StephY

My mom ate at Sunset Cove, last Friday night, and told me that the food was good, but not great. It's a lovely location, right on the Hudson, but it also attracts the after-work suit crowd for drinks. If you want cozy & quiet, this won't be the place for you. Mighty Joe's, in White Plains (610 W. Hartsdale Rd), is very good for grilled fish & meats. It's also not a quiet place, but the food is consistently good, in my experience. Stay away from the Chart House, down by the waterfront & train station, in Dobbs Ferry. It's nice to sit on the patio, watching the boats on t

Seth, Your insight is valuable - thank you. As mentioned, I plan on taking some time to wander around the neighborhood (at different times of day/night & on different days of the week). I've lived in areas that are supposed to be "luxury," yet a low-income housing project was 2 blocks away. I've lived in more down-at-the-heels neighborhoods & found them to be homey & lovely & safe. It's so individual, looking around & asking around are the only ways to really know what you're getting yourself into. If I have more questions, do you mind if I ask you? Steph

Thank you all for the replies. I will definitely check the neighborhood out, very carefully. The nice thing about the apartment that's available, is that it's not ready until November. That gives me some time to futz around, before I agree to put down a deposit. (it's a rental) I'm cool with a neighborhood being up-and-coming, as long as I can get some vital services delivered (like FreshDirect). I'll do more research, but I'm glad to have restaurant names to specifically check out. I'll also visit Chowhound's boards. I figured I'd start here, because the members tend to be a lit

I have a dual purpose, here. 1. Find out what's good to eat in Prospect Heights, specifically the area within 5 blocks of Pacific & Washington; 2. Ask an off-topic question & see if anyone knows anything about that neighborhood, on the whole. Some of NYMag's cheap eats listings were for that nabe, but that doesn't tell me if it's the kind of place I want to live. Opinions? About the food & about the neighborhood? Thanks!

I had wonderful Turkish-style coffee, recently, and I'd like to make it at home. I have a standard drip brew coffee machine and some good whole beans to grind up. I picked up green cardamom SEEDS (not pods) at Kalustyan's and I now need to find out how to do this properly . . . Do I grind up some seeds with the coffee beans? Do I add the whole seeds to the coffee grounds, before brewing? Do I hand-crush some seeds & add them to the grounds? Suggestions? Ideas? Thanks!

More for the drinking part, because the food is mediocre-to-bad: Croxley Ales (Ave B & 2nd St). Huge, clean, well-organized deck. Partially tented with big-screen tv for sports. To date, this is the *only* place in all of Manhattan where I can watch a televised Yankees game, outside. The beer selection (tap & bottles) is enormous, service is usually good, prices are reasonable. The wings are nothing special, but they're cheap & good.

I am blissful in anticipation of how Regina Schrambling will tear Bruni apart, next week. This week's Gastropoda blurb lists BLTFish as mediocre, at best. For some reason, I trust her opinion far more than that of the man who fills the position I covet.

I, too, enjoy the NYC al fresco experience . . . in rear gardens. Sitting street-side lends itself to being accosted by all manner of change-grubbing humans, not all of whom are clean enough to be within spitting distance of my food. Baldo Vino (E. 7th, near A) has a lovely garden and the Hummus Place (St. Mark's b/w 1st & A) is opening one, shortly. B-Bar for brunch on the weekends. Django (Lex & 46th) has a nice terrace . . . you still get some noise from the street, but you're removed from the masses. Great lunch. Luca Lounge (Ave B, near 14th) has a wonderful re

Thanks for all of the helpful recommendations & advice. The trip was a glowing success and I'm now looking forward to my next visit to Montreal, so I can try some of the restaurants that I missed on this trip. I'd like to start my report with a non-food comment . . . Auberge du Vieux-Port was absolutely one of the best hotels I've ever had the pleasure of patronizing. The service was kind, helpful, and accommodating; the rooms (I was in the Rue St. Vincent loft #602) were spacious, clean, and well-appointed; and the location was perfect (right on Rue St. Paul, near the sailors' churc

Point of interest: The scallop had crisped lotus root with it . . . That's the mysterious perforated chip.

When looking for recommendations, recently, I got conflicting advice about APDC. Some said "Not worth it," while others said, "Very good." I'll be in Montreal, this coming weekend, and it is *not* on the list. Yet, Anthony Bourdain just published a pig testament in this month's Gourmet magazine, which basically hails Au Pied as one of the best of the best in Montreal. Is he just blowing smoke? I'm just looking for a little more info . . .

For very good udon soup, try Menchanko-Tei on 45th, a few doors east of Lex (north side of the street - don't walk into NoodleTown by accident). The namesake soup is only $8 and it's enough food for 2 lunches. On 3rd Ave & 43rd (southeast corner) is Prince Deli. Stacked sandwiches are in the $5-6 range, but the falafel is very very good. Yes, they nuke the balls for each sandwich, but they're tasty & moist with a pleasing texture. The guy behind the counter (tall Black man) has a fabulous personality & he'll load up your pita or wrap with all the fixin's. $4.50 for a huge

I know that Jane has seen some changing of the kitchen guard, lately, and the Executive Chef has been spending most of his time up at Neptune Room. Clearly, the quality is suffering for the lack of steadfast attention. I am still a lover of Jane's Sunday brunch, but I haven't been to dinner in quite some time. I hope they can fix things, since it's been nice to support the team that finally broke the 100 West Houston curse.

FYI - I emailed Cocagne & used my limited French to ask if they would accommodate a small child. They were exceptionally helpful, stating that we could arrange for a special menu for the little girl, as long as we reserved ahead of time. Steph

Flyfish - MERCI BEAUCOUP! You're the best. I'll send these links to the matriarch of the group (the birthday girl) & she'll be thrilled. Steph