Renee Faris: Erie Coffeeshop & Bakery
A pastry chef with a distinctive voice who came home to the Garden State to practice her craft in downtown Rutherford is the newest member of our elite club of top toques. Erie is where “tradition blends with seasonal whimsy” and the devoted line up to catch whatever is coming out of the oven.
Brazilian Temakeria
Trend alert: Experience what the fortunate in Sao Paulo do in the form of a style of sushi that’s elaborate, hews to South American preferences and could be characterized as hearty. This smart spot in the Ironbound is where it’s at.
Sandy’s Scoops
Ever dream of having ice cream for all of your three meals in the same day? Well, if ever you’re going to do that, let it be today – Summer Solstice. Should you blink and miss the longest day of the year, do not miss making a trip this season to a most hospitable river town newcomer.
Classy Classics: 6-20-22
Some get a spin, some stay the course: It’s a pate and an omelet, biscotti and pickles, and a colossal crab stir-fry that are the stand-out eats of the past two weeks.
Ready When You Are
Flattened by fatigue? Looking for the easy way out for a quick supper? Make sure you’ve got a cache of snack-style edibles at home that can slam-dunk fast food in terms of taste and, surprisingly, sometimes even cost.
Garden Jewels
There’s good reason the lettuce called Little Gem is so loved. Cabbage Throw Farm’s new crop will explain it all for you.
Aunt Chubby’s Luncheonette and Bakery
At one of the most sincere restaurants in the Garden State, you can eat two breakfasts in one sitting, your heart’s desire in pastries and stick around to order a take-home lunch. But the best take-away? That loving feeling.
Linda’s Gourmet Biscotti
Fueling the perpetual bustle of Main Street in Chester is a specialist in the art of baking the beloved cookie-biscuit cross. So good are these biscotti that you’ll want to do them justice by purchasing a bottle of vin santo for dunking.
No. 79 Restaurant Bar
Pierogis as a bar food? Yes. Its time – long overdue – has come. Now if only this newcomer in Atlantic County would do seasonal ricotta-stuffed pierogis with local blueberry sauce …
Escarole & Friends
Bigger than a frisbee, bigger than a dartboard, almost as big as a hula hoop. OK, not as big as a Ferris wheel. But the queen of the chicories grown at Arena Farms is ready to rumble with all manner of mates.
Nauti Cajun Crab
A Dungeness stir-fry bests the rest at a specialist that too often drifts when focus on details is crucial.
Bee Pollen
The sweet, floral notes of the bee pollen made at Top of the Mountain Honey Bee Farm in Sussex County bring a buzz of flavor to a range of foods. A spare sprinkling is all you’ll need to make taste magic.