While walking to our favorite pasta and pizza place, we noticed that
the "OPEN" sign was lit on the restaurant that has been trying to open
for almost 2 years. Yoko Bistro. We figured upscale non-traditional
sushi.

The menu calls it Novelle Cuisine. There is a sushi bar, and the
woodwork is basswood in the Asian style, but the menu? Novelle
Asian.

After we were seated, the chef brought out a plate of spicy dressed
cabbage. Cabbage chunks, sesame oil and vinegar dressing with just
the right amount of hot pepper. Would this be called an amuse bouche?

We ordered the California roll with pacific slaw appetizer. Really
good wasabi--it had flavor, not just heat--and the slaw reminded me of
"health salad."

A basket of fried chips with duk sauce arrived before we had finished
our appetizer, much to the delight of our daughter. Not at all
greasy, and too good to leave alone.

A platter of Chinese egg rolls with a generous bowl of plum sauce
arrived while we were waiting for our dinners. My daughter told us
they were spicy inside, but I didn't think so. DH burned his tongue.

DD started to get antsy, as our dinners took quite a while. Suddenly,
her vegetable tempura showed up. Another long wait ensued, and we
realized we were getting full.

Finally, our meals arrived, and were well worth the wait. DH ordered
the Peking duck moo shi with foie gras drizzle, grilled pineapple and
hoisin potato. The wrappers were served in a pretty bamboo box, and
the potatoes were yummy. DH was very happy with it.

DD went vegetarian, with the Sweet chili soy tofu, braised in an iron
pot. It was served with rice and mung bean salad dressed with vinegar
and black sesame seed. The veggie tempura we had had earlier. The
fried tofu blocks were wonderful, crisp-chewy on the outside, and
creamy on the inside.

I had the ginger scallion oil poached salmon with Creme Fraiche, stir
fried garden vegetables and sweet and sour wontons. The salmon was
done to perfection, moist and tender and flaky. The vegetables did
not seem to have been fried at all, crisp tender and a clean foil for
all the seasoned foods we had. The wontons were also fried crisp,
sort of shaped like folded napkins.

We were quite stuffed at this point, so when the chef told us that his
pastry chef had tried something new and would like us to try it, we
groaned. Didn't turn it down tho. Dessert was a 3-layer cake with a
chocolate layer in the middle of two yellow cake layers, a very thin
pastry cream filling between each, and an amazing butter cream
frosting that was like a very thick whipped cream. Served with
fortune cookies and green tea so hot that DD burned her tongue.

The chef came out to hear our opinions, and we gave him the accolades
he deserved. We'll definitely be going back there. Prices are in the
moderate range, $12-19 for entrees, $3.50-10 for appetizers, and $3-4
for soup and salad. While we like it's closeness, it surprizes me
being in an area of strip malls and residential. It belongs in trendy
downtown, not out here in the 'burbs.

Yoko Bistro
1460 Oaklawn Avenue
Cranston RI
401.463.3888

"maxine in ri" > wrote

> The chef came out to hear our opinions, and we gave him the accolades
> he deserved. We'll definitely be going back there. Prices are in the
> moderate range, $12-19 for entrees, $3.50-10 for appetizers, and $3-4
> for soup and salad.

I didn't even want to snip. Everything sounded delicious.
Makes me want to finally try this Japanese restaurant
nearby, the one I always meant to and somehow never got
around to. Maybe even take my mother, get her take on
the food, see if it's authentic.

nancy

"maxine in ri" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> While walking to our favorite pasta and pizza place, we noticed that
> the "OPEN" sign was lit on the restaurant that has been trying to open
> for almost 2 years. Yoko Bistro. We figured upscale non-traditional
> sushi.

I am quite jealous but thoroughly enjoyed your post. It's nice to find
something a little different and delicious. Sounds like it is well worth a
return.

Cindi
Not in RI so I will have to live vicariously

>
> The menu calls it Novelle Cuisine. There is a sushi bar, and the
> woodwork is basswood in the Asian style, but the menu? Novelle
> Asian.
>
> After we were seated, the chef brought out a plate of spicy dressed
> cabbage. Cabbage chunks, sesame oil and vinegar dressing with just
> the right amount of hot pepper. Would this be called an amuse bouche?
>
> We ordered the California roll with pacific slaw appetizer. Really
> good wasabi--it had flavor, not just heat--and the slaw reminded me of
> "health salad."
>
> A basket of fried chips with duk sauce arrived before we had finished
> our appetizer, much to the delight of our daughter. Not at all
> greasy, and too good to leave alone.
>
> A platter of Chinese egg rolls with a generous bowl of plum sauce
> arrived while we were waiting for our dinners. My daughter told us
> they were spicy inside, but I didn't think so. DH burned his tongue.
>
> DD started to get antsy, as our dinners took quite a while. Suddenly,
> her vegetable tempura showed up. Another long wait ensued, and we
> realized we were getting full.
>
> Finally, our meals arrived, and were well worth the wait. DH ordered
> the Peking duck moo shi with foie gras drizzle, grilled pineapple and
> hoisin potato. The wrappers were served in a pretty bamboo box, and
> the potatoes were yummy. DH was very happy with it.
>
> DD went vegetarian, with the Sweet chili soy tofu, braised in an iron
> pot. It was served with rice and mung bean salad dressed with vinegar
> and black sesame seed. The veggie tempura we had had earlier. The
> fried tofu blocks were wonderful, crisp-chewy on the outside, and
> creamy on the inside.
>
> I had the ginger scallion oil poached salmon with Creme Fraiche, stir
> fried garden vegetables and sweet and sour wontons. The salmon was
> done to perfection, moist and tender and flaky. The vegetables did
> not seem to have been fried at all, crisp tender and a clean foil for
> all the seasoned foods we had. The wontons were also fried crisp,
> sort of shaped like folded napkins.
>
> We were quite stuffed at this point, so when the chef told us that his
> pastry chef had tried something new and would like us to try it, we
> groaned. Didn't turn it down tho. Dessert was a 3-layer cake with a
> chocolate layer in the middle of two yellow cake layers, a very thin
> pastry cream filling between each, and an amazing butter cream
> frosting that was like a very thick whipped cream. Served with
> fortune cookies and green tea so hot that DD burned her tongue.
>
> The chef came out to hear our opinions, and we gave him the accolades
> he deserved. We'll definitely be going back there. Prices are in the
> moderate range, $12-19 for entrees, $3.50-10 for appetizers, and $3-4
> for soup and salad. While we like it's closeness, it surprizes me
> being in an area of strip malls and residential. It belongs in trendy
> downtown, not out here in the 'burbs.
>
> Yoko Bistro
> 1460 Oaklawn Avenue
> Cranston RI
> 401.463.3888
>

One time on Usenet, "maxine in ri" > said:

> While walking to our favorite pasta and pizza place, we noticed that
> the "OPEN" sign was lit on the restaurant that has been trying to open
> for almost 2 years. Yoko Bistro. We figured upscale non-traditional
> sushi.
>
> The menu calls it Novelle Cuisine. There is a sushi bar, and the
> woodwork is basswood in the Asian style, but the menu? Novelle
> Asian.

<snip>

Yumm, sounds lovely, even the tofu. I wish we had something like that
around here...

--
Jani in WA

> Yoko Bistro
> 1460 Oaklawn Avenue
> Cranston RI
> 401.463.3888


Maxine in ri,

Thanks for the great report!

Sounds like a great variety.

I don't suppose they open early for breakfast?

Andy

In article .com>,
"maxine in ri" > wrote:
(report snipped)
> The chef came out to hear our opinions, and we gave him the accolades
> he deserved. We'll definitely be going back there. Prices are in the
> moderate range, $12-19 for entrees, $3.50-10 for appetizers, and $3-4
> for soup and salad. While we like it's closeness, it surprizes me
> being in an area of strip malls and residential. It belongs in trendy
> downtown, not out here in the 'burbs.
>
> Yoko Bistro
> 1460 Oaklawn Avenue
> Cranston RI
> 401.463.3888

Tell everyone you know, Maxine and pray they'll stay afloat. Around
here, it's one chain after another. We've got most of them. People
gripe about nothing but chains but don't support the high quality
independent places frequently enough to keep them going.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://jamlady.eboard.com - Comfort Food for Bob Pastorio, updated
3-16-2007
http://web.mac.com/barbschaller - Hollandaise sauce 3-15-2007
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/amytaylor

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> In article .com>,
> "maxine in ri" > wrote:
> (report snipped)
>> The chef came out to hear our opinions, and we gave him the accolades
>> he deserved. We'll definitely be going back there. Prices are in the
>> moderate range, $12-19 for entrees, $3.50-10 for appetizers, and $3-4
>> for soup and salad. While we like it's closeness, it surprizes me
>> being in an area of strip malls and residential. It belongs in trendy
>> downtown, not out here in the 'burbs.
>>
>> Yoko Bistro
>> 1460 Oaklawn Avenue
>> Cranston RI
>> 401.463.3888
>
> Tell everyone you know, Maxine and pray they'll stay afloat. Around
> here, it's one chain after another. We've got most of them. People
> gripe about nothing but chains but don't support the high quality
> independent places frequently enough to keep them going.

I always patronize a great small business first. I think the main reason
why small, good restaurants struggle is lack of mind share. The
industrial chains do constant advertising and a lot of people begin to
think they are the only option.

Recently we were at an event in State College. Later in the day we
started asking about good places to have dinner. The first answers were
always the industrial places. Finally one person of a couple at a
exhibitors booth said "do you like good food?" We said yes and they both
offered that we should try the great little Austrian place that was only
a few blocks away or a mom & pop Indian restaurant at the other end of
town. The Austrian place turned out to be staffed by the owner who is a
classically trained Austrian chef and 2 assistants. Everything was
homemade with offerings that changed daily. The menu was written on a
chalkboard with a choice of 4 reasonably priced entrees. The food was
fantastic.

On Mar 24, 5:11 am, Andy <q> wrote:
> > Yoko Bistro
> > 1460 Oaklawn Avenue
> > Cranston RI
> > 401.463.3888
>
> Maxine in ri,
>
> Thanks for the great report!
>
> Sounds like a great variety.
>
> I don't suppose they open early for breakfast?
>
> Andy

Come up for a visit, and we'll walk by and see<g>

maxine

On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 08:40:03 -0500, Melba's Jammin'
> wrote:

>In article .com>,
> "maxine in ri" > wrote:
>(report snipped)
>> The chef came out to hear our opinions, and we gave him the accolades
>> he deserved. We'll definitely be going back there. Prices are in the
>> moderate range, $12-19 for entrees, $3.50-10 for appetizers, and $3-4
>> for soup and salad. While we like it's closeness, it surprizes me
>> being in an area of strip malls and residential. It belongs in trendy
>> downtown, not out here in the 'burbs.
>>
>> Yoko Bistro
>> 1460 Oaklawn Avenue
>> Cranston RI
>> 401.463.3888
>
>Tell everyone you know, Maxine and pray they'll stay afloat. Around
>here, it's one chain after another. We've got most of them. People
>gripe about nothing but chains but don't support the high quality
>independent places frequently enough to keep them going.


You are so right.

Once we find a good place, we try to patronize it and tell others
about it, too.

Not only is my area filled with the chain restaurants , but a good
60-70% of what's left is Italian. It just gets boring.

We scour the sites online that gossip about restaurants, will drive up
to 2 hours to try a place (hey, the kids are grown now and it's nice
to take a drive without anyone fighting in the back seat) and have
found ourselves rewarded many, many times.

Alas, we have lost some terrific places, whether due to under funding,
mismanagement or lack of publicity, I cannot say, but there are some
that I truly mourn. We discovered a Peruvian restaurant in Paterson,
NJ - a town with a rough rep, so it would have had to have made it on
local clientele. We were the only ones there who spoke English, the
decor was plain, wall-mounted TVs played Peruvian shows, but the food
was SO refreshing, so innovative, so very, very delicious, that we
were instant fans. It was gone within a year. I'll have to go out to
Queens, NY to get anything similar.

Another one was Mexican and again, almost no English spoken by staff,
but the food was REAL Mexican, as wonderful as any I had eaten in
travels in Mexico. Gone within 6 months.

I have at least half a dozen similar stories.

Hmmm...maybe I am cursing these places and should stay home.

Boron

Boron wrote on Sat, 24 Mar 2007 10:47:45 -0400:

??>> Tell everyone you know, Maxine and pray they'll stay
??>> afloat. Around here, it's one chain after another. We've
??>> got most of them. People gripe about nothing but chains
??>> but don't support the high quality independent places
??>> frequently enough to keep them going.


BE> Another one was Mexican and again, almost no English spoken
BE> by staff, but the food was REAL Mexican, as wonderful as
BE> any I had eaten in travels in Mexico. Gone within 6 months.

It is a pity to see the lack of success of many interesting
restaurants. Without wishing to sound sarcastic, since BE
probably knows more about Mexico than me, how do you define
"real Mexican"? Mexico is quite a big country with many fairly
distinct provincial cuisines. Santa Cruz, Sonoran (from which
comes Tex-Mex and New Mexican) and Oaxacan are just two
examples.

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not

James wrote to Boron Elgar on Sat, 24 Mar 2007 10:57:31 -0400:

JS> fairly distinct provincial cuisines. Santa Cruz, Sonoran
JS> (from which comes Tex-Mex and New Mexican) and Oaxacan are
JS> just two examples.

I have just demonstrated that even if I know the names of some
Mexican provinces, I am not counting very welll this morning :-)


James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not

"Boron Elgar" > wrote

> Not only is my area filled with the chain restaurants , but a good
> 60-70% of what's left is Italian. It just gets boring.

Drives my local food writer nuts. Red sauce Italian restaurants.

> We scour the sites online that gossip about restaurants, will drive up
> to 2 hours to try a place (hey, the kids are grown now and it's nice
> to take a drive without anyone fighting in the back seat) and have
> found ourselves rewarded many, many times.

Ironbound section of Newark is famous for Portuguese restaurants,
though I've never gone. I'm sure you already knew that.

nancy

On Mar 24, 9:40 am, Melba's Jammin' >
wrote:
> In article .com>,
> "maxine in ri" > wrote:
> (report snipped)
>
> > The chef came out to hear our opinions, and we gave him the accolades
> > he deserved. We'll definitely be going back there. Prices are in the
> > moderate range, $12-19 for entrees, $3.50-10 for appetizers, and $3-4
> > for soup and salad. While we like it's closeness, it surprizes me
> > being in an area of strip malls and residential. It belongs in trendy
> > downtown, not out here in the 'burbs.
>
> > Yoko Bistro
> > 1460 Oaklawn Avenue
> > Cranston RI
> > 401.463.3888
>
> Tell everyone you know, Maxine and pray they'll stay afloat. Around
> here, it's one chain after another. We've got most of them. People
> gripe about nothing but chains but don't support the high quality
> independent places frequently enough to keep them going.

That's strange. We have lots of chains around but still manage to
support a number of fairly good restaurants. One, Pan Chancho a
restaurant and bakery, was apparently profiled on the CBC morning show
this morning (left the house before that part of the program came
on). It's a nice place for a café au lait and a croissant on a
Saturday or Sunday morning and the patio should be open in about
another month. And the baguettes are excellent.

Here is a local university guide to our eating choices food.http://
www.queensuniversityguide.com/drinking.html. We don't do too badly for
a town of about 110,000 though I used to live in the Hull - Ottawa
area where there is some REAL choice. . Humm, I see they left Ace's
High off both the greasy spoon and breakfast lists and it has one of
the best greasy spoon breakfasts around.

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

Boron Elgar > wrote in message
...
[snip]
> (hey, the kids are grown now and it's nice to take
> a drive without anyone fighting in the back seat)
[snip]

Really?! There's hope?

The Ranger

On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 10:47:45 -0400, Boron Elgar
> wrote:

>On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 08:40:03 -0500, Melba's Jammin'
> wrote:

>>Tell everyone you know, Maxine and pray they'll stay afloat. Around
>>here, it's one chain after another. We've got most of them. People
>>gripe about nothing but chains but don't support the high quality
>>independent places frequently enough to keep them going.

<snip>
>Not only is my area filled with the chain restaurants , but a good
>60-70% of what's left is Italian. It just gets boring.

Similar here in my neighborhood (although I'm minutes from downtown).
Mostly fast food, locally owned gringo-Mexican joints, pizza joints,
and chains like Applebees. A blah Chinese take-out or two. There was
a WONDERFUL Indian restaurant in a strip mall that I patronized the
hell out of and spread the word. Indian had just not "taken off" here
yet (and still hasn't to any great degree). Although not vegetarian,
I ordered their malai kofta regularly. I asked the owner once if I
could volunteer there to learn more about Indian cookery, but she was
afraid of workers' comp issues. So she told me I could come in **off
hours** and she would give me lessons. Sadly, the place folded before
we were able to do that.

<snip stories of restaurant foldage>
>I have at least half a dozen similar stories.

It's the same all over, Boron.

TammyM

Sounds like a great restuant.
We live in the midwest(southern Mich)
and good restuants are few and far.
You are so lucky to have one so close.

Charles

In article >,
"The Ranger" > wrote:

> Boron Elgar > wrote in message
> ...
> [snip]
> > (hey, the kids are grown now and it's nice to take
> > a drive without anyone fighting in the back seat)
> [snip]
>
> Really?! There's hope?
>
> The Ranger

Yup. Then you'll get to fight with the driver if you're the passenger.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://jamlady.eboard.com - Comfort Food for Bob Pastorio, updated
3-16-2007
http://web.mac.com/barbschaller - Hollandaise sauce 3-15-2007
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/amytaylor

Melba's Jammin' wrote on 24 Mar 2007 in rec.food.cooking

> In article >,
> "The Ranger" > wrote:
>
> > Boron Elgar > wrote in message
> > ...
> > [snip]
> > > (hey, the kids are grown now and it's nice to take
> > > a drive without anyone fighting in the back seat)
> > [snip]
> >
> > Really?! There's hope?
> >
> > The Ranger
>
> Yup. Then you'll get to fight with the driver if you're the passenger.

And when you're just a little older and you're in the car with the kids
it'll be...But I don't wanna go to the Home....or can you take me grocery
shopping next tuesday too?

Melba's Jammin' > wrote in message
...
> In article >, "The Ranger"
> > wrote:
> > Boron Elgar > wrote in message
> > ...
> > [snip]
> > > (hey, the kids are grown now and it's nice to take
> > > a drive without anyone fighting in the back seat)
> > [snip]
> >
> > Really?! There's hope?
> >
> Yup. Then you'll get to fight with the driver if you're
> the passenger.

What makes you think I can't do that from the driver's seat? <EG>

The "your OTHER left" Ranger

Mr Libido Incognito > wrote in message
...
> And when you're just a little older and you're
> in the car with the kids it'll be...But I don't
> wanna go to the Home...

I plan on being so much larger a burden than this...

The "spendin' their inheritance" Ranger

In article >,
George > wrote:

> > Tell everyone you know, Maxine and pray they'll stay afloat. Around
> > here, it's one chain after another. We've got most of them. People
> > gripe about nothing but chains but don't support the high quality
> > independent places frequently enough to keep them going.
>
> I always patronize a great small business first. I think the main reason
> why small, good restaurants struggle is lack of mind share. The
> industrial chains do constant advertising and a lot of people begin to
> think they are the only option.

That certainly is some of it, but many also suffer from a lack of
capital and/or an inability to hire and keep good help (cooks as
well as servers and hosts).

Then there are the customers. Many people are simply risk-averse.
They are not curious about foods they've never tried before. They
want to know what to expect when they walk into the restaurant.
They're willing to settle for singles and doubles because those who
swing for home runs often strike out. For those people, walking into
an Applebee's in a new city is the best way of avoiding anything
unexpected or truly inedible. :-(

sd

On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 10:57:31 -0400, "James Silverton"
<not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not> wrote:

> Boron wrote on Sat, 24 Mar 2007 10:47:45 -0400:
>
> ??>> Tell everyone you know, Maxine and pray they'll stay
> ??>> afloat. Around here, it's one chain after another. We've
> ??>> got most of them. People gripe about nothing but chains
> ??>> but don't support the high quality independent places
> ??>> frequently enough to keep them going.
>
>
> BE> Another one was Mexican and again, almost no English spoken
> BE> by staff, but the food was REAL Mexican, as wonderful as
> BE> any I had eaten in travels in Mexico. Gone within 6 months.
>
>It is a pity to see the lack of success of many interesting
>restaurants. Without wishing to sound sarcastic, since BE
>probably knows more about Mexico than me, how do you define
>"real Mexican"? Mexico is quite a big country with many fairly
>distinct provincial cuisines. Santa Cruz, Sonoran (from which
>comes Tex-Mex and New Mexican) and Oaxacan are just two
>examples.
>
>James Silverton
>Potomac, Maryland
>
>E-mail, with obvious alterations:
>not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not

Many Mexican restaurants seem to fall into the same trap that Chinese
ones, do and serve "americanized" versions of dishes, all
over-smothered in cheese and sour cream.

I have traveled a lot in Mexico and of course the cuisines vary
widely, but the use of fresh ingredients, be it seafood, meats or
poultry prepared so that the spices and other ingredients used accent
and complement the foods, rather than only encasing them in fats, is
common to all of them

Boron.

On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 11:02:11 -0400, "Nancy Young" >
wrote:

>
>"Boron Elgar" > wrote
>
>> Not only is my area filled with the chain restaurants , but a good
>> 60-70% of what's left is Italian. It just gets boring.
>
>Drives my local food writer nuts. Red sauce Italian restaurants.

Yup... it is quite amazing. I have lived in the midwest, the east &
spent a lot of time in SoCal, but never seen as many Italian
restaurants as there are here.
>
>> We scour the sites online that gossip about restaurants, will drive up
>> to 2 hours to try a place (hey, the kids are grown now and it's nice
>> to take a drive without anyone fighting in the back seat) and have
>> found ourselves rewarded many, many times.
>
>Ironbound section of Newark is famous for Portuguese restaurants,
>though I've never gone. I'm sure you already knew that.
>
>nancy
>
Oh, I love eating in Newark. There is one place I can never seem to
get into (haven't tried in awhile...) It is a Brazilian restaurant in
the Ironbound and it is always so crowded on the weekend we cannot
even park nearby. (And I cannot remember the name. The Hub knows the
way, though.)

Boron

On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 08:25:42 -0700, "The Ranger"
> wrote:

>Boron Elgar > wrote in message
.. .
>[snip]
>> (hey, the kids are grown now and it's nice to take
>> a drive without anyone fighting in the back seat)
>[snip]
>
>Really?! There's hope?
>
>The Ranger
>
At one point in my past, I had 3 car seats in the back. As they got
older, we got an Expedition so we could take family trips and they
could all have a window and shut up (also because if they each wanted
a friend to go to a movie or out to eat, we could fit the buggers in).

The twins, the youngest, are now freshman in college. Now I look
forward to tuition ending.

How is your daughter?

Boron

"Boron Elgar" > wrote

> On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 11:02:11 -0400, "Nancy Young" >
> wrote:

>>Ironbound section of Newark is famous for Portuguese restaurants,
>>though I've never gone. I'm sure you already knew that.

> Oh, I love eating in Newark. There is one place I can never seem to
> get into (haven't tried in awhile...) It is a Brazilian restaurant in
> the Ironbound and it is always so crowded on the weekend we cannot
> even park nearby. (And I cannot remember the name. The Hub knows the
> way, though.)

If you think of the name, or any others there, I'd appreciate it
if you let me know. One of these days I'd like to get up there
for dinner.

nancy

On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 21:46:44 -0400, "Nancy Young" >
wrote:

>
>"Boron Elgar" > wrote
>
>> On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 11:02:11 -0400, "Nancy Young" >
>> wrote:
>
>>>Ironbound section of Newark is famous for Portuguese restaurants,
>>>though I've never gone. I'm sure you already knew that.
>
>> Oh, I love eating in Newark. There is one place I can never seem to
>> get into (haven't tried in awhile...) It is a Brazilian restaurant in
>> the Ironbound and it is always so crowded on the weekend we cannot
>> even park nearby. (And I cannot remember the name. The Hub knows the
>> way, though.)
>
>If you think of the name, or any others there, I'd appreciate it
>if you let me know. One of these days I'd like to get up there
>for dinner.
>
>nancy
>


I went surfing...

BRASILIA RESTAURANT
132 Ferry St.
973-465-1227

They have a grill around the block, too...cheaper & a bit more hip.

BRASILIA GRILL
99 Monroe St.
973-589-8682

Boron

"Boron Elgar" > wrote

> On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 21:46:44 -0400, "Nancy Young" >
> wrote:

>>If you think of the name, or any others there, I'd appreciate it
>>if you let me know. One of these days I'd like to get up there
>>for dinner.

> I went surfing...
>
> BRASILIA RESTAURANT
> 132 Ferry St.
> 973-465-1227
>
> They have a grill around the block, too...cheaper & a bit more hip.
>
> BRASILIA GRILL
> 99 Monroe St.
> 973-589-8682

Hey, thanks! I've made a note.

nancy

On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 22:24:55 -0400, "Nancy Young" >
wrote:

>
>"Boron Elgar" > wrote
>
>> On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 21:46:44 -0400, "Nancy Young" >
>> wrote:
>
>>>If you think of the name, or any others there, I'd appreciate it
>>>if you let me know. One of these days I'd like to get up there
>>>for dinner.
>
>> I went surfing...
>>
>> BRASILIA RESTAURANT
>> 132 Ferry St.
>> 973-465-1227
>>
>> They have a grill around the block, too...cheaper & a bit more hip.
>>
>> BRASILIA GRILL
>> 99 Monroe St.
>> 973-589-8682
>
>Hey, thanks! I've made a note.
>
>nancy
>

You are most welcome.

Boron

On Mar 24, 11:02 am, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
> "Boron Elgar" > wrote
>
> > Not only is my area filled with the chain restaurants , but a good
> > 60-70% of what's left is Italian. It just gets boring.
>
> Drives my local food writer nuts. Red sauce Italian restaurants.
>
> > We scour the sites online that gossip about restaurants, will drive up
> > to 2 hours to try a place (hey, the kids are grown now and it's nice
> > to take a drive without anyone fighting in the back seat) and have
> > found ourselves rewarded many, many times.
>
> Ironbound section of Newark is famous for Portuguese restaurants,
> though I've never gone. I'm sure you already knew that.
>
> nancy

My coworkers heartily recommend some of the local Portuguese
restaurants,
and from the food I've seen on their plates, it sure looks worth the
visit. The
guys love the skewered meat that comes to the table on 3-4' skewers
that
have their own stand. The seafood is wonderful, cooked tender and
served
appetizingly.

maxine in ri
[note: I don't mean to damn it with faint praise. It's just the time
I went I
ordered a cod dish that was way too salty (made from the dried, salted
cod)
and bony for me.]

Boron Elgar wrote:

>
> Many Mexican restaurants seem to fall into the same trap that Chinese
> ones, do and serve "americanized" versions of dishes, all
> over-smothered in cheese and sour cream.
>

Yes, we used to go to a really great Taqueria that served well prepared
nicely seasoned food that wasn't smothered in cheese. Another family
member took over the business and quickly turned it into an industrial
style Mexican restaurant that you can find next to any shopping mall.



> I have traveled a lot in Mexico and of course the cuisines vary
> widely, but the use of fresh ingredients, be it seafood, meats or
> poultry prepared so that the spices and other ingredients used accent
> and complement the foods, rather than only encasing them in fats, is
> common to all of them
>
> Boron.

On 24 Mar 2007 21:04:53 -0700, "maxine in ri" >
wrote:


>
>maxine in ri
>[note: I don't mean to damn it with faint praise. It's just the time
>I went I ordered a cod dish that was way too salty (made from the dried, salted
>cod) and bony for me.]


Bacalhau!

The basis of those dishes is salted, dried cod (that is the bacalhau)
and even with a lot soaking, it can still be a bit salty, but it
should not be so much so as to spoil the dish.

Boron

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> In article .com>,
> "maxine in ri" > wrote:
> (report snipped)
> > The chef came out to hear our opinions, and we gave him the accolades
> > he deserved. We'll definitely be going back there. Prices are in the
> > moderate range, $12-19 for entrees, $3.50-10 for appetizers, and $3-4
> > for soup and salad. While we like it's closeness, it surprizes me
> > being in an area of strip malls and residential. It belongs in trendy
> > downtown, not out here in the 'burbs.
> >
> > Yoko Bistro
> > 1460 Oaklawn Avenue
> > Cranston RI
> > 401.463.3888
>
> Tell everyone you know, Maxine and pray they'll stay afloat. Around
> here, it's one chain after another. We've got most of them. People
> gripe about nothing but chains but don't support the high quality
> independent places frequently enough to keep them going.
> --
> -Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
>

see, we've got plenty of independent places that serve Asian
food.....but they all serve the same thing! We keep trying out the new
places, and you'll find: shumai, edamame, gyoza, miso soup for
appetizers. lots of sushi, both traditional and fusion rolls. tempura,
teriyaki, katsu, maybe an udon bowl or two. the same at every place.

i'm quite happy to eat sushi, but i'd love to find a place with an
interesting, unusual menu that made it stand out from the rest. mostly
the difference here is service.

sd wrote:

> In article >,
> George > wrote:
>
> > > Tell everyone you know, Maxine and pray they'll stay afloat. Around
> > > here, it's one chain after another. We've got most of them. People
> > > gripe about nothing but chains but don't support the high quality
> > > independent places frequently enough to keep them going.
> >
> > I always patronize a great small business first. I think the main reason
> > why small, good restaurants struggle is lack of mind share. The
> > industrial chains do constant advertising and a lot of people begin to
> > think they are the only option.
>
> That certainly is some of it, but many also suffer from a lack of
> capital and/or an inability to hire and keep good help (cooks as
> well as servers and hosts).
>
> Then there are the customers. Many people are simply risk-averse.
> They are not curious about foods they've never tried before. They
> want to know what to expect when they walk into the restaurant.
> They're willing to settle for singles and doubles because those who
> swing for home runs often strike out. For those people, walking into
> an Applebee's in a new city is the best way of avoiding anything
> unexpected or truly inedible. :-(


And in some smaller places Applebee's or some other chain may be the best
choice by far...

--
Best
Greg

Nancy Young wrote:

> "Boron Elgar" > wrote
>
> > Not only is my area filled with the chain restaurants , but a good
> > 60-70% of what's left is Italian. It just gets boring.
>
> Drives my local food writer nuts. Red sauce Italian restaurants.


Believe it or not the local Buca de Beppo in my 'hood is closed. I don't
know why, it was always packed when we were there. It was okay for large
groups of birthdayers or whatever, the menu was large enough to cater to all
tastes. Plus which a large party could get out with apps, main, and drinks
and tip for around $35.00 per person...

Plenty of better places for Eye - talian here in Chicawgo, so it was never a
"destination" except for large parties, but it was okay for what it was...

--
Best
Greg

Gregory Morrow wrote:
>
>
>
> And in some smaller places Applebee's or some other chain may be the best
> choice by far...
>

Not for me. My first inclination is to go to a non-industrial
neighborhood place.

On Mar 25, 1:21 pm, "Jude" > wrote:

> see, we've got plenty of independent places that serve Asian
> food.....but they all serve the same thing! We keep trying out the new
> places, and you'll find: shumai, edamame, gyoza, miso soup for
> appetizers. lots of sushi, both traditional and fusion rolls. tempura,
> teriyaki, katsu, maybe an udon bowl or two. the same at every place.
>
> i'm quite happy to eat sushi, but i'd love to find a place with an
> interesting, unusual menu that made it stand out from the rest. mostly
> the difference here is service.

This place doesn't have all the usual stuff. If you're on cox.net,
then
you're probably close enough to plan a trip. This place does have an
interesting,
unusual menu. He has to, since he's got an established sushi and
dinner place
right down the road.

maxine in ri

maxine in ri wrote:
> On Mar 25, 1:21 pm, "Jude" > wrote:
>
> > see, we've got plenty of independent places that serve Asian
> > food.....but they all serve the same thing! We keep trying out the new
> > places, and you'll find: shumai, edamame, gyoza, miso soup for
> > appetizers. lots of sushi, both traditional and fusion rolls. tempura,
> > teriyaki, katsu, maybe an udon bowl or two. the same at every place.
> >
> > i'm quite happy to eat sushi, but i'd love to find a place with an
> > interesting, unusual menu that made it stand out from the rest. mostly
> > the difference here is service.
>
> This place doesn't have all the usual stuff. If you're on cox.net,
> then
> you're probably close enough to plan a trip. This place does have an
> interesting,
> unusual menu. He has to, since he's got an established sushi and
> dinner place
> right down the road.
>
> maxine in ri

well, let's see......Va to RI......about 550 miles I'd say. Long way
for dinner!

On Mar 26, 9:16 am, "Jude" > wrote:
> maxine in ri wrote:
> > On Mar 25, 1:21 pm, "Jude" > wrote:
>
> > > see, we've got plenty of independent places that serve Asian
> > > food.....but they all serve the same thing! We keep trying out the new
> > > places, and you'll find: shumai, edamame, gyoza, miso soup for
> > > appetizers. lots of sushi, both traditional and fusion rolls. tempura,
> > > teriyaki, katsu, maybe an udon bowl or two. the same at every place.
>
> > > i'm quite happy to eat sushi, but i'd love to find a place with an
> > > interesting, unusual menu that made it stand out from the rest. mostly
> > > the difference here is service.
>
> > This place doesn't have all the usual stuff. If you're on cox.net,
> > then
> > you're probably close enough to plan a trip. This place does have an
> > interesting,
> > unusual menu. He has to, since he's got an established sushi and
> > dinner place
> > right down the road.
>
> > maxine in ri
>
> well, let's see......Va to RI......about 550 miles I'd say. Long way
> for dinner!

Dang! Here I thought cox.net was primarily New England. Well, we're
a great place to vacation: lovely beaches, a lot of other innovative
restaurants, and lots of neat stuff to do and see. <g> Worth the
trip, IMHO!
Just don't read the newspaper. Our pols make DC's look like
angels....
maxine in ri

On Mar 26, 11:44 am, The Cook > wrote:
> On 26 Mar 2007 05:10:14 -0700, "maxine in ri" >
> wrote:
>
> >On Mar 25, 1:21 pm, "Jude" > wrote:
>
> >> see, we've got plenty of independent places that serve Asian
> >> food.....but they all serve the same thing! We keep trying out the new
> >> places, and you'll find: shumai, edamame, gyoza, miso soup for
> >> appetizers. lots of sushi, both traditional and fusion rolls. tempura,
> >> teriyaki, katsu, maybe an udon bowl or two. the same at every place.
>
> >> i'm quite happy to eat sushi, but i'd love to find a place with an
> >> interesting, unusual menu that made it stand out from the rest. mostly
> >> the difference here is service.
>
> >This place doesn't have all the usual stuff. If you're on cox.net,
> >then
> >you're probably close enough to plan a trip.
>
> Cox.net only narrows it down to the continental US as far as I know.
> My sister in Phoenix AZ has Cox.
>
> --
> Susan N.
>
> "Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
> 48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
> Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

Thanks. I should have checked before opening my big yawp.

maxine

maxine in ri wrote:
> On Mar 26, 9:16 am, "Jude" > wrote:
>> maxine in ri wrote:
>>> On Mar 25, 1:21 pm, "Jude" > wrote:
>>>> see, we've got plenty of independent places that serve Asian
>>>> food.....but they all serve the same thing! We keep trying out the new
>>>> places, and you'll find: shumai, edamame, gyoza, miso soup for
>>>> appetizers. lots of sushi, both traditional and fusion rolls. tempura,
>>>> teriyaki, katsu, maybe an udon bowl or two. the same at every place.
>>>> i'm quite happy to eat sushi, but i'd love to find a place with an
>>>> interesting, unusual menu that made it stand out from the rest. mostly
>>>> the difference here is service.
>>> This place doesn't have all the usual stuff. If you're on cox.net,
>>> then
>>> you're probably close enough to plan a trip. This place does have an
>>> interesting,
>>> unusual menu. He has to, since he's got an established sushi and
>>> dinner place
>>> right down the road.
>>> maxine in ri
>> well, let's see......Va to RI......about 550 miles I'd say. Long way
>> for dinner!
>
> Dang! Here I thought cox.net was primarily New England.

I had cox.net in New Orleans.