The Homer Sandwich
It’s worth any odyssey to partake of the signature breakfast sandwich at the Califon General Store. Trust Kate Munning, who makes sure her morning jog finds its just reward.
Mugsy’s Mercantile
Zero for nine? Not a great batting average at a newcomer in a Shore hub where there is definite demand for the kind of food its experienced chef ought to know how to deliver.
Favorites, Amped
You eat something anticipating happiness and love and the exhilaration that comes from experiencing the meeting of humans and nature in the kitchen. When expectations are exceeded, bliss-eating occurs.
Sides Take Center Stage
Curtains up! Time to let a cauliflower-romanesco-pickled grape stew and wild rice studded with pickled cranberries take a bow.
Jarring Experiences
Minimal effort brings maximum appeal and top-notch eating when fun fare comes wrapped to please. Ella sees making edible gifts to present in glass jars as a most fulfilling task.
Milford House
A seafood-centric roadhouse at the edge of a river town in Hunterdon County is where locals and daytrippers find comforting foods and hat-tips to a local farm.
Jinli Sichuan Cuisine
Careless prepping, cooking and seasoning sink too many dishes at an expansive spot in an area where there’s ample competition.
Pickle Me a Grape
Why not? You’re pickling everything else, aren’t you? Just because grapes are available year-round doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give them their due. Especially since you’re likely to use them up as fast as you pickle them.
Danny Childs, The Farm and Fisherman
The first mixologist to be inducted into TPW’s elite chef-picks-chef club of top toques is “a force to be reckoned with,” according to his selector Melissa McGrath. The drinks chef, meanwhile, toasts the terroir of the Garden State, where he believes he’s “just scratching the surface” for inspiration.
Friends & Family
Don’t let modern marketing corrupt the meaning of the term. Gather loved ones, find a table out there in Restaurantland, and eat. We have some ideas for you – 20 of them, in fact.
10 No-Fuss Thanksgiving Dishes
When you don’t have time to preserve anything other than your own sanity, do what you must do and cut back. It’s OK. Very OK. Think of it as starting a new cherished tradition.
Hen Vietnamese Eatery
There’s a dish at this well-run storefront that you must eat on the premises and another you’d do well to take on the road. Start with one of each and then proceed with experiencing everything else on chef Andrew Ma’s all-star menu.