Remember Campania's turn on FOX's Kitchen Nightmares? On a special two-hour episode airing at 8 p.m. tonight, Gordon Ramsey will revisit the Fair Lawn Italian restaurant and others that he "turned around" last season. The footage was taped in February - and yes, Gordon's ciabatta is still on Bill's desk.
Michelle Obama will join Paula Deen for an episode of Paula's Party; it will air at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20 on the Food Network. According to the press release, "Michelle gives Paula a taste (of) her family life on the road to the White House and shares fun facts, including the first meal she made for Barack, what kinds of local foods the family seeks out on the road and that Barack makes a mean chili!"
Two opportunites out there on Craigslist today:
... nobody.
Wine Spectator gave an Award of Excellence to a restaurant that doesn't exist, according to this account. And Wine Spectator gets all defensive here.
I just cannot get enough of this Waiter Rant book, written by Clifton native Steve Dublanica; it's full of great little stories about the restaurant industry. After reading it more thoroughly, I've included a few here (plus included my column on Dublanica's dining-out tips from last Sunday, which has yet to show up on the Record's web site).
I will not, however, spoil the best story in the book - about the one diner that ever confronted Dublanica about his up-til-recently anonymous blog. You'll have to find your own copy....
Meet Steve Dublanica, the waiter behind "Waiter Rant" (HarperCollins, 2008), which was released this week. His book, inspired by his blog, is largely situated in Ridgewood at Trattoria Fratelli, which he refers to as "Amici's" in an attempt to cover his tracks.
Elisa's story from today's paper is here. She'll have more in Sunday's Better Living section.
Ever hear of Waiter Rant? You will. It's the hilarious blog with true tales from a New York waiter named Steve Dublanica. And it's now a book, from Harper Collins.
Turns out Dublanica used to work at Trattoria Fratelli in Ridgewood, according to Liz Johnson of the Journal News in New York, where Dublanica had worked at Lanterna Tuscan Bistro.
We've left messages for both Dublanica and Fratelli trattoria owner Abele Oscar Riva.
Despite our serious love-hate relationship with the The Next Food Network Star, we're kind of stoked that Camden native Aaron McCargo Jr. won in the end. His show will be called "Big Daddy's House."
Varka and Mantra are two of the best 25 restaurants in the state, according to New Jersey Monthly's August issue. Both are newcomers to the annual list. Among the restaurants dropped from last year's top 25: Cafe Matisse in Rutherford and Arthur's Landing in Weehawken.
So by extension, that puts Varka and Mantra as the top two restaurants in Bergen County. What do you think?
... watch out for women and TV cameras.
"Real Housewives of New Jersey," a forthcoiming Bravo show, will be taping at the Paramus restaurant. They'll be setting up at 7 p.m. and taping at 8.
Chakra is at 144 Route 4 east, Paramus; 201-556-1530 or chakrarestaurant.com.
BILL PITCHER has been The Record's food editor since June 2006 after five years writing and reviewing restaurants. He was born in New York's Hudson Valley and raised in the southern Adirondacks.
E-mail pitcher (at) northjersey (dot) com.
ELISA UNG joined The Record as its food writer and restaurant reviewer in September. She's a native of California and a graduate of the University of Southern California, and she spent the last eight years writing for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
E-mail Ung (at) northjersey (dot) com.
ROBERT BIESELIN, a reporter in The Record's features department, has written about new restaurants and North Jersey dining events since 2005. He's a native of Orange County, N.Y., and graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas College. E-mail Bieselin (at) northjersey (dot) com.
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