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I travel with my "Road Food" by Jane and Michael Stern - always on the lookout for regional foods, great hot dogs, BBQ (oh yeah!), home made pies and ice cream and local charm. With Mrs. Rowe's, I...
I travel with my "Road Food" by Jane and Michael Stern - always on the lookout for regional foods, great hot dogs, BBQ (oh yeah!), home made pies and ice cream and local charm. With Mrs. Rowe's, I hit the mother lode.
When visiting my friends, residents of Waynesboro, VA, they recommended that I grab a meal here before heading home to NJ. so that was a double strength recommendation. I had breakfast, lunch and dinner here over my visit and each meal was memorable. The fried chicken and mashed potatoes were the best I have ever had.
They have friendly service, reasonable prices, great pies and baked goods and wonderful food. Check out their web site.
http://www.mrsrowes.com/
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This is my Starbucks. The one on the corner of Broadway and Diamond Spring Road. I put it here and Morris County owes me a debt of gratitude. Let me explain.
Go back to 1995. Starbuck's were few...
This is my Starbucks. The one on the corner of Broadway and Diamond Spring Road. I put it here and Morris County owes me a debt of gratitude. Let me explain.
Go back to 1995. Starbuck's were few and far between over here on the right coast. I was in San Francisco (one of my favorite cities) on a business trip. My room in the downtown Marriott was more money per night than the monthly rent on my first apartment. So when I went down for breakfast I was stunned to see that the buffet (rubber scrambled eggs, cold bacon, warm fruit, stale coffee and self service) wasn't free. Instead, it was $18. This was 1995! That's like a million bucks today. Anyway, I went out to 4th and Mission looking for a deli or coffee shop and a 3 buck breakfast. Across the street I saw a Starbuck's. "What's a Starbuck's?", I said to no one in particular. A surfer dude / street person said (in pure California speak) "Whoa, man, like Starbuck's is totally gnarly! You gotta get a hit man, it's sooooo cool." Naturally, I tried it - decaf Latte' with lemon poppy seed bread. I sat on their out-door tables looking at the passing parade. Man, I was hooked. I went there every day to start my day and wanted to move to the City By The Bay to get my daily fix.
When I got home, I told my wife (she is more of a coffee junkie that I) and together we explored NYC, looking for a Starbuck's. We found one in the east 80's and when she tasted the goods, she too was hooked. We both agreed that we needed a Starbuck's in Denville so I grabbed a comment card and send them a note. Basically, I told them that the present coffee shop at the corner of Diamond Spring and Broadway was a bust - they need to buy the property and put a Starbuck's in there. I knew that the spot was HOT and would be successful. I think I guaranteed it.
Months went by and little by little Starbuck's put shops closer and closer to my home base - Westwood, Montclair, Morristown and suddenly, Denville! In the very shop I suggested.
So as you sit in MY Starbuck's, sipping your brew, raise your cup to yours truly. It's there because of me.
And although Starbuck's has never even given me as much as a coffee mug as thanks, I get my reward with every purchase. Plus, my wife thinks I'm a hero and that's all that counts, right?
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17 Main
Category:
Uncategorized
17 E Main St
Denville, New Jersey 07834
(973) 625-7777
We drive by 17 Main several times a week but for some reason, we never stopped to taste their fare. Maybe it's because several previous ventures located in the same space have failed quickly?...
We drive by 17 Main several times a week but for some reason, we never stopped to taste their fare. Maybe it's because several previous ventures located in the same space have failed quickly? Anyway,we stopped last night - having had dinner at Attillio's on Tuesday and take out from Sergio's Thursday - looking for a new experience. I am glad we did.
The room is bigger than it seems from the outside with interesting art and warm colors on the walls. There are real cloth napkins and comfy seating. In warmer weather, you can dine alfresco but it was a few degrees south of comfortable for an early April visit so we opted for the inside this time.
The menu has American leanings with Italian touches (a good combo in my opinion). We skipped the appetizers this time - saving our appetite for the main dish. We both ordered chicken but I was tempted by the pork loin, 16 oz strip steak and lamb. My wife had pistachio crusted chicken over mashed and I had chicken Mark Antonio - chicken in a creamy tomato sauce. Both were quite good and the presentation was "vertical" a' la Gotham Bar and Grill.
One serious issue was the amazingly slow service. It took nearly 30 minutes between order and delivery - too long for a couple of hungry folks. No explanation was given but the waitress came mid-way in the delay with a free salad. It was wonderful and showed that the people running the place know how to treat a guest.
So 5 stars on the food but down to 4 for the slow service. It may have been an oddity - we'll return and let you know if things get better.
17 Main - a new and interesting choice in Denville.
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I have too many books. But I keep buying them because they bring such joy. While I buy at Amazon and the big faceless book sellers around, small shops run by readers are my favorite places. ...
I have too many books. But I keep buying them because they bring such joy. While I buy at Amazon and the big faceless book sellers around, small shops run by readers are my favorite places. Titcomb's is such a place. They sell new and used books in an airy shop with ample parking. I make a point to stop every time we visit because you can find books on the Cape, maritime lore and local interest for visitors. The selection is always changing too so frequent visits make sense.
On the Cape? Stop here and stock up for a great summer read.
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Take a hot dog. Stick it a deep fryer and cook it until the skin rips open. Serve hot. Watch your customer smile. That's Rutt's hut in a nutshell.
We visited Rutt's on a rainy Saturday afternoon...
Take a hot dog. Stick it a deep fryer and cook it until the skin rips open. Serve hot. Watch your customer smile. That's Rutt's hut in a nutshell.
We visited Rutt's on a rainy Saturday afternoon and the parking lot was full and people were belly-up to the bar at the standing / no chairs allowed tables. Two dogs, fries and a Pepsi sets you back $7 and change and serves as tasty meal.
The dogs have "snap" to the tooth skins on a decent roll. The fries were ordinary and could be skipped (I will next time).
The ambiance is non-existent. They have parking and a view of the Passaic river - no bodies were seen floating by that day (just kidding).
Good place - a classic road house.
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Heresy. Why not 5 stars? Well, you'll have to read on.
I have been a customer of Denville Dairy for over 25 years. The regular hard ice cream here is pretty good (who eats that soft stuff?). The...
Heresy. Why not 5 stars? Well, you'll have to read on.
I have been a customer of Denville Dairy for over 25 years. The regular hard ice cream here is pretty good (who eats that soft stuff?). The shakes are better and the ice cream sodas are about the same. But based on the line out the door, you would not think so. Instead, you might think that they made gold and gave free samples. They make pretty good ice cream - certainly not great - and for their huge clientรจle, it appears to be all that's needed to keep them coming.
Service can be slow. The servers are working hard and they seem to be trying to do a good job but the volume of people craving an ice cream treat often exceeds their ability to keep up.
Maybe I'm too fussy? The thousands of happy people who shop here probably speak louder than my voice.
Go and see if you agree. You will be in good company.
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We were looking for a place to eat after my God Daughter's college opera performance. My friends suggested we go to Bertucci's or Macaroni Grill (yecch!). I asked a couple of adults who looked like...
We were looking for a place to eat after my God Daughter's college opera performance. My friends suggested we go to Bertucci's or Macaroni Grill (yecch!). I asked a couple of adults who looked like they might be local and sought a recommendation. They said easily, "Max's Oyster Bar. And I am glad they did.
The restaurant is on a commercial street with ample parking out back. The decor is clubby / cozy with soft lighting. In good weather, they offer sidewalk tables too. If you lived near West Hartford, I see how this could become your favorite spot
Service, despite the large size of our party, was efficient and professional (not very common in a college town).
The two appetizers we tried received mixed reviews. The better of the two was the New England clam chowder. Rich with clams, cream and bacon, I could have sat myself down in front of a tureen, large spoon in hand and died happy. Alas, the $13 crab cakes were just fair.
Despite being a seafood place, beef played a significant role on the menu. The fillet received high marks and was cooked as ordered. Several of us had the pan baked lobster over garlic mashed. It sounded so wonderful, I had high expectations. I hate to say it, but it was merely pretty good and not the nearly $30 gift from the gods I expected. Not so the potatoes - if they put garlic in there, they were well hidden. The grilled cod with mashed was pronounced "really good" but the garlic was AWOL in the spuds here as well.
We had a nice genuine French Chardonnay (shhh, don't tell Dick Cheney) - a steal at $30. And the Key Lime Pie was small but well made with a good crust. The sorbet was raspberry and it too was quite good.
All told, the bill with tip for 9 people came to $400. Considering we had wine, a couple of drinks, a couple of appetizers and a couple of desserts, the bill was more than fair and easily matched the overall quality. Again, our server did a wonderful job and added to the overall experience.
A great find that saved me from eating in a chain restaurant. 4 stars.
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Chatham is a picture-post-card kind of New England town. The main street is lined with quaint shops designed to lure dead presidents from your wallet. One of the stores that I consider my favorites...
Chatham is a picture-post-card kind of New England town. The main street is lined with quaint shops designed to lure dead presidents from your wallet. One of the stores that I consider my favorites is The Spyglass. These folks sell ephemera from the watery parts of the world and display them with the appropriate mix of museum style and antique store jumble.
They always have a "spyglass" mounted on a tripod and pointed at a business card tacked outside the store. Your job is to peek through the lens to see the amazing magnification. I do it on every visit and still hear myself say "wow!".
Prices are pretty steep but the stuff is old and valuable so they are probably in line with their true value.
Go and get lost in the history that's displayed on their shelves.
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We bought a wooded lot for our new house and tried to keep as many trees as possible when we built out house. Naturally, over time, some older tries died or were damaged by the work of construction...
We bought a wooded lot for our new house and tried to keep as many trees as possible when we built out house. Naturally, over time, some older tries died or were damaged by the work of construction so we had to take them down. Our friends sung the praises of Global Shade so we had them come over and give us a quote. They not only gave us a great price, they also did a great job. No mess. No damage to adjacent trees (and we have a lot of trees). And they are very professional people.
Tree cutting is serious work and these are people you can trust.
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I fell in love with the colors and shapes of the Crumpler bags. Like the name too. I saw them at the Photo show at the Javits and went to Spring street to get a look at the whole line. I decided...
I fell in love with the colors and shapes of the Crumpler bags. Like the name too. I saw them at the Photo show at the Javits and went to Spring street to get a look at the whole line. I decided that a cube-shaped bag would be perfect for my digital camera and it came home with me. Big mistake. The strap doesn't stay put on my shoulder (I have been carrying camera bags since the 1970's) and I can't figure out why. The bag is nicely made and it has lots of soft stuff inside to cosset my goods. But I hate carrying it and it sits at home.
Lesson here - bring the stuff you want to carry and try carrying it around the shop. Like said, the stuff seems great but the execution may not be.
Also, remember, a bright bag attracts attention from crooks.
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