The Hill
Classics with well-executed spins are where this upscale and relaxed roadhouse shines. Fixes of flaws would be worth the time as would making connections with a borough farm that could and should inspire even more invention.
The Anti-Deprivation Bowl
What to eat when everyone else is not eating some major food grouping in the name of reversing holiday-dining damage? A big bowl of nutritious comforts customized to what’s on hand and what’s striking the mood.
Luis Blasini-Sinchi, 7 Doors Down Ramen Co.
His life and cross-cultural experiences are expressed on the plates the newest member of TPW’s chef-picks-chef society of top toques serves forth at his destination restaurant in Bloomfield. It’s a Luis Blasini-Sinchi moment and it’s destined to endure.
Mauka
What’s it called when a pre-proportioned feast of many parts is presented as a kind of culinary harmonic convergence? Thali time. At this suburban hub for Indian classics, you’ll also want a prelude of poori.
Arepa Pizza & Market
Focus on the cachapas, the arepas and the empanadas and let yourself be taken in by a monster sandwich called The Pepito. Then it’ll be obvious to you why the name of this corner storefront must be changed.
Cold-weather Comforts: 1-22-24
Sweet potatoes, peaches, The Pepito, plump shrimp wontons and puffy beans and cod are the stars of the eating shows of the two weeks just past. Review here, then plan to consume.
The Layered Look
We dress in layers at this time of year and there’s wisdom, not to mention waves of flavors, in cooking that way, too. A dish of cacio e pepe beans, pesto and roasted onions offers a blueprint for stylish simplicity.
Tang Maru
Korean comforts stir the senses at a welcoming stalwart where groups both novice and well-schooled convene. Let Kiera be your guide to a range of its must-try specialties.
Taverna 54
There’s a really big show going on at this restaurant and bar imbedded in a residential neighborhood in Hunterdon County’s largest river town. But its best dishes are less about spectacle and more about sincere expressions of ingredients.
Salted Cod in Brandade
When the fish that changed the world is reconstituted, whipped with potato and jazzed with roasted garlic, its comforts know no bounds. When the resulting spread is stuffed into roasted mini peppers, its fans span from single-digit to senior in age.
Lady and the Shallot
Inside the Trenton Farmers’ Market is a breakfast-lunch spot where healthy gets a heaping helping of fun and the Mary Poppins duo in charge don’t need a spoonful of sugar to make it happen.
Wonton Guy
Hong Kong street foods are at the heart of this modest storefront where much time is taken early in the day to make by hand shrimp wontons, dumplings and a winsome tomato sauce that can arrive at your table soon after you do.