We closed the office early today and took the PATH train 1 stop from lower Manhattan to Jersey City to have dinner at the Hyatt Regency. It is way off the beaten path for New Yorkers, but we thought it would be a fun thing to do. My daughter and son-in-law were the first to respond to the Hyatt's promotional flyer 2 weeks ago, so the staff welcomed them back with a big smile. We were very pleased with the courteous, attentive service. We had a Caesar salad, delicious lump meat crabcakes that rivaled the ones we had in Baltimore, New York strip steak, surprisingly good house special fries, a cabernet from Sonoma Valley, and surf and turf with scallops, lobster, shrimp and filet mignon. Dessert was a souffle-like chocolate cupcake with melted chocolate inside. We didn't have the vegetable risotto this time, but we enjoyed the fragrance of the truffle oil in it every time the dish left the kitchen.

The spectacular view of the Manhattan skyline from the restaurant could not have been better. I was very glad to have had a chance to experience it because when you are in Manhattan, you can only imagine how beautiful it looks from afar.

Vu at the Hyatt Regency, 1 Exchange Place, Jersey City, New Jersey 07302 (201) 469-1234