Buon Appetito: thin, crispy, just the right ratio of crust to sauce to cheese, big slice, fair price.
Their salads also look good although I've never had them.

Maybe they wanted the ability to stack and store the chairs for events?

The only time I was at the one in Brooklyn it was dark and filled with people so I didn't notice what the place looked like. The clientele was the decor.

I think the bar area looks great with the mixed vintage stools and the big chalkboard wall. I'm such a sucker for chalkboard paint.

Anyone know what the video game is with the bartender on the side of it? It's in one of the pics.

I frequently eat here also. Usually the food is fresh and healthy tasting. My favorites are the eggplant rollatini, chicken parm, the vegetarian cauliflower dish, the mediterranean sampler platter, and the kebabs. The last salad I got there was pretty bad: wilted lettuce and about 1/4 of a past-its-prime avocado. I recommend sticking to the Italian or Mediterranean entrees.

The service isn't the best. They seem to hire people with little experience.

The prices are very reasonable considering the size of the entrees. I often have enough for lunch the next day.

The sign is up. We are getting closer to great tap beer in Jersey City!

I'll be trying Havenwood farm this year without the csa membership. It'll probably involve a country drive out to Newton, NJ.
http://havenwoodfarms.net/

In the past I've bought (ordered ahead online) great pork, veal and cheese from Bobolink at Union Square
http://www.cowsoutside.com/
and wonderful hens from one of the vendors at the Olde Lafayette Village Sunday farmers market in Sussex County, NJ (lots of stuff out that way).
http://www.localharvest.org/olde-lafa ... lage-farmers-market-M5836

I haven't tried any of the meats at the local farmer's markets. It doesn't really seem like there are any vendors that sell that type of thing. Maybe we're too far from the farms?

Anyone know when the renovations will be complete? This nice weather's giving me a hankering for the good stuff.

I love the wings at Hamilton Inn. They're big, meaty, crispy, and spicy. Last I checked, they're still running the NFL Sundays deal with half price wings on Sundays after 1pm.

I've had the White Star wings twice and both times they tasted off to me. They were more sweet than hot.

Go to the grocery store and get stuff to make cupcakes.

Or gather up everything that your child has outgrown (toys, clothes, etc) and see if he/she could sell it on ebay to make a little cash.

Or trek over to Hoboken to visit Carlo's and then grab lunch. I walked there yesterday along the waterfront and it was quite a challenge. Could take you all day to get there and back unless you have crampons.

Is this a good bar to watch a game in? I've walked by a few times but never noticed if they have tv's or not.

If they do, does anyone know if they have any specials during games?

The eggs benedict hits the spot for brunch. And their $3 bloody marys are probably the best $3 bloody marys I've ever had.

The cobb salad is a nice light lunch choice.

I like that they put rosemary on their fries. Gives 'em a little something extra going on.

Went over the weekend with a group of people and ordered tapas. We had the octopus and loved it. Also the quail was great - crispy and delicious.

The decor is all over the place. There's gotta be 10 different lighting schemes going on there at once. Including lavender can lights and even some illuminated art on the walls.

The service was pretty bad. First we had a guy who took 10 min to take our drink orders and then 10 min to bring our drinks. Then ten minutes to bring some water. Then he forgot about us for a while. Then some ditzy girl took over until a group of attractive men showed up in the bar and we were abandoned. Then we had no server. Then we had an overbearing guy who was trying to be all buddy-buddy with us. The free round of port (because we were such a "fun group" according to the girl) was nice but I'd rather have semi-attentive service instead.

Almost forgot: neither of the restrooms seemed to have operational locks on the doors and they open almost right onto the bar.

We've been using Westside for 2.5 yrs now for our cat. I've never had any problems with them. All the vet techs and vets have been friendly and really good at handling our feisty kitty. We did wind up doing the spaying at Liberty because Westside was about 3 times as expensive. And although they've tried to sell us on additional services, I have no problem saying no and doing additional research on my own to see if is necessary. It seems like most businesses are jumping on any opportunities to upsell you these days.

One major plus with Westside is the vets seem pretty into the science behind pets. I had a cat issue a week ago and called the office and the vet spoke with me for about 20 minutes. She seemed sincerely interested in getting to the root of the problem and weighing in all the possible contributing factors.

Tried both of their wing styles last night while watching the game: asian bbq and buffalo. We liked the more standard buffalo better as the bbq was a little too sweet. Both were big, juicy, and meaty though. Will be going back for more!

Went for dinner last weeK and LOVED my appetizer (chickpea panisse). It was crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside and the highlight of my meal. My boyfriend had the spinach salad which was pretty standard. For an entree I had the oil poached tuna and thought it was a little overcooked and really nothing special. My boyfriend had the special braised venison with spaetzle which was hearty and deeply flavored, definitely the tastier of the two. We got a chocolate pots de creme and poppy seed cake for dessert. Neither were amazing but that may have been because we were pretty stuffed already. The portions are generous here.

Overall, I enjoyed my meal but was disappointed after all the great feedback I'd read on jclist. The atmosphere was definitely one of the most sophisticated in jc and the service was excellent (except it dropped off a little at the end) but the food wasn't the greatest. I'm sure it will do well as it fills a need in ph but I probably won't be making the trek back. As a personal preference, I like places that are a little less stuffy.

I'm loking for gluten free flours (specifically sorghum, tapioca, and brown rice flours) and xanthum gum for some holiday baking.

Anyone have any downtown JC suggestions?

My boyfriend and I stopped by last night for a snack and ordered the fried pork and the chicken with basil dumplings. Both were delicious, not doughy, and served immediately. We actually went in because there were just a few people inside. They let us eat them out back under the tent. Everyone was really friendly in there!

The owner said they were hoping in the future to have hot pot setups on the tables out back. Something else to look forward to.

I've seen some unusual birds in JC over the past few weeks. Little tawney colored birds with yellow breasts have been flying around by the Embankment. The males have a black "facemask" around their eyes and the females do not. I'm fairly certain they're Common Yellowthroats. They had one stuck inside Shopright this morning while I was there and I got an up close view of the traumatized little male. They're pretty birds and it's fun to see something different flying around.

I'd love a cozy, Irish pub style place with fish n chips, Guinness stew, and shepherd's pie.

A tex mex place would also be nice. One that serves margaritas and has lots of tequila options would make me a regular.

I've been to the Tuesday all night happy hour and it's definitely a good deal. IMO they have a better beer selection than the Hamilton Inn and when it's half off, it's very affordable. The catfish sliders were pretty good when I had them (just a little overcooked but still yummy). So was the calamari (BIG portion). The fries were good but nothing special.

But the service here could stand to be a little friendlier. The Hamilton Inn has great service in comparison. I like my bartenders to have some personality.

We had drinks there last night and couldn't believe how crowded it was! It's great to have a lively neighborhood bar that's a little more upscale.

The service at the bar was friendly and attentive. The beers were fresh tasting. The interior has great character with the vintage pendent lighting, brick, and rustic wood paneling. I didn't even notice the TVs until an hour or so after being there. They've mounted five or so reasonably small screens at a height that's out of your field of vision unless you're looking for them.

We haven't had the food yet but another patron said the burger was good. We saw they have a poached lobster pizza?!

We went Wed night and had the spaghetti bolognese and the potato dumplings and were very happy with our meals. I think this is becoming our go to place on nights when we're too tired to cook or do anything else and just want a place to relax and have a good meal.

It is byo.

My $40 was an estimate, with tip. It was an excellent meal and for an excellent meal, $40 for two in a sit down place with cloth napkins, friendly staff, and an attractive decor seems more than fair to me. It was much better than any meal I've had at the Embankment. By far!

I couldn't get over how they transformed the place inside. It's got an intimate and inviting feel with muted colors, appropriately dim lighting, and smallish size.

My boyfriend and I ate here last night and had a great meal. Before it opened I was hoping for a place with home cooked food done well, reasonable prices, and friendly service. It was a tall order and I was pretty sure I was setting myself up for disappointment. Low and behold, this is exactly what Parkside Bistro does!

I had the eggplant rollatini ($10ish). Everything on my plate was fresh tasting, the eggplant was perfectly cooked (crispy and not greasy), and their homemade marinara was almost as good as my own.

My boyfriend had the kebab platter ($15ish). I had a bite of the meat which was tender, well seasoned, and just really yummy. His plate included white rice, a small chopped salad (a little heavy on the onions), pita, and a yogurt sauce.

We both had coffee and I almost immediately commented how good it was. Later our waiter (the owner maybe?) asked if we were enjoying it and explained that they were using a very local roaster who had worked with them on creating the blend.

The service was prompt and friendly. The food was simple, fresh, and delicious. The check was under $40. The diners were happy.

Why shouldn't there be a pet-free zone? The park is for the human residents of JC and there are many people who are afraid of dogs, think dogs are annoying and smelly, and who just don't like dogs. Dog owners should be happy to have two dog parks going in there. I know I am.

I recommend having the soil test done as soon as possible as spring is "high season" for this kind of thing. Last year I waited until April for the Rutgers service and the wait was 6 weeks. I finally got back good results, but was tentatively eating quite a bit of lettuce before that point.

I just saw an add for servers etc needed for the Hamilton Inn. One more step closer to opening.

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I like their selection, pricepoint, and location but I have to agree with you on the service. The one salesperson was relentless with her "helpful" suggestions while the owner just kinda ignored me. I probably would have bought something but it really annoys me when salespeople don't even say hello when I walk through their door.

I'm looking forward to new businesses opening around Hamilton Park. If they have good products and services I will patronize them. I would not compare the goods available at the mall with items generally carried by boutiques. I would be unlikely to buy a gift at a mall store, spend my tax refund at the mall, or have dinner in the mall food court. I think the residents in the Hamilton Park neighborhood are changing every day. There seems to be more and more people here who are attracted to small independent businesses. I think Smith and Chang are well aware of the changing market and are hopefully prepared to ride out the beginnings of this transitional time.

For the record, I find the food and service at the Embankment inconsistent and sometimes just disappointing.

Any news on when they will open? I haven't walked by lately.