Blue Café
In the downtown of Basking Ridge sits a corner storefront in which the food hasn’t lost its soul to corporate wonks or been fiddled with by A1 or focus groups or 24-year-olds whose minds have been mangled by too many marketing classes. It’s where eating is pure pleasure.
Mama Ha’s Eatery
Inside Hung Vuong Supermarket is a self-described “no-frills” spot where chef Mama Ha spins out a menu of the greatest culinary hits of Vietnam for those who grab-and-go or hang out with shopping carts and strollers. It’s a most delightful unshowy show.
Stepping Right Up
We know shrimp, bagels, spreads, sandwiches and stuffed savories; they’re some of the foods of our lives. But give those common foods a new look, a new touch or maybe even just deserved respect, and you’ve got something to fall in love with all over again.
Sunday Spread
Taking feisty to the max is a mix of chilies and herbs that plays like pesto, acts like chutney and enjoys its place at the table like salsa. It’s zhoug, and though it stands well on its own, it raises the bar on hummus in a major way.
Umile Trattoria
Today’s Americanized version of a trattoria is expressed at a casually elegant storefront in a restaurant-strong downtown that offers a couple of astoundingly fine dishes and also a few in need of refinement and more care in the kitchen. It’s a work in progress from a team with the experience needed to make necessary adjustments.
Pesto Ravioli
At an Italian deli in the borough of Middlesex, well-crafted sandwiches may reign. But in the royalty hierarchy at Sapore/Sapore Ravioli, there is one item that’s been integral to its name and reputation for more than 50 years and though it may not stand alone, it definitely stands out.
Sapore
Sandwiches reign these days at an old-school Italian deli with 55 years of plying its craft under its belt. Know it for ravioli, too? Read about its favorite layerings now and come back soon for more on its stuffed pasta specialty.
Pickled Onions
Sorry/not sorry for shouting, but WHY AREN’T YOU MAKING PICKLED ONIONS? There’s no excuse for not adding to the versatility of this staple of any kitchen rooted in any culture. So grab a glass jar, snatch the ingredients from your pantry and get with a program of advancing the use of your onions.
Ahjae Gookbap
A specialist in Korea’s supreme comfort food aces the genre but also excels in complex preparations with rather luxurious elements, such as blue crab and wild red shrimp. Do it all, and feast in an intimate storefront primed to create community.
Zara’s Restaurant
The lure of Pakistani specialties may beckon, but it’s the estimable ways of a kitchen backing a splashy celebratory space that keeps diners returning to this capacious storefront.
Twists Worth Shouting About
The favorites this go-round all come courtesy of doing something a little different with a basic of varying origins, including cornflakes, crabs, cabbage, a standard spread and a dumpling flattened yet not tasting flat at all.
One Little Big Thing
Cherry Grove Farm’s store in Lawrence Township proves a windfall for those looking to stock up on Garden State’s artisan foods. On this day, one particular jar becomes the instigator for myriad and many easy meals.