Val Pals: Share Foods
Fish Head Soup at Tasty Moment in Edison kicks off a chain of eating thoughts inspired by a TPW subscriber’s most thoughtful observations: There’s more to a hearts-and-flowers holiday than dining in traditional deuce form. Read on to learn why – and on what and where.
Downtown Peru
Chef Laly Acosta, cooking out of a new roost in the blueberry capital of the world, already is shifting local dining perspectives to favor classics of her homeland that she deftly energizes with technical precision and unshy spicing.
For Valentine’s Day: Embrace a BYOB
Prefer a quieter scene, a place where you can bring a special bottle you’ve kept in purposeful abeyance, a restaurant well known for its top-quality food yet manages to exist off the radar of relentlessly perambulating scenesters? When a tete-a-tete over thoughtful, provocative plates is your desire, consider these 10 BYOB restaurants, listed in alphabetical order, where the dining is fine.
Wu’s Crab House (Xie Bao Crab)
The delicacy that is crab roe from China is the franchise player at a specialist restaurant in beyond-bustling Festival Plaza. It’s where you best can explore crab eggs’ interactions with less-showy staples such as noodles, tofu and rice.
Yuan
A new and celebration-ready Chinese restaurant in the Newport neighborhood has the right idea for upscale dining that focuses on razzle-dazzle marquee dishes without leaving authentic family-style fare on the sidelines. It’s a happy new year spot year-round.
Byrd
A new restaurant from one of the Garden State's elite chefs aims to be relaxed and casual even as its menu stretches far and wide to reflect a worldly view. The concept's admirable, but the execution fraught with puzzling flaws.
Simply Sofrito
A year-old storefront that specializes in classics from Puerto Rico isn’t shy about wearing its soul on its sleeve. That’s thanks to its chef-owner, who knows a good base makes for great food.
Wu’s Fish House
In a setting serene and calming, with white on grays and greenery toppling from pots affixed to the rafters, Homer Wu’s ode to Chinese fish dishes delivers a range of thrills for the senses.
Naoki Sushi
In Naoki Tashiro's world, every millimeter makes a difference. See, and understand, why and how during an omakase dinner at this master's refuge from big-city and hyper-hipster places.
Sad Boyz
Come right now for The Frenchy, New Jersey’s best smashburger, available only in January at this chill, cozy roadhouse. Come back for the burgers to follow, primo breakfast sandwiches and a milkshake that might make you shake your head as you finish every last crumb. (Seriously.)
Crew
English muffins take center stage at a breakfast-lunch spot in the borough’s downtown. Billed as artisan and the base for myriad sandwiches, they fall short in flavor, lacking tang, toasty notes and, ultimately, satisfying ties to their companions. How is it that the best dish at a breadstuff specialist is a salad?
Community Café
It’s a warm-hearted gathering place born of the disparate, yet like-minded cultural sensibilities possessed by a collective of women who love to nurture their neighbors with food and drink. Good eats? Yes. But more that’s also important.