Leading with Lemon
Masterful applications of the citrus take charge in a trio of top eats, while the other two picks for this go-round can spice up snack fare.
Mustards, the Forever Green
Think you don’t like this yin-yang of a green? Well, maybe you just haven’t tried mustards in a way that makes them downright lovable.
Ken Mansfield, Strada
The newest addition to TPW’s chef-picks-chef society of top toques is tending to Italian classics in Atlantic Highlands, where he dials in on the details of making fresh pasta and pizzas from his sourdough starter. What causes his selector, David Viana, to return again and again? Consistency of craft.
Ottoburger
When the irresistible scent of burgers grilling nearby throws you off your planned dinner game, consider caving into your craving with a patty housed in a different breadstuff.
Cornbread
Soul food fast-casual style comes with tell-tale hints of long, slow-cooking or deft frying in well-turned-out classics that invite lingering.
Jasper’s Whispers
All hail a Jersey guy who took a love for food born and bred here and transplanted it to another place, but kept his respect for inherent terroir intact.
Angry Archie’s
Street food favorites in the seafood genre anchor the menu of this brick-and-mortar incarnation of a popular food truck, including some that toe the line with skill. But technical lapses in a couple of should-be stalwarts show the kitchen crew needs to run a tighter ship.
Tio Santos
Basics thrive under the watchful eyes and experienced hands of the couple who tend this mom-and-pop Mexican. They are the angels of details, the guardians of traditions to be cherished.
The Freshest Takes
There’s nothing unfamiliar about our five favorites, but all take a spin on the usual to make for superior eating. Far superior.
Spiced Dried Squid
Don’t know much about the slices of cephalopods that are dried and served as snacks in Asia? Grab and go with a brew, and be delighted. Be just as delighted to make a sauce for them and turn nibble into dinner.
A2B Indian Vegetarian Restaurant
The scope is vast, the selections myriad and many at this popularity contest winner that springs from a many-branched family tree in India. The reigning caliber of its dishes? Roundly good, but rarely great.
Ciao Poke & Mango Mango
Fast-casual gets a couple more entries, these both at the uber-busy Festival Plaza in Edison anchored by Hmart. One’s got its pluses; the other’s a lot of noise.