Yamagata
We live in an age of the local sushi joint. So where does a stalwart with legions of loyal regulars and skilled chefs stand?
River Lea House Kimchee
Start with a tub of made-on-a-farm, small-batch fermented/pickled vegetables, then customize your very own bowl of nutritious deliciousness.
Hu Tieu Mien Tay
A pioneer in Atlantic County is this old-school Vietnamese that makes up in sincerity what it lacks in any sort of a scene. Unless, that is, your scene of choice is much about the serious, focused eating of classics.
Plenteous Parsley
In a quick blitz, it’s a dip, a spread, a sauce you can use to brighten these waning days of the leanest season. Consider the generous herb the green that gives birth to spring.
Uttam Rawat, Swadist
The newest inductee into TPW’s elite chef-picks-chef club of top Garden State toques came from India to head kitchens for the Moghul group of restaurants. In 2019, he struck out on his own with a modest storefront in Jersey City’s India Square in which he serves bold, personalized dishes and dazzling renditions of classics that mesmerize his selector, Rakesh Ramola of Indeblue.
European Homemade Provisions
When a throwback is as heartwarming as this circa-1955 deli is, classic mid-century fare doesn’t need a style shake-up. Just a slot in your own take-out routine.
Dehydrated Mustard Greens
When dried, this leafy powerhouse can be used much like a dried herb – with purposeful abandon, in all manner of savory fare.
Cinnamon Stick Tea
… and other flu-soaked sob stories from the leanest time of the year for a diehard Jersey-grown freshest-food addict.
Spring Lake Seafood
A span of styles often confounds kitchens. Yet at this wide-ranging BYOB in one of the Garden State’s classiest beach towns, its chef-owner strums merrily along on a menu at once contemporary and respectful of tradition.
Honey-Orange Cookies
“Pantry Season” inspires Ella to create a cookie that’s special enough for a celebration and yet mindful of her desire not to waste ingredients already on hand.
Cambo Box
Sandwiches reminiscent of banh mi and rice boxes are the headliners at a downtown share space that offers one of the Garden State’s few glimpses into the cuisines of Cambodia. Fair warning: Miss the fries and you’ll be missing something very special.
Kurry & Naan
As slip-size South Asian eateries proliferate in the Garden State, offering “express” dine-in and take-out, new favorites are bound to emerge. Just watch onion bhajia fly.