Celebrating Lunar New Year
Festivities that toast Lunar New Year this year begin February 17 and end March 3, giving us plenty of time to visit restaurants and usher in the Year of the Horse in style.
Chocolate Chip Cookie from Benchmark
Consider this an official proclamation: New Jersey’s best Triple-C is made by bread bakers in Little Silver. The search is over.
La Braise African Grill
The bold and bodacious foods of West Africa come to the Garden State courtesy of chef Karen Koblan, who brings dishes she grew up on – including fiercely authentic versions of choukouya and kedjenous – to the tables of her welcoming storefront eatery.
May These Forces Be with You
Emphatic flavors rocket the quintet of favorites that stand out from a crowd of good eats in the two weeks just past to the top. Go forth, diners, and power into mucver, mackerel crudo, jollof rice, hamachi kama and exceptional eggs, all handled expertly.
Lemon Chutney
Icy days call for meal-brightening measures. Here’s one for the chilliest season.
The Flying Pig Market
In downtown Asbury Park, a new food market stocks necessities and specialties that meet the needs of a neighborhood that both year-rounders and part-timers call home. It’s where you can find selections that speak to mindful sourcing and a love of highly flavorful eats.
A Counter-to-Culture Valentine’s Day
Highlighted in this roundup of eateries to consider for dining out on the day of hearts-and-flowers are 10 places that defy the usual. We’re pointing out the trad-restaurants, but also offering alternatives to the expected.
Cold Comfort
The fridge, the pantry and the kitchen counter don’t need to be stocked with fussy, fancy ingredients in order to make a meal that’s satisfying, soothing and able to combat the brrrrr of this exceedingly well-chilled week. Let it start with the ever-dependable egg.
Mira Mediterranean Grill
Don’t be bashful and revert to hummus at this shopping center storefront in Skillman that tilts its menu Turkish. No, go for the less familiar and be smitten by mucvar, manti, musakka of a different stripe and a dessert that’s deliciously playful.
The Pom Mol Difference
Add to a tapenade/muffaletta olive spread repertoire a zingy, lively combo united by pomegranate molasses and find yourself with a multi-purpose condiment as well as a dip in its own right.
How We Taste
Chef Rob Santello’s treatise on taste boils down to a refutation of common-in-every-way cooking practices in kitchens that are “professional” in self-styled ways only. His belief in “building excellence one plate at a time” is credo for the craft practiced in both true pro and home kitchens, and stands as model for independent restaurants everywhere.
Koi Matsu
At James Dong’s newcomer to a restaurant-rich community, Japanese fare gets taken on a world tour and brings home souvenirs that inspire both fun and fancy. It’s a joy ride, and the chef wants to personally welcome you aboard.