Bebe0711,

Will have to try out Brioso before we move to Florida in June! I also used to eat at Spirito's when we lived in Linden. Didn't know it was still there!

Maria's, in Manasquan. My favorite pizza anywhere, also delicious red-sauce Italian food.

Ryan I miss the taylor ham, egg and cheese on a good hard roll!!!!! I ate them every morning commuting to New York.(when I was a younger lass and could eat those kind of things without getting fat!!!)

Here goes my list for Northern NJ - Bergen County Area:

-Fondue at the Melting Pot in Westwood
-Great Steakhouse called Brickhouse in Wyckoff
-The Greek Village in Northvale
-Esty Street in Park Ridge for new age American
-Sandam (I think that's how you spell it) in Cresskill for Turkish/Mediterranean
-Country Pancake House in Ridgewood for breakfast (longist list of different pancakes you'll ever see)
-Blend in Ridgewood for American/Italian food
-Cenzino's in Oakland - Best Italian food around IMHO
-Marcello's Roman Cafe in Hillsdale for great Italian food, but just not as good as Cenzino's.
-Tony's Brother in Oakland for the best pizza around this area

Now I'm drawing a blank.

Sorry! Made a mistake - Marcello's Roman Cafe is in Harrington Park, not Hillsdale.

When I was a kid on Staten Island, my father used to take me to the Hoboken Clam House. Is that still around?

Also, second the love of Taylor pork roll. Finally found it here in Nashville at Publix.

Please keep this confidential but the best in south Jersey is the Tuckahoe Inn in Marmora, NJ and in north Jersey, Arthur's by the Middletown train station.Real people, real prices & real food.

Can't believe no one has mentioned this yet...


How about the Bada Bing? Affectionately known simply as "The Bing"

teacherD, Yep, Spirito's is alive and well (with the same green wooden booths) in Elizabeth. Been around forever. We took our whole family there for dinner to celebrate our 1st anniversary, and my FIL made a point of reminding my SIL that he used to bring her there when she was an infant! :) Great times...just don't ask for BUTTER!

A great byob in Cherry Hill is the
Emerald Fish. Very tiny, not tons
of atmos. but the cooking is definately fine. Last night had
Halibut with A stone-fruit reduction
(not sweet at all, very light)served
on top of sauteed fresh spinach and
a DEVINE Polenta-Mascarpone cake.
It was superb. Can't wait to go back.

TPATRICCO---I made that mistake once asking for butter! That brings back such great memories! I remember when I was a little girl going there and thinking the waitress' had sooo much $$$ money because they would count their tips at that table! Is that Lemon Ice stand still there?

DANDYGIRL, that sounds great what you eat last night! Where is that restaurant located?

RYAN..Augustino's sounds up my alley also!

Yum!

bebe0711 - too funny about the butter at Spiritos! My now husband took me there for the first time about 13 years ago. He didnt' warn me about the butter thing...waitress just about bit my head off! He thought it was hysterical! When we took my parents, I had to explain to my father that it's a BYO Butter place. He thought I was nuts! We live near there...go all the time! YUM! Lotsa memories in that place. Funny about the waitresses and their $$. I'll have to look for the lemon ice stand. I'm sure my husband knows. :)

Oh, two more restaurants to add...

For fantastic Chineese Cathay 22 on Route 22 in Springfield is awesome!

On Park Avenue in Weehawken, "Paula at Rigoletto" for inventive Italian, small storefront restaurant with great decor & showcases local artists. Paula is a former personal chef of Bruce Springsteen. She is fantastic & her food is great too! Trish

Thanks Trish! I also laugh about Sprito's when you have to cut through the kitchen to get to the front (bar area) One time I was picking up food there to go, so I entered from the back (restaurant part)..the waitress told me to go to the front and walk through the kitchen. I wasn't the only customer cutting through either. So funny.

The place in Weehawken sounds great! Thanks for your help!

Ileen

Ileen, Spirito's pizza is great...wacky about walking thru the kitchen. I've done that a couple times myself!

Paula's is also the venue for our NJ/NY Fodorite GTG May 21st. We had the previous one in October there as well. Pics at www.pbase.com/tpatricco/njny_fodorite_gtg_2004

oohhh...I second Cathay 22!! Haven't been there in a long time,but the food is great!
I crave Arthur's every so often for the steak and that bowl of slaw/pickles they give you when you're waiting for the food.

Luna Rossa in Pluckemin has the best fried calamari I've tried,and Mugs in Raritan has great nachos.

When you're hungry and almost broke, there's always the $1.59 hot dog/soda at Costco!

Great pics Trish! The antipasto made me hungry now!

Thanks! If you're in NJ on May 21 please come to the GTG!! Had Cathay for lunch today...YUM!

I have eaten exactly two meals in Jersey in my life, both of them have been at those dumpy turnpike gas & food stops, complete with terrible food and sky-high prices.

"Gut Bombs" were the norm on the menus there even if you opted to mix and match the fine cuisine available.

So yes, in my experience, although very limited, I've yet to beat the turnpike rest areas while in Jersey.

bebe0711--

Emerald Fish--where dandygirl had the terrific halibut--is in the Barclay Farm shopping center on Route 70 in Cherry Hill, about half a mile west of 295. Casual. Open kitchen. Regular menu plus nightly specials. (If a special doesn't appeal to you, try the crabcakes! And, be sure to order the carrot cake if it's available...)