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Thanks for posting the menu!

Thanks to Hefe for the Natural Ginger Beer recommendation.

When I was at Nicole's a few weeks ago, her son was wrapping up something that looked incredible for another customer who phoned in their order.

I asked what it was and he said it was Boneless Curry Chicken Roti.

Have any JCListers out there tried their Roti?

It's now at the top of my list of stuff to sample, but when I was last in there to grab dinner he said they had sold out of it for the day.

I did appreciate one little tip he gave me though.

He said that if I call ahead early enough with my order, he'll just set it aside for me before they run out.

Related thought: Is there a chance that Lisa's Roti/Teddy's Roti is going to reopen anywhere? I never tried their food there, but I heard it was excellent.

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If you're looking for cheap places to eat around here, check out this Cheap Eats Jersey City JCList thread.

Besides Nicole's Restaurant, I recommend the following:

- Shadman Restaurant (Pakistani & Indian):

They have great Seekh Kababs ($1.50 each) and Naan (also $1.50 each). I usually order two Seekh Kababs (made from ground meat, herbs, minced onions and spices) and one Naan (tandoor-baked bread) which comes with tangy yogurt sauce and a small salad. The grand total? $4.50! If you're still hungry, a small side order of Chana (spiced stewed chickpeas) is only $2.00. They also have good vegetarian and meat-based curries. You get your choice of two entrees plus rice or naan for anywhere from 4 to 6 dollars.

- Fresh Tortillas Grill (Tex-Mex):

The Monterey Jack Cheese Quesadillas Sincronizadas rock and are served with great salsa for only $2.39. And a nice-size portion of Grilled Chicken with Mexican Rice (also served with great salsa) is only $2.69!

- Sava Polish Diner & Deli (Polish):

It's ALL good, particularly the homemade boiled Potato or Cabbage Pierogies (stuffed dumplings). Also, try the Meatballs in Gravy, Sauerkraut, Kielbasa, Stuffed Cabbage and Cucumber Salad! I believe a half-dozen pierogies is less than FOUR BUCKS and a Polish Combination Platter is less than EIGHT BUCKS! The owner and cook is very sweet and she'll keep you coming back for more.

- Nha Trang Restaurant (Vietnamese):

I dig everything from the Cha Gio (fried spring rollls) to the Pho (beef noodle soup). And the grilled and stir-fried dishes are great too. Very cheap and very tasty. (Saigon Cafe is very good too and closer to Grove Street, but it is also tends to be more expensive.)

- Brownstone Diner & Pancake Factory (American):

Their pancake recipe should be patented, and their portions are HUGE. I've enjoyed everything I've had there over the years -- Greek specialties, sandwiches, burgers, eggs, etc. This place has gotten to be so popular, it has even been featured on The Food Network.

- Ibby's Falafel (Middle Eastern):

This Syrian-owned cafe has everything from Shawarma to Tabouli, but my hands-down favorite item is the Falafel & Baba Ganoush Sandwich for only $4.00.

- Cheap Chinese Food (It's Everywhere!):

Try Sen Hai, Great Wall, Chun Bo and Future (to name a few). For something extra spicy and authentic, try Grand Sichuan (though most items are a bit more pricey).

What's great about these places is that you can get take-out for under TEN BUCKS, and in many cases, for under FIVE BUCKS!

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Their take-out menu says that they take Visa, Mastercard and Discover.

It says they also offer "fast free delivery with a minimum $10 purchase" (in case you want to avoid a parking ticket)!

They close at 9:30PM and their phone number is 201-433-8443.

Welcome to the neighborhood!

When was last over there, one of Nicole's sons told me that they have a new Weekly Special on Tuesdays now.

It's not on the printed menu, but it's a Curry CHICKEN With Cabbage combination platter (complete with your choice of Rice & Peas or Yellow Rice AND Fried Sweet Plantains or Steamed Cabbage AND Homemade Hot Sauce) for just FIVE BUCKS!

Wahoo!

The new dish was inspired by ever popular Thursday special, Curry Turkey With Cabbage.

What sucks is the last couple of times I was there, they had already run out of the Curry Turkey With Cabbage dish by 6PM.

I think if you're going to have "weekly special" dishes, you should have enough on hand until the end of the dinner rush.

That said, I suppose regularly running out of dishes can create a "sense of urgency" among your customers.

I've read that other neighborhood restaurants, like La Conguita for example, tend to run out of their specials as well.

Guess it's just part of the charm of these places.

I recently discovered the maximum is $700 per day for me at my bank.

I think it used to be $600 at one point and $500 before that, but I guess the bank upped the amount without alerting me.

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After people are robbed, I understand that victims may draw a blank when having to describe their attackers to the police (and maybe that's what happened in this case).

The information about the gray Toyota Camry is helpful, but I agree that the description of the attackers could use more detail.

Assuming the authorities have the information, it would be useful to publish the attackers' hair cut/length/color, complexion/ethnicity/race and/or eye color (as long as it doesn't trigger a weird wave of vigilante justice, of course).

Same goes with this recent article about the unidentified man who recently commited suicide in Liberty State Park.

Authorities are trying to determine his identity, but they don't reveal his eye color or even mention if the poor fellow has a light or dark complexion.

I would think that they would be able to identify the man sooner if they provided more details.

rajah,

Thanks for the lowdown on your soon-to-open store and I look forward to hearing more when you start your Grand Opening JCList thread.

Good luck to you!

Nice photos of Pappi's metal chain sculptures and glass bottle bubbles!

Thanks so much for your posts, JCase and ianmac47.

Back in March, I was down in Virginia for much of the month while my dad was ill (though my dad's fine now -- knock on wood!).

That must be why I missed the initial JCList thread.

Thanks again!

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I'll be sure to check out the one over at 3rd and Monmouth too.

A few more questions and thoughts on this...

Are there more of these out there in JC?

And if so, where?

If anyone happens to have a photo or two of them to post, that would be swell.

(I would snap a shot myself, but the camera in my phone has been acting up lately.)

I've been meaning to post about this for awhile...

Do any JCListers out there know what the story is behind those metal sculptures on top of metal poles and street signs in Downtown Jersey City?

I've been guessing that they are part of some sort of guerilla art project.

They're pretty interesting and unique.

If you have yet to encounter them yourself, the two I often come across are:

A). On Barrow Street between the Brick Haus gym entrance and Washington Mutual on the corner.

B). At the western corner of Newark Avenue and First Street.

Seriously though, kudos to everyone who tackled this problem.

I'm very glad I won't be seeing BJ's carts on my block anymore.

(I just hope carts from Target or Morton Williams don't start showing up now!)

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You've denied the BJ's carts their freedom and now they are out for revenge -- they are stalking you!

The food sounds great and the photos are making me HUNGRY!

Does this place have a website or an online menu somewhere?

It's time for a light rail trip -- wahoo!

Hmmm...

The more I think about it...

Maybe it did all go down...

DOWNTOWN.



(Even though it's a few blocks west of the I-78 NJ Turnpike Extension along Grand Street AND it's outside of 07302!)

I dropped by Sava Polish Deli for a quick-n-early dinner tonight, and I happened to overhear the owner, Jadwiga, mention to another customer that business has been quite slow for her lately.

I'm guessing that's because much of her menu is hearty, and there's probably more of a demand for those sorts of dishes in the fall and winter months.

Also, she sometimes has her back window and front door open which can make eating there in the summer heat a bit too hot to handle (at least for me).

But THIS EVENING she has the A/C PUMPING HARD! WAHOO!

It wasn't frigid like the new Duane Reade store, but it was really nice and VERY COOL compared to the steamy street outside.

If you're looking for something cooler and more refreshing as a side dish while you're there, definitely go for her tasty cucumber salad flecked with bits of onions and dill -- it rocks!

Happy eating!

No worries.

I just figured it couldn't hurt to mention it.

Hi GrovePath,

Thanks for continuing to post news stories to JCList.com.

It's a great service and I really appreciate it.

One little observation though...

I know the borders of Jersey City's neighborhoods tend to be blurry and can even seem to morph.

But in my view, especially since this incident happened a number of blocks west of the I-78 NJ Turnpike Extension, I wouldn't consider it Downtown.

According to this map, it would be the McGinley Square neighborhood if it happened on the north side of Grand Street.

Or possibly the Bergen/Lafayette neighborhood if it occured on the south side of Grand Street.

So it sort of feels like a stretch to label this particular area as part of Downtown (though I wouldn't be surprised if realtors start calling it "Downtown West" or something along those lines over the next decade or two!).

Just my two cents,

UrbanRenewal

Great Marow Deli photos, rajah! I just checked out your yoRAJAH Blog too.

From these photos featured in your blog, I believe I recognized that new shop, Daily Dose, opening a few doors down from Marow Deli on August 15th (or at least that's the opening date posted in Daily Dose's store windows).

Is that your store? I'm guessing it is your place, and I hope I am not stealing your thunder by mentioning it here first on JCList!

I recommend starting a new JCList thread about it to get the word out that you're opening up a shop here in the 'hood.

Assuming it's your store, what items and brands do you plan on carrying? I've heard it's going to be mainly hats and sneakers.

If so, is it mostly collectible and high-end stuff? Or is it geared toward a mainstream consumer? Also, what will your prices be like?

Why don't JCPD officers regularly write tickets for those who don't come to a complete stop at stop signs?

Where I grew up in Northern Virginia...

If you attempt to slow down and roll through a right-hand turn at a red light...

Or if all of your wheels don't come to a complete stop at a stop sign...

You will ABSOLUTELY be pulled over and ticketed if a cop observes that behavior.

That's just the way it is.

Given that this is a common behavior in JC, I'd think the police could MAKE A KILLING with tickets/fines if they positioned themselves at cross streets along thoroughfares where drivers regularly ignore stop signs (e.g. Newark Avenue).

A crackdown on unsafe drivers would make JC a safer place for all of us.

jclxz,

Since you have the description of the car and driver as well as the license plate number, it couldn't hurt to pass this information on to police.

If this guy assaulted you, chances are he has done it before and will continue to do it to others until he's behind bars.

This was a crime and, in my view, it should be reported.

I am very sorry this happened to you and I hope you are feeling better.

Stay safe and take care,

UrbanRenewal

P.S. You and doohicky's roommate should compare notes -- it's probably not the same guy, but you never know.

Right before the Fourth of July, I found a neighbor's tax refund check (or stimulus payment) on the floor of my building's lobby peeking out from under some circulars, magazines and other crap.

I brought it over to the correct address (an apartment in the building next to mine) and the older man who answered the door was so excited when he saw it. He called to his wife and she came running to the door with a smile. The guy could barely understand me and spoke very little English, but he practically gave me a hug.

The post office really should be uniformly careful when delivering our mail, especially when certain envelopes obviously contain checks and other important items.

I just realized why they may be doing a show in Jersey City on that date.

The 2008 CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival is scheduled for October 21 through October 25.

I am guessing that a number of other venues in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Hoboken, etc. are already booked solid for CMJ during that time, and some of the fun is simply spilling over into Jersey City.

Ugh, I should have thought of that.

That's probably the case.

Sigh.

My mail carrier ends up stuffing my neighbors' mail into my box all the time.

I've also had more mail get lost and never arrive at my Jersey City address than at anywhere else I've ever lived.

Also, a weird pattern has periodically emerged where I'll get no mail for a few days, and then a small stack will appear in my box. Like it comes in waves.

It could be coincidental, but it makes me wonder if my mail is actually being delivered daily.

Since I've been living in Jersey City, a handful of artists have performed at the Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre -- Bright Eyes, The Decemberists, Beck, Yo La Tengo, M. Ward, Jim James of My Morning Jacket and the legendary Patti LaBelle (along with a few other acts).

And I just read at MaxwellsNJ.com that The Magnetic Fields, led by singer-songwriter Stephin Merritt, appear there on October 23, 2008.

Here's the band's MySpace page for those who may be curious.

Two Questions:

1. Why aren't more shows booked at the Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre?

2. Shouldn't the Friends of the Loew's organization have an updated "upcoming concerts" section of their LoewsJersey.org website? Or promote the show from their homepage?

(I understand Friends of the Loew's doesn't produce these rare concert events which tend to sell out anyway, but it would be a nice gesture!)

In my view, the venue could evolve from being a best-kept secret into being quite a destination point for Jersey City. A number of my indie rock-loving acquaintances from Manhattan and Brooklyn (and the 'burbs) get SO EXCITED when they hear about shows there.

While it's rather unusual for New Yorkers to spend an evening in Jersey City (at least the ones that I know), concert-goers heading to Loew's from NYC just take the PATH right into the heart of Journal Square (much like many do with the PATH on their way to Maxwell's of Hoboken).

It's nice to see New Yorkers spend their money here, and hopefully shows like this one will positively impact other nearby businesses in the Journal Square area.

One potential concern:

I hope no part of Jersey City ever turns into the meathead weekend destination that much of Hoboken has become. Maybe I can't have it both ways, but as long as the venue avoids booking fratboy-friendly acts, we're probably all a-okay. At least for now.


Landmark Loew's Grand Lobby - LowesJersey.org

I had Eggplant Parmigiana from Stella's a few months back, and it was mediocre.

Unless they change ownership or hire new cooks, I don't plan on heading back there (especially when there are so many other good options in Downtown Jersey City).

When I used to keep a car in Jersey City a few years back, I would admire this particular building when I'd be driving up Grand toward Communipaw.

I am glad to see that it was intelligently restored, and I hope it triggers some revitalization in that neighborhood.

Maybe the renovated commercial spaces in the building's lower level will usher in some new shopping options for those who live in that area.

In what part of the park did the assault take place?