Update (20080119):  the Bergen Record reports that Roberto Caporuscio is no longer with A Mano.  More troubling, the approach to pizza-making has changed as well.  Back to the original post...

Update (2009/02/10):  A Mano has been retooling, and has had Roberto back to train the staff.  Things are looking up:  Update here (click me).

I've been closely watching the progress of Jerry's Gourmet in Ridgewood for months now.  Jerry's in Englewood is a favorite of mine, and I was very pleased to see that they were opening a branch in Ridgewood.  I was even more excited to hear that the restaurant attached would be a pizzeria, and serving real Neapolitan style pizza.

The excitement hit a fevered pitch earlier this week when I read on the Pizza Making Forum that a renown pizzaiolo (fancy-pants Italian word for "pizza maker") named Roberto Caporuscio would be manning the wood-fired ovens.  The long-awaited climax came this afternoon, when I had the first bite of his creations.  A Mano has finally opened.

Update (20080119):  the Bergen Record reports that Roberto Caporuscio is no longer with A Mano.  More troubling, the approach to pizza-making has changed as well.  Back to the original post...

FINALLY, a newer update and a report on the pizza can be found here (click).

I've been watching the progress of Jerry's Italian market in Ridgewood.  Readers will recall how excited I was when I spoke with the folks at Jerry's and was told that they'd be opening a brick oven pizzeria with true Neapolitan style pizza.  Well the story might be a bit more interesting:

I've been a fan of Indian food since my college years, when I first explored New York City in search of new and different foods like Thai and Vietnamese (they were "new" to me, since I had spent my whole life at the Jersey shore, and went to NYC only for museum visits, the circus, and a Yes concert on their 90210 tour, or whatever it was -- none of those trips included much eating).  I still remember my first visits to A Taste of India, which was, and I believe still is, on Bleecker in the Village.  These were certainly new and exotic flavors to my palate, and there's no reason you should care about any of that whatsoever. 

For some reason I've never tried to cook Indian food.   I've butchered Thai, and Japanese, and most other culture's foods, but never Indian.  A few weeks ago I figured it was about time, so I consulted a trusted source:  Suvir Saran.

Update:  As reported on roadfood.com by John the Hot Dog Guy, J's Beef has closed in Linden.  The owner is considering a move to Seaside on the boardwalk with a slightly different menu.

J's Beef opened on St. Georges Ave in Linden, New Jersey, last year, and I've been champing at the bit since to get down there.  I finally made it last week, and I was very pleased.

Fleming's Steakhouse is a chain that serves USDA Prime wet-aged beef.  They offer over 100 wines-by-the-glass, and that's a good thing.

My second visit left a bad taste in my mouth.  Specifically the taste of TCA and poor customer service.

Update: Lisa's has moved to 28 Oak Street, Ridgewood, and is now called Lisa's Mediterranean Cuisine.

Lisa's Turkish Kitchen, a local family-owned business, quickly opened in the space where Ivangie Tea used to live in Ridgewood, NJ. 

Some random thoughts:

Lots of activity in Ridgewood these days.  Ridgewood, in case you don't know, is home of about 64 restaurants, with only a handful worth the parking hassle.  Some casual drive-bys reveal the following:   

I found myself in Paramus, NJ's, Chef Central the other day.  Chef Central is a local, pricy store, but it's convenient, and they have some nice stuff.  ANYway I noticed Rachel Ray's line of pumpkin-colored cookware.  It catches the eye so I took a look.  Immediately I noticed that wooden spoon that she pimps on her show (which show, I don't know...I do watch all of them).  It's the spoon with the little notch in it that keeps it attached to your pot, as seen in the picture above.  I thought it was a nifty idea I guess.  And then I turned it over to look at the price.

It took 45 minutes to get there and 40 minutes to eat one of worst meals in recent memory.  And it's not cheap.

Many sources have told me that I "have" to go to Sammy's.  According to reports, they have "the best steak."  "You wait downstairs at the bar" while your food is being cooked (implied niftiness).  They have a "great wine list."

I think those sources were yanking my chain, and I wouldn't be surprised if they were all lined up outside the windows just to see the look on my face as I ate that 180 dollar mess of a meal.