Market, Montclair

When a friend suggested we go to Market, I was down. I hadn't tried this place before and discovered it moved from the tiny dining car next to that hideous Mexican restaurant. Now located on Church Street, Market is spacious. Inside makes you think you're outside sitting on someone's patio enjoying a breezy summer day, plastic table cloths and uncomfortable chairs and all!

Not to be facetious, but I was very thankful to have been seated in a booth. Those awful iron folding chairs are really not meant for people to actually sit on for long periods of time. I was surprised to see how spacious the restaurant was, but kind of put off by the artwork hanging on the walls. $3,000 for a small painting? Really? I just wanted to focus on the food and so I ignored the eery painting staring at me from afar.

I totally get Market's "schtick". It's fresh, some organic, mostly locally grown food that's meant to be different and surprising, yet simple. Market offers two menus, which change every week or two based on what's in season. A great concept. The one menu is a "regular" menu in that it offers appetizers, salads, and entrees. I noticed it was a bit pricey and began to read very carefully each offering. I figure at close to $30 per entree in such a casual atmosphere, I wanted to know what wonderful things they had. I was kind of underwhelmed at this menu. Then I checked out the "market" menu, which offered each individual small plate at $5/each, or four for $16. Much of what was on there was vegetarian. Actually, it was literally a plate of vegetables, tossed with a couple of ingredients, and the plates were in fact pretty small. Think garlic shoots, onion sprouts, squash, green beans...each with some accompaniments, such as brown butter, lavender sugar, or candied walnuts and lemon rind. It all seemed like odd pairings, and I was actually turned off. I didn't like the prices for what the food was (or maybe trying to be?).

I have a lot of restrictions, and since I have been sick on and off recently, I needed to play it safe. I asked a lot of questions about the food on the menu. Is this cooked? Is it raw? I took quite a bit of time trying to decide what I wanted. I needed that much time because there really wasn't one thing on the menu that I really wanted, that jumped out at me and said "YES!!!! I'M THE ONE YOU WANT!". I searched and searched, and unfortunately most of what was somewhat appealing was out of the question because of my diet. So when I asked questions, the waitress wanted to know what I was getting at...she asked if I had food allergies. No. Then she asked if I had a gluten problem, and then began trailing off about how the chef can blah blah blah. She was totally wrong in her assumption, and maybe I was just so disappointed in the menu and my lack of options, I was not in the mood to talk about my disease. So I brushed her off with a "don't worry about it" and we were finally done with the convo. Note to any restaurants who may or mostly may not be reading this: the wait staff shouldn't assume and should be polite in asking if they can make any accommodations. That's all, plain and simple.

I decided to order the coconut chicken soup, thinking that it should be mild and easy for me to eat. The waitress was dumbfounded that this is all I wanted. "That's it?". Yeah. "Is there anything else you want?" No. Now I'm just annoyed. I sipped on the frozen mint lemonade that she had already brought me. Then she came back to the table with a basket of popcorn, another delicious thing I can't eat. I sat in slight misery wondering what I was going to be munching on later.

My poor friends, they felt really bad. I felt bad because I know they've eaten there before and really liked it. But, my belly is a-blazin' and so it was a tough call.

In any event, the soup was brought out with their appetizers even though I ordered it as my dinner. The soup was in fact delicious, thick and creamy with a crispy jasmine rice ball in the center. One thing that wasn't specified on the menu though: it was very hot. Spicy, not temperature. It came to me lukewarm but the spice hit me right in the back of my throat. Guess what my doctor told me to avoid, especially lately? Spicy food. I hadn't expected it to be that thick or spicy, so my bad. I took out the rice ball and the chicken and ate that separately, and sucked down as much lemonade as I could to quell the burning hole in the back of my throat. I was upset that I had no dinner, and that the small bowl of soup was $9. Who knows how much that lemonade was.

I tried my friend's smoked mozzarella ravioli, and it was also delicious, though I'm not a fan of al dente pasta, especially in ravioli form. Her husband's mac and cheese was yummy and very heavy on the smoked gouda. It also contained carrots and peas.

Finally, since I was so hungry, I figured I'd order dessert. The chai rice pudding sounded so good, and I've been craving rice pudding lately. The flavor was again delicious, but I hated the texture. Where's the 'pudding' part of the rice pudding? It was like eating yummy sticky rice with a dollop of whipped cream on top. I like rice pudding with more moisture than this and thankfully the rice was cooked perfectly.

I really wouldn't go back to Market. I appreciate what they're trying to do, but I can't stomach dropping that much money on the food that they're serving. Maybe my diet limits me too much, but I can usually find something satisfying on any menu despite my limitations. Do yourself a favor and try the other market in Montclair. It's on Saturdays and features all sorts of goodies, the only glitch is that you have to take home what you purchased and make it yourself. At the end of the day, it's more affordable and most likely a lot more satisfying.

Service: ***

Ambiance: **

Food: **1/2

Overall: **1/2

Nori, Montclair, NJ

I have been a fan of sushi for over ten years, and was first introduced to it via Sushi Hana in Montclair. If you at all read my blog (though pretty sure no one does!), you'll know that I adore Sushi Hana and can't seem to find anything that comes close. However, last night's jaunt to Nori in Montclair has turned out to be a game changer. Thanks to our friend for having a birthday and choosing Nori, it forced us to try something new and we're glad we did.

Nori is attractive inside, and even has a private dining room in the back for larger parties. Last night we were one of three large parties dining at the same time. There was some confusion at first, but soon after we were seated, they placed us into a very tight spot in the front window area. That was not the best area to sit in, but it worked.

The service wasn't as quick or attentive with only two waitresses covering the whole restaurant. Nori isn't huge but two wasn't enough, especially with three large parties. In any case we were happy once the food finally came.

The soup and salad that comes with the meal was your standard Japanese restaurant fare and just as enjoyable as usual. We of course ordered the sushi for two, though it's slightly more expensive than what we're used to, it's really worth it. The fish was awesome and the rice was perfect, as was the fish to rice ratio. I ate my portion entirely and was thinking about whether or not it was a bad idea to order some more a la carte. I decided against it, who wants to heave up raw fish anyway?

Since our friend was having a birthday, you guessed it, on came the birthday music and some dessert. The wasabi cheesecake was just okay, I'm a huge fan of cheesecake and I wasn't too thrilled at what they did to it, but it was definitely interesting and edible. Okay, I'm a cheesecake snob and purist, what can I say?

In any event, go to Nori. You will not be disappointed and you will want to go back time and again. That's what we did.

Service: ***1/2

Ambience: *****

Food: *****

Overall: ****1/2

Eccola, Parsippany, NJ

No Valentine's Day would be complete without a trip to a nice Italian restaurant for dinner. Overpay? You bet! But sometimes it's worth it.

Eccola is kind of a weird place, not necessarily for the food or interior decor, but for its location. It sits right on Route 46 in Parsippany on the corner of North Beverwyck Road in a little strip mall. On one end, Eccola, the other, Cluck-U Chicken. Nuff said.

Don't let the location deter you though. Once you step inside, you'll see what I mean. Modern and clean, the front of the house looks great with a wood bar and other wood accents. When it's packed, the acoustics don't do much for a intimate conversation over dinner, but all in all there's no real serious complaint here.

The V-Day Menu had a number of good choices, and I was stoked on the ravioli special filled with crabmeat and shrimp, sauteed with wild mushrooms in a sage brown butter sauce. I was excited to order, until the waitress told me they switched it to ravioli with osso bucco filling in a tomato basil sauce. No thanks. I was really looking forward to it, so I took another couple of minutes and decided on the filet mignon in a red wine sauce. My husband ordered the gnocchi special with sirloin tips, onions, mushrooms, and bleu cheese in a wine sauce. But first, he would have the Shrimp Bisque, and oh my god was it amazing! I first dipped my bread in it and could literally taste the hours that went into making this soup. The flavor was deep and rich but not heavy like some bisques can be. There was a slight sweetness in the undertones, coupled with the burst of shrimp pieces, it was something that after I tasted I couldn't get enough of. Thankfully he pushed his bowl my way and I finished it off for him. Thanks honey!

After a wait (it seemed a lot longer than need be), our entrees came. His gnocchi was over the top amazing. I couldn't believe how the bleu cheese complemented the dish so well, how the onions were cooked but still crunchy, how the pillows of gnocchi offered great contrast in texture, and how every bite made you want to die right there. My filet mignon was good...I ordered it medium rare and it looked a little more medium, but the sauce and potatoes were great. My only suggestion would be to have the meat rest another minute or two before serving. Each time I cut into it, I could see juices flowing out. Fortunately the meat was tender and still juicy, and I could only eat half of the portion.

We were stuffed, but after all, it IS Valentine's Day, so you know you have to have dessert. I haven't had tiramisu in ages, so we decided to share it. It was just as it should be, but could have been a little sweeter to offset the bitterness of the coffee in the ladyfingers. Otherwise, another on point offering from the kitchen. The end to this meal made me very happy, and the bill wasn't even that bad considering that my husband had three glasses of wine (which was about 25% of the entire bill).

Eccola really should be reserved for special occasions. The staff are professional and attentive. I wouldn't dine there regularly but I could see us making this an annual trip.

Service: *****
Ambience: ****
Food: *****
Overall: *****

Mohawk House, Sparta

I love restaurants that have big fireplaces, and high beamed ceilings. The smell of burning wood and food can make me dizzy sometimes. But if there's one thing I hate doing, it's spending a ton of money on mediocre food. Oh. My. God. I hate hate hate it! Have you guessed that this is what happened at the Mohawk House in Sparta?

Sparta is one of those towns, unlike Hackettstown as mentioned in the Pandan Room, that's all fancy and little grit and character. In all of Sussex County, it's one of the most expensive places to live, and from what I remember, most of the folks I've met from there are kinda snobby. I won't discriminate but at least it gives you some idea of what you might find if you went to eat or shop in Sparta.

Located about 1/4 mile from Route 15, when you pull into the restaurant, prepare to give the valet your keys. Ugh, valet parking. Give me the option to park my own car, please. I'm not sure if there was this option there, but we jumped out, all decked out and ready for a more "classy" dining experience. Had I known that others were wearing jeans, I would've obliged! But, there's hardly a time where I dress up just to go out to eat, so my husband and I were happy to do it since it's "once in a blue moon".

The first thing that catches you is the dimly lit interior and fireplace. The restaurant itself is pretty large and also has a loft. We were seated right next to the fireplace, which is kind of nice since it was so cold outside. Once seated, our very professional waiter asked for our drink orders...the beer list is pretty impressive and so the men each ordered beer and us ladies got wine. Everyone seemed happy, with the exception of my husband's beer. He was pretty sure that the beer was flat and tasted bad, which could have been due to the beer sitting in the lines for awhile or was just skunked. He had to ask for something else altogether.

Everyone decided to order appetizers...I got the cheese plate, which had several varieties to choose from. I opted for the Bijou, Gouda, and Manchego. The cheeses were accompanied by truffle honey, smoked almonds, olives, and crackers. I could have cared less for the crackers...it was like eating air. But the honey coupled with each of the cheeses made me happy. I did not, however, like the almonds. They were chewey and way too smokey...I felt like I was chewing on some old wood right off the fire. Yuck. Others ordered the appetizer portion of the scallops and the crab cake. Everyone seemed happy with their choices.

On to dinner. Since it's been eons since I've had scallops, I decided to order this as my dinner/entree...others ordered the braised short ribs and steak. I was disappointed with my dish for sure. The scallops were cooked perfectly, but the sauce was supposed to be a lobster bisque, and it tasted more like a bland tomato sauce. The scallops sat on top of salsify, and some edamame peppered the plate. Topping the scallops were a fried "hay" of sweet potato. The sweet potato was more for a garnish, which was disappointing because I LOVE sweet potato. The salsify was new for me, it's a kind of root vegetable, almost like a weed, but has the consistency of a parsnip or carrot once cooked. It went well but overall the dish was not harmonious. I was really disappointed in the flavors, but the portion was large and I didn't get past two scallops.

I was totally into my husband's braised short rib with cabbage and mashed potatoes. He wasn't a fan of the cabbage, which was a benefit to me thank you very much. Overall, everyone at the table "liked" their food but none of was were singing its praises. The consensus was, this was nice but we won't come back. I figured that I should, at the very least, give dessert a try. This too was a disappointment. I love sweets, but the Spiced Apple Upside Down cake was so sweet that I couldn't get past the third bite. I tried so hard! The cake looked dry but was moist, and the apple pieces inside the cake were too big. The cider caramel didn't complement the cake whatsoever, and the whole thing was just a big pile of sugar and I just had enough of this whole dinner! We sipped our coffee, and $300 later (YES, you read right) for four people, we were pretty disgusted. I had a hard time parting with our money, because as I said in the beginning of this post, I HATE spending good money on mediocre food. But here we were and I vowed never to do this again!

If you want to get some decent food in Sussex County and pay a little too much money, make a visit to the Mohawk House. I'd recommend you sit at the bar and order from the bar menu. You still get the ambience and the warmth of the fireplace, but without the same expense. If you love beer, you might like this place. Next time, if there IS a next time, we'll sit at the bar and order a burger or something. The service will be faster there too. Take a sample of the beer before you get a pint, and watch your wallet!

Food: ***
Service: ***
Ambience: ****
Overall: ***

Pandan Room, Hackettstown

Every now and then, I find a restaurant that reminds me of why I love to go out to eat. It's the surprise of finding great food with good people, and flavors that you either have never had or haven't had in years. This was our experience at Pandan Room in Hackettstown, NJ.

Hackettstown is somewhat out of the way, at least for us, but not that far if you want to find a small town with some surprises in store. Hackettstown has always been somewhat the butt of the joke, a la Hackerstown, but like every good main street, you find some great stuff amongst some of the depressed. I like my towns and cities with variety, and other than having some friends that live in the area, I hadn't really been to Hackettstown for anything other than a psychic reading...when I was 16. Let's just say that was a long, long time ago!

Main Street at night was absolutely cute. I don't think anyone remembered to take down the lights from Christmas, but there was something ethereal about the glow on the street. I took a look as we drove through and saw an ice cream shop and other mom and pop shops that I would have liked to visit. As we pulled up to Pandan Room, I was surprised! It was pretty much a house, with more Christmas lights. Parking was around the corner, so we pulled in and took a short walk to the restaurant. Inside looked smaller than the outside, but the brightly colored walls with Thai and Indonesian decor seemed appropriate and represented what the food I would later discover tasted like...bright and unique.

There was about 11 people in our party, and our table was all ready as the ever friendly host/owner greeted us. We were seated quickly, handed the specials, and the waitress worked her magic. Even though there were so many of us, chaos never ensued. She expertly took our orders and within minutes, our appetizers were there. I was amazed. The only disappointing part of my meal was the Thai iced tea. I'm used to it being sweet and slightly thick. This was watery and needed sugar. I didn't complain though, and kind of enjoyed not worrying about the heaviness that usually accompanies the drink. We ordered the assorted spring rolls appetizer, and at only $6.99, we got two of each of three types of spring rolls. The others in our party each ordered the other two assorted appetizers on the menu, and I didn't hear any complaints!

Soon after the waitress cleared our dishes from our appetizers, our dinners arrived. Dishes were colorful and interesting, and smelled divine. Everyone was satisfied, from the harcore Thai food lovers who ordered traditional-ish curry dishes, to the newcomers who ordered the filet mignon. I ordered the Masaman Duck special, and I was blown away. The curry was light, the veggies tender but slightly crunchy, and the duck was some of the best I've ever had...tender and moist, crispy skin. The jasmine rice topped off the dish, and it was the perfect harmony. Most Thai dishes give me a little stomach upset, and I was thrilled when later on I experienced no difficulty whatsoever!

Other dishes included Bang Bang Chicken and Shrimp with a peanut and coconut milk based sauce and jasmin rice, a rabbit stew special, chicken curry, and other traditional dishes. Looking at the menu, you might question such things as the Asiago burger. Where the hell did that come from? And the "Thaiella", a Thai spin on Paella...I might try that the next time. Since I sat so close to the kitchen, I kept turning my head to see what they were putting up next and was always craning my neck to see what was what.

Surprisngly, the bill didn't make me want to cry (as it did the other night after dining at the Mohawk House in Sparta...okay food but not for what they're charging!). We were all fully satisfied and wanted to eat more...I had to ask the server to take it away from me because I really felt as though I was going to commit foodie suicide.

I would absolutely come back and recommend this restaurant, for the Thai lover and novices alike, everyone will be pleased at this quaint but stylish little place that I will now be raving about to all who will listen! To see the menu for yourself, visit pandanroom.com. Hackettstown, here I come!

Food: *****
Ambience: *****
Service: *****
Overall: *****

Leone's, Montclair, NJ

There was a time when I used to frequent Leone's. It's a joke among friends to call the place "Mama Leone's" after the rather large force/presence of the owner, Rose. When they first opened, I was in love. The pasta was stupendous. The restaurant was still a small place with just a few tables. Now, they've grown like the rest of the neighborhood, kind of like a virus. After many years, I went back with some friends, but thankfully didn't catch the virus.



Leone's now occupies what looks like three storefronts. Some of the old waitstaff are still there even. That was something that surprised me actually, from what I had heard from some folks who used to work for "Mama", she was a bit harsh (I'm being nice here). She's like the Roman who whips the horses in full gladiator regalia, except she's about 4'11". In any case, we were excited and super hungry.



The decor hasn't changed much. There's nothing bad or exciting either way about the inside of the restauarant. One of the additions from years past is their brick oven and counter that greets you when you first walk in. Beyond that, they have a "loft" area with seating as well. We were seated in the main part of the restaurant rather promptly given our reservation. Once seated, I realized the menu really hadn't changed much either. The same specials (mozzarella en carozza, artichokes, calamari, etc.) graced the menu, as well as old familiar classics like Cappellini Angelica. I didn't want to be bogged down heavy with pasta, so I opted for the Margherita Pizza for my dinner. Everyone else got a pasta, including one of the specials.



One thing I don't like is when a restaurant goes a la carte, especially an Italian restaurant. At least serve a small salad. But for just $4.95, you CAN get a salad. A lame house salad, with lettuce, tomatoes, croutons, and some carrot shavings. I was so disappointed in the thing, it looked pathetic. Soon after two of our guests got their salad, my pizza came. A full 15 to 20 minutes before anyone else got their entrees. I didn't want to be rude, but I was so starving, and also didn't want it to go cold. I had a slice, and that was enough. I've never had a pizza I didn't like, and this was bad enough not to go any further. The sauce was too thick for the crust, the fresh mozzarella had no flavor (salt the water will ya?!?!?!), and I kept biting down on dirt. I have a feeling that they never rinsed the basil leaves, because with each bite I got grit. After trying hard, I decided that going beyond that first slice would be murder for me. So I put the pie aside and asked for another menu. The others' food still wasn't there yet so I figured I had a good chance to get our food together. Not likely.



I FINALLY got my waiter's attention and ordered the fresh mozzarella salad. This required no cooking, but couldn't come with the other plates of pasta. I sat for 10 minutes watching everyone else eat. The two pasta dishes, Cappellini Angelica and Rigatoni Leone, looked and tasted wonderful. The pasta special with chicken and shrimp was not such a hit. My husband gave me the shrimp to eat, and all I could taste was coal. It was an unpleasant taste from the oven, presumably the brick oven, and I was not happy. He admitted that there wasn't anything special about his $20.95 special entree, so couple that with the 5 dollar salad, and you've got some unhappy customers.



The service was spotty and the food uneven. You want good pizza? Go to Villa Victoria down the street: no frills but a tasty as heck pie. If you want to get a good dining experience from Leone's, expect to wait and stick to the regular tried and true pasta dishes on the main menu. Otherwise, I'm not sure that this expansion virus is a good thing, and let's home Mama gets a cure.

Ambiance: ***1/2

Food: ***

Service: **

Overall: ***

Salt - Part Doo Doo

We decided to give Salt another try after several months of avoiding it since our first visit. This visit did not impress us either, and we will not be going back again.

I can't get over how watery the macaroni and cheese is, I just can't. It lacks flavor and creaminess, and doesn't even taste remotely of cheese. We added salt, and even then it wasn't all that much better.

We also ordered the Guinness Braised Onion soup, which also lacked any depth of flavor. The onions hadn't been truly braised and the broth was bland. It was so disappointing. My fiance called it shitty dishwater.

The grilled asparagus was pretty tasty, although at the bottom of the plate there was a mess of burned garlic which rendered the dish bitter with some of the bites. The sweet potato puree was also watery and heavy on the cinnamon.

The only redeeming part of the meal was the rock shrimp cakes and the fresh brewed iced tea.

Much hasn't changed at Salt since the last time we were there, and we won't be back to see if any changes have been made since this one.