Was the Real Choice Wendy's or Fine Dine

Mid-Hudson News Network ^ | August 1, 2004 | Statewide News Network

[Peach]

Weekend, July 31 - August 1, 2004

Copyright © 2004 Mid-Hudson News Network, a division of Statewide News Network, Inc. This story may not be reproduced in any form without express written consent.

Was the real lunch choice Wendy’s or fine dine

What was being served inside the bus? While Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry and his running mate, John Edwards, and their families were having a “lite” lunch at Wendy’s in the Town of Newburgh Friday, drumming up local support right after the national convention in Boston, their real lunches were waiting on their bus.

A member of the Kerry advance team called Nikola’s Restaurant at the Newburgh Yacht Club the night before and ordered 19 five-star lunches to go that would be picked up at noon Friday. Management at the restaurant, which is operated by CIA graduate chef Michael Dederick, was told the meals would be for the Kerry and Edwards families and actor Ben Affleck who was with them on the tour.

The gourmet meals to go included shrimp vindallo, grilled diver sea scallops, prosciutto, wrapped stuffed chicken, and steak salad. The meals came to about $200.

The entourage had also expected to stop at the Alexis Diner at Route 9W and North Plank Road in the Town of Newburgh. In fact, the Kerry advance team had ordered 125 lunches for the team and supporters. Their buses drove right by the diner on I-84 and proceeded straight to Wendy’s.

Kerry may still have the vote of Wendy’s manager John Garrett. “I’m for anyone who comes in and likes double cheeses”, Garrett said. “I’m a big supporter of anyone who orders our food.”

[lawgirl]

How much you want to bet they stiffed the diner for the bill too.

[Bob]

"The meals came to about $200."

Looking at the luncheon menu I am pretty amazed that the per person cost was only about $10. Doesn't sound right to me.

As incredible as $10 gourmet lunch sounds, I'm sure the real price is equally incredible. I think there's a missing operative word:

"The meals came to about $200 each."

[thathamiltonwoman]

Truthfully, I rarely see it spelled out. In its adveritsements, cooking shows and when its students talk about it it's always just plain CIA. Now in this particular case if I were the reporter I would've spelled it out at least once.

[Bob]

I can't understand why their poll numbers are the way they are. My sister is a die hard liberal and she was so bummed out when she realized Kerry was going to be the dems ticket. She is from Massachusetts too and can't stand the man.

Your suister probably can't stand the man because she knows him. People in the other 49 states don't know him yet. The more people get to know kerry, the more they'll dislike him too.

[Humbug]

$200 each doesn't sound right to me. Perhaps the owners of the restaurant were Dems and simply gave them a discount.

[Saundra Duffy]

Doesn't it just make you want to throw up?! And Mrs. Kerry doesn't even know what a good old fashioned hearty bowl of chili is? Sheeeeesh.

[cincinnati65]

From the sound of the meal, I'm thinking $200 per plate!

[lysie]

NewsMax has picked up on it

[LadyDoc]

The gourmet meals to go included shrimp vindallo, grilled diver sea scallops, prosciutto, wrapped stuffed chicken, and steak salad.

I can see the "spin now

In other words, they ate what the average ameican eats

That's what I eat:
Not "shrimp vineallo", but I ate fried shrimp at Long John Silver's yesterday.

Wrapped stuffed chicken? Nope, but Kentucky Fried chicken.

Prosciutto? Nope, but that's just italian for ham, and I ate a ham sandwich last week

? Steak Salad? No, but I had a salad and a piece of fried stake on the side (Atkins, you know)

Heck, isn't it nice we have a "normal" eating president, and not one who really eats hamburgers, like Clinton...

;-)

[LadyDoc]

Hey garcon, do you have any Grey Poupon?

That's not a joke...while in philadelphia, he asked for Swiss chees on his Cheesesteak.

Any Philly resident knows you use melted cheezewhiz on a genuine cheesesteak..

[independentmind]

Some people use provolone.:)

[Philistine]

No, those prices are definitely suspicious. Here is a review citing some prices from two years ago:

Nikola's Published December 6, 2002 By Lori Pierce Abendschein Poughkeepsie Journal You don't have to compete for a view at Nikola's Restaurant and Bistro, where every seat in the dining room mesmerizes diners with a panoramic view of the Hudson River. Sure, the view is nice. With the location at the Newburgh Yacht Club, one would expect it. The dining experience may be enhanced by the view, but as chef/owner and self-proclaimed purist Michael Dederick says, ''It's all about the food.'' Having worked in some of Manhattan's top restaurants including The River Cafe and Union Square Cafe, Dederick, thankfully, returned to his native Hudson Valley to set up shop. Don't miss the spring rolls Warm wedges of focaccia and a ramekin of briny olives in an excellent-tasting olive oil give you just the start, providing just enough so that you can focus on the menu. Dederick, assisted by chef de cuisine Ruth Ryan, take a seasonal approach to an eclectic menu that travels across Asian, French and Mediterranean borders. Try a trio of soups and be sure not to miss the grilled shrimp spring rolls ($10) -- a healthy stack of crisply fried rolls that are a sheer pleasure to eat, especially with the tangy, subtly sweet ginger-beet hoisin sauce. Risotto preparations vary, and you can count on a deliciously different preparation every night. On the evening of our visit, we were treated to the essence of pumpkin, which gave the toothsome grain a subtly exotic quality right down to the crisply fried lotus flower garnish ($9). On a brisk night it would be difficult to not be charmed by a beef Bolognaise with spinach over fusilli ($16), or perhaps what sounds like a real labor of love -- pork cutlet with apple spaetzle and sage-roasted root vegetables. I could have easily chosen the coq au vin -- the fanciful name for a simply prepared but no less delicious dish of wine-braised free range chicken accompanied by garlic mashed potatoes, broccoline and sweet caramelized shallots. Instead, Nikola's fisherman's chowder ($19) was the ideal choice, satisfying my desire for seafood but a hearty cold-weather meal all in one with its abundance of clams, shrimp, codfish, salmon and green beans transplanted into a deep bowl of buttery, creamy chowder. Our other entree was another example of Dederick's commitment to simplicity in preparation and ingredients. A healthy cut of tuna ($18) came perfectly seared, accompanied by parsnip mashed potatoes, earthy sweet oyster mushrooms and reduced balsamic glaze. Save room for dessert An experience at Nikola's doesn't cease with dinner and by the end of the meal, we found ourselves truly at ease and relaxed, enchanted by the lights shimmering on the river and eager to take on dessert. In addition to a long list of gelatos and sorbets, the temptation of an assorted cookie plate ($6), chocolate molten cake ($7) or sharing a trio of creme brule ($7) sounded like just the ending we needed. Three petite ramekins teeming with maple, vanilla and pumpkin custard were all quite good, however, not with as much distinguishable flavor as we hoped and the texture of the vanilla was thick and dry. Nikola's location away from the waterfront strand of restaurants encourages the need to pay careful attention to signs to find this hidden gem. Yes, it is ''all about the food,'' however, a treasure trove of fine service and ambience also awaits. The Poughkeepsie Journal pays for the meals that are the subjects of restaurant reviews and reviewers do not identify themselves prior to the end of the meal. Lori Pierce Abendschein is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America and a member of Women Chefs & Restaurateurs.

NIKOLA'S Rating breakdown Overall **** (Very Good) 1 Park Place at the Newburgh Yacht Club, Newburgh; (845) 561-5255; international cuisine; serving lunch and dinner seven days a week: lunch, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.; dinner, 5:30-10 p.m. Call for hours because restaurant may close to accommodate private functions; children may be accommodated; smoking is permitted in the bar/lounge area; reservations suggested; handicapped accessibility; all major credit cards accepted. Entrée price range — $16-$20. Directions — From Poughkeepsie, take Route 9 south to I-84 west. Cross Newburgh-Beacon Bridge and follow until second exit. Make a right onto Route 9W south. Travel approximately 100 feet and make first left onto Water Street. Take first left onto Montgomery and then a right under a stone bridge. Make a right and restaurant is just ahead. Rating breakdown Food...........................**** Ambience....................**** Service........................**** Value..........................**** What ratings mean * poor ** fair *** good **** very good ***** excellent.

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Copyright © 2002, Poughkeepsie Journal.
Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service (updated August 10, 2001).

[Philistine]

shrimp spring rolls ($10)

They're claiming 19 full boxed lunches only cost $200 when one egg roll cost $10?

BS.

[adam_az]

"Any Philly resident knows you use melted cheezewhiz on a genuine cheesesteak.."

Cheezewiz sux, provolone rox!

Swiss... that's just weird.

[Oatka]

God, I would have loved it if one of the Marines had shouted "TEN-HUT" and all of them snapped to attention when Kerry approached. Then, just as Kerry flashed that phoney smile, "ABOUHT-FACE!"

If not that, it's too bad that Marine didn't do an about face when Kerry came up to him. Either way, the phot-op would have been priceless. {Hint to future military who find themselves in these made-for-the-media situations.)

[Oztrich Boy]

Actually, CIA is the common acronym for the school. I guess you have to be a foodie to know that, though.

And MILF is a common acronym for something other than Moro Islamic Liberation Front. I guess you have to be a "South Park Republican" to know that though.

[independentmind]

Bother me again and I'll get you banned.

[LadyDoc]

http://philadelphia.about.com/cs/cheesesteaks/a/cheesesteak.htm

says American cheese or povolone are also used. I stand corrected.

http://philadelphia.about.com/library/howto/htmakeacheesesteak.htm

is the link on how to make a good cheese steak.

[pageonetoo]

There is no way 19 gourmet lunches only cost "about" $200.

...from the sounds of it, there were 19 different lunches, and they totalled around $200. I believe it would not be too much for a steak salad, or other things mentioned. I do not think they paid too much, or too little. I think they are total a$$holes, so hurting for approval, that they will lie to get it... any where, any time, any place! Oh, yeah, they are Dimocrats!

I do not see him carrying water, much less the election!

[Piranha]

Three entries for George W. Bush.