Little Saigon on Artic Ave for great Vietnamese food. It's small so I call to reserve a table in the summer.

The chef is Eric Hambrecht who was the chef at the Frog and the Peach in New Brunswick about a decade ago. He is a very good chef.

Clemenza? "Leave the gun. Take the cannoli."

An older, but not old woman asked me but when I reassured her that I knew what I was ordering she was fine. I didn't mind her question since when I responded she was happy to take the order, unlike some experiences in other places
related in this thread by other posters.

They never reopened after losing all of their perishables during Sandy. They had no power for over a week.

Absolutely love Shanghai Bun and eat there frequently but sometimes have been asked "Are you sure? That is for Chinese people" when I've ordered some things but after reassuring them I knew what I was ordering, They had no problem serving it.

Shanghai Bun on RT 34 in Matawan has them.

The service problems at Frog and the Peach are not a new or one time issue. The service which used to be very good has been getting increasingly worse for a long time now.

The food is still good but not as good as it once was. This place can certainly still be turned around but if the decline continues it will not last.

The burger I like at Local Smoke (I go to the Cookstown location) is the Smokehouse BBQ burger which is the regular burger with the addition of smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, their own BBQ sauce, lettuce and tomato. It transforms the burger into something special.

Chateau mediterranean is now open. Still no menu on the website. Has anyone been there yet?

Maloneys on Main street in Matawan is open running on a generator. Limited menu, burgers and sandwiches but the beer is cold.

It's not Monmouth County, but Delorenzo'a is open in Robbinsville and was great as usual last night. No more crowded than usual.

The only German I know of in the area is Schneiders in Avon By the Sea. It's not fancy but the food is ok and the service is friendly.

http://schneidersrestaurant.com/germa...

Ferry House was closed by the state for $200,000 in back taxes.

http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/20...

I have gotten this pop-up survey multiple times also (at least 2 dozen times so far). I have not cleared cookies and am always logged in to Chow. I am using IE9 with all updates.

We have been fans of Chef Mikes since his days at Trinity and went in for dinner last night and were very pleased. We started with the Pork Belly Pastrami sandwich which is pork belly pastrami with sauerkraut and russian dressing on a house baked pretzel roll. It was fantastic and we would return just for this sandwich. They cut it into two halves and plated each seperately since my wife and I were sharing it as an app so thats why the picture only has half in it. For our other app we had the joey grilled pizza which comes with sausage, roasted peppers, carmelized onions and smoked mozzarella. It was very good with a crisp thin crust and a bit of smokey char from being grilled.

For our mains we had the cabernet braised short ribs over polenta and the malfatani which are torn pasta sheets with baby tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, evoo, and basil. The short ribs were tender and flavorful but the pasta was my favorite, nicely balanced and a good mix of flavors and textures.

For dessert we had cinnamon fritters with 3 dipping sauces, chocolate, caramel and strawberry which were very good. The service was a little spotty and hopefully will improve over time as this is the first weekend they are open. One sugestion if you go is to make sure they give you both menus. Originally we were only given the menu which included the pizzas, apps and entrees. We had to ask for the 2nd menu which included the salads and sandwiches. We will certainly return soon to try out more of the menu.

The address is 319 US Highway 130, East Windsor, NJ 08520. The easiest thing is to just look for the shopping center with Shop-rite and the movies in it. It is just north of the Americana Diner on 130.

Gave this place a try tonight and it was very good pizza. They were out of the square but the grandma pie and the regular round thin crust pie were both excellent. I look forward to trying the square and some of the other offerings. The owner seems llike a good guy and I hope they do well.

Troy is a Turkish/Mediterranean place at the corner of RT 35 and Kennedy St. Everything I've tried has been terrific.

http://www.troycuisine.com/

It is scheduled to open on April 6 if all goes according to plan.

I think this is what you are looking for

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001...

King's on Rt 9N in Freehold (in the shopping center w/ Staples) has the white tablecloths, metal containers and column A&B that you have requested. More importantly, if you are looking for the Cantonese style of food from 30 or 40 years ago they prepare it very well. Service is friendly and accommodating.

They unfortunately have no website and don't deliver but do a brisk takeout business in addition to the sit down dining. They are closed on Tuesday.

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King's Chinese Restaurant
4345 US Highway 9, Freehold, NJ 07728

I have had both the Lemongrass beef and BBQ pork bahn mi. They were both excellent. Good bread, juicy meat and crisp vegetables. They are the best I have had without going to NY or Philly.

Different brand but I think this is the same idea

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004O9VN72/...&

They are still available here

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003UZYA0S/...&

The Necco's Sky Bar is available here

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000...

We have been coming here every two or three weeks since it opened and have never experienced any rude service. In fact my experience has been just the opposite, they are always very friendly and accommodating.

Nice review by the NY Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/nyr...

They may have been good when they opened but they've really gone downhill. I'd suggest skipping this place. The service is painfully slow and they often get the the orders wrong. I won't be returning when there are so many better places around.

CulinAriane in Montclair is an excellent BYOB that meets all of your criteria.

http://culinariane.com/