Pachamama
Chef Ricardo Ramirez has a firm handle on a handful of Peruvian classics he prepares with respect for tradition and a nod to spirited innovation. Not all is as it needs to be at this newcomer, but what’s done right deserves attention.
Lucille’s Country Cooking
There is nothing about this barn-red roadhouse of a breakfast-lunch joint that isn’t peachy keen. Y’all ought to come back and visit her again sometime. Soon.
Christo’s Wake and Steak
You don’t have to be sitting squarely in Philly to feel as though you’re in the middle of the Cheesesteak Universe. At a newcomer to a Garden State suburb with a burgeoning restaurant scene, hyper-care with details makes the traditions of a regional sandwich taste brand new.
Gabriel’s Fountain Kitchen & Creamery
Homemade artisan ice cream and updated classics from the all-American family-style genre are harmonious companions at this popular haunt. Yet it’s a place where it’s possible to make a discovery or two while innocently drinking a soda.
Akai Lounge
Its strengths command attention even as its weaknesses frustrate. But sushi purists who learn how and what to order at this swanky second take of a Japanese standby tend to find themselves regulars.
Meximodo
Full disclosure isn’t what this festive and spirit-centric in every way newcomer to a downtown with a rollicking restaurant scene is about. That’s a shame because everyone in the Garden State’s foodstream deserves better – and its kitchen very well might benefit.
Mohican Farms
An animal farm in Warren County has expanded its scope to include a 7,000-square-foot marketplace and kitchen and now serves a veritable world’s fair of edibles.
Talula’s
An old soul the day it was born in 2014, this anchor of the city’s eclectic restaurant tableau has been a place without pretense or attitude but with warmth and a sincere welcome for all.
Dosa Grill
Where do folks in the industry go for dosas, uthappam and the elusive and engaging adai? To this veteran South Indian specialist on the Garden State’s own Spice Route, where foods that are flat never taste that way.
blue plate
The region’s darling for dining sits smack in the center of the village’s historic district and reflects its constant-motion status. One off-kilter meal won’t negate its years of better efforts but should cue the kitchen to stand at attention at all times.
Soup Dumpling Plus
In spite of the name of this neighborhood favorite, soup dumplings are sparsely represented on the menu, taking a back seat to a wide-ranging assortment of other authentic Chinese classics. By all means, order the exemplary specimens, but also seek out some daring alternatives.
Clemmy’s
Appreciation of place and micro-season happens all the time at this newcomer that defines casual sophistication and has become the wise and informed arbiter of local foodways.