The Power of First Impressions

Advertising Fail

Never underestimate the power of a first impression... A small "greasy spoon" style lunch counter near my day job recently changed names (the original actually had pretty decent burgers)- I, however, will probably not eat there or ever give any real review- simply because- well, you can see the photo above... I can understand that the sign company maybe made a mistake, or the owner scribbled the text on the order form in a rush, but when the sign comes back from the printer like this, and you still put it up in the window, I have to wonder if this is the type of establishment I'm willing to trust handling my food! Sorry to stadium pizza in Carlstadt, New Jersey- but I won't be reviewing your establishment.

A Simple Steak Dinner

My readers may have noticed that I've been posting far fewer home cooking articles, and more about restaurant food. Over the past few months, my "day job" has been going through a few changes- I'm not home as often, so my wife ends up doing most of the day-to-day cooking, plus my job now involves occasional travel and more meetings with clients, vendors, and whatnot- meaning more opportunities to eat out at interesting places... In any case, this was my first opportunity in a while to spend a little time really cooking, so I chose something simple and classic that stands on it's own with little need for adornment...

Stuffed Peppers - Paradiso Deli & Cafe, Moonachie, New Jersey

There is a small Italian Deli/Cafe occupying part of the ground floor of an office building very close to where my "day job" is. Paradiso is a classic, traditional Italian deli, with a handful of tables crammed into their relatively small space. They have a small deli counter packed with a tempting assortment of cured meats whose names end in vowels, and generally make a nice Sicilian boy from New York, like me, feel right at home. Their location makes them a perfect spot for hungry workers in this mainly industrial/commercial area, so they also feature a selection of high quality hot food specialties. Despite the fact that the food is served in styrofoam take-out containers, they get it right, absolutely, wonderfully right.