Saimin (Not Ramen)
At Hawaii Station BBQ & Poke in Edison, the 50th state’s signature noodle bowl is a blink-and-miss-it item on a menu that rewards careful readers. And devoted eaters.
Endless Summer Burger
At Hearthly, a burger almost tall enough to play center in the NBA isn’t banking its worth on height alone. No, it’s all about quality ingredients and custom-blended beef most carefully composed.
Besos Pan Dulce
At Primavera Bakery in Perth Amboy, Mexican pastries of all stripes reign. The one whose name translates as “kisses” and looks something like a giant yo-yo will seal the deal to be your new sweetheart.
Ube Ice Cream, at Sweet Dynasty
The purple yam popular in the Philippines shines in ice cream form at this diminutive shop in Edison. Subtle and sophisticated, it’s a flavor to favor in fall.
Hot Off the Farm: Chilies
Tyler Olsson takes the chilies he grows on a small farm and makes a little bit of magic in eminently simple-to-use form.
S’mores Cake
Pretty much everything at The Artist Baker in Morristown is a Food Find because everything Andrea Lekberg and her crew bring into edible being is over-the-rainbow magnificent. But this? This reimagined classic? It redefines more than a campfire dessert.
Potato-Pea Samosas
Casa de Konkan’s savory street food partners pastry and a classic vegetable mix, making it a worthy handheld lead-in to butter chicken.
Cemitas at Senor Pepper’s
An extroverted chipotle adobo sauce is the voice of a chicken sandwich at this colorful eatery near the train station in Red Bank. Let the voice of its chef-owner steer you to its exact-right accent.
Smoked Bluefish Dip
Scallop Shack Farms’ extraordinary spread will make itself right at home in your kitchen, proving its usefulness and camaraderie with far more than the usual dip partners.
Blue Lady’s Trash Can Poutine
Imported from Canada are a food truck, its chef-driver and a fabled dish. All are finding a new home in Union County.
Spruce Blue Jam
Spruce tips and Hammonton blueberries find happiness together in a Pine Barrens Post jam. Which in turn inspires a new take on an old recipe.
Norma’s Spinach Turnovers
It’s an easy-as-pie any meal, any time heat-then-eat food made by the folks at a landmark restaurant in Cherry Hill and sold at its adjoining grocery.