| Author | Message | ||
     Soda Supporter Username: Soda Post Number: 3074 Registered: 5-2001  |
TOA & The Goat: Two potentially empty S.O.A. addresses which cannot be blamed on the BOT... s. BTW, John: Thanks so much for keeping us all up on "the word on the street". | ||
| SouthOrangeNanny Citizen Username: Sonanny Post Number: 21 Registered: 3-2005  |
sullymw intresting that you say the wait staff didn't know the food..i went there before they opened looking for a hostess position..and the owner grilled me on what i knew about asian food.(and that was nothing).he told me to study the menu and asian food and come back in 2 weeks! | ||
| sullymw Citizen Username: Sullymw Post Number: 563 Registered: 5-2001 |
obviously none of the hirees studied | ||
| joso Citizen Username: Joso Post Number: 282 Registered: 5-2001 |
The closing of Taste of asia is a testament to the discerning taste of SO residents. It was oddly sub par considering the quality of the Chatham establishment. Dancing Goat needed to offer something more than coffee, cakes and sandwiches to survive. A liquor license would have done it for sure. | ||
| Dego Diva Citizen Username: Fmingione Post Number: 418 Registered: 12-2003 |
FYI, the new Japanese restaurant that will go into TOA's spot will NOT be run by a Japanese person, it will be run by TOA's owner's sister. Good luck. Personally, I'm VERY happy with sushi at Sakana. I don't see the need for yet another Japanese or Italian place in the two towns, and I regret that a place with such an interesting menu, like TOA, can't make it here. | ||
| susan1014 Supporter Username: Susan1014 Post Number: 580 Registered: 3-2002 |
Um, no one here has said that the Goat is closing, only that it is being sold. Let's not jump to conclusions. | ||
| SoxHater2090 Citizen Username: Soxhater2090 Post Number: 2 Registered: 4-2005 |
TOA was overpriced, and just not that good!!!! Seems like simple capitalism at work here, not that South Orange residents do not support businesses in town! Try getting into Antonella's, Arugula's, or Papillion without a reservation this Saturday at 8 pm, without having to wait for quite awhile! South Orange could support many more GOOD restaurants, no problem! | ||
| pat houlahan Citizen Username: Imsocurious Post Number: 8 Registered: 9-2004 |
There's a lot of comment on overpriced issue. I believe TOA prices in Montclair are the same as in South Orange, same quality, same flavor, well actually, same owner who controls the kitchen. I personally eat out at least 3 times a week, locally and other towns. The quality on seafood and other meat dishes were top of the line product at TOA. Obviously it cannot be compare with a takeout restaurant for quality or are we? Not all Asian food are alike. Premium quality food requires higher cost which leads to higher prices on the menu. Compare apples with apples, and not with oranges. | ||
| Josh Holtz Citizen Username: Jholtz Post Number: 19 Registered: 4-2004 |
The food is ok - the prices are ok - but the decor & presentation really kills TOA. It starts from the outside facade and only gets worse inside. People in this area, who have lived in the City or dine in the City, expect more ambience, and a sense of "chic", during their dining experience -and TOA has none. They started with a blank slate and built an outdated feeling restaurant. Shame. | ||
| susan1014 Supporter Username: Susan1014 Post Number: 584 Registered: 3-2002 |
Pat, I'm not comparing with takeout...the ingredients are quality, but the presentation was always very heavy on sugar and corn/potato starch for my taste -- viscous sauces aren't my thing. Also, as I've said before, I'm a caffeine addict, and TOA ignored repeated requests to add a "real" tea to the menu. After a long day in the trenches, sometimes lack of caffeine is a deal killer, even when I'm ready to try another entry on the menu. Again, my regrets to those who will miss it. I'm hoping that the next place will be something that I can love... | ||
| pat houlahan Citizen Username: Imsocurious Post Number: 9 Registered: 9-2004 |
Susan: I understand your concern over caffeine as I cannot and will not wake up until I have my first cup of coffee. Restaurants from popular eatery towns such as Montclair, Westfield, Hoboken and so on, tends to have their own flair, the uniqueness to stands out from the rest. I suppose that's their little edge on the "tea" selection. I love those floral and fruit teas they serve. They import it from Singapore which is very popular there but they won't sell it to me. They claimed to have limited quantity for them to serve to the customers. | ||
| arizona Citizen Username: Arizona Post Number: 144 Registered: 2-2004 |
Josh, Not everyone cares about decor and ambience all of the time. Certainly at times those things matter but, especially for those of us having lived in the city, quality food (I have always enjoyed my meals at TOA - SO and Montclair) is often served in clean but no frills environs. I'll be at TOA tonight. Sorry it is going. | ||
| snshirsch Citizen Username: Snshirsch Post Number: 356 Registered: 1-2003 |
Interesting comment about this not necessarily being the fault of the BOT....but, might SO be maxed out on restaurants until we add more non-food establishments that will draw evening traffic to the village, i.e. SOPAC, more upscale shops that will draw villagers from SO and elsewhere to browse and buy, not just eat? | ||
| Josh Holtz Citizen Username: Jholtz Post Number: 20 Registered: 4-2004 |
Arizona: I can appreciate your opinion and believe in a clean environment - but TOA is just plain sterile. I don't know any successful upscale restaurants in Montclair with no frill environemnts and I wouldn't drive into the City to eat in one - even if it had decent food. | ||
| L'Angelo Misterioso Citizen Username: Misterioso Post Number: 212 Registered: 10-2003  |
I don't think South Orange is at all overstocked with restaurants - there are as many, if not more, restaurants in Maplewood, and the ones there are more stable. I think the main problem in S.O. is that, excepting the train-station/Sloan Street hub, South Orange Avenue in the village is simply too pedestrian-unfriendly and too wide to be appealing as a place to stop. Even though Maplewood has much less available parking, it is a more inviting place to meander down the sidewalk. | ||
| AntoninaKC Citizen Username: Antoninakc Post Number: 5 Registered: 5-2005 |
Dont blame the town's set up as a reason for a restaurant closing- if people dont go, they dont go! No use speculating on why. | ||
| arizona Citizen Username: Arizona Post Number: 145 Registered: 2-2004 |
Josh: De gustibus non es disputandum | ||
| Josh Holtz Citizen Username: Jholtz Post Number: 21 Registered: 4-2004 |
Arizona: Sorry ... I don't speak Spanish. | ||
| arizona Citizen Username: Arizona Post Number: 146 Registered: 2-2004 |
Josh: fyi it is latin meaning "there is no accounting for tastes" | ||
| skay Citizen Username: Skay Post Number: 11 Registered: 10-2004 |
I think that was Latin |
