New to Soma and restaurants are $$$$$$!
If dinner is too expensive, try going out for lunch. Costs tend to be lower at restaurants that have a lunch menu. Portions in many local restaurants are large. You can eat half and take home the other half for a second meal. That reduces your overall cost. Another possibility is to order take out and save the recommended 20% tip. There are ways to eat out twice a week and make it work.
(Many) years ago, we moved from LA to Massachusetts to central New York state to NJ and almost fell over at the NJ prices, notably restaurant prices. You'll get used to it/adjust your ways. Enjoy your time in SOMA!
mjc said:
(Many) years ago, we moved from LA to Massachusetts to central New York state to NJ and almost fell over at the NJ prices, notably restaurant prices. You'll get used to it/adjust your ways. Enjoy your time in SOMA!
We suffered something similar when we moved from Austin to MAPSO. There's also a real difference in the scope of options when you move from a big vibrant city to a small town that is constrained by astronomical rents.
One of the things that I have loved about Edmonton is the HUGE variety of restaurants that we have here. Rent is cheap and, if someone wants to try something, they can just go a head and give it a shot. Who knew there were so many regional Indian cuisines but, right now, I am really getting in to Persian food.
Of course, now days, the rents in Austin are astronomical too. The house we bought for 200k in 2004 just sold for 2 MILLION (or so I read on Zillow). Should have hung on to that one.
CharlesG said:
ml1 said:
So you can afford a home in this town, but not the restaurants?
We can afford the restaurants. But if we had to buy our home today, we couldn't afford it.
I’m not sure what you’re saying. I can’t live here if I can’t eat out? Our home isn’t great but we like it. We also like eating out. We try to do it twice a week as a fam.
Don't mind him, some people on here just like to argue.
Dining out in SoMa is definitely a pricey proposition these days. I think this may be peak pricey SoMa dining: https://www.nj.com/food/2023/06/a-68-pizza-revived-new-jersey-restaurant-falls-flat-review.html
(I read the article the other day but now it seems to be a subscriber exclusive. It wasn't kind to Village Hall and its $68 pizza.)
Two other options you may consider that haven't been mentioned -- Reservoir (not cheap but reasonable for good basic Italian) and Valley St Eatery (a pay-before-you-eat place that's primarily breakfast/lunch but I think they've added some dinner hours).
CharlesG said:
ml1 said:
So you can afford a home in this town, but not the restaurants?
We can afford the restaurants. But if we had to buy our home today, we couldn't afford it.
I’m not sure what you’re saying. I can’t live here if I can’t eat out? Our home isn’t great but we like it. We also like eating out. We try to do it twice a week as a fam.
no. I'm just surprised that anyone who recently bought a home here is surprised that restaurants are pricey. As others have pointed out, the cost of living, especially rents, are high.
that said, there are diner options that are less costly than fancier spots. Park Wood is very nice, and the owners are very friendly, and the food is good.
GoSlugs said:
We suffered something similar when we moved from Austin to MAPSO. There's also a real difference in the scope of options when you move from a big vibrant city to a small town that is constrained by astronomical rents.
One of the things that I have loved about Edmonton is the HUGE variety of restaurants that we have here. Rent is cheap and, if someone wants to try something, they can just go a head and give it a shot. Who knew there were so many regional Indian cuisines but, right now, I am really getting in to Persian food.
---Variety of restaurants. You mentioned Persian. There is a town in eastern PA, Feasterville. It has a couple of Uzbek restaurants. They are wonderful. About 15 minutes from Lambertville, if you are in Lambertville for any reason.
I really feel that, if you are on a budget, Manny's Texas Weiners across from Home Depot is underrated. Their hamburgers are quite good and, even deluxe, come in under $10.
Formerlyjerseyjack said:
---Variety of restaurants. You mentioned Persian. There is a town in eastern PA, Feasterville. It has a couple of Uzbek restaurants. They are wonderful. About 15 minutes from Lambertville, if you are in Lambertville for any reason.
That sounds cool. It's weird the regional pockets you can find out in America. A couple of years ago, I had one of the best Italian dinners I have ever had at a restaurant in a small town in Minnesota. 500 people, hundreds of miles from the nearest population center, we stopped for gas and ended up having our minds blown.
PA Uzbek sounds like something I really would want to check out, if I am ever near Lambertville.
From that NJ.com article about the Village Hall regarding the chicken pizza...
On to the culmination of my visit. When the tavern signature chicken pizza arrived to my table, complete with a pizza stand, it wasn’t a pizza at all. Ground chicken was moulded, breaded and deep fried, creating a massive, pepper-heavy cutlet which served as the crust. The $68 made more sense; that’s quite a bit of meat. The oversized patty was topped with very tangy tomato sauce, nice medallions of fresh mozzarella and gorgeous leaves of fresh basil. I’ve had versions of this “chicken parm pizza” in NYC and can say that this one didn’t hold a candle to the more superior options across the river. For one, the undercarriage was soggy, so much so that the breading was gooey and separated from the chicken. This made for a messy and texturally unappealing experience. They heavy-handed pepper in the chicken mix also overwhelmed, rendering the mozzarella and basil almost mute. Neighboring tables actually came over to photograph the “pizza” before I dug in — such was its novel presentation — but beyond that, this dish needs a good deal of work. For the hefty price tag, I had higher expectations.
Ouch!
I'm on record here complaining about burger prices at every new place that opens up in the SOMA/Mapso area, I think you'll have better luck in Union, to be honest. A few months ago I went to Osteria Del Corso, ordered some cheese and nduja and 2 drinks and walked out $70 lighter. We're kind of like a frog in a pot, unfortunately. It's just the way it is.
ridski said:
From that NJ.com article about the Village Hall regarding the chicken pizza...
On to the culmination of my visit. When the tavern signature chicken pizza arrived to my table, complete with a pizza stand, it wasn’t a pizza at all. Ground chicken was moulded, breaded and deep fried, creating a massive, pepper-heavy cutlet which served as the crust. The $68 made more sense; that’s quite a bit of meat. The oversized patty was topped with very tangy tomato sauce, nice medallions of fresh mozzarella and gorgeous leaves of fresh basil. I’ve had versions of this “chicken parm pizza” in NYC and can say that this one didn’t hold a candle to the more superior options across the river. For one, the undercarriage was soggy, so much so that the breading was gooey and separated from the chicken. This made for a messy and texturally unappealing experience. They heavy-handed pepper in the chicken mix also overwhelmed, rendering the mozzarella and basil almost mute. Neighboring tables actually came over to photograph the “pizza” before I dug in — such was its novel presentation — but beyond that, this dish needs a good deal of work. For the hefty price tag, I had higher expectations.
That sounds almost as dreadful as Drummerboy's Ohio Sweet Pizza Sauce. Some lines were not meant to be crossed.
ml1 said:
CharlesG said:
ml1 said:
So you can afford a home in this town, but not the restaurants?
We can afford the restaurants. But if we had to buy our home today, we couldn't afford it.
I’m not sure what you’re saying. I can’t live here if I can’t eat out? Our home isn’t great but we like it. We also like eating out. We try to do it twice a week as a fam.
no. I'm just surprised that anyone who recently bought a home here is surprised that restaurants are pricey. As others have pointed out, the cost of living, especially rents, are high.
that said, there are diner options that are less costly than fancier spots. Park Wood is very nice, and the owners are very friendly, and the food is good.
I’m not sure what my mortgage and the price of food have to do with each other. My point was it’s hard to find reasonable places to grab a bite around here.
CharlesG said:
ml1 said:
CharlesG said:
ml1 said:
So you can afford a home in this town, but not the restaurants?
We can afford the restaurants. But if we had to buy our home today, we couldn't afford it.
I’m not sure what you’re saying. I can’t live here if I can’t eat out? Our home isn’t great but we like it. We also like eating out. We try to do it twice a week as a fam.
no. I'm just surprised that anyone who recently bought a home here is surprised that restaurants are pricey. As others have pointed out, the cost of living, especially rents, are high.
that said, there are diner options that are less costly than fancier spots. Park Wood is very nice, and the owners are very friendly, and the food is good.
I’m not sure what my mortgage and the price of food have to do with each other. My point was it’s hard to find reasonable places to grab a bite around here.
I thought it was amusing that someone who was recently looking at real estate prices in SOMA got sticker shock from the restaurants. For me it's the reverse.
I didn't realize it would upset you. Sorry.
ml1 said:
CharlesG said:
ml1 said:
CharlesG said:
ml1 said:
So you can afford a home in this town, but not the restaurants?
We can afford the restaurants. But if we had to buy our home today, we couldn't afford it.
I’m not sure what you’re saying. I can’t live here if I can’t eat out? Our home isn’t great but we like it. We also like eating out. We try to do it twice a week as a fam.
no. I'm just surprised that anyone who recently bought a home here is surprised that restaurants are pricey. As others have pointed out, the cost of living, especially rents, are high.
that said, there are diner options that are less costly than fancier spots. Park Wood is very nice, and the owners are very friendly, and the food is good.
I’m not sure what my mortgage and the price of food have to do with each other. My point was it’s hard to find reasonable places to grab a bite around here.
I thought it was amusing that someone who was recently looking at real estate prices in SOMA got sticker shock from the restaurants. For me it's the reverse.
I didn't realize it would upset you. Sorry.
It didn’t upset me. It was similar to the response I got on soma Facebook. I guess overpriced restaurants are more accepted this way. I was hoping someone knew of a joint or two with a realistic menu. Someone this afternoon mentioned to me that there’s a place called the star Tavern in Orange? They say it’s awesome with good pricing .
CharlesG said:
It didn’t upset me. It was similar to the response I got on soma Facebook. I guess overpriced restaurants are more accepted this way. I was hoping someone knew of a joint or two with a realistic menu. Someone this afternoon mentioned to me that there’s a place called the star Tavern in Orange? They say it’s awesome with good pricing .
You get that charging what is realistic for your budget may not be realistic for the restaurant owners budget?
The problem you are describing is the result of the very high cost of running a restaurant in MAPSO, not some sort of attempt to gouge customers. If you stick around here for a bit you will see that most new restaurants fail by their third year in business (if not sooner). I can't count the number of restaurants that have opened and closed in that space next to the ice cream shop.
GoSlugs said:
Welcome to MOL, by the way.
Yeah, nice welcome. CharlesG, their bark is much worse than their bite... usually. Welcome to MOL!!!
KarenMarlowe said:
GoSlugs said:
Welcome to MOL, by the way.
Yeah, nice welcome. CharlesG, their bark is much worse than their bite... usually. Welcome to MOL!!!
well perhaps I started the stampede by complaining about local prices. And thank you for the welcome!
CharlesG said:
KarenMarlowe said:
GoSlugs said:
Welcome to MOL, by the way.
Yeah, nice welcome. CharlesG, their bark is much worse than their bite... usually. Welcome to MOL!!!
well perhaps I started the stampede by complaining about local prices. And thank you for the welcome!
MOL has a loooooong history of being mean. LOL! They blamed it on the anonymity of the user accounts. Then, Facebook happened and no one was anonymous, but still mean. Then, NextDoor happened and no one was anonymous but were definitely your neighbors and super-mean anyway...
KarenMarlowe said:
MOL has a loooooong history of being mean. LOL! They blamed it on the anonymity of the user accounts. Then, Facebook happened and no one was anonymous, but still mean. Then, NextDoor happened and no one was anonymous but were definitely your neighbors and super-mean anyway...
I'm not trying to be mean, it's just that the question has a super simple answer. Definitely not trying to be super mean.
Another good place for cheap sit down eats (although it is a little bit of a drive) is Holstens over in Bloomfield. The burgers are good and the ice cream deserts are outstanding. Plus, if you ever were a fan of the Sopranos....
Summit’s downtown has Nageen Persian Grill, if someone’s looking for something close to home but a bit off the beaten track. Nondescript storefront at the east end of Springfield Avenue. Has been there for years. Often the owner takes your order himself and then goes in the back and cooks it. I have always enjoyed anything I’ve tried there.
GoSlugs said:
KarenMarlowe said:
MOL has a loooooong history of being mean. LOL! They blamed it on the anonymity of the user accounts. Then, Facebook happened and no one was anonymous, but still mean. Then, NextDoor happened and no one was anonymous but were definitely your neighbors and super-mean anyway...
I'm not trying to be mean, it's just that the question has a super simple answer. Definitely not trying to be super mean.
Another good place for cheap sit down eats (although it is a little bit of a drive) is Holstens over in Bloomfield. The burgers are good and the ice cream deserts are outstanding. Plus, if you ever were a fan of the Sopranos....
I didn't mean you. You've been kind. 
GoSlugs said:
Of course, now days, the rents in Austin are astronomical too. The house we bought for 200k in 2004 just sold for 2 MILLION (or so I read on Zillow). Should have hung on to that one.
Excuse the thread drift, but I owned a number of properties in Austin between 1985 and 2000, including three downtown condos and a house in Tarrytown I bought for $70k. Every so often I go on Zillow and calculate how stinkin' rich I'd be if I'd kept even a few of them.
I haven’t been to the new Artie’s location yet, but old Arturo’s always qualified as a “really want to eat out” kind of place for us. If a $16 Gaslight burger is in the ballpark, a dollar or two more for one of Artie’s pasta dishes or small pizzas might have a chance to get past a jaw without dropping it.
KarenMarlowe said:
MOL has a loooooong history of being mean. LOL! They blamed it on the anonymity of the user accounts. Then, Facebook happened and no one was anonymous, but still mean. Then, NextDoor happened and no one was anonymous but were definitely your neighbors and super-mean anyway...
what is it about online that makes people so mean? I see it everywhere. *
It makes me very uneasy because one main thing that distinguishes written from oral communication is that you can slow down and think before you type. Which makes me worry that everyone around me is underneath it all a judgmental a-hole, once they have a chance to catch their breath and think. They are only nice when they don't really have time to respond as they truly believe.
I used to think the opposite, I.e. that people would be nicer online because they would have time to think and wouldn't want to hurt people's feelings. Was I ever wrong.
*I don't think this thread is an example of that fwiw ... just people giving answers that OP wasn't satisfied with, I think because they were interested in concrete suggestions and people were giving reasons for high prices and/or checking assumptions, e.g. what counts as "reasonable." I.e. mismatch in expectations.
Either Cactus Charly or Toro Loco took care of a family eat-out itch on the cheap, too.
DaveSchmidt said:
If a $16 Gaslight burger is in the ballpark, a dollar or two more for one of Artie’s pasta dishes or small pizzas might have a chance to get past a jaw without dropping it.
his jaw will eventually drop as he bites into that burger from gaslight.
If Charles hang around long enough he might have second thoughts about gaslight.
Can we suggest he goes over to millburn for dinner? That’s a real sleepy little town….
The Star Tavern is a quick drive and terrific for families. Everyone goes there for the incredible pizza but they have burgers for about $10.00 too.
nan said:
The Star Tavern is a quick drive and terrific for families. Everyone goes there for the incredible pizza but they have burgers for about $10.00 too.
ha! We went tonight and loved it!! Best place so far.
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You can dine in any of them. All are family friendly. Roman Gourmet is probably the least "dine-in-ish."