"As easy as it is to find enjoyable restaurants of every stripe in New York City, I can remember my parents laboring to find good ones in NJ, where I grew up. Now, having moved back after decades in NY, I have to concede what the owner of our local body shop says--there aren't enough good places. We tried Cafe Chameleon for the first time this weekend, and while the bar was hoppin, the dining room was calm, with two young servers handling five active tables spread out in the large room. There were half a dozen four-tops available, but we were seated next to a table with two couples who at times shrieked with laughter: my wife remarked quietly that, in France where she grew up, the maitre d' would have asked those diners to be more considerate. (It's possible the restaurant was trying to calm the couples by seating us there, as there had also previously been a group of diners at the table they placed us at. The drinks were good, and I imagine a serious wine enthusiast would enjoy the thoughtful list...don't know why the server didn't think to offer it...while the food was merely okay. (The octopus my wife and son shared was nicely prepared; the main courses were all meh. One of the co-owners greeted us warmly during the meal, after the loud couples had gone, and there may be good dinners to be had here, if someone knows what Chameleon does well, but this didn't join our slowly-growing list of till-next-time places."
