menton1

I second Sophie's Bistro... I've recommended it on the board before. I only wish it were closer to me. Have been 3 times and loved it every time.

Ever see two parallel lines that never meet?

Not to be repetitive, but there seems to be a misunderstanding here-- I only like 5 Guys for the hot dogs, which are grilled as was discussed-- I do NOT like their burgers!

As mentioned, close by is Alain's, with highly contemporary menu and a modern environment. For a great place that's a bit further afield, Le Jardin de Roi in Chappaque never fails to please-- and it looks and feels like you are in France! (And you might even bump into Bill & Hill as they dine there often!)

We tried Five Guys once last year (the Manalapan location 5 minutes from our house). The burger and the fries were awful! As per my post, I agree. But the dogs are very good, split in half on a nice bun. All they need is deli mustard!

Actually, Five Guys makes a nice grilled hot dog. (Better than their burgers!) The only flaw is that they only have yellow mustard, which I don't like on a dog. So you have to bring your own deli or spicy brown mustard!

The funniest line I heard lately was from a waitress, who, when my friend inquired about their Valentine's Day dinner, responded with: "Who would be crazy enough to eat at a restaurant on Valentines Day?". I was ROTFLMAO.

Are the dogs there grilled or deep fried? (I prefer grilled)

Speaking of Piermont, I heard that Piermont Pizza, which was one of the few places around that had a great slice of pizza, has changed hands and converted into a pub. So there goes a good place for a couple of great slices of pizza! Too bad.

I was at Khan's a couple of years ago for the first and last time. This is food of the lowest quality, with the "gimmick" being that you pick out the ingredients yourself from several trays, and watch the guy cook it. Meh. IMO it was AWFUL. Flavorless. Ate only 1/3, never to return. But it's been there a long time, so the local public loves this stuff.

Also, on the other topic, Rockland County restaurants have always been part of the Sunday Times NJ umbrella, going back to when they had an entire New Jersey section on Sundays. It's actually very logical, a lot of NJ-ites go to Rockland restaurants because of proximity and the fact that lots of would-be restaurateurs open up on the NY side of the border, because of the much easier (and much cheaper!) liquor license availability-- making for lots of good choices in Rockland.

I don't know if you realized it, Paul, but this review is for a new second restaurant that Alain opened, a tapas bar. The original bistro is the place I keep referring to, just slightly out of the downtown area, with a much more "French" menu. The new place has a lot of Spanish influences on the menu. Looks good as well.

I've eaten at UT in Basking Ridge and also at the one in Morristown. I like BR a bit better. Bar is gorgeous. Both places have the noise level a bit too loud for me, requires a little more energy to have a conversation at your table. If I'm going to dine at this location in Basking Ridge, however, I'll just go to 3 West. Slightly pricier, but a bit more sophisticated and a lot quieter as well. More noise-absorbent building materials, I suppose. I think they want a higher noise level at UT, it's part of their identity of that name. But as is typical of Harvest group, a well ru

What also seems pretty strange is that Ung, who rarely gives more than 2 1/2 stars, gave out 3. But the star rating does not match her review, which strangely seems to want to be complimentary, but keeps making excuses for the place. Entrees from $28-35 need to be astoundingly better than they are to justify that pricing. http://www.alainsbistro.com/

Just thinking about places close to your 'hood, Nick. (My hood too) Ever tried the burger at Mountain House in Sparkill? They live sort of off pub food and so-called designer pizzas, but what about their burgers?