Los Tres Hermanos
While the usual suspects are on board at this downtown Mexican favorite, so are specials that prove its kitchen is about across-the-board mindful cookery and thoughtful presentations. Slow down, and don’t eat too fast.
High Street Delicatessen
Should you desire to celebrate the Century of the Sandwich, that continuing moment in time which might not end in our lifetimes, this airy storefront in Mullica Hill could be the exact-right spot. It’s where thoughtfully made sandwiches, cheerful, informed service and a location with ample charm intersect.
A Show of Handhelds
Fork-free fare dominates our quintet of favorites that includes a savory infused with fruit that you’ll want to eat with a spoon and an early spring green ready to pluck from its curly head.
Curlesi, from Black Sheep Farm
The baby escarole and frisee would have is this ruffle-headed chicory that could be partnered with a variety of other foods, from citrus to pasta to tinned fishes. Or it can be plucked straight from the earth and eaten unvarnished, happy to charm and satisfy.
The Secret Ingredient
At Black Sheep Farm in South Jersey, what’s being grown is hyper-seasonal, often unusual, and always with the chef in mind, be that chef based in a pro kitchen or one at home. It’s where two veterans of the restaurant industry have come together determined to make tables ever more enticing in the Garden State.
Mauli
The powerhouse kitchen at this Indian specialist in Somerset trains its keen eye on Maharashtrian, Indochinese and North Indian dishes. There’s much to tempt. But if you let yourself fall prey to the usual, you’ll be missing out on some of the most delicious and emotionally exhilarating dishes in the subcontinent’s vernacular.
Vegan Tree Fried Rice
Both black and white rices form the base of what could be a staple at more plant-based restaurants if only thoughtful flavor-layering methods and not short-cut shots of salinity are employed. At this modest storefront in Matawan, vegan fried rice is done right.
What the Devil!
Got leftover hard-cooked eggs? Be fearless, be bold, be wacky – and use up leftovers and dregs from what’s already in your fridge and pantry to make deviled eggs that decidedly are not from a Junior League cookbook.
Tom Valenti, Who Took Humble to Haute
The super-star chef who made a name for himself in New York City found a true home with kindred spirits in the Garden State’s Northwest Kingdom. He died this week, at age 67, leaving the community he cherished a legacy of culinary leadership.
Pide 28
The distinctive stuffed flatbreads from Turkey are the main attraction at a modest, yet comfortable storefront in the Eastern Med district of this food-centric city. With more than 20 various fillings and a skilled pideci at the oven, it’s the place to go for your bachelor’s degree in pide.
For the Sport of It
At Taliercio’s Gourmet Deli in Middletown, there’s a sandwich that demands the attention of a certain currently sidelined pro football running back. There are many other piled-high well-made subs that already get the attention of the hordes that invade the storefront, but this is the one with the potential to change the course of recent woebegone history.
Reports from Women in the Fields
The United Nations has declared 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer. In recognition, the New Jersey Department of Ag on Monday brought together women prominent in the industry to share stories, ideas and experiences to help keep the growing going.