What a cute little cafe located in the hear of the Italian Market in Philadelphia. Not much more to say other than the portions are huge,presentation is great and the service is good(with a smile!)

Our friend had a genrous portion of French Toast that was even bigger than huge..it was humongous, topped with blueberries and syrup. It looked great to me and he was smiling as he ate it, so I presume it must have been good. Me, I settled for a Greek Salad ( Boring!) but was quite satisfied with both the portion and the taste. This is my third time there. I always try to bring a new friend there to turn them onto the food as well as the splendors of the Italian Market.

Basiles's, Jamesburg,NJ

I haven't been to Basile's restaurant for sometime. Two years ago you couldn't get a seating or a parking space. Things have definitely changed since the recession. Plenty of seating and plenty of space in the parking lot now.

Yet even with the gloom and doom the food at Basiles is still good,even better than I remember it!. The decorum is still inviting and the menu is still extensive;upscale continental cusine. The service remains the same, with a gracious smile.The bar area is still busy.  Portions are bigger than I remember and the prices still remain, somewhat moderate. I had a generous portion of grilled salmon with spinach which was very tasty.

With all this being said I still like Basiles for it's down-home neighborhood goodness. The menu is plentiful, yet the wine list can be improved (you can tell I like my wine). I ordered a not so great bottle of Pinot Noir which disappointed me, yet I was very pleased with my fish. My husband ordered a steak which was thoroughly enjoyable. All in all an enjoyable evening.

Will I come back? That's a YES! Hopefully the wine list will improve.

The skinny:

Menu: Continental

Prices: Moderate

Wine list: Very limited

Atmosphere: inviting on a weekend

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Theresa's, Elm Street, Westfield, NJ

I'll make it short and sweet. Of all the years I have been eating at this restaurant I have never had a bad meal. Therea's is another sucessful upscale restaurant in the trendy business area of Westfield. The owners also operate Mohave Grill and Isabella's American Bistro, also located in Westfield.

Theresa's cuisine concentrates on upscale Italian. The menu is somewhat large and the specials are normally great. Prices can be somewhat steep, but the quality is always great. Portions are not large, which means that you should expect to finish your meal with no left overs. This is usually true because the food is sooooo good!. An extra added bonus is the restaurant has no liquour license which means you get to bring YOUR OWN WINE..A BYOB.

The restaurant is normally crowded, but you can call ahead for a reservation. Dining al-fresco during the summer is an extra treat.

Menu: Italian eclectic

Price: moderate to expensive

Service: friendly with a smile

Wine list: BYOB

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Fresco's, Milltown, NJ

This is probably the only good restaurant in Milltown/East Brunswick , so you better make reservations if you want to dine on a Saturday evening. Fresco's owners also own LouCas in the Edison area as well as Ponte Vecchio in Old Bridge.

The food at Frescos is good with a nice lengthy menu focusing on seafood and steak, The prices are moderate and the ambiance is "crowded" on a weekend. The portions are sometimes hugh depending upon what you order.

Saturday and Sunday evenings are crowded so make a reservation. I think the best part of eating at Frescos  is that it is a BYOB so if you're a wine drinker that means that you can bring a great bottle and save on the tab.

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Havana, New Hope PA.

New Hope is just so busy, especially on a great weekend. The streets are packed with people and bikers and the restaurants and bars are packed as well.  Havana serves up some nice eclectic world cusine with dining al-fresco. The bar is usually standing room only. During the week Havana has music events, so keep an eye on that one. The interior is set up for music and cosy dining and drinking with couches as well as regular tables.

The food is descent, nothing extrabordinary. Nice varied menu from burgers to fish. Also new is their small plates menu a.k.a tapas. Nothing like spanish tapas, yet suitable if you just want small fare and alcohol. The service is good considering how busy the place can be. The wine list is not extensive but does just fine if you are in need of some alcohol

Definitely a good bet if your're in the neighborhood on a lovely weekend.

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OLD MAN Rafferty's, New Brunswick,NJ

I eat hear often. It's upscale and casual and won't destroy your wallet. The food is good and fresh. The service is always with a smile. The bar can get crowded during the weekend, but that's only a good thing in this economy.