isaacji's Profile
Are there no good eats in Ventura County?
If you want really good and cheap Mexican, try La Gloria in Oxnard. I am just here visiting, but we went last night and to my NYC sensibilities, it was a foodie's kind of place. Tasty, fun to be in, and far far away from the bazillion fast food restaurants I see all around here in Oxnard. I loved it!
Supermercado La Gloria Oxnard
I am in Oxnard visiting from Brooklyn and asked about getting some good Mexican food. We ended up at La Gloria and it was glorious! Really nice chili relleno, nice rice, nice beans, and I loved the atmosphere, we were there late and had to pick up our feet while they mopped down the concrete floor, its right next to a grubby bus station, it was a little taste of something that at least felt real in CA. This is so far beyond all of the fast food I see everywhere around here, I can't figure out how so many fast food places stay busy!
Finally there is a reason to live in Staten Island!
We just had yummy take out last night from Dosa Garden and tried the garlic naan- speaking of garlic above. It was super! The mutton curry was also great. I'm still yearning for a good middle eastern place near the same local- if anyone has a good suggestion, please share!
Finally there is a reason to live in Staten Island!
I am so glad that they now have real plates! I have to go this week and try them out! I'm also so glad the place was busy because it was a little bit of a question mark whether the local community would be able to keep them in business. If you ever have a chance to chat with the owners, they are really lovely and have lots to share about South India, the culture, the languages, etc. They are as engaging as the food! I am still very curious about the chefs, and would love to have the chance to meet them and hear their stories too. They seem like very serious young South Indian guys who are very determined to do an authentic job. Lots of interesting things going on in the 4 Indian and Sri Lankan places on that corner and its fun to get the very distinct vibe and market at each one- if you chat up the owners, you get a very interesting perspective into their whole scene here in NYC. Staten Island is definitely evolving, I just wish we had better middle eastern food, I still only go to Brooklyn for that.
Good Indian Food in Jersey City?
Photos of a dosa masala at Dosa House in Jersey City's Newark Ave, one of my all time favorites.
Finally there is a reason to live in Staten Island!
Yes they do seem surprised! They are very nice and I really hope they do well.
bermuda in November - where to stay for the best food?
We just got back from a lovely, quick trip to Bermuda on Tuesday and had a really wonderful meal at Ascots in Hamilton. The best of the several we had on the Island, all was great from the fish chowder to the escargot to the fresh pasta to the snapper. Nice wine list too. We were staying at the hotel- the Royal Palms a very quaint B+B kind of atmousphere, where the restaurant is co-located (it seems to be run by a different owner than the hotel) and hadn't expected to be so impressed. It was really great. We went to Beau Rivage at the Newstead, it was a lovely setting and view, but the food was only so-so, the duck breast was pure salt, the coffee was cold and they completely forgot my tea. The wine steward was the highlight, young personable and with lots of good suggestions. We had a very nice drink in a restaurant right on the ocean front in St George, I actually never noticed the name of it, across from St. Andrews church and down the steps from the bus stop, very quiet and very relaxed. We aren't big resort people so we didn't explore them, but maybe next time we will give them a try.
Finally there is a reason to live in Staten Island!
No I haven't but I really should. Is it good? Anything special you would recommend?
Finally there is a reason to live in Staten Island!
So tonight we went to Dosa Garden and the Voice was there shooting pictures for an article- keep a look out!- and we lucky few loyal who happened to be there got to do a tasting of all kinds of less well known dishes, along with some super-classics. I completely recommend some of the Sri Lankan dishes served with lemon sauce, I had never had anything like them, and the garlic naan, and the corn dosa that was served up like a pyramid, so delish, my goodness! Plus we had a really nice conversation with the folks working there and discovered lots of interesting things about the various cultures of India. What a lucky night to be there! I suggested they do cooking lessons or now that I think of it, maybe a Bollywood night! Much more appealing than a sports bar, at least in this eaters opinion. What a nice addition to the SI restaurant scene!
Finally there is a reason to live in Staten Island!
I wrote a lot about it on another thread, there's a whole discussion under "Good Indian Food in Jersey City" started by Paul Brown. My personal fav is Sapthagiri (I think that's how its spelled) which is veg and very authentic. The north indian thali platter is my hands down favorite. I also love Dosa House. Its all great, so is the cash and carry supermarket and everything else over there. I wish I could eat there every single day!
Finally there is a reason to live in Staten Island!
I love Ralphs and Deninos, but they can't be kosher, well maybe Ralphs is, I don't know. Anyone notice the hooka bar opening up on Bay St.? That's pretty interesting. Maybe a middle eastern restaurant will follow, that would be spectacular! Dosas and hummus all in one borough, just like Queens! I'm going to keep my fingers crossed.
Finally there is a reason to live in Staten Island!
Well there has always been a little orthodox community right up on Victory just before you get to the library- I don't know the names of the streets. They have a dairy place and a kosher pizza place and some other spots closer to manor. My guess is that folks are willing to drive down to clove rd. to get some new kosher indian food since the options have been pretty limited to date. Wish I knew a place for congee, the Staten Island scene is just starting to expand, but its not there yet.
Finally there is a reason to live in Staten Island!
Did anyone notice that a new vegi and kosher indian place is opening next to Indian Clove? It must be the same people. Its really great to imagine that the sri lankan folks are edging up Victory while the hasidim are edging down from Victory up by the highway. Staten Island is getting more interesting than I ever remember it.
Good Indian Food in Jersey City?
Urban is about one block away from Chowpatty if I recall, on the other side of the street, set back a little with a parking lot in the front on the street side. Its on Marconi Avenue, it looks kind of fancy in a way that makes me wonder if the food is any good, maybe its just a going out to a fancy place type of restaurant. I just quickly googled it and it has two really bad reviews about how expensive and not great the food is! Glad I never spent the $ to go there and stayed on the sidewalk! And yes, the food court is the one you are talking about. The little bakery stall is at the front on the street side. If its too much of a haul, then why not just go to Jersey City on the PATH and go to Newark Ave? Its so easy with out parking or driving.
Good Indian Food in Jersey City?
Absolutely! Oaktree Road, as the area is called, has a website where you can get parking tips and other ideas about what to do there. In addition to Chowpatty, there is a fun food court kind of set up in a corner store about 2 blocks up. You can just go from stall to stall and pick out inexpensive foods to try- also a bakery for trying out "chum chum" and other treats. My impression is that if you want food and groceries, Newark Ave is great, but the really georgeous couture indian clothing, bangles, music and some other great stuff, Iselin is super. Urban is an upscale restaurant in Iselin recently mentioned in Saveur, which I might like to try if I wasn't so addicted to street food.
Good Indian Food in Jersey City?
I am still glowing about Newark Ave and go there from NYC almost every other weekend to eat for the past 6 years. First impressions may be that its a little tumble down, but if you begin to enter shops, like Patel's cash and carry for every single spice you could want, fresh vegies, etc., or the beautiful sari stores where fabrics are quite affordable, the incredible jewlery shops, the storefront Hindu temple, you start to get really attached to the place. For for food, I always go to Sapthagiri, a veg place with both north and south Indian specialties. I love the thali platters and my kids are addicted to the golab jaman (kind of like warm donut holes in a sugar sauce) and mango and pistachio kufli (ice cream). The waiters are super nice and get to know you and you feel very much at home. I loved being their while the proprieter was blessing all of the carvings and icons with whispered prayers, incense and spices, he was very discreet, but it was lovely to watch. Dosa house is a second runner-up, if you go enough you get to know the counter staff and you can watch the cricket championships while you eat, also I think its great that they now have a Mexican cook in there with the old lady South Indian cooks, viva la rasa! I'm a major Newark Ave fan, for better or worse its a place you can come to love a lot.
Finally there is a reason to live in Staten Island!
I haven't been to the Indian Clove, I was worried that it was going to be not so authentic. I'm going to give it a try. My absolute favorite indian veg food is still in Jersey City. I'm going to see if there is a write up on it but its called Sapthagiri on Newark Ave in Jersey City. Its really the best Indian food I have had in this area-especially the North Indian thali platter. Worth the drive if you can't take a plane to Mumbai!
Finally there is a reason to live in Staten Island!
I just saw the thread on Dosa Garden here at chowhound. If you take a look you can see some of the dishes others have enjoyed. There are dosa, which are like a big, slightly sour crepe, filled with different things though potato with cilantro and spices is kind of the classic. There are two different highly spiced soups, there are chickpea, spinach and homemade cheese (paneer), califlower and potato, etc. veg dishes, spicy mutton in a lovely sauce, tandori items and idly, which are fermented steamed rice cakes, slightly sour and great for dipping. Spices can include cumin, tumeric, mustard seed, chili powder, cilantro, cardomon, cinnamon and many many others. Its all about the spices and other things like coconut (shredded and milk) yogurt, etc. Its just the greatest food I can think of eating! Hope everyone is inspired to give it a try!
Dosa Garden in Staten Island
There are two restaurants across the street, one is New Asha, which is a Hindu owned place and is really wonderful. The other restaurant is Tamil, and I don't remember the name of it, but I really want to try it. I found this out from a friend who is Sri Lankan. There is another place around the corner on Cebra closer to Castleton. Its really exciting that there is a growing community here, many years ago there was nothing so wonderful. Any experiences with the several newish Mexican restaurants closer to St. Pauls ave? Any recommendations?
New Thai coming to Stapleton, SI
Wow, I didn't hear about that, but I hope they make it. I love Thai, its just a tough place to survive as a restaurant. Check out Dosa Garden on Victory and Cebra. It's great.
Finally there is a reason to live in Staten Island!
Well actually there was a reason to live, and a reason to live there, when they opened up New Asha, a Sri Lankan place on Victory Blvd. not too distant from the ferry. But now, the unimaginable has actually happened! After 24 years of living in Staten Island I have seen and eaten at the first Dosa joint! Dosa Garden on Victory and Cebra, right next to the pizza place. Its really great! The owner and cooks are super-nice, the food is really great and it has all the great stuff that you could want to have at a Dosa place as well as some platters, both meat and veg. I wish they would just take the plunge and invest in flatware and plates, but I can imagine they are sticking with paper until they break even. Even with a flimsy plate and a small plastic fork, the sauces, the food, the whole thing seemed really legit and so tasty! I used to have to schlep out to Newark Avenue in Jersey City to eat- and truly I still do because its my favorite- but this place makes Staten Island seem like a real place to be. Horray for the growning Sri Lankan and south Indian neighborhood and all the great cooks in it!!! Also- No liquor licence but they let you BYO.
