A LITTLE MORE
It’s been a bit hectic the past few days, and I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s simply September, when everything starts up again.
But I wanted to, briefly, re-visit that topic of waiting-for-a-reserved table, which I brought up because 1) it’s one of the most frequent complaints I get and 2) it had happened (again) to me in a rather extreme manner, and I was curious as to how you food-centric souls feel about it. I’ve been gobbling up your thoughts. Thank you!
I have someone else’s two cents to pitch in. My friend Bob, an avid, eager and several-times-a-week restaurant-goer, told me he has a rule of thumb about waiting for a reserved table. “I wait 15, 20 minutes without thinking about it, especially if it’s a busy restaurant,” Bob says. “After about 20 minutes, I feel someone from the restaurant should approach, apologize and ask if I’d like a drink, a beverage of some sort. If it’s more than 30 minutes, I think it’s right for the restaurant to offer me an appetizer – either at the bar or just as I sit down at the table.” This is the right thing to do, he notes, because “I was expecting to be eating already and I’m hungry!” After 45 minutes, if the restaurant hasn’t extended itself in any way, “I leave,” Bob says. “I don’t feel as though I have to honor my reservation after that.”
Now, onto other topics. I’m going to be exploring in future stories a couple of your favorite things to talk about, and I’d love your input.
1) Sushi. During the past five years, the Shore’s joined Sushi Nation. There are certain parts of Monmouth, in particular, that have become nearly saturated with sushi-serving restaurants. I’d like to know A) Your favorite PURIST sushi spot and B) Your favorite MODERN sushi spot – i.e. places with dozens of different wild-and-crazy rolls.
2) Chains. We had a big go-round late last month and early this month about chains. So to follow up on this, I’d like to know A) Is there a chain you think works really well – taking it all beyond formula food (which is why the food-centric chastise chains) and B) If there isn’t a chain you have food-affection for, what is it about your experiences at chains that has turned you off? And please be more specific than don’t-like-formula-food.
THANK YOU!
I’m working this week on a fall-produce farm story. I’ve been a bit itchy this week, because a few of my favorite farms have closed for the season or are in between peak summer and the start of fall. So I’m thinking I’ll distract myself tomorrow while the games are on by doing a big ol’ tagine. I’ve been messing around with farro (see Foraging, this coming Wednesday) and am madly in love with the stuff – it’s Italian, an ancient strain of wheat, it’s super high in protein and totally delicious. Nutty, with a delightfully chewy texture. Who’s cooked with it?
This is all making me really hungry.
Cheers,
Andy
9.22.07
But I wanted to, briefly, re-visit that topic of waiting-for-a-reserved table, which I brought up because 1) it’s one of the most frequent complaints I get and 2) it had happened (again) to me in a rather extreme manner, and I was curious as to how you food-centric souls feel about it. I’ve been gobbling up your thoughts. Thank you!
I have someone else’s two cents to pitch in. My friend Bob, an avid, eager and several-times-a-week restaurant-goer, told me he has a rule of thumb about waiting for a reserved table. “I wait 15, 20 minutes without thinking about it, especially if it’s a busy restaurant,” Bob says. “After about 20 minutes, I feel someone from the restaurant should approach, apologize and ask if I’d like a drink, a beverage of some sort. If it’s more than 30 minutes, I think it’s right for the restaurant to offer me an appetizer – either at the bar or just as I sit down at the table.” This is the right thing to do, he notes, because “I was expecting to be eating already and I’m hungry!” After 45 minutes, if the restaurant hasn’t extended itself in any way, “I leave,” Bob says. “I don’t feel as though I have to honor my reservation after that.”
Now, onto other topics. I’m going to be exploring in future stories a couple of your favorite things to talk about, and I’d love your input.
1) Sushi. During the past five years, the Shore’s joined Sushi Nation. There are certain parts of Monmouth, in particular, that have become nearly saturated with sushi-serving restaurants. I’d like to know A) Your favorite PURIST sushi spot and B) Your favorite MODERN sushi spot – i.e. places with dozens of different wild-and-crazy rolls.
2) Chains. We had a big go-round late last month and early this month about chains. So to follow up on this, I’d like to know A) Is there a chain you think works really well – taking it all beyond formula food (which is why the food-centric chastise chains) and B) If there isn’t a chain you have food-affection for, what is it about your experiences at chains that has turned you off? And please be more specific than don’t-like-formula-food.
THANK YOU!
I’m working this week on a fall-produce farm story. I’ve been a bit itchy this week, because a few of my favorite farms have closed for the season or are in between peak summer and the start of fall. So I’m thinking I’ll distract myself tomorrow while the games are on by doing a big ol’ tagine. I’ve been messing around with farro (see Foraging, this coming Wednesday) and am madly in love with the stuff – it’s Italian, an ancient strain of wheat, it’s super high in protein and totally delicious. Nutty, with a delightfully chewy texture. Who’s cooked with it?
This is all making me really hungry.
Cheers,
Andy
9.22.07
posted by Andrea Clurfeld at 12:24 PM
7 Comments:
Sono Sushi in Middletown. Purist.
Agree on Sono, but it's a purist-modern hybrid.
Kazu, which you reviewed as I recall as the best you'd seen, is more purist. Maybe the only.
Nobi is another purist-modern hybrid.
Also, Kobe.
Have not yet tried the two in Long Branch you recommend, Izu and Wasabi, but will soon.
We do not like Asahi and Szechuan-Tokyo. Rice should not be overcooked crunchy.
Never go to Klein's sushi bar because the sushi chefs are definitely not purist about their sanitation habits!!!
I would not be in favor of reviewing chains if that is what Andrea is talking about. That would given them credibility they do not deserve. I do not think chains are something to be singled out. They are there like McDonalds when you're on the road, just to stop hunger. With chains, it's not about how good they are because they're not good - just about them being there when you have to eat.
I personally was appalled to see how expensive The Bonefish Grill was and how boring the food was. Higher prices than our favorite seafood restaurants with sauces that taste like they came out of barrels shipped from corporate Bonefish.
Commenting on sushi and chains.
Sushi by Kazu is small, could use redecoration since there is none, but it's superior to all for miles around. Kobe in Holmdel is a nicer place and the sushi also is excellent, IMHO better than Sono down the road. Most overrated sushi: Sawa, which is flashy, not well prepared. Runnerup is Sumo. Most underrated: Izu Long Branch. I will not go to the restaurants that are part Chinese and part Japanese and avoid those who have hibachi tables near sushi bars. ABSOLUTELY WRONG.
Chains are for travelers looking for uniformity, like Ho-Jos of old. But unlike Ho-Jos, do you get a square deal at chains? I say no because you can tell there is poor quality to the meats and vegetables taste like the have spent years in freight trucks and walkin freezers. Unfortunately, kids get ideas of wanting to go to Applebees or TGIFs and parents get stuck footing the bill. To show how the more restaurants in a chain, the worse the food, the first Java Moon in Jackson was excellent, but the one in Wall so bad, it had to close. Too many of them to keep any eye on. IMHO.
Hi Andy:
Thanks so much for directing us to your blog. Since this is our first blog post...ever...let's see if we get it right! Farro. We had a wonderful farro soup with pumpkin in Florence....forgot the name of the restaurant...but when we came back to the states I made a wonderful farrotto with dried porcini. Just like a risotto. Go to page 199 of Judy Rodgers' Zuni Cafe Cookbook.
Now I'm contemplating a Nancy Harmon Jenkins' recipe in Food and Wine for farro, bean and chickpea soup....as soon as the weather cools down.
Anonymous Jo....for now...until I can figure out an identity!!
Hands down I still think The Office in Toms River has a great sushi bar. The sushi chefs have been there for years. They get the rice just right. And because they are always busy the fish is fresh b/c it isn't sitting in a case for long. I only eat sushi there at the sushi bar b/c I just have trouble eating it at a table in the main restaurant w/ all the burger eaters! But I like it better than Nobe in Toms River which I know is a favorite of Andrea's!
Ate at Izu in Long Branch for the first time this summer and was pleasantly surprised. I agree w/ the blogger who said that Kleins is dirty . I sat at their sushi bar about 3 weeks ago.I had to ask them to wipe the sushi bar, give me a clean tray b/c the one at my seat had dried-on food on it and had to ask for soy sauce b/c the one bottle for the entire sushi bar was nearly empty. The service from the floor staff was awful as well. Clearly sushi at Klein's takes a back seat to all the other eating options there.
Chains .... like you said above, SURF TACO!
The only good chain around is Surf Taco. Great choices on the menu and smoothies that wash everything down.
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