Mishta
While ingredient pedigrees need to be specified on the menu or at least readily recited by staffers schooled in the farm connections ownership claims, the true-to-region Indian fare at this swanky spot in a shopping plaza is a decided draw. Don’t bypass the less-familiar here or you may be missing out on the best.
Treats Time: Halloween Chocolates
Forget the Butterfingers, Whoppers, Twix, Starburst and Blow Pops. Cast aside even mass-produced Milky Ways, 3Musketeers, Almond Joys and Good & Plenty boxes. Get serious about chocolates either decked out for the holiday or not. The next time Halloween will fall on a Saturday won’t be until 2037, so let us make momentous this year’s celebrations and indulge in artisan versions of our preeminent sweet.
A Blast of Fresh Air
Warming foods take the lead in our favorites of the past two weeks – soups, stews, mixes of ingredients that put us in good stead as we segue into the heart of autumn. Consider these your barometer.
The Facts of ‘Pumpkin’ Spice
Chef Andre de Waal has much to teach us this week, including truths about autumn’s popular spice mix, a concept yet to be tapped, and why he believes in a far-less-known blend that he uses in a best-of-all-worlds recipe for cheesecake. Lean in; there’s much to savor and learn.
Value Judgments
Where – and how – can we find value in dining out these days? Price tags on menu items at restaurants of all stripes are getting higher and higher, and while the reasons for those prices may be understandable, they still pinch. After investigating and scrutinizing menus, we offer ideas on just where and how to catch values that not only exist but invigorate the Garden State’s dining scene.
Supra Revolving Sushi Bar
Round and round it goes at this conveyor-belt “sushi train” in Union County that makes stops at the bar of an expansive restaurant. It’s where the foods emanate from, however, that needs the attention from a master of a craft that’s rarely been as disrespected as it is here. Flat-tasting fishes, brittle sushi rice and even nori with the texture of leather are the norm, signaling a convoy that’s way off track.
Tropical Vibes
Across from the waterfront in Keyport hides BB Blends, a market and juicery where owner Brittany Boardwick whirs fruits into vibrant blends and offers a revolving assortment of peak-ripe produce that stands apart from basic supermarket selections. It’s exotic, eclectic and all of extremely high quality.
A Big Breakfast
Is this kind of kick-starting morning meal right for a Sunday? It sure is. But it’s also right for any day of the week you want to feed yourself something nourishing and flavorful. It’s a vacation meal on a non-vacation day.
Shan Shan Noodles
The cuisine of Northwest China is given loving treatment at this stellar stomping grounds for knowledgeable diners and industry pros. Though the hand-pulled noodles and their menu mates are the main draw, the vivacious and informative mother-daughter team that shepherds both the storefront and its sister sweets shop in this modest strip mall in Parsippany adds to the ammo that lifts Shan Shan into TPW’s canon of Favorites.
Samba
By cooking not only to a Brazilian beat but to strict gluten-free standards, chef Ilson Goncalves keeps locals loyal to the charms of his side-street storefront that marries rustic with arty in atmosphere and classics with curiosities on the plates.
A Good & Easy Lunch
Forgo grab-and-go. Ditch no-nutrient snack fare. Cease skipping a proper midday meal by eating the last doughnut in the box a colleague brought into the office that morning. You’ve earned a high-octane noontime fueling. Here’s how you can have it.
Origin Story & Still-Memorable Eats
What inspired Fortnightly 5, TPW’s every-other-week quintet of favorite eats, to begin with? A favorite fellow food critic and a favorite uncommon word. And, ultimately, a whole lot of sensational foods.