Best of Jersey 2010: Food and Drink

Best Of Jersey - March 15, 2010

We asked our readers to list their favorite places to eat and drink, and boy-howdy did they ever respond. Read on to find out which places are readers feel are the "best" in the state. more

Vine

By Warren M. Bobrow - - February 19, 2010

Vine, a eclectic-menu establishment with a spacious and upscale ambience in Basking Ridge, offers a refreshing Southern Mediterranean option for jaded foodies. more

So Long, "Stringent" Process

By Mary Ann Castronovo Fusco - Restaurants - February 9, 2010

Looking back with Ruth Cousineau, test-kitchen director for the late, lamented Gourmet. more

Eno Terra

By Jill P. Capuzzo - - February 9, 2010

After earning his stripes with restaurant royalty, chef Chris Albrecht triumphs at home. more

Bona Vita Osteria

By Sam Kadko - - January 29, 2010

This traditional Italian restaurant, which occupies a handsome storefront in downtown Summit, is run by culinary veterans. more

Oceanos

By Karen Tina Harrison - - January 21, 2010

Oceanos, a Greek-accented seafood restaurant in Fair Lawn with a luxury yacht-esque ambience, aims for loftier standards. more

Fascino

By Stan Parish - - January 15, 2010

Nearly seven years on, the DePersio family’s pride and joy continues to sparkle. more

Why Cupid Has Chopsticks in His Quiver

By Brian Yarvin - Restaurants - January 13, 2010

The Chinese Year of the Tiger (4707, not Woods) begins on Valentine’s Day. Here’s a guide to dumplings and other festive fare. (Photos by Brian Yarvin) more

Food: Iron Bounty

NJ My Way - January 13, 2010

There are many fine Spanish and Portuguese restaurants in Newark’s Ironbound section, so inevitably when you select one to write about, there is dissension.

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Dough Boy

By Eric Levin - Restaurants - January 12, 2010

For our restaurant maven, making pizza is not easy as pie. more

The Original

By Jill P. Capuzzo - Restaurants - January 12, 2010

A century ago, after crossing the Atlantic, pizza crossed the Hudson and established itself in Trenton as the tomato pie—and you can still get the real deal. more

Searching For The Soul of Jersey Pizza

By Laura Schenone - Restaurants - January 12, 2010

This month, we attempted to answer a question that has befuddled philosophers for centuries—does pizza have a soul? Laura Schenone believes it might. more

Speak Quickly, And Carry a Big Spoon

By Eric Levin - Lifestyle - January 12, 2010

Whether cooking at her Hoboken restaurants (or at the White House), hunting edible lizards in Peru or hairy chayotes in Weehawken, Maricel Presilla is an ebullient culinary force. more

Big Wing Wah

By Sam Kadko - - January 4, 2010

Can a Chinese and Japanese restaurant in Hillsborough, whose name translates to "big success," make a splash on the dining scene? more

Ebbitt Room

By Adam Erace - - December 23, 2009

Curtis Bashaw recruited chef Lucas Manteca to run the Ebbitt Room, the AAA Five Diamond Award-winning restaurant at the Virginia Hotel in Cape May. more

Day Trip: Edgewater

By Alicia Staffa - Towns & Schools - December 16, 2009

A shopping and cultural center along the Hudson. more

Cookbook as Cliffhanger

By Eric Levin - Restaurants - December 15, 2009

Restaurant Nicholas’s handsome tome is for kitchens as well as coffee tables. more

The Dosa

By Brian Yarvin - Restaurants - December 15, 2009

South India's favorite finger food arrives in New Jersey. more

Doc's

By Karen Tina Harrison - - December 15, 2009

Builder Don Luisi bids to make his hometown of Sparta synonymous with superb steaks and seafood. more

Butternut Squash Soup

Restaurants - December 9, 2009

“Butternut squash soup is a classic dish," says Michael Burbella, executive chef of Table 8 in Montclair. more

Za

By Stan Parish - - December 7, 2009

An ambitious New American-style restaurant settles in Pennington. more

Fornelletto

By Adam Erace - - November 18, 2009

A rustic Italian restaurant in the Borgata has developed a convincing wine cellar theme. more

Food: Help On The Side

NJ My Way - November 18, 2009

Daylight savings has come and gone, which means Thanksgiving's right around the corner. You'd love to get into the kitchen and prepare a spectacular meal from soup to nuts, but your schedule's insane.

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A Soup Kitchen That Turns Out Chefs

By Jill P. Capuzzo - Restaurants - November 10, 2009

Camden's venerable Cathedral Kitchen has been producing some accomplished chefs. more

Tomatoe's

By Jill P. Capuzzo - - November 10, 2009

While other Shore restaurants hibernate, Tomatoe’s in Margate kicks into holiday gear —and keeps the festive fires burning all winter. more

Witherspoon Grill

By Stan Parish - - October 30, 2009

When Princeton restaurateur Jack Morrison snapped up a piece of prime real estate on Princeton Library Plaza in 2004 and dropped a substantial sum for the last available liquor license in town, it seemed he had a plan. Turns out, he didn’t. “It took months just to come up with a concept,” he says, laughing. “I like to pick a goal, then figure out the hardest route to get there.” more

Food: Cinnamon and Spice

NJ My Way - October 28, 2009

The aroma is incredible as you enter Cinnamon Indian Restaurant in Morris Plains.

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Zylo

By Karen Tina Harrison - - October 23, 2009

When Zylo opened in March in the new W Hotel in Hoboken (the first W in New Jersey), it was hobbled by amateurish service and no clear identity beyond its slick “Tuscan steakhouse” label. Half a year later, it has emerged from its growing pains as an appealing and even cocky young restaurant. more

Pig Heaven

By Eric Levin - Restaurants - October 21, 2009

The Mangalitsa pig has bounced back from near extinction to be prized by foodies for its beefy flavor and luscious fat. The only place Mangalitsas are being raised East of the Mississippi is, you guessed it, New Jersey. more

Food: Lo Fatt Chow

NJ My Way - October 21, 2009

It’s hard to miss the Route 31 billboard for Lo Fatt Chow in the Ringoes/Flemington area-not for its design, but for its name.

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The Barkeep's Barkeep

By Mary Ann Castronovo Fusco - Restaurants - October 15, 2009

Ray Foley’s recipe for success runs from punch to punch lines. more

Anton's At The Swan

By Jill P. Capuzzo - - October 13, 2009

The plush style harkens back to a time before casual was the mantra, but the food is fully contemporary. more

Hoboken's Tastebud Tour

By Jason Stahl - Restaurants - October 13, 2009

The Hoboken Food Tour offers can't-miss culinary delights fit for the most discriminating palates. more

Glad Tidings

By Susan Brierly - Restaurants - September 16, 2009

As crisp autumn winds begin to blow, grab your favorite sweater and head over to the charming Gladstone Tavern for warm mulled wine, Grandpa Chet’s pumpkin cake, and some neighborly cheer. more

Soulful Stirrings

By Susan Brierly - Restaurants - September 16, 2009

Consummate queen of cuisine Julia Child once declared, “I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate.” more

Gluten: Not Is Hot

By Jill P. Capuzzo - Restaurants - September 16, 2009

At this summer’s Fancy Food Show in New York City, 108 companies featured gluten-free products, everything from pizza and lasagna to chocolate chip cookies and English muffins, all minus the offending gluten protein. more

Pluckemin Inn

By Eric Levin - - September 14, 2009

After a stressful year, the Pluckemin Inn reemerges with a sterling new executive chef and continuity in other key posts, from pastry chef Joseph Gabriel to owner Gloria LaGrassa. more

Sonic Boom

By Mallory Gelert and Jessica Remo - Restaurants - September 14, 2009

It began quietly in the fall of 2007 with the opening of Sonic’s first New Jersey location in Waretown. Millville and Rio Grande followed in 2008. more

Blackfish

By Adam Erace - - August 26, 2009

Blackfish, a breezy, beach-chic establishment in Stone Harbor, serves up New American fare for the beach-going set. more

Topaz Thai

By Karen Tina Harrison - - August 20, 2009

Nearly every Thursday since it opened three years ago, about six interns and residents from the New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry in Newark have driven north to Belleville for lunch or dinner at Topaz Thai. more

Food: Pick the Blossom

NJ My Way - August 19, 2009

There is a blossom in bloom in a nondescript strip mall on Howard Boulevard in Mt. Arlington.

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Slow Food For Fast Times

By Mary Ann Castronovo Fusco - Restaurants - August 13, 2009

The Slow Food movement has an alternative to the traditional Labor Day cookout: the eat-in, a foodie version of the civil-rights era sit-in. more

Janice, A Bistro

By Karen Tina Harrison - - August 10, 2009

The Sheridan Café, a circa-1949 Ho-Ho-Kus luncheonette, was bought in 2001 and restored, bistro-style, by locals Janice and John Tinari. more

Field of Dreams

By Eric Levin - Plain Sight: A Jersey Photo Blog - August 3, 2009

Margaret Noon's Sustenance Events company recenty held a benefit for the New Jersey Slow Food movement at the Griggstown Quail Farm, near Princeton. Prior to an excellent four-course dinner under a white tent in a vast grassy field, the patrons received a tour of the farm and were introduced to some of its feathered inhabitants...

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Shogun Legends

By Jill P. Capuzzo - - July 29, 2009

From the moment you enter its castle-like wooden doors, Shogun Legends in Wall showers the senses. more

IndeBlue

By Adam Erace - - July 23, 2009

Indeblue in Collingswood does not look like your average Indian tandoor house. Small and snug, with only 31 seats, it retains the shiny-blue and hazmat-orange surfaces of its predecessor, an icy-hip crêperie called 5th Corner. more

Cucharamama

By Stan Parish - - July 13, 2009

Maricel Presilla’s Cucharamama (“Mother Spoon”) celebrates traditional South American cooking as lovingly passed down by women at the family hearth. more

Save My Restaurant

By Joel Keller - Restaurants - July 13, 2009

Owners learn to be careful what they wish for after inviting Gordon Ramsay and his reality TV series Kitchen Nightmares to right their ships. more

Savor City

By Karen Tina Harrison - Restaurants - July 13, 2009

Paterson, the one-time Silk City, is a Great Falls of ethnic eating. more

The Wizard of Zod

By Eric Levin - Lifestyle - July 13, 2009

Why New York wants to grab New Jersey’s hugely talented, most idiosyncratic chef, and why he doesn’t want to leave—yet. more

Andrea Trattoria

By Jill P. Capuzzo - - July 2, 2009

If not for the luxury cars crowding the parking lot on Saturday nights, Andrea Trattoria in Newfield would look like any number of South Jersey roadside taverns. more

Resto

By Eric Levin - - June 24, 2009

What is “modern French,” the cuisine of Madison’s year-old Resto? In the hands of chef-owner Robert Ubhaus—an Edison native who trained in Paris, Italy, San Francisco, Long Beach Island, and at New York City’s French Culinary Institute—it’s above all “fine dining without the pretension.” more

Due Mari

By Karen Tina Harrison - - June 16, 2009

Emphasizing seafood, Due Mari (“two seas”) joins its Bernardsville sibling, Due Terre (“two lands”), to form a dynamic duo. more

Iron Hill Cometh

By Eric Levin - Restaurants - June 10, 2009

Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant will become New Jersey’s thirteenth brewpub when it opens in Maple Shade this month. more

Jam Sessions

By Eric Levin - Restaurants - June 10, 2009

Switching from making documentaries to making conserves in France, two expat Brits have Tea Together ready for its Jersey close-up. more

Matt's Red Rooster Grill

By Jill P. Capuzzo - - May 19, 2009

The Red Rooster, a four-and-a-half-year-old restaurant in a converted Victorian in Flemington, is trying hard to bring big city sophistication to Hunterdon’s county seat. more

Oh! Calamares

By Karen Tina Harrison - - May 13, 2009

Long before Miami chefs dreamed up Nuevo Latino fusion in the late 1980s, Peruvians had fashioned their own enduring fusion. more

Deep in the Heart of Jersey

By Eric Levin - Restaurants - May 11, 2009

Boyd Lafferty grew up in Cape May, then spent 28 years in the semiconductor business in Austin, Texas. While there he earned a PhD. in international business, but when he returned home in 2004 he was thinking strictly local. more

100 Shore Things

Jersey Shore - May 8, 2009

If there is anyone out there who hasn’t spent time down the Shore lately, please raise your hand. Okay, you two in the back, this article is just for you. more

Kinkis: The Wings Beneath My Belt

By Eric Levin - Restaurants - May 7, 2009

A late-night stop in Atlantic City pays off in peerless chicken wings. more

Blu

By Stan Parish - - May 7, 2009

Zod Arifai serves great food at prices that are simply unfair (to other restaurants that charge more for less). more

Max's Seafood Cafe

By Adam Erace - - April 28, 2009

One thing that never flusters a 97-year-old restaurant is a culinary fad. So at Max’s—a handsome tavern founded by German immigrant Joseph Fred Leisinger in 1912—you won’t find sous-vide duck breast, tapas, or powdered olive oil. more

La Fusta

By Jacqueline Mroz - - April 23, 2009

Beef cattle are so plentiful in Argentina, the legend goes, that gauchos barely have to reach out to carve a steak from a passing animal. As gruesome as that sounds, it illustrates the point that beef is an even bigger part of the Argentine diet than it is of ours. more

Nisi Estiatorio

By Karen Tina Harrison - - April 16, 2009

The Mourkakos brothers lured chef John Piliouras from Molyvos, the New York restaurant he made famous, to Englewood, where he’s raising Greek cuisine to Olympian heights. more

Food: Deluxe Burgers

NJ My Way - April 8, 2009

No question, the burger is back in a big way. Restaurants have figured out that a great burger is recession proof, and can still pack ‘em in.

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Recipe: Goat Cheese Stuffed Zucchini

Restaurants - April 7, 2009

The versatile vegetable stars in this appetizing appetizer or side dish from chef and author George Kyrtatas. more

Recipe: Fennel, Feta and Kalamata Olive Salad

Restaurants - April 6, 2009

Complementary flavors and textures make this simple salad from chef and author George Kyrtatas a winner. more

Recipe: Summer Berry Smoothie

Restaurants - April 6, 2009

Here's a delicious and satisfying shake that happens to be good for you. more

Recipe: Grilled Tuna Steaks Baja

Restaurants - April 6, 2009

Cumin, cilantro and garlic raise tuna steaks to lip-smacking heights in this dish from chef Chris Koch of Friendship Dairies. more

Recipe: Baked Prawns and Three Cheeses

Restaurants - April 6, 2009

Whether served as appetizer or entrée, this adaptable dish from chef and author George Kyrtatas is hearty and delectable. more

Pour Me In

By Jen A. Miller - Southern Scene - April 6, 2009

It’s not always good news when a favorite dining spot revamps, but this story has a happy ending.

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The Chain Gang

By Jen A. Miller - Southern Scene - March 3, 2009

Could dinner at a chain stack up to an independent restaurant meal? There is no simple answer.

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Treno

By Jen A. Miller - - March 2, 2009

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Wasabi Asian Plates and Sushi Bar

By Drew Anne Scarantino - - March 1, 2009

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Eno Terra

By Stan Parish - - November 20, 2008

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Sapori

By Jill P. Capuzzo - - November 11, 2008

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Bringing Home the Bacon

By Jessica Kitchin - Lifestyle - November 10, 2008

How A&P is shifting course with the help of some dynamic female executives. more

Painted Cottage Cafe

By Jen A. Miller - - November 10, 2008

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Caffe Piazza

By Drew Anne Scarantino - - November 3, 2008

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Food

By Deborah P. Carter - - November 2, 2008

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Olive and Fig

By Donna Panagakos - - November 2, 2008

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Bella Italia Ristorante

By Deborah P. Carter - - October 13, 2008

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Bellisimo Ristorante

By Deborah P. Carter - - October 13, 2008

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Tim McLoone's Supper Club

By Jill P. Capuzzo - - October 6, 2008

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The Treehouse

By Jen A. Miller - - October 6, 2008

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Café Panache

By Karen Tina Harrison - - September 23, 2008

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Artisanal Foods

By Laura Schenone - Lifestyle - September 17, 2008

Six years ago, New Jersey had about 50 farmers’ markets. Now there are more than 100. We like having the farm come to us. But now more than ever we are also welcome at the farm—where we can observe (and taste!) the new artisanship in action. The recipe is simple: small batches yield high quality. Just add passion, know-how, and hard work. more

Hola Rosa!

NJ My Way - September 3, 2008

We admit, the guacamole – made fresh at the table - at Rosa Mexicano has always been a driving force behind our relationship with a favorite New York restaurant.

We’ve waited all summer for New Jersey’s first Rosa Mexicana to open its doors. And we’re happy to say, it's arrived.

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Pizza On The Rocks

NJ My Way - August 27, 2008

In New Jersey, where pizza reigns supreme, and no hometown strip mall or downtown exists without a favored slice-a-teria…we are passionate about our pies.

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Olympic Chef

NJ My Way - August 20, 2008

One of New Jersey’s brightest culinary stars is home after 19 days in Beijing as the sole chef chosen by the International Olympic Committee to represent the United States. And he brings news for the state’s restaurant scene.

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Weekend Picks: A New Jersey Day-cation

NJ My Way - August 14, 2008

There are music or food festivals in just about every part of the state.

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State Street Grill

By Ken Schlager - - August 12, 2008

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Elevation Burger

By Deborah P. Carter - - August 11, 2008

Health-conscious fast food. more

Weekend Picks: Festivals and Fairs

NJ My Way - August 7, 2008

It’s a big weekend for food and wine lovers at the Jersey Fresh Food and Wine Festival, Saturday and Sunday at Hopewell Valley Vineyards in Pennington. Taste wines from the state’s vineyards, attend seminars by wine and food experts, and try food from Brothers Moon and Nomad Pizza Company in Hopewell, The Bent Spoon, Tre Piani Restaurant and Underground Café in Princeton, and High Street Grill in Mt. Holly.

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Napoli Pizza Trattoria and Cafe

By Alicia Staffa - - August 4, 2008

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Nomad Pizza

By Emily Faherty - - August 3, 2008

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New Carolina Cuisine

NJ My Way - July 30, 2008

Jesse Jones grew up eating the classic Southern cooking his mother and grandmother made in the small town of Snow Hill, North Carolina.

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A Bite of the (Big) Apple

By Jessica Kitchin - Lifestyle - July 9, 2008

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Apron

By Jen A. Miller - - July 7, 2008

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Blue Eyes

By Jen A. Miller - - June 17, 2008

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Taste of Louisiana

By Deborah P. Carter - From the Editors - June 16, 2008

Michael Arnone's Crawfish Fest will keep you coming back for more.

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La Strada Cafe

By Donna Panagakos - - June 8, 2008

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Milford Oyster House

By Lynn Ruane - - May 12, 2008

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Gen Hibachi and Asian Cuisine

By Alicia Staffa - - May 12, 2008

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Lilly's on the Canal

By Emily Faherty - - May 5, 2008

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Simply Radishing

By Emily Faherty - - April 13, 2008

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Best Of Jersey: Pizza

Best Of Jersey - March 10, 2008

The secret? New Haven native turned jersey guy says, “It’s the love.” more

Best Of Jersey: Food

Best Of Jersey - March 10, 2008

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Anitas Asian Fusion

- March 10, 2008

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Dig Dem Dogs

By Eric Levin - Lifestyle - January 31, 2008

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Cork

By Eric Levin - - January 30, 2008

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CulinAriane

By Valerie Sinclair - - January 30, 2008

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Fromagerie

By Valerie Sinclair - - January 29, 2008

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Suilan

By Maureen Fitzgerald - - January 28, 2008

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Bobby Flay Steak

By Eric Levin - - January 28, 2008

Throwdown with Bobby Flay—the brash, boyish star’s latest Food Network series—is all about one-upmanship. more

The Dining Room at Anthony David's

By Stan Parish - - January 28, 2008

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Restaurant Nicholas

By Valerie Sinclair - - January 28, 2008

Test Test Test more

Rosie’s Food Bytes: Viking Chef

By Dianne Doctor - NJ My Way - January 9, 2008

Recently our food editor Rosalie Saferstein participated in a cooking class, “Date Night: In The City,” at Viking Culinary Center (www.VikingCookingSchool.com) in Fairfield, operated by the makers of the high-end kitchen equipment. Here are her thoughts.

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