Tag Archives: restaurants

New retail agent at Carriage City

It looks like Carriage City Plaza has a new leasing agent. Paramus-based The Goldstein Group moved into the ground-floor of the East Milton Avenue corner of the building several weeks ago.

No word from Silcon/Carriage City about what happened to the steakhouse — an unnamed “New Jersey institution” — that was in the works a year ago for that area. I’m sure you all have your guesses.

The dry cleaners at Carriage City has opened but it appears unlikely that Cuppy’s Coffee will move in next door (though Goldstein does label the space that way in their site plan). There remains a building permit on the front door of Cuppy’s — dated earlier this month — indicating alterations to the space for a “Mr. G’s.”

ESPN Radio at Stewart’s

For those of you who noticed a film crew at Stewart’s Drive-in on Jaques Avenue on Thursday, apparently ESPN Radio was filming a commercial for Mike & Mike in the Morning. They also used the St. Mark’s Church parking lot on Hamilton Street while doing other shoots around town. Thanks to all who emailed/commented with a heads-up.

The top posts of 2008

And now the moment you’ve all been waiting for, or not, the most viewed posts of 2008 (I’ll be scouring garage sales and flea markets for an appropriately gaudy trophy to present to the top spot):

1. Cubanu: A review, 855 page views
2. Luciano’s set to open, 847
3. On tap for 2008: Park Square, Sky View, 837
4. Luciano’s open for business, 446
5. Luciano’s: A review, 427
6. Pizza Pizza, 404
7. Zoning Board KOs condos at Koza’s, 387
8. Rahway welcomes Hollywood, 330
9. Eatery targets July opening, 267
10. The Waiting Room by a mile, 238

Hmm…I sense a restaurant theme. Maybe we’ll focus a bit more on that if that’s what readers want, although of the 132 posts in 2008, 20 were restaurant related. It’s likely a common way to find the blog, while looking for info about new restaurants, particularly Luciano’s and Cubanu. In 2009, we’ll also try to more consistently offer news outside of downtown, like Route 1 or St. Georges Avenue.

Luciano’s among best of ’08

Luciano’s Italian Ristorante and Lounge, which opened in January, was chosen among 11 of the state’s best restaurants of 2008 by The Star-Ledger last week:

“No jackets are required, but Luciano’s, a cavernous Tuscan-style restaurant, evokes a more genteel time. Not a mediocre dish on the table. Menu includes many standards — fried zucchini, mozzarella and roast peppers, veal saltimbocca. A great place to bring family for a good white-tablecloth meal at reasonable prices. Desserts, too, are made with care.”

Our last visit, for dinner just before Thanksgiving, was definitely a thumbs up — nice appetizer, great entree (Ahi Tuna) and good service. The chunks of blue cheese in the martini were a surprise; E for effort on trying to be distinctive, but I could do without it.

Three distinct retail districts downtown

Three distinct retail districts, with specific styles tailored to each, are recommended within downtown:

Continue reading Three distinct retail districts downtown

Enough demand for 18 more restaurants

Can the downtown area fit another 18 restuarants, on top of the existing handful already in business? Consultants that put together the Rahway Survey think so.

Continue reading Enough demand for 18 more restaurants

Restaurants would draw us downtown

Casual, upscale dining garnered the highest consistent interest among four categories of respondents to the Rahway Survey. Opinions were more varied among other retail choices.

Continue reading Restaurants would draw us downtown