dock's Profile
Looking for the best Mexican in North/Central Jersey (NJ)
bergen county is awful for true mexican food. last saturday i went to maravillas del tulcingo in englewood based on some reviews from this board. rt. 4 east to grand ave then north to the main street. make a left and go over the train tracks. so this is the other side of the tracks! just go past the blue moon with it's nachos and you will find this place. i had the goat special, cabrito tulcingo which was very good. nice sauce made with different chiles. the goat was a little tough and a little sparse but a good dish. they also had chivo barbacoa, goat, and consomme but only on the weekend. so had the skirt steak with nopales, cactus. excellent. they have a salsa verde and salsa rojo which were both tasty. and lots of rice and beans. also ordered the sopes with chorizo which were terrific. made from fresh masa with real crema and queso. too much food but i wanted leftovers for the next night. home made tortillas too. and i had a agua de tamarindo which was very good and so had a juice of carrot/beet and orange. fresh fruit/ veggie juices and both tamarind and horchata available. huge menu and good food. glad i found this place and i'll be back. they also have 2 places in passaic if that's closer to you.
Belmont Tavern
nothing is really that good but i still think you should enjoy it. chicken savoy and chicken murphy, ask for it with potatoes, pasta with pot cheese, it's all good but you are not going just for the food. it will be a memorable experience.
Good BYOBs in Northern NJ
ever? have you ever been to italy? a review like that deserves a few !!!! at least. i was going to go to the city this weekend but i've already eaten batali's and benno's food so maybe i'll go here instead. i'm sorry, maybe i shouldn't be so sarcastic. i'll just say thank you sicily815 for such an in depth review.
John Dory Oyster House - Horrible Experience
i don't tweet. i don't belong to facebook. why would i call the restaurant and speak to the hostess who did not seem interested before. and the email is only for booking an event. i just want to write them about my lousy experience. i wrote a letter and mailed it. hopefully they scan this site too. please don't try to defend such an egregious offense. i did not comment on the food. i wish i could.
John Dory Oyster House - Horrible Experience
i went for lunch yesterday with a business associate/friend i hadn't seen in while. we showed up at 1:15 and were seated immediately as they were not that busy. the server brought us menus immediately and we ordered within 10 minutes. they took our drink order, club sodas, and they came right away. my friend and i were catching up and enjoying each others company when the server came over and said our food would be out shortly. after another 10 minutes we realized it was 2:20! an hour and 5 minutes and we hadn't been served anything! i had a 2:30 appointment so we left immediately. the server appologized with a quick sorry and as i left, i told the hostess what had happened and that this was ridiculous. she didn't care and basically said "oh".
i would like to complain to someone at the restaurant about this experience, not that i think they really care. most websites have a contact us link, but not the john dory or the breslin. don't ask, don't tell?
what a joke!
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The John Dory Oyster Bar
1196 Broadway, New York, NY 10001
Cabo San lucas and San Jose del cabo Restaurant recommendation...
just got back from a week in sjd. first time here and we rented a car. easy place to navigate. tried to find the marisco place near the airport because we were hungry when we landed but there was no way to find it. there are lot of places that sell marisco so we gave up. on the ride into sjd heading south i saw a place as you just get into sjd, on the northbound side, that is called the best fish tacos in los cabos. it was in spanish with the english underneath. it was abot 3pm and there were a number of people there so i did a uturn and we ate there. excellent little place. fish tacos were 17 pesos. they also had scallops, squid, smoked marlin, etc. we also had a 1/2 order of aguachile. they have a huge selection to pile on in the middle of the restaurant. the usual guacamole, pico de gallo, salsas , cabbage but also fried onion rings, jalapenos, salad. really cheap, fast and good.
we then hit the mega, i love that place.
that night we drove into sjd and it was dark and i had no idea where i was. we ended up just short of the zocalo so we ate at habanero's. it was all tourists and i was not happy but wtf. i had a chicken stuffed with hualtacoche, it was good but i didn't expect it to be deepfried. most everyone else was eating ribs and usual fare. not bad but not worth seeking out.
the next night we at at barrio del tango. argentine meat place. very local. loved it. they had a menu translated into english. the sangria with nuts was terrific. the queso melted on the grill with mushrooms was great. and the vacia argentino was an amazingly tasty and tender piece of meat. i brought back half of it for tacos for lunch the next day.
went to csl the next day and lasted an hour. horrible. we ate at tacos gardenia and again, all tourists. it was good but not like the first place.
we had a beer at baja brewing co and i'm glad we didn't eat there. good brews but only pizza and burgers.
we took a day trip to todos santos and it's nice litle arty town. lots of expats. beware, the rroads are being fixed and it took over 2 hours to get there. horrible ride. nothing to rave about there but on the way home, we went north towards la paz and cut across the mountains. longer trip but at least we moved and the mountain ride was beautiful. we stopped in el triufe(?) the first town when you cut across on a recomendation from some expat in todos santos. an american baker opened a little place there, it is atown of about 200 and he sells pizza! and it was really good. it also cost about 220 peso which is about $18us. in the middle of nowhere. we had an arugala and prociutto pizza. amazing world we live in. if you go, it's the ONLY restaurant in town.
the next evening was deckmans. excellent. upscale casual with very tasty food. more expensive than fish tacos but we had more than enough food, mostly delicious with cocktails and wine and the total for 3 was about $130. highly recommended and don't miss the octopus with pork belly. great service and drew deckman came out to meet us after dinner. interesting guy and i wish him luck. he told us it was just their 1 year anniversary and coincidently, so did the people ay barrio del tango.
the next afternoon we wanted tacos so we tried to find the hangman. i even drew a map from their website but it was not to be found. where i expected to find it was a birria place. and it was crowded so we ate there. birria is a goat stew/soup. this place was sooo local and it was very tasty. spicy, meaty, delicious. be daring and try it. birria, con chivo.
that night we went back to barrio del tango and had some cheese and empanadas because we were still full from the birria. and some more sangria.
on the way home we went back for fish tacos at the first place and it was great again. so please use my recs as a guide but be daring and don't eat at the places all the tourists go to. it will be much more memorable.
Le Bernardin: What's Missing?
I enjoyed my dinner this past saturday evening but it felt just ok. are my expectations too high? when i go to a 3 star michelin restaurant, shouldn't i be wowed? we enjoyed the tasting menu but there were no standout dishes. all the fish were cooked perfectly. like butter as they say. all the broths they were served in were delicious. but they all were so similar. same cooking method. i expected a fish with a crispy skin. none. there was no texture to the meal. the langoustine was delicious but the foie gras with it was so small i felt it added nothing to the dish. the sea beans with the escolar were minisule and again added nothing. the tuna tartare and the butter poached lobster and the celeriac soup in the amuse were highlights. so was the egg, which we requested. but the salmon was pedestrian, i get tastier fish from whole foods. if you changed the broth from the salmon with the one from the bass, they would work equally well. and again, the meal needed some crunch, some texture. the octopus was very tender but had at least some chew. but i expect when you order 5 fish dishes that they are not all a 1 x 3 piece of sous vide tender fish that have the same mouth feel. btw, the wine steward was excellent and answered many questions.
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Le Bernardin
155 W. 51st St., New York, NY 10019
Catering - Paramus
asecondhelping.com. chef janet is a personal chef. she will come to your house and cook for a small gathering. it's not catering as she doesn't bring the food in but rather will cook at your house which is better imho.
Winter rooftop bar w/ food
blu on 28th st is close to msg. they have a terrace restaurant with skybar.
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Blu
127 W 28th St, New York, NY 10001
what's your favorite greek place in bergen county?
i live in re and i've never eaten at taste of greece, and not for the lack of trying. every time i go, it's packed. it's very small to begin with and the problem is they flood the media with discount coupons. valpac, town news, etc. so everyone thinks they're getting a deal. since it's always busy when i try to go, dinnertime, i guess they're succeeding. too bad because taste of greece in westwood has gone downhill in a big way. it was just terrible the last 2 times i went and it's off my list now. babylon in re also was just terrible. these days i just go to olympia or arek when it reopens and get some fresh pita and olives and feta and make a salad at home. buy some baba, mouhammrah, taramosalata and open a bottle of red and i'm set.
Best molecular gastronomy in NYC is in Montclair, NJ at Adara! [moved from Manhattan board]
after reading the mostly negative review in the nyt, was it bruni's column?, i had no interest in this restaurant. i have been to wd50 and alinea and was underwhelmed by the food at both. although alinea was an experience i would suggest for any foodie. one of the highlights there was the wine pairings. i see that adara is a dry restaurant and the site has nothing about byob. any incite? also, how long was dinner? i expect like the ss minnow, a 3 hour tour.
Favorite Italian Restaurant in Bergen County
jerry's hasn't changed in 50 years, including the waitresses. and the patrons. and the carpeting and wallpaper. the food is still good but nothing to go out of the way for. the atmosphere is though. when someone asks for a classic nj experience, this place or the belmont tavern are it.
Favorite Italian Restaurant in Bergen County
hi ela. yes, dipalma bros. in no. bergen. decent red sauce place. nicole's is in bogota, i believe. you really root for them to succeed but there are so many little problems. first time i ordered chicken scarpariello and my wife had the pork chop with hot peppers. exact same sauce. exact. the wait staff was mostly high school kids who were overwhelmed. there was 1 good server and i found out from the hostess, the owner's motherinlaw that night, it's usually the owners wife, the server was the owners sister. how can you not root for them. but i just don't see it happening. btw, the second visit, the seafood risotto was outstanding.
i went to nanni's once about 10 years ago. i remember the food was good but it felt a little stuffy. too retro. and the cliente that night was ancient. i was in my 40's then and i was the youngest person there. valet parking and i remember waiting for my car with an older couple. my car came first and when i cranked up some eminem on the cd player they didn't look too happy.
and to the person who felt la familglia was their favorite italian restaurant, really? your favorite? so if the pasta was $18 instead of $10 you would still say it's your favorite. the place serves too many people and the food is as ordinary as possible. not bad, but certainly not good. and the over/under on crying babies is usually 2 1/2. go with the over.
Favorite Italian Restaurant in Bergen County
terrific subject. i've lived in bergen county for 30 years and there are so many ordinary italian restaurants it's incredible. how people rave about sanducci's or il mulino is beyond me. sanducci's is a step below ordinary and i eat at il mulino often, because it is close to where i live and it is ok. but i would never recommend it. the last time i ate at arturo's it was a byob. it was very good, a bit pricey, but i got sooo tired of the upsell. always pushing extras, it became a nuisance. i really like dipalma brothers but it's a trek for me. about 2 months ago i tried trovato's on rt. 46. really good. i've been back twice. i wish it was a byob, the wine list is limited, but the mixed drinks look great and we were treated well even though we weren't regulars. and there are alot of those. i had high hopes for bv tuscany, it's pretty good, the tripe appetizer was really good, but again, just ok. suppose that's better than bad. we wanted to love nicole's. young couple trying. service was terrible, some food was very good, some was ok.. tried it again, same results. i hate chicken off the bone. boring. chicken scarpiello with white meat chicken, no bone? i asked for it on the bone but they don't have any chicken off the bone. not for me. same request at trovato's, no problem. delicious. so everyone, what do you like? and if you say sanducci's, please, just don't.
Summer 2011 - what do you think the new Boardwalk Food trend will be?
people are creatures of habit. polish water ice is the only new food that survived in the last 10 years. pizza and pretzels. fries and custard. even hot dogs don't sell well. the gelato places that opened in ocean city are empty but the line at kohrs is as long as ever. i saw a place that sold upscale tacos and i am sure they won't be back this year. i was looking at the menu last year and 2 large people started laughing out loud about fish tacos. fish, on a taco. funniest thing they ever heard. pizza, fries, end of conversation.
any recs near rockley beach
just back from rockley yesterday. accra looks like a beautiful resort. lots of eats within walking distance. just grillin was a terrific place. we ate a dinner and lunch there. outside, very low key. grilled fish with either cole slaw, grilled veg, caeser salad or roasted potatoes which were great. a short walk up the road was naru. pan asian with sharing portions. very good and a beautiful place too. we also tried to get a roti at ackee tree but they were out of food by 5pm. so we had a roti at the small mall across and up the road from accra. not bad at all. i think it was called roti place. we also ate at opa one night which we walke to on the boardwalk between accra resort and the beach. decent food, good mezes. but close to you and i love eating under the stars. you will find the high end places are not inexpensive so be prepared. and just take a cab to places like oistens on friday nite. enjoy. i hate to be back.
Barbados- Long
thanks for the report. i am leaving saturday for a week. also renting a car and staying on the southern part of the island. please, an estimate on prices of these dishes.
Sfogliatella?
del ponte,s in bradley beach is great. i live in bergen county and whenever i,m at the shore, i can't resist. only the sfioglatella.
Smashburger [moved from New Jersey board]
Has anyone tried it yet? It is right next to 5 guys which is my go to place but im intrigued.
Best crab dishes/best value in San Francisco and the East Bay?
i just got back to nyc from a thanksgiving weekend in sf. we had salt baked crab on thanksgiving at kim thahn on geary. it was $24 or $26 and it was great. better than turkey! the geoduck was also delicious and it was $35. a little expensive but i had never seen it served before.
Revelatory new Sichuan restaurant--Legend on 7th Avenue at 15th
i went early sunday night and it was empty except for 3 people drinking at the bar. they were so loud i could barely hear my dining partners so the acoustics are not very good. we had the diced rabbit to start. not on par with spicy and tasty but excellent. our first dish was chicken with peanut. very much like the cumin lamb, it is dry with lots of salt and sichuan pepper. very tasty. we also had a crispy whole fish which came with a sweet/sour sauce. the bass was perfectly cooked but i didn't care for the sauce. i was expecting a spicy sauce. we also had the pork with rice cake. again, very good but no spice at all. the menu was enormous but they need to let diners know which dishes are spicy and which are not. in most sichuan restaurants, the dishes are swimming in oil. off putting to many americans but this is true sichuan cuisine. this place tones that down which is good and bad at the same time. maybe a little pricier than others, but if it's convenient, well worth it. i think i'll still go to szechuan gourmet though.
Prestos, Jersey City
i have friends on warren st and have eaten at presto's a few times. it was very good years ago. tasty and reasonably priced. i have no clue about ownership but i ate there about 6 months ago and while i won't say it was terrible, it certainly is not worth a return visit. it was basically pizzeria food without the pizza. pass.
renssellaer-albany amtrak station
i am taking amtrak and am arriving here at 8:15pm. will get picked up and am looking for a place to eat near here or on the way to saratoga. i am familiar with the saratoga area, any place around here? all foods eaten. high end or low end. alcohol a plus. thanks.
Taverna Mykonos
i went saturday nite and enjoyed it. service was very good and you could see they are trying to succeed. it's amazing to me how many new places don't make an effort. we had a trio of spreads all of which were good and the eggplant spread was excellant. the grilled octopus was outstanding and meatballs were ok. the greek salad was good. they comped us dessert, a rice pudding and a phyllo/custard cake and they both were terrific. all in all, everything was good to very good. the place was crowded but managable. we were told that friday nite was packed and you there was a long wait. next time we will try the entrees, they looked good at other tables.
Taverna Mykonos
Has anyone tried this place in Fairlawn? I like Oceanos and I'm hoping this place is also good but cheaper. It looks very nice and I would like a new place for mezethes.
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Oceanos Restaurant
2-27 Saddle River Road, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410
Big Green Egg Grill
i've had a bge for 15 years. i use it exclusively as a smoker. it will get to 800 degrees but i'd rather use my grill for grilling and the bge to smoke. there is a little learning curve but it is very easy to use. i put a 12 lb. pork butt on at midnight, leveling the heat takes about 45 minutes and when it's a steady 210, i go to sleep. between 3pm - 6pm the next day, it's party time. ribs take between 2-4 hours and a brisket about 8-10. i've had to replace 1 part in 15 years. very cool item.
Authentic Mexican in northern NJ (Bergen County)
i know how you feel sixe. i discovered these about 10 years ago and they are great. the queso anejo they sprinkle on top just puts it over the top. unfortunately, i have not found them locally. although sopes are similar, and delicious in their own way, they are a different dish. both use masa but they have a different corn taste and texture. i get my huaraches in astoria at la espiga 2. it's located under the train tracks at 32-44 31 st. whenever i go to LGA, i get off at hoyt st. and make a left under the tracks. it's about a mile down the road. they used to only speak spanish but now english is no problem. i am partial to the carne enchilada but the carne asada, chorizo and lengua are also good. and ask for both the red and green sauces on the side. i prefer the green salsa but try them both. it's not convenient, but i find myself going to LGA more often than i would prefer.
Moving to NJ - what town(s) have most interesting restaurants and food stores?
congrats butter. i think rutherford is great foodie town. since i live about 20 minutes away, i don't visit as often as i would like. you must try sabor peru. great ceviche. and i love cafe matisse for a special occasion. and look into a zip car. you gotta get away sometime. now that my wife and i are empty nesters, we're looking into getting back to brooklyn. maybe i'll hit you up for foodie advice then. good luck
going from hawks nest state park in west virginia to lexington then on the bourbon trail to louisville then on to st. louis
will have no problem finding places in lexington and louisville. i am looking for places on the road between wv and lexington and between lexington and louisville. maybe midway or shaker village? how about closer to louisville? then between louisville and st. louis. thanks.
luray caverns down skyline drive to charlottesville then on to hawks nest park in WV
will be driving down south and plan on visiting luray caverns followed by a drive down skyline drive to charlottesville va. will stay there overnight and plan on driving on to the lodge at hawks nest state park in west virginia where will spend the night. it should be no problem finding places on this board for charlottesville, but are there any recs for places on the road between these destinations? i really do not want to eat dinner at the lodge. also, we will be going on to kentucky afterward so any recs in wv west of hawks nest would be appreciated.
