So...where'd you eat this week?

[Rail Paul]

The Fuddruckers seemed to be doing fine at lunchtime when I visited. The two restaurants share a set of rest rooms, so I walked through Fudd on my way out.

 

Red Stone Tavern is in a good location, with a lot of office space nearby. Grano and Tabor Road are about 12-15 minutes away, down on 53 at route 10. I'd rank either as better for a business lunch.

 

Lunello Montville Inn is about 10 minutes north on I-287 / US 202. Poor Henry's is a little closer, on 202. Montville Inn would be a better lunch choice, while Poor Henry's would be a superb beer choice with good food. More of a dive, though

[E.L.A.]

The Fuddruckers seemed to be doing fine at lunchtime when I visited. The two restaurants share a set of rest rooms, so I walked through Fudd on my way out.

 

Red Stone Tavern is in a good location, with a lot of office space nearby. Grano and Tabor Road are about 12-15 minutes away, down on 53 at route 10. I'd rank either as better for a business lunch.

 

Lunello Montville Inn is about 10 minutes north on I-287 / US 202. Poor Henry's is a little closer, on 202. Montville Inn would be a better lunch choice, while Poor Henry's would be a superb beer choice with good food. More of a dive, though

 

Thanks for all the great info Paul...I really like the Tabor Road Tavern...and I've never been to Grano.

 

The few times I went to TRT, I really enjoyed it -- very good food, excellent experience, and while I haven't been to that area in a long time, if I was, I would very much look forward to going back there.

[Rail Paul]

I had lunch at LouCas in Edison yesterday. It was convenient midpoint for the various folks. One guest knew quite a bit about Harvest Restaurant Group, which owns Grano, Tabor Road, Three West, the Roots locations, etc.

 

According to her, they have about four hundred employees and are considered extremely corporate. Private stock, medical benefits, a much higher % of full time employees with benefits, etc. Many things which are unusual in the industry. I noticed our server seemed to hang around, fussing with the table, likely listening in...

 

=================

 

LouCas was fine. Food was good, higher end red sauce Italian, most items in the $15 - $22 price range at lunch. I had an eggplant rollatini. It is a BYO, which I hadn't known.

 

Seemed to be popular for repasts after funeral services, looked like there were several groups in the various banquet areas and more private spaces. Several interior glass walls allow doors to be closed without blocking the light or making the place look like a like airplane hanger.

[suzilightning]

Went for lunch at 4 Seasons restaurant in Wharton on Saturday. Had checked out the website online but the time they start service was wrong... 1130 not, 1100.

 

Nice mix of food available ...had tomato burratta and a beet salad. I can't eat a lot at any one time. The burrata dish was very flavorful though I would have liked them to use local tomatoes rather than commericial plums. Bread brought to the table though I don't eat it. Beet salad came with mixed greens, red beets, plum tomatoes, asparagus and a good vinaigrette.

 

They offer wine, martinis and cocktails that looked interesting.

 

Johhnybird wants to go because they offer homemade hummus and scallops wrapped with smoked salmon, some interesting chicken dishes he can eat....I want to have some calamari and some steak frites.

 

Tried to go to the newly opened Windlass but, alas, they were not open for lunch on Wednesday. Stopped at a local bar, Charley's Tavern. and had a decent lunch...5.00 1/4 lb cheeseburger with coleslaw and a bowl of pickles to go with it. Will go back and try some other things as this is a good value on a rainy day before going home to work!!

c

[Rail Paul]

Haven't tried Windlass, have to put that on my list.

 

In Wharton / Jefferson, I'll often shoot for Hot Rod's or Alice's up at the lake. Always good to have another choice.

[suzilightning]

R.P.

Alice and her husband are the folks who bought the Windlass. Alice's is ok.

For the food I'd rather stop on 15 S at Texas Smoke. Different kind of BBQ as the smoke IS the thing and the sauce is secondary.

I liked Charley's and I like Mason Street for what they are - kinda divish bars but with decent food.

[Rail Paul]

Thanks for the suggestions. With the leaves beginning to change, it's probably time to take a ride west

[suzilightning]

Just back from lunch at the new and very much improved Windlass on Lake Hopatcong. The space has been totally renovated and is clean and gorgeous. The bar is in the shape of a dory and would be a hoot to sit at. Johnnybird insisted on a window seat and it was a great way to watch the lake. If it had been a tad warmer we would have asked to eat outside.

 

Good sized selection of wines by the glass or bottle as well as specialty drinks. There were even some special drinks on the specials menu. John had the blueberry mojito that he said was very good and had fresh blueberries muddled into it. (7.00)

 

Full lunches, soups, salads, sandwiches - everything BUT a burger, and even a course lunch for 20.00 were available. The special menu featured a special appetizer, some sandwiches and the soups. John had the shrimp and penne lunch which came with bread and salad (25.) and I had the special soup and 1/2 sandwich which came with choice of coleslaw, potato salads and French fries. I chose the beef barley soup, buffalo chicken sandwich on flat bread and coleslaw (10). The soup was wonderful, the sandwich quite good but the coleslaw could use something.

 

I WILL go back again - maybe in the winter when I can bird from the comfort of the restaurant.

[E.L.A.]

Sunday brunch at the Grain House in Basking Ridge (at the Olde Mill Inn Hotel) -- more details to follow, but the brief snapshot...

 

Atmosphere, setting, etc. -- a beautiful spot, separate free-standing building on the grounds of the Olde Mill Inn Hotel. An old, historical, actual "grain house" -- perhaps a national/historical landmark. A few "gardens" for outdoor weddings/events. Inside, a very nice "rustic" and historical type building, very quaint, originals floors, fireplace, walls, etc. -- a lot of character. Very nice.

 

Service -- fair at best, more details to follow.

 

Food -- surprisingly fair at best, very disappointed, based upon recommendations from a friend and ratings, reputation, etc.; more details to follow.

[E.L.A.]

More on the Grain House...

 

So...I was staying in Basking Ridge and a friend of mine from the area recommended the Grain House for brunch. As I said, it's a beautiful building, perhaps a national/historic landmark. Very interesting, historical, quaint kind of place. I liked a lot of what I saw -- architecture, original floors, woodwork, etc. There are several "gardens" on the grounds for outdoor weddings, events, etc. -- overall, just very nice as far as ambiance, atmosphere, setting, and so forth. We did go with almost high expectations, not only because of our friend's recommendation, but just from walking in as it was a very nice setting.

We were seated at a nice table in the very corner of the room, which we actually liked. However, once we were seated we were somewhat forgotten about -- and the room was more than half empty. We saw a few staff people enter and leave the room, but not one noticed, looked over or approached us. They weren't that busy that all the wait-staff was too busy to notice a new table was just seated.

We waited for almost ten minutes and I finally had to walk back to the hostess station. As I left the room, a wait-staff person noticed and seemed to rush over to our table. I returned without speaking with the hostess (who appeared to be a manager). The waiter asked if we wanted something to drink and we ordered coffee. That was it. He didn't say where the brunch was, if anything was included, nothing. We were just left there. He brought back our coffee and then left. No one said "help yourself" or "the brunch is in the next room" -- nothing.

We just guessed we should just go help ourselves, so we ventured to find the buffet.

The variety of the food was good -- ham and turkey on a carving station, a table of "cold" appetizer, salads, cheeses, a vegetable or two, some tomato and mozzarella, lox, etc. Kudos to the broccoli salad -- with onions, chopped up bacon, and a nice light marinade. That was very good.

The next table had the typical breakfast fare -- scrambled eggs, which were OK, mass produced/prepared, molded to the chaffing dish; eggs benedict, which were good; sausage, which were good; bacon, which was fair at best, soggy; a quiche, which was good, waffles, and then a BBQ chicken and another dish. There was a bread/pastry table which small-mini bagels, some pasties, etc. A smaller room had desserts -- from yogurt and toppings, to bread pudding, cobbler, cupcakes, mini-pieces of cake, and other desserts.

All in all, the variety was good, and a few dishes (mentioned above) were good. However, every single dish -- every single serving of food was cold to ever so slightly warm at best, but for the most part cold. Now, this may not be a big deal to some, but other than the salads and the like, breakfast food and brunch entrees are supposed to be served hot. It really took away from even enjoying brunch and even trying to enjoy the food. As we were sitting eating our first serving of food, a table of four next to each said the same thing to each other -- the food is cold! They didn't have a good experience either.

Service was OK, fair at best. We had to ask to remove our plates, more than once. We had to ask for refills of coffee and water, again, more than once. Not up to any standard -- and again, they weren't very busy, so that is not an excuse. How can you return to a table with a plate of food -- and the plate you left there when you got up to get more food is still there? It's basic buffet brunch 101 -- clear the finished plates! We finally had one waiter who made a very good effort to do a good job.

Call it a one-off, bad day, isolated experience. However, the overall experience was not a good one. I stay in this area quite a bit, and I might, slightly consider giving this place another shot -- but if I did, if, and that's a big if, it would be based upon a recommendation from my friend, and I respect his opinion. However, based upon my experience, I'd prefer not to give it another shot. My point -- expectations aside, I wasn't let-down or disappointed because of my expectations. I was disappointed because it was a poor experience. I'll be back in the area in several weeks, and I am leaning toward trying another place for brunch.

[Rail Paul]

I wrote off the Grain House a few years ago. I think they're spoiled by having the corporate hotel across the parking lot No reason to return.

 

In that area, dripping with money, I've enjoyed Vine (up 202, closer to Bernardsville) and the Public Market (down 202, closer to Morristown). I've mentioned the Osteria Morini and the Bernards Inn. The last would be my go-to for brunch, etc

[E.L.A.]

I wrote off the Grain House a few years ago. I think they're spoiled by having the corporate hotel across the parking lot No reason to return.

 

In that area, dripping with money, I've enjoyed Vine (up 202, closer to Bernardsville) and the Public Market (down 202, closer to Morristown). I've mentioned the Osteria Morini and the Bernards Inn. The last would be my go-to for brunch, etc

 

Paul, thanks for the heads up/info. I should have checked with you first, LOL. I'll keep those places at the top of my list for next time. Thanks again.

[Anónimo]

Two summers ago, we ate at the Grain House at the request of my mother, who was craving their fish and chips. My wife, my sister and my mother all ordered the F&C. I saw the specials card on the table,which featured a red snapper filet and a salad for a couple of bucks more, so I ordered that.

 

There was no consensus among my kin who had the F&C. The F&C consisted of two largish pieces of heavily battered cod with a pile of oil drenched French Fries underneath. The Tartar and Cocktail Sauce looked good. The "Health Salad", a sweet variant on cole slaw without mayo, was popular. My non-foodie sister liked the double dip batter coating of the fish, my wife thought it was very poorly made and my Mom was satisfied. (In the end, that's what matters.)

 

F&C at Grain House

 

My snapper was nicely cooked, a bit crisp on the bottom, and adequately portioned. The presentation was careless. The real delight was the beautiful and delicious salad on the side of the platter: arugula, just tender green beans, fingerling potatoes, roasted sweet baby peppers, toasted almonds and tomatoes and a scattering of fresh raspberries.. The dressing was of lemon juice and olive oil. I was very happy with my choice.

 

Red Snapper Special at Grain House

 

Over all I thought it a long drive from Livingston for of meal of mixed quality.

 

There were service issues.

Read more ...

[Rail Paul]

Anonimo - thanks for the pictures from the Grain House. Your narrative, and ELA's, suggest a place where location is probably more important than the food presented. As long as you don't kill your customers.

 

Stay dry in Michocan, the storm up coast was amazing, based on the TV footage we saw in NJ. The recovery will undoubtedly be long and difficult for many folks.

[E.L.A.]

Some of the usual, regular places lately...change of plans from the Saddle River Inn to Cafe Panache. I am a big fan of Kevin and once again -- excellent!!! In every single respect, Cafe Panache still impresses. Kevin has been doing it and doing it very well for 30 years now! More details to follow.

 

Also, dinner back at St. Eve's -- once again, what can I say, excellent! I am a big fan of Steve as well, and I can see why he and Kevin were partners, LOL. A really nice, upscale casual kind of place -- with excellent food! A lot of flavors and tastes amongst the layers of food and ingredients. Kudos to Steve -- still somewhat of a hidden gem to many.

 

Also had dinner at El Cid -- nice local place, same same -- good food and big portions. Actually, I was in the mood for steak, not a lot of fat, etc., and I went with the filet. It was very good, exceeded my expectations. I stayed away from the bread, but had to a just a couple of pieces of the chorizo -- very good, a lot of flavor, and the stuffed scallop appetizer (one of the specials) also had a lot of taste and flavor. The lamb chops were very good as well.

 

Another dinner at...Callahan's...I could be wrong, but I think now that they've added more items to the menu, I think they also raised their prices. I've heard some comments that it's "expensive" and "pricey" -- and after taking a closer look at the new menu, yes, I can see that. I don't know anything about the business operation, business, rent, etc. -- but it's not like they are in a high-end neighborhood, high-end/high-traffic stripmall/plaza, etc. Listen, I am a business owner, so I know what the world is like -- but if the prices are "too high" then be prepared for the consequences. Short-term vision can be damaging, LOL.

 

Also had dinner at Park West -- again, this place has slipped a bit. Any news there? New chef? Same chef?

 

La Vera Cucina (Suffern) -- I met a friend there for dinner recently. Now, I haven't been there in a couple of years, but there was no doubt a major shift. Same menu, different food. When I used to go there regularly -- I often said this was a hidden gem and looks are without question deceiving. The menu, while Italian, with different regions and influences present, had some flair and uniqueness to it. The owner(s) and chef were Albanian, as was some of the staff, and tht added something -- some of the dishes had a bit of twist, modern, personal touch or flair to it. It was well explained on the menu, so you know if the dish was "traditional" or their own version, flair, etc. Regardless, the food was very good. I thought it was one of the best Italian restaurants in the area. Inside the place was very nice -- very nice bar and bar area, and the dining room had the sense of fine dining, but a nice casual feel. From the outside, you don't know what to expect, but once you walk in, you were in a nice place.

 

At some point, I think a couple of years ago, the place was sold (from what I've been told). I can't say what happened in the kitchen -- but the place shifted and slipped. A lot of the regulars (the ones I knew) stopped going, and it certainly wasn't attracting a lot of new clients. So, a friend wanted to meet there recently -- a month or so ago. We sat at the bar. Food, again, so so at best. The bolognese sauce was good (I used to really enjoy it there). The bartender told me they were closing for renovations and would be closed for just a day or two. They were starting on a Sunday, going all day, and into Monday and would be ready to open again Tuesday. She said they were "changing the theme" to more of a "lounge" type place and making some changes to the menu, but keeping some of the items on the current menu. I didn't get a lot of details.

 

I was going to stop in post-renovations/change -- but a quick google search makes it sound as if the place has closed down. I asked a friend and he said they closed for renovations and never opened again. Another friend said something similar. Any news here?

 

More details to follow on a few other places...including Thanksgiving at Perona Farms!