Brasa Wood-Fired Grill
Portuguese classics charred and burnished by flames that spring up from wood steal the good show at a new storefront in a Somerset County ’burg.
Flat Green Beans
This good cooking bean looks humble, but goes haute quickly with a little help from companionable friends.
La Barca
Right in a special way, gnocchi take the lead at this bayside newcomer with a pedigreed past. But there’s more to learn how to love across the bills of food and drink fare.
Squid Ink Fettuccine
Many come for the meatballs. Or for the wood-fired pizza. And perhaps the nightly specials. But for some, Piattino in Mendham (and also Summit) is the place where squid ink pasta with shrimp and horseradish-spiked breadcrumbs is the standout.
IndeBlue
Rakesh Ramola’s often playful, mostly modern Indian dishes return to the Garden State in a dressed-up shopping center storefront. The chef is at his best when he successfully furthers the influence of every spice in the republic’s culinary vernacular.
Doubling the Standard: 9-12-22
You’d think ordinary foods – corn, chicken, ice cream, tofu, sausages – couldn’t shout out from various bills of fare as extraordinary, offering twice the flavor of presumably precious eats, right? Well, these did in the two weeks just past. Satisfyingly, and then some.
Egg Tofu Toss
Something new, served with wise recommendations, proves inspiring. Quick, healthy, economical, versatile and, ultimately, rousingly flavorful. Who could ask for anything more?
Coffee, with an Empanada on the Side
At El Monte in Chester, a husband-and-wife team roast, brew and make a tempting savory pastry. Combine, and create a winning start to the day. And a way to keep it going.
Josie Kelly’s Public House
Evolving Irish food traditions are reflected on the menu of a South Shore chef whose talents smile upon elevated pub classics. That some of the best cocktails in Atlantic County also are served at this colossus keeps diners happy out.
Tacowala
Amish Shah’s very personal street fare has its roots in both Mexican and Indian cookery. That it’s all gluten-free and, at turns, vegan or vegetarian, is a challenge the chef meets with ingenuity and, very often, finesse. P.S. A bonus nearby is the ice cream parlor called Summer Ville.
Ratatouille & Melon Salad
What? You were too busy enjoying the last lazy, crazy days of summer to plan a menu for Labor Day? Pit-stop at your local farmstand or farmers’ market to get the seasonal essentials for a winning holiday supper.
