Nadie's Touch of Pasta Just Keeps Getting Better...

Where: 
Nadie's Touch of Pasta
547 High Mountain Road 
North Haledon, NJ 
07508 (973) 949-4600
WEB  http://nadies2.com/
FACEBOOK  https://www.facebook.com/NadiesTouchOfPasta?ref=br_tf

What: 
Various

Build: 
Various

Comment:  
I was thinking of how my original (non-burger) review* of Nadie's said it best: "Every time I review a non-burger meal, I have to hear sh*t about it from my die-hard burger fans". 


Nadie's little BYO store front restaurant continues to serve as an oasis for its patrons amid a desert of chain restaurants and QSR's. This is not the first time I've reviewed Nadie's, nor will it be the last, and I can't say enough good about the freshness, uncommon seasonings and diverse ingredient selections that make Nadie's food stand out in an area of North Jersey that is flooded with Italian storefront restaurants. 
So, without further ado, onto the photos for more info...

*Original review of Nadie's:http://billcianciburgerreviews.blogspot.com/2013/05/nadies-touch-of-pasta-north-haledon-nj.html

Nadie & Liz

Nadie's Rice Balls Stuffed with Cheese

Crisp fried shell full of creamy goodness... amazing!

Who needs antipasto when you've got a Nadie's Salad?

Chicken a la Romano - Sautéed Chicken Breast in sage Wine Sauce Topped with Mozzarella Cheese, and Mushrooms

Shrimp & Chicken -  With Mushrooms and Peas in Fresh Tomato Sauce and Grated Parmigiana Cheese over Your

Choice of Pasta

Nadie's Braciole and Meatballs are among the very best I have ever tasted and they are surrounded by homemade Gnocchi.

We ended the evening with a Peanut Butter Tartufo and one of Nadie's incredible Cappuccino's.

The Yumbo is Back! (I had such high hopes) Plus a bonus review of BK's Four Cheese Whopper

Where -
Burger King, 55 Godwin Ave., Midland Park, NJ 07432
Weekday store hours: M-F 9-11
Weekend store hours: Sa-S 10-10
Phone: (201) 652-9841
Restaurant #: 517

What -
The Yumbo...

...and The Four Cheese Whopper

First up, The Yumbo

Build -
The Yumbo consists of hot ham and cheese with sliced Black Forest ham topped with American cheese, lettuce, and mayo, all served heated on a toasted hoagie-shaped hamburger bun.


Comments -
The Yumbo is back for a limited time, and it's disappointingly not the sandwich we remember from the early ‘70s.


Rewind to 1971 -
I was 10 years old, and I was extremely excited (just like every time I was allowed to eat fast food) to sample my first Yumbo, Burger King's new and generously portioned hot ham and cheese sandwich served on a Whopper bun. So off I went with my friends to the Burger King in Cedar Grove, NJ. This was the place where I first sampled and fell in love with the Whopper. I ordered the Yumbo which came promptly to the counter and off I was to find a seat. As with my first Whopper, I was falling in love while unwrapping the sandwich because just the notion of eating something my mother wouldn't prepare at home was exciting. This new "hot" ham and cheese sandwich was so basic, yet so mind boggling delicious. It was everything BK said it would be and more. The ham portion was much larger than I thought it would be and it wasn't just "hot,” it was "HOT" and the ham had an incredible smokey flavor which, until that day, was unfamiliar to me.


Fast Forward 42 years -
The BK Yumbo is reintroduced in 2014, and it's still served on a sesame seed bun, however now it's a hoagie-shaped sesame seed bun instead of the Whopper bun – why? Why mess with perfection? If this isn't bad enough, there is the fallacious addition of mayo and lettuce. Why? If you are "bringing back" the Yumbo, why not bring it back in all its original glory, the way original Yumbo fans remember it and loved it and nothing more? Why in God's good name would you change the flavor by adding mayo and lettuce to a hot sandwich? I could see all of those condiments on a Whopper, but not a two (2) ingredient sandwich that's supposed to be served piping hot. By the way, it was not hot... in fact, it was so cold the cheese did not melt at all. Okay, so let's market a sandwich as being ‘HOT” and serve it cold, that'll keep 'em coming in the door. Just for sh*ts and giggles, I ordered one of my Yumbos old-school style with just the ham and cheese. But alas, they were both cold and seriously lacking ham.

On to the second review...

Retro Yumbo...

I don't remember swiss !

Now for The Four Cheese Whopper... 

This review is dedicated to my friend and quintessential Whopper lover, Owen. 

Build -
The Four Cheese Whopper consists of a quarter-pound beef patty, a slice of American cheese, a shredded three-cheese blend of cheddar, Monterey Jack, and mozzarella, cheddar sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, on a toasted sesame seed bun.

Comments -
Fair warning: loyal BK fans may want to skip this review. Although the sandwich was decent, there is some type of bait-and-switch going on here that BK's marketing department seems to think is perfectly acceptable, and it's the most loyal BK fans that are suffering because of it.

I'm obviously not one to be picky (I am writing about fast food) however, I've read reviews on The Four Cheese Whopper and now I've eaten one, and I'm here to tell you that contrary to what some reviewers have stated, this burger does NOT contain all the usual Whopper toppings/condiments. In fact, three are missing, and they are three flavors that helped make the Whopper's flavor model the success it is. They are: mayo, ketchup, and pickle. Yup, all missing from The Four Cheese "Whopper.”

Speaking for all BK loyalists from around the globe, calling this sandwich a "Whopper" is nothing shy of an abomination. A Whopper with "special" or "themed" toppings should be just that, a Whopper first – with other toppings added.

The overall taste of the sandwich was okay. The mayo and ketchup on the Whopper contribute largely to the flavor of the sandwich, especially when you are three quarters of the way finished and the condiments along with the toppings have morphed into a wonderful burger sauce that defies description. If you have ever eaten a Whopper with cheese, you know what I'm talking about.

This burger would have received an 8.5\10 if all the original Whopper condiments and toppings were included. I'm giving this a 7.5 rating on the BC rating scale which may sound a bit high, but it really was quite tasty.



Ordered off-the-broiler although the receipt reads: Extra Hot!

Moustache Bill's, The Quintessential Jersey Diner...

Where: 
Mustache Bill's Diner
8th Street, Barnegat Light, NJ 08006

(609) 494-0155

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mustache-Bills-Diner/51953267225

What: 
Fisherman's Special

Build:  
Three eggs scrambled (wet), two hot cakes, two sausage patties, rye toast, butter (lots of butter)

Comments:
If you're like me, you can usually tell whether or not you're going to like the food at a particular eatery within moments of stepping foot in the door.  Glancing at dishes being transported by speedy waitresses, listening to the comments by those fortunate enough to have already been seated, and of course, inhaling the aromas. These sensory stimulants were all coalescing in my head and in a fraction of a second I was forming an opinion on whether or not I'd be served really great food or something less. 

That's when it happened...the hostess opened the door to the waiting area and called, "Bill!? Party of four!?”, and when my feet crossed Mustache Bill's threshold, I knew in an instant that I had found the Pancake Promised land.

Now, before I go further I will say I feel sorry for those who are unfamiliar with the concept of the diner, especially New Jersey diners because in my opinion they set the bar. Jersey diners are what other pseudo-diners, eateries and luncheonettes aspire to be, but aren't. These shiny stainless steel clad facades are unrivaled; where else can you get a diverse and seemingly unlimited selection of options 24/7, 365? A turkey dinner with all the trimmings? Check. An omelet made to order? Check. How about some falafel, or barbecue? Check. Not to mention their dessert selection. Whether you arrive at dinnertime or 3AM, the food is always fresh and with hundreds of items accompanied by daily specials, you won’t leave hungry. 

Mustache Bill's diner is the quintessential "Jersey" diner in all aspects of sights, sounds and smells. Hell, it even has a view of Old Barney, the lighthouse on Long Beach Island which has a view of Island Beach State Park across the inlet to the north. You just can't get more Jersey than that. Bill's diner has that time capsule effect that transports you to the past as soon as you enter. There are not many eateries left that have this unique power.

I was happy to find out Mustache Bill's is a favorite of Guy Fieri’s "after" I visited. 

I'm not one of those who visits every spot Guy Fieri has been to, in fact I’m quite the opposite. I'd much rather find great places to eat that he hasn't found yet and believe me, there are hundreds, and that's just in Jersey.

Ok, onto the food.  My eggs were cooked perfectly. The scrambled eggs were moist as hell without any browning.  Far too often a breakfast cook will have the flame on the flat grill blazing and the instant an egg is cracked or poured, it begins to bubble wildly. That is way too hot for breakfast cooking.  Mustache Bill’s does it right; slowly, easy and buttery.

The hot cakes are Bill's shining star on the menu and they did not disappoint. They were light and fluffy with a taste to die for. The toast was done perfectly as was the Raisin Bread French Toast. My wife's omelet was the only thing I didn't care for. It was scrambled eggs poured on the flat grill and then rolled into an omelet. This usually makes for very thin layers of egg forming the omelet which has a rubbery texture that kinda sucks. No, not kinda, it sucks.  Also, the cheese and veggie filling was lacking in quantity. But, everything can’t be perfect! All in all, this place is a great throwback from atmosphere, to friendliness, to the food. Awesome!

I'd be quite remiss if I didn't mention my hometown diner, The Pompton Queen. 

On a cold winter's day there is nothing like their pot roast sandwich with a slab of English Cheddar and fried onions topped with hot brown mushroom gravy on a Kaiser roll.  (The Pompton Queen Diner is on Rt. 23 N in Pompton Plains, NJ)

Click on the photos to enlarge