Aarzu
Stylish and swanky, with food plated to impress on first sight and first bite, this thoroughly modern Indian restaurant balances respect for fundamental ingredients with a desire to elevate the ordinary.
Fish Stew
Don’t let leftover cooked fish fillets go to waste: Turn them into next-day eats by using a quick-fix that just might earn a spot in your dinner rotation.
Rice Box
Inspired by favorite Thai ingredients, two brothers offer options that bring a kaleidoscope of flavors to fast-casual dining. The results? Freshness and variety that upgrade typical takeout.
Dog days of winter: 2.15.21
Are you despairing of a tomato-less time of year? Please don’t. There’s so much so good out there right now. Eat! Enjoy!
Charlie’s of Bay Head
On the shores of Twilight Lake sits a statuesque restaurant built to stand up to storms and stand out for its elegantly casual scene, cheerful service and impressive food.
Dawgtown Dogs
What’s better than your team winning the big game? A beefy, brawny hot dog smothered to smithereens with Olympic-caliber house-made toppings. Bet you will eat more than one.
Scola
The main ingredients are comfortingly familiar. But the idiosyncratic touches given to Ben Scola’s plates elevate this South Shore BYOB to a destination – year-round, to boot.
Felina
Fine-dining flourishes in a grand space in Bergen County, where magic and memories are made courtesy of a chef team committed to celebrating every dinner – and every diner.
Labebe Mediterranean Cuisine
Lebanese fare takes center stage at a Mediterranean restaurant in Middlesex County. Insider’s tip: Get an extra order of baklava.
Le Bon Magot
Naomi Mobed’s exceptional conserves and condiments are born of a peripatetic palate nurtured by home addresses that range from Tehran to Tulsa, Hong Kong to Copenhagen, London to Lawrenceville.
Winging It
What turkey is to Thanksgiving, what candy is to Halloween, what something-on-the-grill is to the Fourth of July is what chicken wings are to Super Bowl Sunday. But the accenting is all about personal choice.
Fortnightly 5: 2.1.2021
Snacks, anyone? Or is it just that time of year for curling up with high-end munchies, game-day bites, and squirrel-y nibbles? Dunno. But these not-quite-a-meals held distinct appeal during the fortnight just past.