I’ve been to Tabor Road Tavern twice now.  I’ve seen it right off route 10 for years and have always said to myself, I’m going to have to stop there some day.

On our first trip I had the Cowboy steak.  I’m sure it had sides but the steak was the star.  I was really impressed with the flavor and preparation.  On my second trip, for lunch, I had the Venison Chili.  It was amazing.  I can’t describe the taste in detail.  It tasted like chili, tomato, chili powder, onion and other common ingredients.  What I will say is that whatever ingredients, ratio of ingredients or quality of ingredients were in this were perfect.  I could not stop eating it to take a breath and couldn’t leave a drop uneaten.  The venison was not ground but cut in cubes like you’d get in a stew.  We also had the Trio of Hummus appetizer and they substituted fresh cut veggies for pita bread since our group is gluten free.

Prices are medium to medium high.  I’ve been to more expensive places and been less impressed.  I was happy with what I got for my money and will go to this place often.

The staff is very friendly and accommodating.  The atmosphere is nice, a beautiful lodge style building, vaulted ceilings, etc.

The only negative about the room there is the acoustics.  Typically steak houses have very bad acoustics, very high level of reverb and background noise from all the hard surface reflections.  This makes intimate conversations impossible and you may find yourself in a volume war with the next table.  For me this isn’t a problem as I go there to eat and the background noise level was not too obnoxious.

Copyright 2014 David R Bergman

This story is about my beef with Starbucks.

When I lived in Chicago I became addicted to Starbucks (SB), it’s damn good coffee (or used to be).  I couldn’t live without it and drank it continuously.  In graduate school I would start my day with a Grande from the local SB near the train station by my place.  Then once I got into downtown Chicago I would pick up another at one of three locations.  If the SB in Northwestern station was crowded I’d walk on to the next and then to the next.  I had a path mapped out and rarely were all three crowded in a row.

At some point SB introduces their Venti size drinks.  My drink of choice was a Grande Americano with an extra shot.  The folks at the Northwestern station were nice.  The Grande came with 3 shots and since shots always came in pairs they would have to throw one away.  So the barista would almost always ask, do you want the extra shot for free?  After a while they knew me and wouldn’t charge for the extra.

The Venti Americano comes with 4 shots and by some quirk of American idioticy it’s cheaper!  By about 20-30 cents.  I am not opposed to paying for what I order, the guys at NW SB didn’t have to give free shots but I’m grateful.  At another SB on my route I would order a 4 shot Grande Americano (4sGA) and the manager would always charge me for a Venti (VA).  She even told me that the pricing was senseless and many folks complained about the Americano and other drinks.

This trend continued for several years.  Fast forward to Madison NJ.  At the SB there I gave my order 4sGA and asked politely, “Can you charge me for a Venti”.  This is where things got stupid.  For some reason the guys behind the counter thought I was trying to steal from them.  I explained the pricing difference and they defended the price by saying “The price is not just for the espresso, it’s also for the paper in the cup and the water.”  To which I slowly replied “Ok, but you’re not charging me more for a larger cup and more water, you’re charging me less.  If anything you’re stealing from me when I order a 4sGA instead of a VA, based on your logic.”  It took a while and the store owner was even involved in the math, I was lucky he was there that day.  They all felt a little embarrassed (not my intent) and at the end of the day the owner was thankful to me for pointing it out, offered me a free drink that day, and said just ask for the Venti in a Grande cup whenever you come in and we’ll know what you mean.

Now you might be thinking what’s the big deal just order the Venti and be done with it.  It’s not as easy as that if you know anything about coffee and flavor.  4 shots of espresso in a 16 oz cup (Grande) is just the right amount of espresso to water ratio for it to taste like espresso, you even get the coffee cream on top like on a real cup of espresso.  4 shots in a 20 oz cup (Venti) is watered down and tastes like drip coffee.  I’ve tried every possible approach to make life easier.  I’ve asked for a Venti Americano hold the water.  Whenever I do this I am accused in public of trying to steal from SB.  What exactly am I stealing if I am not taking something and paying!  Most places are not that hostile, but the one in Madison NJ got very hostile time and time again.  In Alexandria Virginia I brought up this price anomaly to a young man behind the counter and he was so impressed he said “Congratulations, way to stick it to that man.  They can’t do the math and why should you have to pay more for less, Awesome!”

On one fateful morning on my way to work I stopped at the Madison SB.  I had been ordering Venti Americano in a Grande cup for a couple years there but this morning the lady behind the counter became extremely agitated and began yelling at me.  She said that her floor manager always overhears me ordering a Venti in a Grande cup and that if try to do that again they should call the police on me for stealing.  She says this at the top of her lungs in front of a line of about 6 people, all professionals in suits.  It was embarrassing and I think an open and shut case of defamation of character.  I explained to her that I was not stealing and even did the math for her.  She was so confused by arithmetic she looked like she was about to have a seizure.  She said no, no you’re trying to confuse me to make me think my boss is wrong.  The other people in line started doing the math too and one or two of them even said, “Wait he’s right, your prices are screwed up.”  I told her that even the store owner, who at the time I knew by name, told me to order it this way so when I talk to him your manager and you may be reprimanded for this.  I was deeply incensed and shaken by the public display of hostility on her part, there are better ways to handle this.  I also pointed out to her that if her floor manager kept overhearing me order the drink this way and thought it was wrong why didn’t she say something then.  I chewed out the lady behind the counter and she deserved it big time.

Later I emailed the SB company about this.  Their response was more hostile than the lady behind the counter.  They defended the position that they can change what they want even if it doesn’t make sense (to which I agree) and that according to the account from the Madison store I was hostile, abusive and threatening to the clerk at SB.  True I chewed her out for accusing me falsely of stealing and threatening to call the police but I was not abusive or threatening to her.  More slander on the part of SB, anything to make them look good.

I have to say I didn’t drink SB for years after that, and for the most part I still don’t.  They have let their coffee go to shit anyway.  I prefer Pete’s Coffee (found in most grocery stores) or even Trader Joes or Whole Foods 365 coffee.  Those last two brands are very good and very cheap compared to high end coffee.

In my experience the only SB that copped a hostile attitude was the one in Madison NJ.  However I have to say SB corporate headquarters was not justified in their position to me.  I wish I had asked some of those bystanders for their phone numbers.  I think a few of them would have been glad to act as witnesses.

copyright 2014 David R Bergman

I’ve been meaning to write a review of Pamir for over a year and now it’s time.  I just found out Pamir is closing.  Not because they haven’t had good reviews or a steady stream of business but because, as I understand, the owners are moving to Florida and not selling the restaurant.  We have been going to Pamir since c2002 when we lived in Madison NJ, Pamir is in Morristown, a neighboring city.

In the past ten years plus I’ve had just about everything on the menu; Kabobs, Eggplant Badenjan Chalaw, Saffron Norange Palaw, Korma Stew, you name it I’ve had it and it’s all good.  We first went there when they were on the West side of city hall.  I personally liked it better at this location, the interior was decorated with traditional Afghan rugs, tapestries and other artwork.  They moved to downtown Morristown, on South Street by the green, and remained their for several years.  The now place had the same great food, same owners, but different vibe, more for a young crowd which populates Morristown these days.

Well there’s not much to say at this point.  Maybe they’ll open again in Florida.  They will be missed here in New Jersey.

copyright 2014 David R Bergman

A long time ago I drank beer or vodka.  That was about it.  I liked very dark beer; Guinness, Chimay Ale, Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout, etc.  My father in law turned me on to Johnnie Walker Black label on my first trip to India.  That was the beginning of my whiskey drinking.  I graduated from black to gold label but eventually I would turn to single malts.  Some of my whiskey drinking friends tell me that blends are better than single malts, they have a more reliable and consistent flavor.  Regardless I like single malts much better.

On my last trip to India I had a chance to try Double Black.  I was very impressed.  It has a very nice smoky, musty flavor reminiscent of an Islay single malt.  It’s not as bold as a true Islay single malt but it does remind me a little of Coal Ila.  While the smoky flavor is there and enjoyable its flavor is one dimensional.  I liked it enough to get my own when I got home and I’d recommend it to other whiskey drinkers who like smoky scotches.  It was reasonably priced which is another variable to consider when purchasing scotch these days.  You are getting good quality and quantity at a good price.

copyright 2014 David R Bergman

We go here all the time, mostly for breakfast.  I’ve had several items on their menu and they are all good but the thing I like the most is their breakfast combos.  I usually get eggs over easy on Taylor ham with hash browns (or home fries) with chopped onions and peppers added.  You have to ask for the peppers and onions.  Mix the yolk with the hash browns and you’re in business.  In general all diners have similar breakfasts.  We’ve been to about a dozen diners in north NJ and Morristown Diner has the best hash browns, hands down.  The rest of breakfast is good too but pretty standard.

I consider myself a big coffee snob and I have never been impressed with coffee at and restaurant or diner.  Ironically, when I go to very up scale restaurants in NYC and get a 3-5$ cup of coffee after dinner it tastes like crap, room temperature, insipid.  Another point about Morristown Diner is that the coffee is very impressive, robust, and never tastes old, stale or watered down.

Last but certainly not least is the attitude.  The people there are very friendly and considerate.  We get great service there.

Other good items are, Large Greek Salad, Steak and Eggs, Hungry Man Breakfast Sandwich, Belgium Waffles, Gyro, the fries are very good too.

If you live in Morristown you should go there.

copyright 2013 David R Bergman

I will probably blog a lot about this place as time goes on.

We live within driving distance from this place in Livingston NJ.  It’s a Kosher Vegetarian restaurant that seems to be very popular with the orthodox community near by.  It’s popular with everyone who goes there because the  food is so damn good.

Let me clear one thing up, it’s not really vegetarian.  They serve dairy and hence, by Kosher law, cannot and do not serve any meat or poultry.  They are known for Kosher Veg Pizza (with real dairy) and they have a Sushi Bar (very popular these days in Kosher restaurants).  Mixing fish and dairy is not forbidden by Kosher law.  But what I want to rave about is their collection of salads.  I have had hummus from all over the world and the hummus at Jerusalem is the best I’ve ever had (period).  The baba ghanoush, Spanish eggplant salad, carrot salad, mixed bean salad, etc are all very good.

They offer a mixed salad sampler plate called the Super Jerusalem Platter which is a good deal and a good way to sample about 10-12 of their salads.  It comes with falafel and pita as well.  We typically buy large or medium sized containers of 6-12 of our favorite salads to take home.  That will last for 3-4 days, or 12-16 meals.

This is one of our favorite local restaurants.  They do observe the Sabbath so you need to check for Friday morning and Saturday evening hours.  They will change with the seasons.  One good thing is they were open on Christmas and we needed food.

copyright 2013 David R Bergman

We’ve been to this restaurant several times in the last three years and the food is always great.

But, it’s so dark in there I can’t see anything.  I couldn’t even read the menu without using the flashlight app on my cell phone.

The prices are alright, you should expect to pay more to eat at a popular restaurant in NYC but it’s on the upper end of reasonable.

I had salmon and eggplant in a green curry.  The flavor and texture were amazing.  I am a big fan of texture as part of the eating experience.  The salmon was seared on one side, which provided a nice crunch to the dish.  The salmon meat was not over cooked, it was very tender and melted in my mouth.  This coupled with the eggplant being firm made the food fun to chew.

You get the crunch of the seared salmon, the firmness of the eggplant that makes you chew for a longer time and the melting salmon meat that slides down as you chew the eggplant (at least that’s how I remember it and I wasn’t drunk).  This is how I like to eat.

My wife had the ginger fried rice.  This dish was a standard fried rice, only better, with a fried egg sunny side up (or over easy, I forget) on top with a large portion of fried crunchy ginger flakes.  The fried egg was runny, you break it open and mix the yolk with the rice and ginger flakes.  Again, what makes it a great dish for me is not only the flavor, which was better than average, but the mixture of textures.

If you are in NYC, specifically in the Village, I would recommend eating at Spice Market.