. Missouri game the weekend of 9/21 - 9/23. My husband's birthday is on Saturday, so I'd love to find a nice place to take him to dinner that night after the game and then a fun place (in Five Points?) to go for drinks afterwards. Since it's a conference game, I fully expect everything to be crowded. We'll have a car so we're not opposed to heading for the outskirts of town.

I'll take a look at the Columbia threads...thanks for the suggestions!

Husband and I will be in Columbia for a USC (his alma mater) football game next month. We haven't been to Columbia in YEARS so we have no idea what the food scene is like. In fact, our last trip consisted mainly of Bojangle's and ice cream at Sandy's.

Any recommendations for a good, casual place for lunch and/or dinner? All cuisines (except Indian) are fine, we prefer local places over chains, low-key is better than fancy and (ideally) it would have some vegetarian options for me but I can usually work around it.

Thanks!

+1,000,000!!! I love the Chick-fil-A banana pudding shake! It's probably a good thing that it's a seasonal flavor...

"...Note that there is exactly zero ambiance at this place..."

Sounds like our kind of place :) Any chance they have vegetarian options? I couldn't find a menu online.

We were thinking lunch...didn't consider that many places would be closed. Thanks for the warning! And thanks for the additional suggestions!

Thanks for the info and quick response! I didn't realize how close Pine Street is to Chinatown - I'll definitely make a note of your suggestions so we can check them out.

We don't really have an "agenda" for our shopping...actually, my husband is looking for a very specific item (Curta calculator), but it's unlikely we'll find it. If you have any suggestions for better places to shop with nearby good eats (to keep the topic Chow-appropriate), I'm open to anything!

Can the Dan Dan noodles be made vegetarian?

Husband and I are going to Philly on Saturday to do a little antiquing. Sounds like Pine Street is where most of the antique stores are located and we're hoping to find a good noodle place nearby. We went to Xi'an in NYC a few weekends ago - anything like that in Philly? We'll have a car so driving isn't a big deal, but I'd like to stick to the immediate Philly area rather than venturing to the outlying suburbs.

If noodles are a no-go, any other suggestions? Not looking for anything upscale or fancy. Actually...I don't think we've ever been to any of the South Philly Italian places. That would definitely be a good alternative.

Thanks!

Great report! Thanks for sharing!

I don't have any suggestions for you, but I'm adding the places you mentioned in Barcelona to my trip list for next month! Thanks!

Great report! We will be in Barcelona for our 15th anniversary from 7/10 - 7/15 (after a 5-day adventure in the Canary Islands) and I'm definitely bringing a printout of your report with us. I actually happened upon Mosquito via another blog yesterday and thought it sounded good - I'm glad to have a CHer's perspective.

I see them pretty frequently, but as part of those bulk bins of assorted nuts in the shell. Not sure if you'd get the stink eye for picking out the Brazil nuts from the rest of the herd.

+1!!

Ask me last year what I thought about brunch and I would have definitely said "take it or leave it." However, my husband and I recently started making brunch for ourselves at home after church. What started innocently enough (omelette and bacon for him; yogurt and bagel for me; fruit, coffee and mimosas for both) has spiraled into an all-out tour de force! The omelette has blossomed to include tuna, chicken or some other filling and homemade waffles and hash browns have started making an appearance. For us, it's as much about the meal as it is about spending time together, relaxing and enjoying each other's company. Something we hadn't done in a looong time and something that was desperately needed.

Sunday Brunch at home has become my one of my favorite parts of the week.

Great map! We are headed to Barcelona for our 15th anniversary in July and I was a little nervous about my vegetarian options. I'm quite strict (no meat, fish, fowl or any slaughter by-products), but my husband is most definitely NOT a vegetarian. Hoping to find places we can both enjoy.

I just made some little wonton cups (prepared as per cheesecake17's instructions), but only partially baked them. Then I mixed up some homemade cheesy artichoke spinach filling, put it in the cups, topped them with a little seasoned panko and baked them until the filling was hot. I don't know what possessed me to try them (I never made them before) but they came out really good.

The Verrazzano wine bar in Florence. Great wine, great food and one of my favorite places in the world to spend time people-watching.

Thanks! I'll bookmark it and check back later to see if it's working.

Thanks for the info. Food is definitely a priority ;) If we don't go to Barcelona, then we will most likely focus on finding a city in Southern Spain or Andalucia, so maybe we'll put San Sebastian on the list for another trip (maybe in combination with a trip to France?)

I have heard similar reviews of Marbella We definitely prefer places that cater to locals rather than busloads of tourists, so maybe we'll scratch that one from the list. Our ideal is a nice little restaurant or tapas bar where we can enjoy some great food and great wine and immerse ourselves in the local culture.

Will not having a car be a challenge? I assumed there would be enough places within walking distance of any hotel in any city we pick, but maybe that's not really the case. Although, we have been known to frequent the same establishment over several days during a trip if we really like it. Maybe the question I should ask is in which city in Southern Spain is there the highest concentration of good local eateries?

Can you share a link to the website? I'm having a hard time finding it...thanks!

My husband and I are in the process of planning a trip for our 15th anniversary and finally nailed it down to Spain and the Canary Islands. I've been to Spain (Malaga) before, but it was in high school and I think it's safe to say my food/beverage "requirements" are vastly different now. I vaguely remember sitting on the beach eating olives, sliced cheese and popsicles (not at the same time) all day and eating pizza every night.

We haven't finalized our destinations yet and I'm hoping to get some input from fellow CH'ers. We are looking for a city where we will have access to some good local restaurants and tapas bars. We probably won't have a car, but walking is fine as long as it's safe. We'll probably spend 4-5 nights in Spain and 7 nights in the Canary Islands.

Any recommendations? Our short list in Spain includes Barcelona, Marbella or Seville and we are looking at Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands.

TIA!!