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/

MB & G Mawaha, NJ - Review

Kind of an old stand bye for a burger, since there really is not a decent burger place closer.  We always tend to go here with a group and never anything spectacular, but never disappointing either.  They have some typical and not so typical burger combinations which makes it people friendly for the pickiest taste buds.  Very loud with a bar attached its definitely a local hangout.  Note really much to write about, we got fried pickles, nachos and a french onion soup for apps.  The pickles were good but i like them better in "chip" form, not spears cut on a bias.  The nachos with chili, "A" on the cheese and chips melting process (if you will) and the toppings, somehow everything doesn't stick together in a big clump of nacho, "B-" on the chili, a little sweet for my taste.  Burgers are always cooked to you liking, which is a plus, the Reuben was nice, with both corned beef and pastrami, the french dip looked really good, my wife shared this with a friend and they both finished their half's in record time.  My buddy got the buffalo chick wrap as usual and said its one of his favorites.  All in all always a good time with friends, bar food and a nice variety of beers.  Reasonably priced, though i cant comment since my buddy picked up the check, but still not a shot to your pocket.  Take some friends, have some beers, enjoys some good times and good food, everyone deserves it now and again.