The Ethnico
The Eastern Mediterranean’s formidable culinary canon is well represented at this newcomer to the largest of Hunterdon County’s River Towns. It’s where classics are revered and lesser-known dishes given a chance to shine.
Sugar Snap Peas
Leading late spring into high summer is the sweetest little pea-’n’-pod in Mother Nature’s vast repertoire. Eat raw, and be happy. Or consider other options if you snag a large quantity grown on a Garden State farm.
Sigiri
Well-prepared Sri Lankan specialties capture the spirit and soul of the foods of an island country off the southern coast of India, dishes that benefit from being born in a prime post along spice routes traversing west to east. It deserves a place on your dine card.
Digging Around a Prime Peninsula
Cape May’s greats hit the heights of all eaten during the two weeks just past. Soft-shells, tilefish, mustardy shrimp, lesser-known berries and a force of nature from Chiapas in Mexico top our list.
The Scoop on Frozen Green Grapes
Blitz, turn into slush, spice and eat. It’s the season for making the absolute easiest of chilling treats.
Sandal Wood Indian Kitchen
At a locale in Rio Grande that’s been too many other restaurants, a chef determined to create a playlist of dishes that show respect as well as the ability to riff won’t rest with serving only what’s popular. It’s time to let mustard shrimp take on butter chicken.
Mulberries, Vintage ’25
At Stone Circle Farm in Middle Township, Cape May County, a giant mulberry tree is shedding its fruits into waiting hands. It’s a treat for June and a harbinger of harvests to come during the weeks ahead in farther-north parts of our Garden State.
Matthews Seafood Market
Peak-season local fishes are on the docket at this seasonal spot in Cape May’s county seat. If you’ll be lickety-split about it, you might catch New Jersey’s own soft-shell crabs prepared by a veteran fisherman who knows how to get them to your table in perfect form.
Captain Lybarger’s Tilefish Tagine
A mild, firm, yet flaky fish caught by one of New Jersey’s most skilled fishermen inspires a stew right for a crowd. Gather ’round, and let the talk – and ideas – flow.
Zoe’s Emilio’s Kitchen
A new dinner menu that extends well beyond the trodden in the Mexican vernacular brings options in fine-dining that uncover the very glamorous possibilities of vegetables and fishes – and even how to glaze ribs more intriguingly than popular standard sauces allow.
Shokra Soups
The sincere folks behind a plant-based café make a point of likening the dishes on their casual-fare menu to well-known standards. They shouldn’t need to sell a mushroom as “like” a meat nor a mélange of sea vegetables as “like” tuna to prove the worth of what they’re cooking up. It’s good stuff.
A Little Yin Amid the Yangs
Distinctive healthy eats highlight the dining docket of the two weeks just past, along with one guilty pleasure in the form of a many-layered wanna-be hand-held.