Bom Dia Churrascaria
A Brazilian eatery takes its cues from a Costa Rica-born chef adept at fashioning high-toned classics from the canon of the larger country. While not solely focused on big meats, it is about respect for craft and a love of cooking for others.
The ‘Greening’ of Supper
Use this tart, green apple – or any other tart apple – as the key ingredient in a savory dish that can be served as the main event for dinner. In other words, re-think the fruit that too often is overshadowed by its sweet kin.
Fig Italian Rustic Kitchen
Problems in cooking and communication plague a newcomer to Long Valley that aims to serve hand-crafted Italian cuisine in a scene that’s “always vibing.” Rather than counting on vibes and branding to impress, old-fashioned focus is needed to bring thoughtfulness and care to the entire process.
Manila Café
Today a Filipino house of foods divided into a restaurant and a market located in the same shopping center, Arlyn Baker’s little empire flourishes with emphasis on authentic preparations that do its multicultural soul proud.
Give ’Em a Hand
This quintet of favorites are all hand-helds, proving that street-style eats, snacks and emerging, soon-to-be-classic foods can rise from ho-hum staples to thrills in casual form. OK, a couple of these may require two hands, but who will mind?
Hot Uses for Creamed Honey
It’s a condiment with a wider variety of uses than its sweet reputation may boast. Doctor it as per our suggestions and give it a try with meats, fishes and vegetables.
Mitsuwa
Top-notch food-shopping in the Asian vernacular dominated by prime Japanese products, a continual flow of special events, cooking classes and demonstrations, direct-from-maker talks plus adjunct shops and a food court second to none give this uber-market in Edgewater world-class status. It’s the newest entry into TPW’s canon of Favorites.
Nimbu: Indian Street Food
A lively setting that aims for hip conviviality and touts to the trademark dishes of India falls short too often due to carelessness in the kitchen, flawed concepts and failure to realize that riffs must come with respect for the originals.
Dansyaku Curry Bun
At the Pullman Bakery & Shige Pan boutique inside Mitsuwa in Edgewater, folks wait in line to claim loaves, cornets, danish, doughnuts and cakes. Once word spreads that the bakeshop is offering this less-common savory pastry stuffed with a highly spiced potato mash, the line’s a sure bet to grow much longer.
Shahzad’s Halal
A Middle Eastern counter-service take on city-style street-cart fare hums along astride the Garden State Parkway in Parlin, serving forth fat-and-happy gyros and many-layered rice bowls built on the principles of good, hearty home-cooking.
Freeze-Spiced Grapes
Party, at your house! Start off with these very chill treasures that adhere to both do-ahead and easy mandates and suit just about any end-of-summer holiday fete.
Tamada
At a swanky Georgian newcomer, dinner is a built-in show of well-prepared classics and the occasional riff on something routine that doesn’t wholly reinvent a dish, but reimagines it in sunnier form. With standouts that showcase its homeland at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, it’s ready for a close-up on date night.