358678 Tue Jan 09 20:58:51 -0800 2007 25 16 Mid-Atlantic 0 2170464 Dear Union County Chowhounds, I know you get lots of queries for a special occasion restaurant, but can you please give me some suggestions... I need a place for Mom's 70th birthday. It could be either a fancy place or a modest BYOB, as long as it meets our other criteria. CRITERIA: - Location: Union County, Westfield area - SUNDAY around 5pm - 11 people (7 adults, 4 well-behaved kids) and 1 seeing-eye dog. The dog will not need to eat. - Ambience: No dark rooms, not too many stairs. (Mom is legally blind and has trouble walking.) - Price: We're flexible on price. Expensive is OK if the food is good. - Cuisine: No Asian or Mexican food. Any type of American or Euro cuisine is good. Thanks!!!! Tue Jan 09 20:58:51 -0800 2007 10293 val ann c 1 2170486 WHat immediately comes to mind is Chez Catherine. We had such a remarkable meal here a month ago. The service was impecable! The food is a whole other story that I could praise for days! The only down side, bathroom is in the basement so there are stairs going down. Other than that, very lovely setting. www.chezcatherine.com Tue Jan 09 21:03:00 -0800 2007 2170464 14274 Angelina 2 2170579 Unfortunately, Chez Catherine is closed on Sundays. I will look at Theresa's. Thanks for providing the web site links! Tue Jan 09 21:21:57 -0800 2007 2170486 10293 val ann c 3 2170791 ooops...sorry. I did'nt mean to get you excited and then this happens!! I like posting links, it just makes it that much easier to find! :) Tue Jan 09 22:08:15 -0800 2007 2170579 14274 Angelina 1 2170508 Another thought, for Italian, I like Theresa's. It is a BYOB, and very good! http://www.theresasrestaurant.com/index.html Tue Jan 09 21:06:48 -0800 2007 2170464 14274 Angelina 1 2170573 If it's not too close to Mexican, Mojave Grill does really good upscale southwestern food. I'm afraid I haven't been there since they moved to Elm St., so I don't know what the new space looks like. http://www.mojavegrille.com Although if Mom's more of a traditionalist, Chez Catherine is probably the best choice. Tue Jan 09 21:20:24 -0800 2007 2170464 64941 Pondering 1 2170581 Let me throw an outlier into the hunt. If your mom is adventurous and you and your siblings have some guts, go to Spiritos in Elizabeth. She think you are living through a Sopranos rerun and the food is not to be believed. Tue Jan 09 21:22:04 -0800 2007 2170464 11290 jfood 1 2170606 I would def second Spiritos but call ahead for a reservation to accommodate your entire party. The layout consists of booths and a few large tables. As a family-style place, with amazing Italian food, the place fills quickly on Sunday. Tue Jan 09 21:26:20 -0800 2007 2170464 36312 HillJ 2 2171039 We love Spiritos! Bring your own Butter! This place is very old school. Tue Jan 09 23:18:03 -0800 2007 2170606 62465 tpatricco 3 2172574 tp..you ask for butter and the waitress is gonna roll her eyes! Wed Jan 10 13:33:11 -0800 2007 2171039 36312 HillJ 3 2172576 Butter = Your outta here Wed Jan 10 13:33:54 -0800 2007 2171039 11290 jfood 4 2172693 First time my husband took me to Spiritos (I was about 21) he didn't tell me about the butter thing and of course, I asked for some. Oops! Waitress just about jumped down my throat. We took our whole family there for anniversary dinner and we did bring our own butter...which is completely acceptable and even somewhat common on the weekends. Wed Jan 10 14:27:17 -0800 2007 2172576 62465 tpatricco 1 2171506 What about Blue Wave on North Ave? They specialize in seafood, but have many other choices. Food there is very good; BYOB. It is all on one floor, not dark. Or Ferraro's on Elm Street...the 'fancy side' not the 'family side' if it is to be a special dinner. Theresa's is good, but I think the tables are too close together. One other choice, not in Westfield, but Cranford, is the Garlic Rose on North Ave. Good luck! Meagan Wed Jan 10 01:39:48 -0800 2007 2170464 18938 meagan 2 2172465 Blue Wave would be a very good choice - excellent seafood. Ferraro's "fancy side" would be nice too, there is even a small backroom there where they might be able to put you so the dog is well out of the way of people walking by all the time (not that this matter too much - I know that those dogs are highly trained to ignore passerbys). Wed Jan 10 12:08:02 -0800 2007 2171506 12099 sivyaleah 3 2172686 Great to see such good comments on Blue Wave! The chef is a friend of ours! Wed Jan 10 14:25:37 -0800 2007 2172465 62465 tpatricco 4 2173503 The bald guy :-) ? We LOVE the food there. They are doing a great job. We don't go too frequently only because my husband isn't a seafood lover at all, so it never pops in our head even tho they have plenty of choices for him. But everytime we remember to eat there we're really pleased. Tell your friend he's doing something right :-) Wed Jan 10 17:37:09 -0800 2007 2172686 12099 sivyaleah 4 5146107 I'm trying to find out where the chef at Blue Wave (closed sometime in 2007) went. I remember his name was Michael (didn't know his last name). Did he open his own restaurant? We loved the crab cakes and I can't find any other place that prepares them as well. They were the best! Sat Oct 31 21:05:40 -0700 2009 2172686 1120752 dcb 5 5146765 Several web sites say that Michael Pellnitz is now at Ritacco's Midtown Bar and Grill in Nutley. However, this information is about a year and a half old so I suggest you phone and ask. http://midtownbarandgrill.com/ (Jumbo lump crab cakes are on their menu). Sun Nov 01 09:02:42 -0800 2009 5146107 57768 ambrose 6 5166215 Thank you for letting me know! I'll definitely give the restaurant a call. Sun Nov 08 21:09:56 -0800 2009 5146765 1120752 dcb 1 2172559 If they are open Sunday, you might consider Novita on S. Elmer in Westfield - 908 233 9777. Very good food, nice room, accomodating staff Wed Jan 10 13:23:57 -0800 2007 2170464 37161 OGguy 2 2172640 Novita closed months ago. Ferrara's owns it now and it is their catering facility. Too bad - we loved Novita! Wed Jan 10 14:08:18 -0800 2007 2172559 12099 sivyaleah 3 2174616 That IS too bad, but not a surprise - they did well on weekends, but never had much business during the week. Wed Jan 10 21:14:58 -0800 2007 2172640 37161 OGguy 4 2174686 I know - I think it was too off the beaten path for Westfield. I loved their polenta with mushrooms dish. Have you ever eaten at La Spezia on South Avenue East in Westfield? Another one that people don't seem to know about because it's in a small strip mall. Very good Italian. We've eaten there a few times and have been very pleased each time. I suddenly remembered because I just got an email from them that they've updated their menu and with a 15% discount for dining for weekdays (although they will give you a dining card anyway on your first visit). http://www.laspeziarestaurant.com/pages/1/index.htm Wed Jan 10 21:25:05 -0800 2007 2174616 12099 sivyaleah 1 2183874 Thanks for so many replies!! I made a reservation at La Spezia in Westfield. I will report back. - Val Sat Jan 13 01:38:57 -0800 2007 2170464 10293 val ann c 2 2184942 Please do. We really do enjoy their food. If you get a waitress named Lori, she's a hoot. A bit chatty, but she really knows the menu back and forth, and upside-down and it is evident that she has a serious passion for the food being served there and most likely has tried everything on the menu. Usually, we don't like when the staff talks too much but in her case we actually appreciate her input because she genuinely knows what she's talking about. Sat Jan 13 15:40:38 -0800 2007 2183874 12099 sivyaleah 1 2190381 REPORT: Dear Union County Chowhounds, Thanks for all your tips and advice. After some family kibbitzing, we had our dinner at Ferraros in Westfield. It was a nice choice. The kids and most adults ordered traditional items like lasagna and veal and eggplant parm. My flounder francaise was nicely prepared with a side of sauteed vegetables and mashed potatos and a nice-sized salad. Most important, Mom and Dad liked the food and had a good time. Mon Jan 15 16:18:26 -0800 2007 2170464 10293 val ann c