Berg’s Smoked Meat & Poutine
Chef Kevin Berg, hyper-focused and determined to play Pied Piper into the world of Montreal smoked meat, scores a hat trick with sandwiches, a trio of gravy-, cheese- and brisket-topped fries, and sides that just might surprise.
Marcel Bakery & Kitchen
It’s hard to stop ordering at this Middle Eastern/Mediterranean storefront that has taken in its older sibling (MishMish) and now holds double the pleasure for diners both eat-in and takeout.
Esposito’s
If sesame-seed crust pies are on your go-to map for pizza, put this spot (or its sibling in Matawan) on your dine card. Tip on a hit: the vodka sauce pie.
Coriander
Vipul Bhasin, the chef at this modern Indian storefront in Camden County, surprises with winks to the novel that pop out of the boxes of the familiar.
DINE-Out vs. Eat-OUT
Oh, what a year: Late December back in 2020, we were marveling at how creative some restaurants could be, portioning off slips of outdoor spaces into dining rooms and fashioning foods that might warm at least in spirit, if not in temperature. As the seasons progressed and grew warmer, more dine-outs became literal eat-outs. Here’s to the hearty souls, both serving and seated, who adapted in style.
Ava’s Kitchen & Bar
In a sprawling space infused with industrial style and warmed by wood, copper and antiques, punched-up classics reveal a sense of adventure as well as knowledge of the novel.
Time for Takeout
Wintertime, and the living might not be so easy. But looking back over the last year of eating out, we’ve come upon many restaurants in our Garden State that have turned takeout into an art form. Today we recall a dozen that do it right and might help us get through another mean season.
Simply Jerk Jamaican Grill
Fans of the much-missed Green Grotto in New Brunswick take note: Eleith and Newell White are serving forth their famous shrimp curry, and more, at this take-out/dine-in strip-mall spot.
Frenchtown Inn
For decades a fine-dining destination in a prime Delaware River town, the family-owned inn is awash in options for foods either cleverly chill or agelessly sophisticated and settings that sport a water view or clubby conviviality.
Tsujita, Santouka, Omusubi Gombei
The food court inside Mitsuwa, the Japanese marketplace in a Hudson-hugging borough in Bergen County, offers a river view as well as a collection of quality eateries sporting savories or sweets. Consider three that’ll do right for lunch, dinner or snack time, fueling both shoppers and mealtime drop-ins.
tacoshop
Much more than tacos, this year-round newcomer from the James Beard Award-nominated chef Lucas Manteca is where a ceviche gets a re-charge, an empanada a revival – and an old-new sandwich cookie makes its debut.
Fresh Kitchen
“Healthy” fare, quickly assembled for both takeout and eat-in diners, is the mission of this fast-casual spot that aims to serve “fuel for the body.”