We happened to have all 10 stamps on our card filled up and stopped by after dinner.  I asked for a kiddie size for Nicholas and handed the associate our stamped card. 

“I’m sorry,” she said.  “We only redeem these for the regular size.”

“But the regular size is nearly twice the size as the kiddie size,” I said.

“I know.  I can give you the regular size for free, but if you want the kiddie size, it’s $2.89.”

“Let me get this straight.  I can have a 12 oz regular size for free, but if I want the 7.5 oz kiddie size, I have to pay?” I asked incredulously.

“Yes,” she said.

Seriously.  What kind of common sense is that? 

Photo from Ritasice.com.

Details:
August 29-31 (Labor Day Weekend)
For a complete listing of events and to buy tickets, visit SonomaWineCountryWeekend.com or call 800-939-7666.

Events include winemaker lunches and dinners and a Harvest Wine Auction.

From 10 am until 4, you can partake in the Silent Auction, visit the craft vendors and White Elephant sale and, of course, enjoy the star of the day … fresh peaches, peach pies and even peach ice cream.  You can find all the details right here.

Photo from CPCChester.org.

The phrase, “The World’s Best Pancakes,” is proudly displayed on their street sign outside and their menu, and they have been featured in New Jersey Monthly magazine more than once, for, of course, their pancakes, and other their traditional diner fare.

I’m not sure what their secret recipe is, but their pancakes taste very different than the norm. They’re lighter, fluffier, and spongier. They almost taste a bit cake-like. Are they the world’s best? I don’t know. That’s a pretty bold statement to make, but they certainly hit the spot when you want pancakes made by someone else. They’re just different.

Nicholas, my five-year-old son, opted for the M&Ms pancakes, taking it as his opportunity to have candy with his meal without argument, and I went for my old favorite, French Apple. Instead of butter, the pancakes are all served with a small container of whipped cream. They don’t need butter, trust me. They barely need maple syrup, and oftentimes, I do without it.

All kudos aside, the service is fickle. It’s either great or it makes you swear you’ll never go back. Today, although the service was brisk, the waiter originally served me a French Dip Sandwich, instead of the French Apple Pancakes I ordered. Hey, it happens, and it was fixed within minutes. I’ll gladly take an easily fixable mistake over a rude waitress any day. I’d suggest staying away on Saturday and Sunday mornings as the place gets crazybusy.

If you happen to be in the area, or are up for a road-trip to try “The World’s Best Pancakes,” you might want to put The Broadway Diner on your list. Then you can be the judge.

The Broadway Dinner
55 River Road
Summit, NJ 07901
(908) 273-4353

Get Reel! is a free, live celebration featuring films, food and outdoor fun; the event starts at 7 pm, and this weekend’s featured movies are ET and The Wedding Singer.  E-mail getreel@rd.com for more information.

Photo from RachaelRaymag.com.

“I know the name of this bakery, Mama,” he said as I went to open the door, trying to juggle the door, Madeline and my purse.

“You do?”

“Yes, it’s Billy’s Bakery,” he said, with a big grin splashing across his face.

How cute is he?! It wasn’t Billy’s, but I was tickled that he actually DOES listen to me when I ramble on about the best cupcakes ever. Swoon worthy, I tell you, swoon worthy. I told him it wasn’t, but we quickly formulated a plan to go into the city and visit Billy’s, and we did the following weekend.

No traffic in the Lincoln Tunnel, it seemed like we were pulling in front of the shop in minutes. Not only was there no traffic, but there was a parking space right in front! And if that wasn’t enough to make me think I should play the lottery, the bakery was uncharacteristically empty. All told, the place is super-tiny, it’s reputation much, much larger than its square footage. Right beyond the entrance, there are two small 1950s-style retro tables that can seat maybe 6 or 7 people … 8 or 9 perhaps, if you don’t mind getting extra-friendly with your neighbors.

Pleased with our luck, we plunked our things down to save one of the tables and walked over to the glass display case, perfect little pastel mounds before us, just waiting to be chosen. But which to choose? Nicholas went with a chocolate cupcake with pale green frosting, and me, a pink-frosted one (surely you’re not surprised?). My stepdaughter chose another pink-frosted one and The Husband? The only person I know who comes along on a cupcake field trip and chooses Cherry Cheesecake. What can I say, he’s a work in progress. Poor Madeline just got her bottle, but oh the treasures that await her when she’s old enough! Once we had our treats, we sat down and dug in. Within minutes, they were just a memory, but what a good one… While we were waiting for Nicholas to finish up, I took a couple pictures and chatted up the girl who was doing the frosting (after I promised her I wouldn’t get her in the shot). I asked if she was sick of cupcakes, having to see hundreds of them daily, and she, surprisingly, said no. She allows herself one a day and still loves them as much as ever. My kind of girl.

Once everyone found out what we were up to that Saturday morning, they were quickly placing their own order for Billy’s Bakery cupcakes, and we have converted a few more people along the way. Not yet a convert yourself? If you’re in the area, do stop in and treat yourself. The cupcakes are two bucks a pop, but I guarantee they’re worth every penny.

Billy’s Bakery
184 9th Avenue
NYC, 10011
Tel: 212.647.9956

Store Hours:
Monday to Thurs 9am-11pm
Friday 9am-12am
Saturday 9am-12am
Sunday 10am-10pm

1. Zero Otto Nove

Quickly becoming as mandatory a stop on the tri-state pizza-pilgrim map as Coney Island’s Totonno’s and New Haven’s Pepe’s, Zero Otto Nove is not only a pizzeria but a sprawling trattoria with an expansive menu and a pretty impressive pasta al forno. The Neapolitan wood-fired-oven pizza, though, is the thing. It’s made—if you time it right—by a 26-year-old, white-T-shirt-clad, Salerno-born pizzaiolo named Riccardo. It’s light and puffy-lipped, tender to the bite with just a hint of chew, nicely balanced, and topped with first-rate ingredients. Purists will want to try the margherita ($13.95), of course, made according to strict Neapolitan-pizza-police guidelines, with buffalo mozzarella. But don’t forgo the relatively outré La Riccardo ($13.95)—smoked mozzarella, pancetta, and butternut-squash purée. And get there soon: La Riccardo says he’s heading back to the old country in five months. (2357 Arthur Ave., nr. E. 186th St., the Bronx; 718-220-1027.)
In the vicinity:New York Botanical Garden, Bronx Zoo, and the Arthur Avenue Retail Market.

2. Burgers, Shakes & Fries
This six-month-old burger joint right off I-95 is as close as Greenwich gets to a Shake Shackian feeding frenzy. Discriminating burger nibblers, their giddy tots in tow, politely wedge themselves into the twenty-seat spot for decent fries; good, thick shakes; and great one-third-pound cheeseburgers quirkily served patty-melt style on butter-griddled bread. If you’re wearing a bib and have a roll of Bounty on hand, you might try a double or triple burger; otherwise, stick with the $3.50 single. Note to meat snobs: The ground chuck, hand-pressed in-house, comes from Master Purveyors in the Bronx, which also supplies the venerable burger bar JG Melon. (302 Delavan Ave., Greenwich, Conn.; 203-531-7433.)

3. Harvest Supper
Jack and Grace Lamb, whose East Village fiefdom includes Jewel Bako and Degustation, moved three years ago to the ’burbs, which is where they’ve unveiled their latest venture: a lovely 36-seat spot with plaid wallpaper, barn-wood wainscoting, and a small-plates menu courtesy of chef Michael Campbell, formerly of Hearth. Artfully presented and packed with flavor, his dishes ($6 to $19) include braised short rib with potato-feta croquettes, a zesty heirloom-bean salad mingled with cubes of Idiazábal cheese, and crispy pork belly with sausage-stuffed shallots. Until the wine license arrives, stop at Francos, at 130 Elm Street, for a bottle. (15 Elm St., New Canaan, Conn.; 203-966-5595.)
In the vicinity: The visitor center at the nearby Philip Johnson Glass House reopens April 2; the furniture and jewelry on consignment at the Silk Purse (118 Main Street) appeal to slightly less modern tastes.

4. Dressing Room
Paul Newman’s year-and-a-half-old collaboration with chef Michel Nischan raises awareness (for sustainable agriculture) and funds (for the adjacent Westport Country Playhouse, where Newman’s wife, Joanne Woodward, is co–artistic director). With its fieldstone fireplace, its woody décor, and the pervasive scent of baby-back ribs, the place is at once casual and sophisticated. So’s the menu, from the crunchy “use a spoon” chopped salad ($14) to the ever-popular boutique pig platter with beans and collards ($34). Newman’s Own coffee and private-label wines are on offer, and quite good, and the outdoor patio is the perfect summer setting for sampling the regionally focused beer list. (27 Powers Ct., Westport, Conn., 203-226-1114.)
In the vicinity: The Westport Farmers Market runs Thursdays from June through November in the restaurant parking lot.

Photo courtesy of New York magazine.

Every Saturday and Sunday, Bemelmans Bar hosts a delightfully playful afternoon and sing-a-long for parents and children alike. Enjoy Madeline’s Childrens Buffet, afternoon tea, and an á la carte menu for adults while listening to songs from the Madeline Song Book with Tina de Varon.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes had a get-together there back in November for their then-19-month-old daughter, Suri, so now that the hubbub of that has died down a bit, you probably can snag a reservation for yourself. Enjoy!

Arts and crafts, music, a food show and auction, helicopter rides and, of course, serious homage paid to the strawberry.

Need more details? Check out their site right here.

After undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, he is now in remission. Although he lost some sense of taste during the treaments, it has since returned.

Achatz, who is only 33, owns the popular Chicago restaurant Alinea, which was lauded as the country’s best by Gourmet magazine in 2006.

Photo from Alinea.