Hunan Taste – Denville, N.J.

You might be wondering a) why it has taken me three years to put up a blog review and b) why the name of the blog has changed.  Well, truth be told I do not really have an excuse for “a” other than lack of time, getting married, moving cities, etc.  Ok, I lied.  I do have some excuses.  “B” is a different story.  Since I am in public relations and and work with bloggers constantly, I realized how important it was to make sure my blog had a clear point of view.  So with that, I have changed the criteria up a bit in terms of the restaurants that I’ll be reviewing – restaurants will be considered if they have either dumplings or pasta on the menu.  If they have both, even better.  Asian specific restaurants will be rated as always on a scale of 1-5 dumplings.  Pasta specific restaurants will be rated on a ravioli scale of 1-5.  Fun, right?  In the next few weeks, you will also see other updates (think photos and graphics) so get excited and please hold me to it!  I’m well aware that as far as blog standards go there is, let’s just say, work to be done.   

So that brings me to Hunan Taste in Denville, N.J.  For those of you wondering, Chris (the hubbs) and I relocated to New Jersey about a year ago.  While I anticipate many 5 out of 5 ravioli reviews for the Jersey Italian restaurants, I have to say this state is very much lacking on the Chinese food front.  I had the pleasure of trying Hunan Taste with my sister-in-law, Michele, brother-in-law, Drew, and niece, Kennedy. 

According to a quick google search, the restaurant was hailed as “the best Chinese in New Jersey,” so my expectations were high.  And for the most part, I am happy to say it did not disappoint.  While it was no Mei Wah (don’t fret Dumpling Club), it has potential to become a regular. 

Let me take you through our order.  What I often find at Chinese restaurants is that the appetizers are the best part of the meal.  This was also true at Hunan Taste.  We started with the traditional pan fried pork dumplings and also noshed on dumplings with peanut oil (spicy), egg rolls and scallion pancakes.  The pork fried dumplings were definitely the best I have had in New Jersey to date and I would absolutely order them again.  They filled my longing for a decent dumpling in this state and the sauce was delicious.  While I can’t eat very spicy food, Michele spoke highly of the dumplings in peanut oil and I could see why those who like spice would enjoy them after taking a bite.  There is some definite heat going on.  The scallion pancakes were over fried and came out too tough, so Hunan Taste did lose some marks for those.  And while I did not have a chance to try the egg roll, since I wanted to leave room for the main meal (review fail), my brother-in-law gave it high marks. 

While I was not blown away by any of the dishes, the preparations were very solid.  My favorite was probably the beef lomein because unlike other lomein dishes I have had, this lomein was not overly greasy.  The sesame chicken also passed the sesame chicken test.  It was crisp and moist on the inside with great flavor.  The chicken and broccoli fell flat. 

For those of you looking to head to Hunan Taste, you can’t miss it.  I’d be remised not to mention that the restaurant looks like a Chinese temple in the middle of the New Jersey suburbs.  Picture an
“Epcot style” building shortly off a highway.  It’s also important to note that if you are looking to make a reservation and have kids, your table will be in the “kid room.”  As for a rating, I’m on the fence, but since I am known by some as being “tough” and I am trying to establish myself as an “elite restaurant reviewer,” I have to go with 3.5 out of 5 dumplings with the potential for a 4 based on a re-evaluation.  

Jersey, there is still room to grow when it comes to your Chinese options.

Il Michelangelo - Boonton, NJ

New Jersey knows how to do Italian.  This is one thing I have learned time and time again.  You just can't find a chicken parmesan in D.C. like the chicken parm you get in New Jersey!  This past weekend, I was lucky enough to be invited to my boyfriend's sister's (Michele's) 30th surprise party.  When we saw that we would be going to Il Michelangelo, an Italian place that Michele had talked about in length the last time she visited, we knew not only would there be great company, there would be great food.

Now I would just like to caveat that this dining experience was a little bit different than the restaurants I typically review as we were part of a private party in a special room upstairs.  For this reason, I can't comment on the overall dining or date night experience, which leads me to talk at length about the food.  I also can't promise that all of these dishes are normally on the menu.  Just don't want there to be any Petit Food Lover backlash, so forgive the disclaimers!

Hands down, I would say that Il Michelangelo fed us the best stuffed mushrooms I have ever had and Italian style pork.

The meal started with your favorite Italian restaurant hors d'oeuvres - fried calamari, mini risotto balls (Michele's favorite) and the stuffed mushrooms.  I should have really paced myself considering what was to come, but I definitely pigged out during the appetizer course because it was so good.

Next came the penne a la vodka.  Now typically I would not have this dish because my stomach tends to revolt when I eat tomato, but I could not pass it up and it was delicious. I truly appreciated the peas and prosciutto mixed into the sauce.

After the penne, we had caesar salad, which was delicious, but I must admit I could only have a couple of bites.  The last course was a choice between chicken parmesan (Chris chose this obviously), an eggplant rotini and a pork dish with a demi glaze.  Since I had maxed out on the tomato front with the penne, I chose the pork and it was AMAZING.  It reminded me of a chicken marsala sauce, but slightly thicker.  The pork was stuffed with apricots, breadcrumbs and raisins.  I could eat that pork and those mushrooms forever.

I have to give a special shout out to Michele's hubby, Drew for planning a wonderful meal.  I would go back to Il Michelangelo every single time I am in New Jersey.

Il Michelangelo you get 4.5 dumplings out of 5.  Saving .5 for the next time when I experience the typical dining experience!

Bibiana - Washington, D.C.

I won't bore all of you with another introduction about how I think the Italian food in Washington, D.C. is poor!   I will say that when a colleague of mine sent me a link from Esquire Magazine with a review of Bibiana, I knew I had to try it for restaurant week.

So on the last night of restaurant week, a very cold, Sunday, Chris and I ventured out for a comforting Italian meal.  We each started the evening with delicious choices - I chose a fried risotto ball with mozzarella cheese and Chris chose a polpette (or large meat ball) over polenta.  I would venture to say that for me the appetizer dish was my favorite of the evening with a close second going to the dessert.  The risotto ball was delicious and perfectly fried.  The risotto oozed out and hit the spot on a cold night. While I tend to avoid tomato at all costs, I did eat up the dusting of marina on the bottom of the plate since it was so well prepared.  Chris' meat ball also blew me away.  High points for the appetizer course all around!

On to the entree.  Many of you may not know that I have a weakness for sage, butter and veal.  I know a lot of people do not like veal, which is completely understandable, but it just happens to be a meat I have grown up eating and very much enjoy.  So when I saw there were veal-filled ravioli served with a butter and sage sauce on the menu, I nearly jumped out of my chair.  To clarify, I made this discovery at my office five days before going to the restaurant, so I went into Bibiana full well knowing what I was going to get.  The dish was delicious and I would only rank it third of the three dishes I had that evening because I was so pleasantly surprised by the appetizer and dessert.  I will say that during this course, I felt a little rushed and did not appreciate when the waitress watched me eat my last bite before taking away my plate.  Chris also enjoyed his beef cheeks served over... wait for it...polenta.  In retrospect, he probably should not have gotten two polenta dishes, but he did really like it.

Finally, for dessert, I ordered chocolate sorbet and Chris ordered panna cotta. I had never had panna cotta before, but as soon as I tasted Chris' dessert, I knew I would need to trade dishes with him because it was to die for!  It turned out to work out very nicely because Chris happens to love chocolate sorbet.  The panna cotta was served with crumbled amaretto cookie on top, which sealed the meal for me.

Overall, Chris and I had a great time at Bibiana, but I think we would have both liked to spend more time there.  We were finished eating in about an hour, which can happen for restaurant week, but still....  I also wish that Bibiana were a touch more affordable since we all know D.C. could certainly use an affordable Italian joint.  Bibiana you get 4.25 dumplings out of 5.

www.bibianadc.com

Cafe Michelina - Hoboken, N.J.

Now Hoboken knows how to do Italian! When I first went to Hoboken I was blown away by all of the Italian restaurant options. Repeatedly, I was drawn to Tutta Pasta because I loved the name and the menu had a wide variety of non tomato options. While the restaurant lived up to the name and my expectations, each time we went there, Chris would reflect on his favorite Italian restaurant in Hoboken - Cafe Michelina - the best chicken parmesan he ever had!! He finally persuaded me to try this Italian establishment over the holiday vacation.

The minute you walk into the restaurant, you can tell it is a gem and run by a lovely Italian family. The staff is very nice and bent over backwards to make sure five of us could get a table on a night where it was already packed with reservations (including a table with what must have been more than 20 people).  The menu is full of Italian favorites such as baked ziti, chicken francese, penne vodka and more.

On this particular night, I was feeling overloaded by all of the food we had consumed over the vacation, so I opted for a "lighter" dish and chose the shrimp scampi. Oddly, I liked and disliked the dish for the same reason. What I liked about Cafe Michelina's version of shrimp scampi was that it was very light and not overloaded with garlic. Instead, it was prepared in a lemon wine sauce and served over spaghetti and I didn't leave feeling too full, which often happens with Italian. That said, I did think the dish slightly lacked an element of flavor, which might prevent me from ordering it in the future unless I am again craving something light.  

But what truly knocked my socks off was Chris' chicken parmesan. He was right! I could only try a little bit because of the tomato, but it was beyond delicious. I would highly recommend it so much so that I am eager to get back to Hoboken soon so I can try the establishment's chicken francese. (I saw this come out of the kitchen and it looked amazing.)

Most of all, I would choose Cafe Michelina if you are catching up with good friends. We had a great time and the fact that the restaurant is your BYOB added to the charm.

Cafe Michelina you get 4.5 dumplings out of 5. Good pick, Chris!

http://www.cafemichelina.com/

D.C. Noodles - Washington, D.C.

When I heard there was a new restaurant in D.C. called D.C. Noodles, I immediately needed to go. Asian food and noodles combined, oh my!! Unfortunately, it took me some time to get there, but when I finally did, this D.C. noodle hot spot did not disappoint. Located on U Street, D.C. Noodles is apparently the place to be. A cool vibe with a fun bar, I recommend making a reservation if you plan to check this place out on a Friday night. If you feel like winging it though, no worries. The bar is fun and the restaurant has a good selection of beers.

The menu is uniquely organized by the type of noodle you want (soup, cold noodle salad, noodles from the wok, etc.), which I very much appreciated. Chris and I both ended up ordering off the wok section of the menu -  he chose the drunken noodles (no surprise there) and I chose a new dish - Mee Sua, egg noodles with your choice of chicken, pork, beef or shrimp. This time, I opted for the beef and I was quite happy with my selection and glad I ended up trying something new. The best way to describe the dish was very tasty. I know that's not super descriptive, but I just couldn't stop eating it.

It was a great date and a nice surprise because neither of us were expecting it. I am pretty certain D.C. Noodles will become one of our favorites in the future.

D.C. Noodles you get 4 out of 5 dumplings.

http://www.dcnoodles.com/

Ristorante Posto - Washington, D.C.

To all my followers (yes, the 12 of you out there), I want to apologize for the delay in posting. No need to worry though, I am back on the horse!

You may recall that when I first launched this blog I was in search for what I deemed a great Italian restaurant in the district.  I have to say I got closer to finding that hot spot (food wise) after a meal I had at Ristorante Posto.

Ristorante Posto offers a creative menu. One of the things that appealed most to me was that there were several pasta dishes I could choose from that were tomato free.  After quite the amount of hemming and hawing, I opted for the homemade black truffle fettuccine (All of the pasta at Ristorante Posto is made from scratch.) prepared with porcini mushrooms and raschera cheese. It was tough to decide between that and the ravioli made with butter thyme sauce.

The meal was very good (loved the creamy cheese), but it could have been even better if the service and set up were different. At this particular meal, I had invited my good friend Joanna from high school who I had not seen in a while.  Joanna, who happens to be a Petite Food Lover fan, was excited to compare and share notes about our meal once it was over.

We both agreed the meal was too rushed.  I am all for quick meals at Asian spots or after work, but when it comes to an Italian meal, I do not like to be rushed. Ristorante Posto lost points for this. The Italian eatery also lost points for its tables.  That's right. You read correctly. Quite frankly the table was too long and Joanna and I had to scream a little bit to hear each other. Had the table been turned to be a horizontal rectangle, things might have gone better!  And finally, Ristorante Posto lost points for forgetting to refill the foccacia. Major faux pas if you ask me.

So for the first time ever, I am going to have two scores for this review.  For food, Ristorante Posto you get 3.5 dumplings out of 5.  For ambiance and service, you get 2.5 dumplings out of 5.

I also want to give my pal Joanna a special shout out in this post. She's encouraged me to keep writing...something I have really come to enjoy (despite the month delay)!

Happy holidays everyone!

http://www.postodc.com/

Mei Wah - Washington, D.C.; Chevy Chase, MD

One of my favorite restaurants in Washington D.C. is Mei Wah. For those of you who do not know, I attended Boston University and then spent a few years there following college. During those years, I became quite obsessed with Chinese hot spot, Chef Changs. (It since closed, which makes me truly sad.) Chef Changs made incredible dumplings and I indulged in them way too often (weekly). When I decided to move to Washington, it was imperative to me to find a Chinese restaurant with great dumplings. I did just that. In my opinion, Mei Wah has some of the best dumplings I have ever tasted.

For those of you who are dumpling connoisseurs like myself, you might be asking yourself what style of dumplings they are. Mei Wah's dumplings are thick and doughy, which is how I love them. If you are the type that likes a more refined dumpling, then I would not recommend Mei Wah for its dumplings. But in addition to the dough, the filling is outstanding. I am not much of a vegetable person, but I have to say the fried vegetable dumplings at Mei Wah are beyond scrumptious. I actually order those more often than the meat! (The meat are also very good.)

It turns out I am not the only one that likes Mei Wah. D.C.'s top political folk come to this Chinese mecca often. In fact, the restaurant is lined with photos of some of the most famous politicians. Who knew D.C. suits had a thing for dumplings?

Other favorites at Mei Wah include the meat spring rolls, fried rice (best fried rice I have ever had), special noodles and sauteed sesame chicken (the fried stuff is also good, too). For those of you who love Chinese, I highly recommend Mei Wah.

In a couple of months, I'll be taking my own dumpling cooking class. I hope my dumplings can stack up to Mei Wah's.

Mei Wah you get 4.5 out of 5 dumplings.

www.meiwahrestaurant.com