A Fabulous Four
Benchmark’s country loaf, Chickadee Creek’s arugula rabe, Valley Shepherd’s smoky butter and a tin of anchovies (of all things): Can this be supper? Yes. And many other meals coming your way.
David Viana, Lita
The newest inductee into TPW’s elite chef-picks-chef society of top toques in the Garden State first garnered acclaim from diners and his peers for his innovative and technically precise plates. Powered today by a commitment to consistency and person-to-person connections, David Viana is far from finished when it comes to innovating. At his newest restaurant, Lita in Aberdeen, he’s serving up riffs on family recipes as well as a fresh perspective on hospitality.
Pachamama
Chef Ricardo Ramirez has a firm handle on a handful of Peruvian classics he prepares with respect for tradition and a nod to spirited innovation. Not all is as it needs to be at this newcomer, but what’s done right deserves attention.
A Movable Fiesta
McKitrick Chabot is Tacos Chicas and she’s all about bringing her fresh-faced Mexican home-style cooking to you via her compact food truck kitchen.
Lucille’s Country Cooking
There is nothing about this barn-red roadhouse of a breakfast-lunch joint that isn’t peachy keen. Y’all ought to come back and visit her again sometime. Soon.
Smadar’s ‘Beets in the Limelight’
A sturdy, reliable root vegetable gets a star turn with an unexpected and exhilarating accent. It’s a how-to developed by one of the faithful at the CSG at Genesis Farm.
The Great Out-of-Season Tomato Boycott
To honor our Jersey tomatoes, to pay them the respect they deserve, it’s time to forsake all others during their out-of-season months and welcome them back in summer with serious celebrations.
Christo’s Wake and Steak
You don’t have to be sitting squarely in Philly to feel as though you’re in the middle of the Cheesesteak Universe. At a newcomer to a Garden State suburb with a burgeoning restaurant scene, hyper-care with details makes the traditions of a regional sandwich taste brand new.
CSG at Genesis Hosts Open House
One day every spring, the people who put “community” in Community Supported Garden at Genesis Farm open their world to visitors, giving the public a chance to get to know a farm singular in its roots and mission. This year, that day is Sunday, April 28, when tours, workshops, activities, demos, foraging walks and many family activities are planned. It's time to head down to the farm!
Gabriel’s Fountain Kitchen & Creamery
Homemade artisan ice cream and updated classics from the all-American family-style genre are harmonious companions at this popular haunt. Yet it’s a place where it’s possible to make a discovery or two while innocently drinking a soda.
Why/When It’s 3, Not 5
All told, the salmon belly, cauliflower taco and buttery claytonia would make a most delightful meal. So we’ll move past what might have been, toast this trio and hope for better in the weeks to come.
French Sorrel’s Sunny Disposition
As soon as the lovely spring herb rears its pretty head, snip and clip and let those lemon-tart-sour leaves play in all sorts of dishes. Especially simple white beans.