Biggie's Clam Bar - Review - Carlstadt, NJ

Been trying to come here for a while and finally got a chance over labor day weekend, still busy but a nice lag in the wait from what I hear.  I was hear with my wife's family who are all used to the original place in Hoboken.  We ordered a bunch of items and cant remember who got what.  So hear is the run down of what hit the table.
Caesar salad ,Fried calamari, Oysters, Clams, Broccoli robe with  mozzarella rib eye steak sandwich, Cheese burger, Italian  hot dog and I had the Clam PO boy.
Everyone seemed to really enjoy everything we ordered.  I cant really comment on all, but I had some of the light and crispy calamari, the oysters and clams were fresh.  Although I wish they had more the blue points.  My Po Boy was done with a nice hero, red cabbage slaw. tomato and tasty fried clams.  The experience was good, considering how busy this joint is....all the time I might add.  I would go back more often if it was closer and bonus! ones opening in Ramsey!

Bittersweet Catering Cafe Bakery - Review - Alexandria, V.A

This place is a café/buffet/quick food restaurant, if that helps.  We stopped in and grabbed a quick bite for breakfast.  I had an egg and cheese on a bagel and my buddy had a breakfast burrito.  There isn't much to say.  The bagel was not fresh baked, but the sandwich accomplished its goal.  The burrito was on the small side and had some flavor but just didn't hit the spot.   A nice place for a quick breakfast or maybe there scones and coffee are good.   It was busy for a sat morn, so they must be doing something right.

Kinheads - Review Washington, DC

We were looking for a place with some decent seafood and oysters.  This place fit the bill and satisfied our craving.  We started with a heart of romaine salad with cilantro lime which was very, very good and we were off and running.  The oyster and shellfish platter for two came next.  Everything was very fresh and the accompanying condiments of horseradish and a tangy vinegar dipping sauce complimented well.  The assortment of oysters was as expected by the menu description.  Nice, large and surprisingly  sweet shrimp we paired with crab claws.
My buddy ordered the seared scallops over pasta with a tasty lemon cream sauce and I had the soft shell crab with artichokes and smoked bacon  I am normally not a fan of smoked bacon, but this really did the dish justice and the plate balanced very well.
For desert we had a chocolate gnash cake and apple tart.  These were both prepared well and again, obviously fresh.
Great service, slightly pricey, a nice décor, although is was quite warm that weekend and it seemed as the air was not working properly.  None the less, a recommendation in my book if your in D.C and looking for some good seafood.

Harrys Review - Washington, DC

This place was the only one open on a Sunday morning in DC.  We figured how bad could it be...right...wrong!  This place was dirty....I don't even want to discuss the the amount of bum under the window sill.....but maybe it was "the thing to do?"  Either way, just gross.  The buffet was small and either had over cooked bacon and home fries or extremely runny scrambled eggs, neither to my liking.   My buddy had a ham and cheese omelet, it was small and he didn't finish it.  I am sure you all can figure out what I am getting at. 
Unfortunately, in our great capital, there seem to be a very limited amount of people looking for breakfast on the weekends, hence the scarce amount of places to find such a meal.  If you find one let me know.

La Frontera Mexican Grill - Hackensack, NJ - Review

I am always on the lookout for a decent Mexican joint and by golly, I think I found it.  Better than the Hacienda in Paterson, but no bar and way better than Blue Moon in Wyckoff, this place is as close to authentic as I have seen locally. A nice variety of items on the menu is sure to please anyone.
Right off the bat, you are greeted with "FRESH" salsa and warm chips.  The salsa has a nice light flavor with a little kick.
For apps we take on the sampler, with the addition of nachos in the center, hey there were 6 of us.  We also got the chorizo cheese dip and shrimp with garlic sauce.  Everything was very flavorful with robust flavors and just the right amount of heat.  The jalapeno poppers on the platter were awesome!
For entrees we had, chicken burrito, Carne academy burrito, Bistro poble steak with fried eggs over fries (really good), Chicken enchiladas, Tres Tacos and Shrimp in a spicy sauce (can't remember the name).  Everyone was very pleased with what the ordered and cleared their plates.  I had the Carne burrito, nothing short of filling, that I can assure you.  Packed with beans, rice, cheese and beef, topped with a salsa verde, which really brightened the dish up.  Flavors were right on and the accompanying rice and beans actually had flavor as well.
Needless to say, this place feeds you and I can't imagine anyone would leave hungry.
The service was very good and the prices were reasonable, if I remember correctly, about $55.00 per couple.
So if you're looking for a decent Mexican place close by give it a shot.  I just hope the next time we go back we have the same experience......I am dying to try one of their Tortas!

Rigoletto Pasquale - Arthur Ave Bronx, NY - Review

We went to Arthur Ave for a nice day out to get some Italian goodies and wound up here for lunch.  The menu was traditional Italian with some authentic specials.

For apps we ordered Caesar Salad which was nice, the lettuce was crisp and the dressing was a lighter version of your typical Caesar dressing.  Stuffed artichoke, this was cooked well but lacked in flavor, it also had an odd taste, not a bad taste, just and unusual ingredient I can’t put my taste bud on.  Baked clams, flavorful and the way I like them, the clam shucked and stuffed, not diced up clam with stuffing shoved back into the shell. 

The main courses were Gnocchi Bolognese which was very tasty and well done, not meat drowning in a tomato sauce, but a meat sauce with a little marinara to round it out.  Penne arrabiata, spicy yet tasty and I really do not like spicy dishes.  I had the papparedelle special with rabbit ragu.  This was very tasty, but found some bones in the meat, which can be overlooked, but shouldn’t be, in my opinion.

Desserts were lemon torta della nonna and pistachio cheesecake.  The torta was very good and had a really big punch of lemon.  The cheesecake was OUT OF THIS WORLD, no joke, probably the best cheesecake I have ever had, and I highly recommend it.

Over all a nice experience, but a little pricey especially for a lunch at $141.00 for 4 people. At just under $50.00 per person with 3 apps, 3 lunches and 2 desserts, it just seems a little much for a quick lunch.

Seafood Gourmet Maywood, NJ - Review

What can I say about what used to be my favorite little secret other than the secret is out.  Uuggh, I love this place, I was looking for a really good seafood restaurant in the area and didn't want to pay Oceanos/Varka prices.  So about five years ago i went web searching and found this little joint and boy was i impressed.  Simple, tasty and always fresh seafood for a reasonable price.  I finally found what i was looking for.  I have been here many, many times and am just now getting around to writing about it.  This time our group of four ordered buffalo popcorn, fried calamari and mussels in a red sauce.  The calamari is always light and crispy, the mussels, well gobbled down by my father in law and the buffalo shrimp, tasty but not to hot.  As usual everyone enjoyed the meal and commented on how fresh the fish was and always is.  They ordered lemon sole, primavera with scallops and shrimp, halibut, grilled with spinach and I had the special, bouillabaisse.  This was delightful, full of flavor and everything cooked perfectly, the cod, shrimp, mussels, clams, scallops and rough chopped veggies melted in your mouth.   I highly recommend it if you see it on the special menu.  It was a tough decision, since they also had a favorite of mine, soft shell crabs, which i have had in the past and were very very good.  $135.00 for four entrees, 3 apps, soup or salad inc. and apples crisp, at a seafood place is not a crazy bill, i think most will agree.  I highly recommend this local friendly, tiny seafood restaurant on the main drag of Maywood, NJ to anyone.
Go and enjoy.
P.S its also a seafood market, so you can also grab some fresh fish for dinner on the way home from work.
http://www.seafood-gourmet.com/