croslan's Profile
Life After Tomo
I was a regular at Tomo's as well and am still heartbroken over it. There is no equal sushi nearby. However, for the other, cooked dishes, I recommend the Matsuwa market in Edgewater. It's an upscale Japanese market and there are food stalls making ultra authentic foods. Best to not go at the height of lunch/dinner service because finding a table can be a challenge. After eating you can food shop for Japanese ingredients and the biggest array of Sake I have seen.
Northern New Jersey Fresh Roasted Coffee Beans
I live in this area and am a serious home barista (my normal is a triple ristretto, and I am really into latte art). I have the same problem as you, though luckily I work in the city and for years bought all my coffee there (Intelligentsia Black Cat is my favorite). But since that was kind of a pain, I started roasting my own beans about a year ago....and have not looked back. It's very easy and very inexpensive - organic fair trade beans are around $4 a pound unroasted. There's a website called Sweet Marias where you can get everything you need. Highly recommended. You will never run out and won't have to drive anywhere.
Alice's Lake Hopatcong
Getting his highness there is the key to a successful visit. We went there when he was not in, and, aside from the dessert course, it was not impressive in the least. It took an hour to get any food on the table. We were never brought the famous muffins or whatever comes in the bread basket. The pork shank was very disappointing (imagine a whole shank served atop a scant 1/4 cup of couscous). The meat loaf was tasty
Something new in Montreal?
My wife and I, along with our two young boys, have been coming to Montreal 2 times a year for the last decade. We love L'Express and APC and go to each on every visit. We have also been to Joe Beef, Holder, Toque (with out the kids) and a few others. Any other suggestions for a high-end French food restaurant that is family friendly? We are coming this weekend.
-----
Joe Beef
2491 Rue Notre-Dame W, Montreal, QC H3J1N6, CA
L'Express Restaurant
3927 Rue Saint-Denis, Montreal, QC H2W2M4, CA
Recommendation for brunch place for 70th Bday Party in Northern NJ
perona farms in sparta
Andre's in Newton, NJ
I've been there twice and was underwhelmed with the food and the service. It may be good for the area, but that's not saying much. Someone recommended Mattar's below - that place is great if you are over 80 years old. Best bet in the area is Latour.
Ground Lamb in NJ
THe absolute best lamb in the state is raised by Lou Tommaso at Pittenger Farms up near Allamuchy:
http://www.llpittengerfarm.com/
If you don't need anything that high end, you might try the many middle eastern butchers on Main Street where Clifton meets Paterson.
Gourmet shops in northern NJ
Thanks for all the tips! Much appreciated.
I'm surprised so many like Fairway. Based on the reviews, I went there for the first time over the weekend and did not like it one bit. It was a crazy zoo of people! I didn't like the setup either - if you forget something from another section, it's like going on an arctic expedition to try and get back to where you were. The flow of carts was in every direction and all the aisles stopped cold. The cheese section was okay, but nothing to go out of the way for. I glanced at the meats quickly but didn't see any prime aged beef. I won't be going there again!
Gourmet shops in northern NJ
I'm doing some research and am looking for suggestions re: the best small gourmet food shops in northern NJ. These can be for stuff that is made locally or imported products and can include foods from any ethnicity (Italian, french, spanish, middle east, etc), any butchers, bakeries, coffee/tea specialty shops, chocolate shops, cheese shops, etc.
Just needs to be high quality (not mass produced/supermarket crap).
Thoughts?
Au Pied Disappointment
My wife and I come from NYC twice a year and always go here. There are definitely inconsistencies. We've had onion soup that was extremely over salted, soggy fries, a salad of delicate baby lettuce studded with massive lardon slabs, bad fries, duck in a can that was so tough it belonged in the (garbage) can, multiple occasions where the wine I ordered was out of stock, mushy cassoulet, and a mediocre meat loaf special. It has been my experience that if you tell the waiter you are unhappy, they will replace the dish with no problem. Some visits are perfect, which are entirely memorable.
Family Friendly near Garden State Plaza?
Taking the kids (infant and 4 yr old) for some shopping tonight - need a family friendly place near Paramus/GSP? Looking for best quality food/preparation possible.
Reccomendations near Fairfield New Jersey
The best, totally authentic Japanese restaurant is Tomo's Cuisine in Little Falls/Singac. It's about 2 miles from your hotel. Route 23 South, past WIllowbrook Mall, over river, through the light, on right hand side.
HELP! Headed to Montreal Tomorrow with a family of Foodies!
I take my boys to L'Express, PDC, Holder and Joe Beef every visit.
Dinner on McGill/St. Paul - Wilson, Vauvert, Holder, Stash, Gandhi, or other?
I've been to Holder several times with my family and it's a safe bet for your group. The beef cheeks in burgundy has been excellent both times, excellent frites, steaks, soup and dessert. Only had one issue with the service - they failed to bring an appetizer we ordered one night.
Finding good espresso in Montreal
I went to Gamba on my last trip to Montreal and the barista was a complete novice who admitted to me that he had never poured before that day! He didn't even know the difference between short and long pull. I ordered a double ristretto and he had no clue.
Jean-Talon market area - 2008
I am so jealous of all of you! My wife and I just LOVE the JTL market. We live in NJ and visit Montreal 2-3 times a year just to visit the market. We usually rent an apartment with a kitchen and go to the market everyday and bring stuff back to cook with. I read this blog once a week and salivate at all your descriptions of what is in season. We love the strawberries from Quebec, the wild blueberries, the riopelle (despite having been recalled for listeria), the 36-hour baguettes and confidence cookies from Au Pain Dior, the vietnamese soup from the lady who wears the cool hat, the DARK maple syrup, and best of all, the Quebec lamb and duck products. We'll be back during Christmas week, but until then I will be reading this board and drooling.
