Saturday night food notes

Saturday night is the one night we eat out, so we headed to Bergenfield to try one of the Filipino restaurants. First we drove to Wuzz Up! on Bedford Street, formerly Migdalia's Cuban Cafe, but it was setting up for a private party. We walked up Bedford to Cusinera, on South Washington Avenue, where Migdalia Sanchez Morales started out.

We placed our order after the woman behind the counter pointed to what was available and described the dishes. We asked for three egg rolls, three small, whole roasted fish; beef, tripe and green beans in a peanut sauce; pork chunks in shrimp paste, and white rice. We finished with three more egg rolls, but these were stuffed with sweet plantain. The white-fleshed fish were mackerel-like and delicious. And we loved the pork in the salty shrimp paste and the mounds of beautiful rice. The tripe and green beans were good, but the beef was too fatty. The plantain egg roll was a sweet ending to the meal. We spent about $25 for three, including two sodas and a water.

Then we headed to the new Target in Paramus, passing what looked like 75 or so people waiting on line inside and outside Bobby Flay's new hamburger restaurant. Maybe they were giving away the food. I haven't eaten there and don't want to. (See earlier post, "Hear the sizzle, smell the hype.") Give me Fuddruckers any day, if it is still serving a naturally raised ostrich burger or fish sandwich as an alternative to its beef hamburgers.

We had Target coupons that we wanted to use before they expired. I had a free green tea at Starbucks, my 11-year-old son had a free Icee and we got $5 off a purchase of $25 in groceries, which included Italian blood orange soda and fruit bars. While I was shopping, I heard a woman say into a cell phone, "Do you want Hot Pockets for dinner?"