Okay, two more...

There's a new "Bubbakoo's Burritos" which opened up next to King's Chinese restaurant in Manalapan (across from Tokyo Sushi Buffet - same parking lot). Have not tried yet, but I've heard of them.

In Marlboro, on Union Hill Rd., there was a place called "Bagel Time".. It closed at least 2 years ago (and perhaps longer) and has been vacant ever since. I took my daughter for a slice at Carlo's Pizza a few days ago (same strip mall), and noticed some activity in the bagel place. Yeah, major construction going on inside. Of course, I had to ask. Didn't get any details, but it's going to be an Indian restaurant.

Hey, that's cool, but is Indian the new Italian these days? They're popping up everywhere.

I'd love a buffet, since Masala Kitchen up Rt. 9 by about a mile feels justified charging $12.95 for theirs, and I just won't pay that much.

Yup. We ate at Moe's tonight in Marlboro, there was an empty storefront next door with a "For Rent" sign in the window.. then I remembered what was there previously... yet another fro-yo place. (The one that used to be in the Shoppes of Old Bridge, Crave, that's gone, too).

I can't figure out how Let's Yo is still in business in Marlboro (Union Hill Rd). The last time we went in there, 4 cups of yogurt came to... $27!! Holy ripoff, Batman!

Can't STAND these business models that charge by the ounce.. and for the fro-yo places, they all do. I think that's why so many fail.

There's a buffet near me (Tokyo Sushi buffet in Freehold), that lets you take-out the buffet, and they charge by the pound. I can get quite a bit of sushi for $6 or $7. It's not the best, but a heck of a lot better than what you'll find in the grocery store, even if they do make it fresh.

Okay, I tried the fresh market self-serve last night.. I think this will be my go to spot for a while. Fantastic yellow rice with veggies and shrimp, pernil, beef stew (and the meat was super tender!), yucca (which was dried out, unfortunately), fried tilapia, and all sorts of other choices. Pernil was fantastic. Everything seasoned well. $4.99 a pound, can't beat it. My whole meal came to less than $7.00.

This spot is great because... great food, cheap, easy to park, self-serve.. so I'm in and out, fast.

I agree with you on this.

When I lived in Boston (this is over 10 years ago), I frequented a number of sushi joints. Nearly all of them had specials boards, and I'm not talking about the funky roll of the day.. I'm talking about sushi and sashimi.. fish I've NEVER seen or heard about down here. I've had fugu, shirako, various preparations of live seafood (shrimp, lobster - (yes, I ate a live lobster while it was looking at me.. creepy, but delicious), scallop, etc.), abalone, various clams, spanish mackerel, horse mackerel, monkfish liver, REAL wasabi (the actual plant, not the reconstituted powder!), ama ebi, bonito, shiso leaf, and I could go on and on but I think I might cry soon.

Down here in NJ, it's a completely different ballgame. It's all so.. generic, as you said. The emphasis seems to be on rolls, most of which I couldn't care less about. I am NOT going to spend $15-20 on a single roll, I don't care what's in it.

The best spicy tuna roll I've ever had was in Boston. The best yellowtail? It was more like hamachi toro.. and I had it in Boston.. well, Revere, to be exact. Try finding a live lobster special down here. (First they prepared the tail.. chopped it up, and served it while the lobster was still alive.. then they took the lobster back to the kitchen and made soup with it).

Granted, I haven't been to some of the "better" places around here. I've heard good, and bad things about Shumi in Somerville, but I've never been. I've been to Kazu once, and I just wasn't impressed at all. Maybe Kazu is great, but compared to what Boston has to offer, it seriously pales in comparison, as does everything else around here.

So when I do eat sushi, screw it, I just eat it on the cheap in mass quantities. Why pay $$$$ when I can get the same offerings for $$? (or even $!) I load up on the sashimi (which is actually very good), have a few pieces of rolls, and whatever else interests me, and I end up paying the equivalent of one of those overpriced, funky rolls with silly names, you know, something like... "The Jack Terrier" - Whitefish with avocado on the outside, spicy crab and tobiko on the inside, served with chef's special sauce and crunchy. (I made that one up, of course, but they all follow a similar protocol).

Stopped by this place.. I was in the area. Closed on a Friday night! Turns out they are not even open for business yet!

Why put out a full menu/2 page spread in a local coupon magazine if you're not yet open for business?

Perhaps they ran into problems and THOUGHT they'd be open by now...

OR, they have no idea what they're doing.

Reminds me of the restaurant near me that still remains shuttered, on Rt. 9 South.. the one that used to be Pet Paradise long ago, with the fancy sarcophagi on the exterior. This summer they were putting in plants.. and they've still never opened.

I've never opened a restaurant.. but it would seem logical to me to get the restaurant open FIRST, and then work on the finer details.

My wife was so excited, she thought she had a new piece of "foodie" news for me, but I already knew about the BWW. She did say the same as you, it'll be where the former "Diamond Castle" or whatever it was, is.

I see they've begun work inside, but it doesn't seem big enough for a restaurant of that size. Of course, I've never actually been inside that particular store, so, who knows?

I've only been to a BWW once, the one in Eatontown. All I remember was how loud it was, too loud, and there pretty much wasn't a place to sit that wasn't within viewing distance of a TV.

I don't remember anything about the food. I know I had wings. I can't remember if I enjoyed them or not. :)