Only a Trio: 09-11-23
It’s not been the best of eating times, these last 14 days. Bad luck? Tired kitchens? End-of-summer slump? Hard to say. But nothing will be elevated as a “favorite” unless it truly is. So for this stretch, we’re talking about a Top 3.
Everyday Figs
Don’t turn down an offer of this seasonal fruit, but do expand the scope of how you can make best use of them.
Muddy Waters Gastropub
The Asbury of the Garden State’s northwest has an agrarian heritage that today is sparking a culinary hub. If a newcomer intends to be part of that burgeoning scene, it must dig into local sources and make connections.
This Soup is ON!
The new winner and the uncontested champ in a category we care supremely about is … the Garden State Tomato Soup.
The Smoky Cottage
Its sign now may say “Salt & Smoke,” but a name-change suited to its residential neighborhood on the borough’s East Side is in the offing at this market with outdoor seating and a giant smoker out back. Family-style barbecue is, and will be, the focus.
New Noodles
Sitting in an unmarked baggie at the checkout counter of a local Asian market were bunched-up noodles, not a shred of commentary, description or clue to their provenance to be found. Irresistible, wouldn’t you say?
Le Salbuen
This eclectic café aims to do it all. But its atmospheric charms can’t make up for missteps in the kitchen that result in plates delivered to diners with serious flaws.
Mannino’s Cannoli
A purveyor in Hammonton of a super-sized sweet from Sicily pledges its troth to local and seasonal ingredients and, in the process, wins over traditionalists.
Yugoslavia Balkan Soul Food
Signs of the times are showing at a newcomer to the South Shore that pledges to offer foods not typically served in restaurants in these parts.
Late Summer’s Crazy Quilt: 08-28-23
Fruits, a fish, a flatbread fragrant with butteriness: That’s the lot of favorites from the fortnight just past.
Tilefish’s Sunny Disposition
Is there anything better, fresher and more prized than fish direct from a fisherman or fisherwoman? Maybe fish direct from a seasoned pro. Speaking of seasoning, this resolutely pure so-called “clown of the sea” sure takes to lemon once in kitchen captivity.
Ethan Unick, Aunt Chubby’s/The Chubby’s Project
The newest inductee into TPW’s chef-picks-chef club of top toques in the Garden State takes good in its many forms to its many ends as part of his work – and his work ethic. It’s a philosophy with deep roots, grounded in the respect the Hopewell-based chef has for all his mentors and teachers.