3 Sons Thai Kitchen
A mother’s touch and well-practiced skills are supported by her best guys at a storefront charmingly attired even though it’s used by most for quick-stop takeout. Dine in at least once in a while to experience some of the finest Thai fare in the state and be guided by star chef-owner “Mama” Prap Khumthanom.
Toasting the Garden State’s Indies
On Independence Day, we declare ourselves in awe of, inspired by and devoted to New Jersey’s independent restaurants. Long may their doors be open for them to serve forth foods that are all about love.
Maize
Admirable pedigrees are attached to a modern Mexican set in a meticulously reimagined train station, but experience isn’t showing up on plates that may look pretty yet lack deep-seated flavors. Better sourcing and care in the kitchen are a couple of the answers to problems ownership needs to address.
The Ethnico
The Eastern Mediterranean’s formidable culinary canon is well represented at this newcomer to the largest of Hunterdon County’s River Towns. It’s where classics are revered and lesser-known dishes given a chance to shine.
Sigiri
Well-prepared Sri Lankan specialties capture the spirit and soul of the foods of an island country off the southern coast of India, dishes that benefit from being born in a prime post along spice routes traversing west to east. It deserves a place on your dine card.
Sandal Wood Indian Kitchen
At a locale in Rio Grande that’s been too many other restaurants, a chef determined to create a playlist of dishes that show respect as well as the ability to riff won’t rest with serving only what’s popular. It’s time to let mustard shrimp take on butter chicken.
Matthews Seafood Market
Peak-season local fishes are on the docket at this seasonal spot in Cape May’s county seat. If you’ll be lickety-split about it, you might catch New Jersey’s own soft-shell crabs prepared by a veteran fisherman who knows how to get them to your table in perfect form.
Zoe’s Emilio’s Kitchen
A new dinner menu that extends well beyond the trodden in the Mexican vernacular brings options in fine-dining that uncover the very glamorous possibilities of vegetables and fishes – and even how to glaze ribs more intriguingly than popular standard sauces allow.
Shokra Soups
The sincere folks behind a plant-based café make a point of likening the dishes on their casual-fare menu to well-known standards. They shouldn’t need to sell a mushroom as “like” a meat nor a mélange of sea vegetables as “like” tuna to prove the worth of what they’re cooking up. It’s good stuff.
Shumi Leonia
An iconic chef and his one-time pupil join forces at one of the more gracious sushi restaurants around. It’s a meeting of minds traditional and inventive yet always respectful of the integrity of their main subject matter: Fishes, glorious fishes.
Mia’s Vietnamese Cuisine
In the heart of the Garden State’s Spice Route that wends along Route 27 from Newark to Princeton sits a decade-old independent restaurant where classic foods of Vietnam play out with purity, simplicity and technical precision.
Ishtabach
Signature dishes from the Kurdish-Syrian repertoire are in the spotlight at an anchor of an upscale shopping center called The Row. The lively, high-ceiling eatery is an import from Jerusalem and it’s one of the few places where the savory pastries called shamburak reign.