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Hello Pizzaboy,

Never been to Rao's or Domenick's. I was wondereing when you say the food is no better than Domenick's does that mean it(domenicks) is a good place to go. If it is I would like to try it. Also, any other recomendations, in the bronx, westchester area. You seem to kno your food. Thanks.

Yonkers

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Rao's is very overrated. I've eaten there once about 5 years ago with "a friend in high places" and it was simple family style Italian food. The allure of the place is nothing more than there is limited seating and it's almost impossible to get into. Dominick's in the Bronx is tough to beat.

Two restaurants that are fantastic and not populated with tourists are Il Cortile on Mulberry St and Joe's of Avenue U in Brooklyn. Both fantastic and old neighborhood eateries.

Nah, I just like to eat lol. But the food at Domenick's is excellent. That's what I meant when I said that Rao's was no better, except you can walk right into Domenick's, and worst case scenario you wait an hour for a table. With Rao's, if you don't know someone you're looking at a six month wait (at the least).

The only downside to Domenicks is the seating. They have long picnic type tables, so you may get stuck sitting right next to a stranger (or worse, a tourist) if your party isn't large enough. But that never bothered me. Great food, huge family style portions. You'll love it.

As far as the rest of the Bronx, the Patricia's restaurants are very good (Morris Park and Throggs Neck locations), and Frankie and Johnnie's will always be Frankie and Johnnie's, so you can't go wrong there.

I grew up on 187th and Hoffman, but we've lived in Throggs Neck for more than 25 years. But my Dad lives in Eastchester, so I get up to Westchester quite a bit. There are plenty of great Italian restaurants up that way.

Slightly off topic, the last time I was on Central Avenue I was SHOCKED at how many empty stores there were. Sign of the economy, I guess. Because I'm 55, and years ago there was no such thing as an empty retail spot on Central Avenue. And there was no shortage of restaurants back then either. It's sad.

Yea its changed a bit. If your ever over there, the A&S porkstore makes excellent itailian combo, and all the food is fresh. Other than that I dont know of italian restaurants on Central that I can think of. I live on the north westside of Yonkers so I only go over there every once in a while. Ive been to F&J a few times and there food is awesome. Ill definitely try dominck. Thanks for the recomendations.

DB-

I swear to God, after every post you make about places you have been to, its places I have been to and frequented as well. This is starting to scare me!

Bianca's has been my absolute go to spot in the city to take girls on dates to since 2008. Great food and value for the city. LOL and I always wrestle away the bill immediately so my date does not see how affordable it is.

Belmont Tavern is great, I used to live on Bloomfield Ave right by it for a time in my life. I would highly recommend to anyone to go there and just sit at the bar for an extended period of time-you will meet some characters! The food is terrific too there with huge portions. It is a dive bar/ red checkered tablecloth low key Italian joint right on Bloomfield Ave on the Newark/Belleville border. DB is not joking either that they have a dish named after Beeps in the Philly North Jersey crew! The Beeps shrimp is amazing too...

American Bistro is very good too, I went there once. It is located in Nutley close to the border with Belleville. They have a nice little bar there too. I remember the specials were terrific.

I haven't been to Bella Napoli since 2005 and was there for a college graduation party for a girl I was dating at the time. I don't remember much about the food, but I remember the restaurant was gorgeous inside. Its right by the Shoprite in the Brookfield Section of Bloomfield. I just remember you had to valet your car, which for a broke college student at the time it really pissed me off to have to do that!

And Pizzaboy recently recommended Dominick's to me and I went. It is phenomenal, the Clam appetizer was the best I have ever eaten at any restaurant in my entire life, Hands down!! Thank You Pizza for pointing me in the right direction.

Has anyone here ever been to Jimmy's Italian Restaurant in Asbury Park at the Jersey Shore? I would highly recommend it.

I have heard rumors and whispers that place is LCN connected to a certain extent, can anyone here elaborate on this? For instance, it is in a dicey section of Asbury Park but everyone says to me "don't worry Dante the place is connected and the gang bangers stay clear"- that is an example of some of the things I have heard regarding that restaurant. I have no idea but just know that the food is terrific there, I highly recommend it. Another place that you have to valet park your car as a requirement too by the way LOL

A&S is great. The fish store, too. At least you still have that going for you up there.

Northwest Yonkers? You mean over by Sacred Heart and Broadway and the river? If that's the general area, I've heard that there are some new spots in Hastings that are pretty good. But that's just word of mouth, I haven't been to that area in years.

And Dobbs Ferry is also pretty close to you and you have Scaramella's up there. I haven't been there for a few years, either. But I never got a bad meal there.

Anytime, buddy. I'm not any smarter than you guys, just older. And when you get to be my age you learn where to eat .

Scaramella's.. It looks great. Ill have to check it out. Thanks again. How bout over by you, there has to be some good italian restaurants. Ive been to Villa Barone like 20 times, but thats a catering hall.

I havent been to Jimmy's in asbury park in a thousand years, it was good back then. Now ????

I've been going to catered affairs at Villa Barone since it was Tardi's. But something tells me that's probably a little bit before your time.

As far as the rest of the neighborhood, like I said, Patricia's is very good. Louis Seafood has been here for like sixty years and we go there quite a bit. Then there's Spoto's, which is also pretty good. And these are just the places along East Tremont.

But you have to remember that Throggs Neck has just as many Irish residents as Italians. Probably more (but Country Club is mostly Italian), so there's no shortage of Irish pubs and American restaurants that are also very good.

And this is all East of the Bruckner. Once you cross the expressway, you're in Pelham Bay and there are plenty of great spots over there, too. But Pelham Bay is changing fast, if you know what I mean. It's just a matter of time.

LOL. Yeah I kno what you mean. Yeah also i dont remember Tardi's. Like you said that may have been before me, I'm 34. Ill have to check out those places you mentioned. Going out to eat is probably one of my favorite things to do, but thats probably most people. Im also out on long island quite a bit so thats where Im usually eating on the weekends. Cant beat a good italian restaurant though. But I do love seafood as well. Thanks for the tips. You ever come across some place thats really good let me know.

I'm pretty impressed Dante

Bianca was my secret spot but I guess not anymore

I only found out about it from a local and it's still a pretty local spot

I see we have the same scams when it's our turn to pay lol

I'm sure we have crossed paths at some point

DB-

I found out about Bianca's by complete accident. I had just returned back from a Vegas Vacation with the boys and had absolutely no money to my name. I had a hot date with a girl that I picked up on the NJ Transit bus before I left for Vegas that I didn't want to cancel so I scoured the internet for a great, inexpensive Italian restaurant and found Bianca's by complete mistake. The food was terrific, the wine was great, and I was hooked, my go to spot from then on. I remember that we ended up going out drinking that night in the Village straight after eating at Bianca's to Off The Wagon (I was 23 at the time), what a fun night! I miss my 20's.........

PS I bet our paths crossed during the period of my life I frequented Satin Dolls, I have a crazy story from that place that I'm reluctant to share with people I don't know on here....

Pb you know any other wiseguys that had or have a table at Raos? I only know of Anthony baratta and I think u mentioned him above..just curious since im not from ny but anytime I read about the place they always mention on any given night u can rub elbows w mobsters.

Dante I have no idea about that place being connected but I wouldn't be surprised

CN and maybe more so on the past in notorious for investing in Jersey shore bars and restaurants

Plus with Asbury being a shit hole , it fits the bill as a connected restaurant is the last thing they are worried about. That area also has a lot of gays .

I'll try and check it out , as well as some of the places PB brought up as I'm always on the look out for good places outside of NJ and Manhattan

Steven Crea also has a table at Rao's.

Baratta & his son beefed with Crea over it.

DB-

Jimmy's in Asbury Park is a great Italian restaurant. Check it out and let me know how you like it. I highly recommend it. Grab a drink at the bar before you take your seat as well (they put out cold antipasto trays for free to munch on), last time I was in there I met a lot of cool and interesting people at the bar when we were having some carafes of wine before sitting down to supper.

Asbury Park on the Westside (where Jimmy's is located) is a run down ghetto still with A MAJOR street narcotics sales scene (a lot of people from the suburbs of the Jersey Shore drive into Asbury to get their heroin as opposed to driving to Camden, Trenton, or Newark for it), it also has a gay section, and a major waterfront development with great bars/clubs/restaurants. The gays have a lot of art galleries, coffee shops, etc there in the nice section of Asbury. It is starting to turn around from the days I remember as a kid driving through there in the 1990s were it looked like "Sarajevo by the Sea". I vividly remember driving through Asbury Park with my father as a kid in the 1990s and it looked like post Word War II Europe (hence why it used to be nicknamed Sarajevo by the Sea).

On a side note- you can see the pre-redevelopment days of the 1990s in Asbury Park in the DeNiro movie "City by the Sea" and a few scenes from episodes of the Sopranos were filmed in Asbury Park just before all the major redevelopment came into play.

Dante, sorry to cut into your conversation with DB but when you bring up Asbury Park it brings back great childhood memories for me. Back in the 70's and 80's Asbury Park was like Disneyland to us kids. We had a place down in Bradley and my cousins were in Ocean Grove (still are). We'd walk down to Asbury Park hang out on the boardwalk go on the kiddie rides and eat salt water taffy. Those were the days. The place was a gold mine. Wasn't there even a casino there?

To see it now is disturbing. Scorsese wanted to use the boardwalk there for Boardwalk Empire but for some reason the city didn't want him to. He had to build a boardwalk from scratch in Brooklyn to shoot the series.

Next time I'm down the shore I'm gonna check out that restaurant. Ciao!

Greetings From Asbury Park.

Moe, Where's my Salt Water Taffy?

Just curious...Where did you hear this from?

Dante how much does it cost now to go onto the beach? Do they still charge?
That's the biggest racket I swear you had to wear a badge years ago or you couldn't get on the beach. Out here in CA the beaches are FREE you just pay for parking.

Dante you and DB have the thread back now I'm done

How's that even possible? I mean how did they justify it or something? Did you also have to pay or fresh ocean air?

Alfanosgirl-

First and foremost, please do not forget to shoot me a message the next time you are here in Jersey

Believe it or not out of principle I have never paid to go on the beach, I ALWAYS sneak on! I am 30 years old and still sneak onto the beaches because I feel that since I grew up at the Jersey Shore it is my God Given right to not have to pay to have access to the beach. I feel that all the tourists who come here to the Jersey Shore should have to pay but not us locals..That's my stance, its not because I do not have the money, it is out of pure principle.

There was never a Casino in Asbury Park to the best of my knowledge. New Jersey is the only state I have ever been to were you have to pay for access to the beach, it kills me. Below are the rates for Asbury Park, I had to look it up for you (these are actually some of the cheapest beach badges and passes, you should see the prices of other towns!)

Asbury Park 2014 Seasonal Beach Passes & Gift Certificates
The Beach Office is now closed for the season on the Asbury Park Boardwalk and will re-open in the spring of 2015.

RATES-DAILY
Monday-Friday $5
Saturday & Sunday: $6

RATES-SEASONAL
Regular (Age 18 thru 61 ) $70
Teens (age 13 thru 17) $20
Seniors (age 62 and over ) $20

Seasonal beach badges are available for purchase from the Department of Public Works Office "off season."

Alfanosgirl-

Also, I have a restaurant recommendation for you right in Bradley Beach for the next time you're down that way....

Extortion-

A ROW AT RAO'S

Everybody from Gov. Pataki to Mariah Carey vies for seats at Rao's. So it's no wonder some real-life wiseguys have been having a (surf 'n') turf war over a table at the tiny East Harlem restaurant. According to wiretaps, former acting Lucchese family boss Anthony (Bowat) Baratta, imprisoned for drug dealing, sent word to current acting boss Steve Crea that he should let Baratta's son use his table at Rao's. Crea sent word back that Baratta's son was "off the wall" to ask for such a thing. But former Daily News columnist Jerry Capeci reports on Ganglandnews.

com that Baratta's son complained to his father, who enlisted another jailed Lucchese boss, Joseph (Little Joe) DeFede, to lean on Crea. "What the [bleep] is it they want?

" an exasperated Crea asked Lucchese soldier Dominick Truscello in a taped phone conversation. "They want the table," said Truscello. Capeci reports that a sit-down has now resolved the dispute: Baratta's son gets the table three weeks a month, while Crea has it every fourth week. Rao's owner Frank Pellegrino, who plays FBI Agent Cubitoso on "The Sopranos," tells us, "I have no knowledge of any of this.

volcano shrimp is my new fav. with the blue cheese.