ambrose's Profile
25 Burgers in Flemington
I received a flyer in my mailbox today announcing that the 25 Burgers restaurant in Flemington would be "opening February 2012". Seems they're cutting it a little close.
The restaurant is in the old Pizza Hut location, near PearlVision on Route 202S.
The sister restaurant in Branchburg opened recently and seems to be getting pretty favorable reviews.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/812711
Traditional Irish Breakfast??
Google is your friend! :-))
http://www.blueroosterbakery.com
Traditional Irish Breakfast??
The Blue Rooster Bakery and Cafe in Cranbury does a full Irish breakfast (it's even called that on their menu).
http://www.blueroosterbakery.com/breakfast1032011-1.pdf
There's also a place in Bethlehem, PA that supposedly does an Irish breakfast. The downside is that the restaurant does not open until 10 AM (??).
http://www.akiltandacuppa.com/McCarthys_Menus/Breakfast_Menu.html
The Pluckemin Inn....not so good
RGR, you make a very good point. We were thinking of trying the Pluckemin Inn for lunch but I'm really having second thoughts now. Our one and only lunch at the Inn was very disappointing and at the time we chalked it up to the possibility that then executive chef, David Felton, was not in the kitchen. The dinners we had there were always excellent but they were on a Friday night with friends and we knew (we asked) if Felton (one time) or Cuevas (twice) was cookin'.
When there's just two of us we try to avoid dinners on Friday and Saturday. Foody4life mentions that service was good but it should also be noted that they ate in the tavern. I guess the only thing to do is bite the bullet and try the dining room on the weekend (or go to elements or The Peacock Inn!)
Early Saturday dinner - Morristown area
I haven't been to Chez Catherine for a couple of years but it would probably meet your requirements. I do like Resto in Madison but I think Chez Catherine wins on ambience.
Nj Monthly names Top Italian Restaurants
The article in NJ Monthly does not name the top Italian restaurants in the state. It says, quite clearly, "here are 16 of our favorites". It so happens that two of my favorites - Due Mari and Eno Terra - are on the list. It also happens that a couple are not on the list.
The Pluckemin Inn....not so good
mJ, I think he's had plenty of time to get familiar with the kitchen and menu. According to the article above, and as noted by Foody4life, Lattanzio has been sous chef at the Pluckemin Inn for several years.
Nevertheless, I have had some good dinners (and a not so good lunch!) at the Pluckemin Inn so I too will check it out in a month or so.
The Pluckemin Inn....not so good
Here's a little bit more about Andrew Lattanzio, the new executive chef at the Pluckemin Inn.
http://blog.nj.com/artful_diner/2012/02/pluckemin_inn_names_new_execut.html
This article states that Lattanzio was once executive chef at the Tewksbury Inn. I sure don't remember that but I guess it's possible. The current ec at the Tewks has been in that position for about eight years.
Lattanzio was indeed involved with Artisan Kitchen, a restaurant that really deserved to succeed but was done in from day one by its poor location in a strip mall on Route 22 in Lebanon.
The one thing that does bother me is that Lattanzio has apparently been in charge of the Pluckemin Inn's kitchen since very early January, the period when a couple of the above posters had less than satisfactory experiences.
Morristown Recommendations
Forklaw, think about driving into Madison (not that far) to have dinner at Resto, Rob's Bistro or the Garlic Rose. All are good though Resto can be pricey. I too don't know the restaurants in Morristown and always end up eating in Madison!
Morristown Recommendations
Marie, how busy is it for breakfast on the weekend? Lunch?
Farnsworth House, Bordentown, NJ
Very recent review from the Princeton Packet:
http://www.centraljersey.com/articles/2012/01/28/time_off/restaurant_reviews/doc4f208c1c653b1725044345.txt
Annapurna - New Indian Restaurant in New Hope
I have assumed that all the Cross Culture restaurants are owned by the same people. However, when I started to look on the web, I became very confused. The only web site I could find was for the Princeton restaurant.
So.....I resorted to that primitive technology, i.e. the telephone, and phoned the Doylestown location. The answer is yes, all restaurants have the same owner(s) and all have the same menus. The web site for the Doylestown location is currently down for maintenance and the one for the Lambertville restaurant isn't up yet. I think the fourth Cross Culture is in Haddonfield but didn't really check this out.
Annapurna - New Indian Restaurant in New Hope
Thanks Sadiefox. I'll have to check it out the next time I'm in Lambertville. For those taking notes, there's also a Cross Culture restaurant in Princeton.
http://www.crossculturerestaurant.com
Due Terre, Bernardsville to become Osteria Morini
Came across this note on Eater. Anyone have more details?
http://ny.eater.com/tags/due-terre
Annapurna - New Indian Restaurant in New Hope
Whatever became of the Cross Culture restaurant that was supposed to open in Lambertville? (See sadiefox's post above).
Ferry House in Princeton
I'm surprised no one has yet provided a link to this fairly recent discussion about the Ferry House. So I will.....
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/821088
I remember the Ferry House from its days in Lambertville and its first few years in Princeton. I always considered it one of THE places to go for fine dining. But that was then and this is now. I don't go to the Ferry House any more.
Great "First Date" restaurants in Bridgewater/Somerville
Tapastre is a great suggestion. I have to admit I had forgotten about this place but your post is a reminder that I need to venture back.
In the future, the OP might also want to check out Verve which has a super bar (and bartender!). Pretty good dining too.
http://www.vervestyle.com/index.html
Red Monk Asian Bistro in Metuchen
Has anyone been to this new restaurant which is in the space previously occupied by Spice Melange? The menu, which emphasizes Thai and Malaysian dishes, looks good and the prices seem very reasonable but on-line reviews range from awful to outstanding! A lot of the criticism relates to service issues, which might be expected of new restaurants, but this place has been open for quite a while.
If you check out the web site, you'll find that it's rather quirky. As you page down to see all the menu items, the site suddenly minimizes.
http://www.redmonkasianbistro.com
Great "First Date" restaurants in Bridgewater/Somerville
I think the Stoney Brook Grille is a good selection for a 1st (or 3rd) date. I've only been there once and I would agree with your comments. My only complaint was that it was incredibly noisy in the dining area. I'm told, however, that the owners addressed this issue so perhaps it's time for a return visit.
New Greek Restaurants in Bridgewater/Somerville
Thanks, I'll have to drop by Neil's for lunch. The on-line reviews were very favorable.
New Greek Restaurants in Bridgewater/Somerville
Coldsolderjoint, what exactly do you mean? Has Grill 85 moved to another location or has it dropped the Mediterranean part of its menu and renamed itself Neil's? Or, has it gone for good?
I had a couple of good lunches at Grill 85 though on both occasions the baklava was burned on the bottom.
Added in Edit: Just partially answered my own questions. Found a couple of on-line reviews of Neil's and it appears to be a new restaurant. On the other hand, there is mention of both falafel and hummus in one of the reviews. Still wonder if Grill 85 has moved elsewhere.
90th Birthday Brunch or Lunch in Princeton Area
Nancy, you mention lunch or brunch in the Princeton area but then ask about the Bernards Inn and The Manor. Both restaurants are quite a distance from Princeton so I'm wondering how far you are willing to travel?
New Greek Restaurants in Bridgewater/Somerville
Once again I am reminded why restaurant reviewers visit a restaurant several times before writing a review.....
I have been to Kyma twice for lunch. The first time everything was exceptionally good; the second time, not so much.
On my first visit the restaurant was about half full (ten to twelve tables occupied), a pretty good showing for any Somerville restaurant on a weekday. I opted for the combination beef/lamb gyro and it was right up there with the best gyros I've ever had. The potatoes tiganites (Greek style fries) were excellent as was the avgolemono soup which seems to accompany most lunch specials. The soup was piping hot and contained several chunks of chicken. An added bonus was the "bread" that was served before the meal. It consisted of small pieces of toast and pita along with a dip made, I think, from fava beans. Yummy!
Last week I went to Kyma again and again it was a weekday, but this time only four or five tables were occupied. This time I chose the chicken pesto which is a sandwich containing marinated chicken, pesto and feta on a ciabatta roll. The sandwich was huge and unfortunately the roll completely dominated. I ended up removing one half of the roll and eating the resulting open face sandwich with a knife and fork. It was fairly good but nothing special and it certainly didn’t match the gyro for flavor. In addition, the avolemono soup was luke warm and contained only a few small pieces of chicken. The potatoes too were disappointing, lacking the crispness of the ones I'd had previously. Again, however, the pita and toast were excellent, this time served with a dip made from beans, potatoes, olive oil and something else.
Service the first time was outstanding, even though the two servers had to take care of five or six tables each. The second time the two servers had only two tables each and service was indifferent - not bad but not especially good either. I did notice, however, that my server seemed to be particularly lackadaisical.
I’ve read so many good things about Kyma that I will probably try them for dinner and cross my fingers that my second lunch experience was just an aberration.
Added in Edit: I should have noted that the prices at lunch are VERY reasonable.
Has anyone tried Sunshine Hamburgers in Edison?
From their web site, it's pretty clear that this place has nothing to do with Sunshine Burgers! I wonder if they've had any letters from SB's lawyers.
http://www.alsunshinehamburgers.com/
Five Guys in Flemington?
Yes, yesterday's Hunterdon Democrat had a front page article about this. Also, the article mentioned that Five Guys will occupy only part of the old Blockbuster space. That would explain why there are still signs on the Blockbuster building saying 'Space Available'.
As noted in another thread, 25 Burgers is also opening a restaurant in the old Branchburg Diner on Route 22E. The restaurant is supposed to open "soon" but the 25 Burgers burgers are already available next door at The Royal bar.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/812711
Changes at Tic Toc Diner
I assume the OP is referring to the diner in Clifton, in which case it's the Tick Tock. There is a web site, which I find to be quite annoying.
Lunch in or Near Suffern
Thanks for the suggestions. They arrived just in time! We ended up at Plaka, where we had a pretty decent lunch. I've been to better Greek restaurants but I would go back there if I'm in the area again. One disturbing thing though was that during the entire two and a half hours we were there no one else came in! There were a couple of people at the bar but that was it. I hope this restaurant packs them in on the weekend, otherwise it won't last long.
Christmas Eve dinner Central Nj
Freshstart19, you're probably aware that the Metuchen Inn was closed for almost a year following a fire in March, 2010. It reopened in February. After your dinner there, please let us know what you thought of it. I always liked the old Inn but, as you say, it had decidedly mixed reviews.
