Marcus Live! Bar & Grille
Too many flawed concepts and poorly executed dishes make for an uneven experience at this new restaurant in the American Dream Mall. That it’s a Marcus Samuelsson venture brings shame to a name revered and respected for almost 30 years.
Sirens Seafood
Ahoy, mates! Finally, there’s a sea-worthy fish shack at the Shore, courtesy of an old hand in the galley with sources that run deep and a respect for the product guiding the ship.
Welcome Revisits
Think you know muffins, hummus, duck, Asian seafood bowls and layer cakes? Well, not so fast: These versions made by pros with superpowers show how thoughtful tweaks can improve a standard.
Oat Bowl
After you’ve baked your breads, cookies and muffins, made your granola and smoothies and crumbles, grab your bag of River Valley Community Grains rolled oats and realize it’s also what’s for dinner.
Norma’s Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Restaurant
Solid and yar as a Phoenician ship is this landmark where foods that have nourished and delighted for centuries get the respect and treatment they deserve by a family steeped in tradition and devoted to mindful sourcing.
Norma’s Spinach Turnovers
It’s an easy-as-pie any meal, any time heat-then-eat food made by the folks at a landmark restaurant in Cherry Hill and sold at its adjoining grocery.
Byram Bay Bistro
It’s Polish and it’s Jamaican and the intentions by owners who have created a warm and hospitable scene are sincere. But the execution of dishes at the dual-cuisine newcomer in Sussex County repeatedly falls short of the mark.
Tortilla de Patatas Plus
Chipping away at a world-famous recipe offers enlightenment and lighthearted fun.
Eddie Aguilar, The Stirling Hotel
The newest inductee into TPW’s chef-picks-chef society of top toques has mastered work-life balance all the while expressing his far-ranging experiences and talents on every plate. As his fan and selector notes, he’s “never lost his flair.”
Bad Hat Dumplings & Cocktails
Chaos? That’s how the folks here characterize the meeting of Asian and continental ways and means on the plates. But: No way! There’s too much care and too much thought at play inside an old bar being taught new tricks by a chef with vision.
Ottoyee
Warm up to some new takes on authentic Japanese cookery at a storefront specialist whose owner Leo Chen isn’t shy about bucking established norms.
Personal Passions
Chefs at restaurants that touch bases around the world might be anchored in the Garden State, but they stay true to their roots with dishes both poignant and powerful.