Tamada
At a swanky Georgian newcomer, dinner is a built-in show of well-prepared classics and the occasional riff on something routine that doesn’t wholly reinvent a dish, but reimagines it in sunnier form. With standouts that showcase its homeland at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, it’s ready for a close-up on date night.
LongTable, at Mount Salem Vineyards
The “best dinner in Hunterdon County” just might be an annual event that celebrates heritage and harvest at a winery heralded for its world-class wines. It’s on tap for Sept. 12.
And Now for Something a Little Different
Our quintet of favorites as summer winds down sees members of the produce family having their say – and not always in the expected ways. Which is why, perhaps, these dishes stand out.
Samfaina
The Catalan version of ratatouille is a dish you need to have on your high-summer menu card. Today, super-star chef Craig Polignano offers tips to making the best-ever version of this celebration of the season.
Pan con Tomate
Follow our culinary leaders to a tomato-celebration feast that showcases a less-common dish and a technique that entertains as it maximizes taste. It’s perfect for a less-laborious Labor Day supper.
Carnitas Taco Factory
Come armed with an appetite and maybe even an army of sturdy flatware when you visit this fast-casual Mexican in a storefront that barely contains the gargantuan quesurritos made right in front of you.
Sweet Dynasty/Old Bridge
In an old Exxon station with plenty of space to make her Asian-inspired ice creams, Song Lee continues a tradition of artisan craftsmanship in scoopable frozen treats.
Potato-Tomato Causa
By subbing this season’s primo piece of produce for the usual chicken or tuna salads, you can put a new spin on the Peruvian classic that is so right for right now.
Citizen George
George Melick, a farmer with a piercing vision and a dominating presence not only in the fields and orchards, but in chambers where elected officials preside, turns 90. It’s cause for celebration and reflection.
S&Y Mini Hot Pot
An eminently pleasant, casually covert eatery run by a couple steeped in on-point cooking and hospitality might be the leader of a most respectable pack of hot-pot specialists now raising the bar on the genre in the Garden State.
The French Fry Guy
Andrew Keris, potato farmer and master of the double-deep-fry, turns out carton after carton of superior frites from the confines of his snappy green food truck. Catch him wherever you can.
Mom-and-Pop Shops Shine
Couples joining forces are the forces to be reckoned with in this round of favorites dominated by foods that emanate from small, family-run eateries. And then there’s a man and his potatoes.