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.
Gourmet Gallery
The heart and hub of this intimate downtown is a café that defies the image of a place where a famous horror flick once was filmed. Easy, homespun fare and a loyal clientele today unite to banish baddies.
Change-ups and Curve Balls: 6-6-22
We’re getting pitched some switcheroos, a bunch of 180s that take dishes in unexpectedly audacious directions. When such moves are executed with panache, we can find ourselves in a whole new ballgame.
Meats-’n’-Eats
Hidden Creek Farm’s chickens, hogs and cattle are raised in a way that honors their nature. The meats that come from the livestock who move and graze freely in forest and pasture lands reflect the quality of their care.
Publick House
There’s good reason why Nick DeRosa’s gastropub is beloved by both citizens of the dine-out world and pro chefs taking a break from their own stoves. A menu that looks simple and possibly de rigueur translates to plates elevated by accents and powered by technique.
Yard Tacos
There’s a new taco game in town, and it's playing footsie with a ball-shaped corn fritter that’s about to become the darling of appetizers, snacks and side dishes. Meet its patron, the soberano of sorullos Andrew Mercado.
Skinny Asparagus
What can you do with stalks that aren’t so much pencil-thin as wispy-twiggish? Make a salad.
Matt Moschella: Corto
The chef’s elegant, seasonal and resolutely straightforward Italian fare is what prompts his selector to make him the latest inductee into the Garden State’s elite club of top toques. What keeps a devoted community returning to the Jersey City hot spot is an amalgamation of expertly executed fundamentals that combine to make memories.
Deauville Inn
A South Shore behemoth shows its respect for local pedigrees through a remake of its menu that casts the region’s waters as the source for prime ingredients, not mere window dressing.