Talula’s
An old soul the day it was born in 2014, this anchor of the city’s eclectic restaurant tableau has been a place without pretense or attitude but with warmth and a sincere welcome for all.
Produce to the Max
Merely by chance, very unsuspecting, the favorites of the past two weeks happen to be stalwarts of the produce bins given extra loving in dishes that make veg and fruit lovers most happy fans.
Spinach & Soy Eggs
Treat the loveliest of from-the-farm spinach leaves as you would the choicest of embellished Easter bonnets and anoint the verdant petals with hard-cooked eggs soaked in a jazzed-up soy marinade.
Alec Gioseffi, Ironbound
Not many chefs can say they’ve helped to build their restaurant from the literal ground up. But the newest member of TPW’s chef-picks-chef society of top toques has done just that, using his synergistic approach to food, farming and community to tie it all together at Ironbound Farm and Ciderhouse in Hunterdon County.
Dosa Grill
Where do folks in the industry go for dosas, uthappam and the elusive and engaging adai? To this veteran South Indian specialist on the Garden State’s own Spice Route, where foods that are flat never taste that way.
blue plate
The region’s darling for dining sits smack in the center of the village’s historic district and reflects its constant-motion status. One off-kilter meal won’t negate its years of better efforts but should cue the kitchen to stand at attention at all times.
Lively Chives
Early to sprout and easy to incorporate into first-of-spring dishes, the wispy allium can star in a hearty salad that can go entrée or holiday side dish.
Soup Dumpling Plus
In spite of the name of this neighborhood favorite, soup dumplings are sparsely represented on the menu, taking a back seat to a wide-ranging assortment of other authentic Chinese classics. By all means, order the exemplary specimens, but also seek out some daring alternatives.
Clemmy’s
Appreciation of place and micro-season happens all the time at this newcomer that defines casual sophistication and has become the wise and informed arbiter of local foodways.
Flours and Fishes
The tops of the two weeks just past show off three very different uses of flours and two polar-opposite approaches to fishes.
A Baguette and a Jar of Pickles
Sometimes the most important things in life – essentials for a proper picnic, for instance – come to you without asking, These are the gifts you will cherish the most.
Xina
A pop-in to an old favorite multi-Asian a short hop over a bridge from Shore beaches both notorious and happy to revel in natural states shows a restaurant quite capable of maintaining high-functioning status.