Jeffrey "You may have to age but do not have to mature" K.'s Profile

I have to agree with many of the reviews I read about this place . . . the food is not what I expected from this place.  While it was good, it was not what I expected when I walked in here.  The place seems to put on a good show as far as the aesthetics are concerned . . . the nice dark woods and the well decorated atmosphere are all very nice and pleasant.  The waitstaff was very attentive and had a good attention to detail.  But when it came right down to it, I was disappointed by the steak I had -- it was not terribly tender, the New England clam chowder, while nicely presented in a bread bowl, was not quite as rich and flavorful as I would have liked (although the fresh milled pepper was a nice touch to add).

So if you are looking to impress a client, then bring them here if you want to impress them with service, but don't care too much about the food.  If you are here to impress a date, then you might want to think otherwise.

Recently had the opportunity to come here for lunch with family.  The deep dish pizza we ordered was very good.  The toppings were plentiful, the cheese was very good as was the sauce.

Not a bad pizza overall for a local shop.  Might even come back when I next in the area, but would still rather visit some other pizza places which are in other areas of Brooklyn if time allows.

Honestly, this place is legendary for their wonderful pizza, and there is no doubt in my mind that the pizza is very good here -- but still one other place, located under the Brooklyn Bridge still holds my heart as the best pizza I have ever eaten.

Now that I got that off my chest, I can also tell you that if it were not for the wonderful pizza and aromas you get when you visit Di Fara's, this place probably would have been shut down for health code violations a long time ago.  The scent that hits your nostril's as you walk into here is like no other pizza place in or around NYC -- it is purely tantalizing.

It is interesting and fun to watch Domenico De Marco not rush when he makes his pies.  For him, the dough is his canvas and the cheese, sauce, EVOO and basil are his paints.  He is methodical as he creates his masterpieces -- then as he tosses then into his extra hot oven to cook very quickly, and to char just slightly.  He takes his time, no matter how many orders he has coming to be thrown at him by his assistant.

Is it worth $5 a slice, or $30 for a pie?  Is it worth the unknown wait for a slice or a pie?  For the diehards . . . yes!  For pizza enthusiasts -- probably.  And since you CAN get it by the slice here, as opposed to across the other side of Brooklyn, then that too makes it a plus as well.

Where do I start?  Let's just say that I had so much hope when we walked in here.

Went here for dinner with friends.  None of us were really taken with our meals.  They were small portions with large NYC price tags and little flavor -- more meant for tourists who think they might be in for a "wonderful" NY dining experience.  For me, NO THANKS -- if you want to take me for seafood, take me to City Island where the prices might be slightly (not much), better, the amibance might be nicer and less tourists!

We even passed on desert here.

Although this place cannot hold a candle to Williamsburg, Va., you have to remember that although Long Island has it's own history, it does not have the same sort of history as Williamsburg, but still, you are able to travel back to the mid 19th century with a visit here.

I recently had the opportunity to chaperone my little boy's class on a field trip here.  We walked around for a few hours and got to see old stage coach's, large draft horses pulling the coach's, they had sack races and old houses of notable area residents -- they even had a working recreation of a blacksmith shop which is always fun to see (who doesn't like to see fire and things being forged of metal?)

There were other sights I would have like to of seen, and some of the sights were closed for renovation.  None-the-less, the kids seemed to have enjoyed it.

Apparently they have a halloween celebrations here and I suppose other holiday happens as time gets closer to the season.  Perhaps we will go back to visit come holiday time.  Just remember, it is not Williamsburg, and quite frankly, for the most part, it really shouldn't try to be -- two totally different locales.

Some of the best hot dogs I have ever eaten.  Look forward to coming back -- and who couldn't resist visiting a place with a name like this . . . not to mention that it has been featured on "Diners, Drive-in's and Dives".  The owner, Gary, has certainly hit pay dirt when Guy Fieri came calling -- he put an already good business on the map, and a favorite of people far and wide.

The meat they use is definitely quality, everything is made fresh . . . including their daily selection of soup.  They pile the fresh toppings big and high on their dogs and I wanted to go back for more -- unfortunately I was unable to on this trip.

Oh, their french fries are killer awesome -- don't pass those up either  (and their small order, ain't so small) . . . just be sure to don't ask for ketchup on your dog -- this is a big no-no.

The sign reads "Traditional pizza with a Grecian flair" -- and what a yummy flair it is.  If you don't reside in the area, it is still a great place to stop if you are on your way up to the Berkshires -- especially since there are like 3 or 4 of these on the way up to the "Berks" (and even one in Great Barrington as well).

It's been a number of years since I had the pleasure of stopping at Four Brothers, but I was passing through the area for a business trip and could not resist stopping for lunch.

Their specialties are their "white bread" pizza (yes, made with a white bread crust, as opposed to a traditional pizza crust), and their greek salads / greek dressing.  All I really had room for on this visit was the pizza -- I ordered the small (enough for one), and realized what I have been missing for the last several years -- damn this pizza is good.  The crust takes a little getting used to since it isn't your traditional pizza crust, but it worth it -- it is light airy and quite frankly, to some degree, tastes like a piece of white bread.

They also have a wide selection of other meals on their menu, but the pizza and the salad is what I have come to look forward to when I am visiting here.  Looking forward to visiting again . . . and again . . . and maybe even . . . again! :-)

I am not usually a fan of the Choice Brand Hotels chain -- you know the one -- Econo Lodge, Quality Hotel, Clarion, etc., so when my company recently made me reservations here, I too had reservations about staying here . . . but I had never stayed at the their "suites" hotel before, so I figured that I'd give it a shot.

Although I did not get to stay at the hotel very long (only had time for little more than a nap), but I walked into the hotel lobby and liked how it was layed out.  then I got up to the room and it really surprised me -- it was spacious (very spacious), the bed was huge and comfortable.  In the morning, I had just enough time to grab some quick breakfast and got on the road, but I was wanting to stay longer.

Looking forward to stay at this level of the Choice Brand Hotels again some time soon.

Probably one of the funniest (sort of), experiences I have had at a hotel is here.  After having traveled to Shelton, Ct. for a business trip recently and having chosen the Residence Inn to stay at (I've always been pleased by their service and amenities), I checked in to the hotel and went to my room.

Upon entering my room, I noticed there was something not quite right --  what it could it be?  

Clean room? Check.  Toiletries? Check.  Full kitchen?  Check.

So I stood there asking myself what is wrong with this picture.  Finally, I realize that the curtain over the windows was strictly a sheer see through curtain -- NO privacy shade / curtain.  None!  And my room -- on the ground floor -- was right next to the main walkway back and forth the hotel lobby.  OK, I can deal I suppose -- although I was not there to "sleep in", as I was there on business, not having the sunlight streaming through, first thing in the morning might have been nice.  Additionally, it might have been nice to be able to walk around my room in whatever manner of dress I wanted (or didn't want for that matter).

Anyhow, I neglected to mention this to the hotel manager the following morning, but did mention it upon checking out to the desk clerk, who was embarassed and speechless.  Before I knew it, the general manager ran (and I do mean RAN), to the front desk and she could not apologize enough about it.  She was down right embarassed that they had even assigned me that room -- it seems that the privacy curtains (for whatever reason), were out being cleaned and that room was not meant for public habitation -- thus the reason why the general manager was mortified by my having been assigned to that room.  She did make it up to me though by giving me additional Marriott Rewards points which was nice.

The only other complaint (sort of), is that TV seems to be getting old and did not have a terribly bright picture.  I think its time for them to upgrade them.

Otherwise it was a perfectly nice place to stay.

I was pleased to learn that when I was recently working on a local contract job in the area (overnight no less), that there was a pizza joint, which was local, that had late night hours during the middle of the week.  All told, a good combination in a sleepy town like Tinton Falls, NJ.

So, with the late night munchies hitting me and my co-worker, I headed out to Attilio's to pick up a pie.  I get there, and am pleased to see, in bright neno in the window that their hours are 11AM to 11PM.  I walked into an empty restaurant (then again it was 10:30PM in the middle of the week), and ordered my pizza.  They were very pleasant and accommodating, as I needed so additional paper plates, cups, etc. to take with me.

I brought the pizza back to the office and was pleased to see that the meat toppings were placed atop the vegetable toppings allowing the meats to crisp up nicely.  The sausage in particular was nice sweet Italian sausage (I would have preferred it a bit spicier), and they loaded it up nicely as well with the mushrooms and onions as well.

Although it is not nearly as good as what you get across the Hudson River, it was good and certainly filled a void.  The price was right too which makes it even more appealing.  Top it off with their late night hours -- even during the week -- and you have a tasty and successful combination.