Under the Moon
A community-building hub with food that’s often Latin-leaning, this downtown café has vintage vibes and a spirit of inclusiveness. Come as who you are and eat what makes your tummy purr.
The Hill
Classics with well-executed spins are where this upscale and relaxed roadhouse shines. Fixes of flaws would be worth the time as would making connections with a borough farm that could and should inspire even more invention.
Mauka
What’s it called when a pre-proportioned feast of many parts is presented as a kind of culinary harmonic convergence? Thali time. At this suburban hub for Indian classics, you’ll also want a prelude of poori.
Arepa Pizza & Market
Focus on the cachapas, the arepas and the empanadas and let yourself be taken in by a monster sandwich called The Pepito. Then it’ll be obvious to you why the name of this corner storefront must be changed.
Tang Maru
Korean comforts stir the senses at a welcoming stalwart where groups both novice and well-schooled convene. Let Kiera be your guide to a range of its must-try specialties.
Taverna 54
There’s a really big show going on at this restaurant and bar imbedded in a residential neighborhood in Hunterdon County’s largest river town. But its best dishes are less about spectacle and more about sincere expressions of ingredients.
Lady and the Shallot
Inside the Trenton Farmers’ Market is a breakfast-lunch spot where healthy gets a heaping helping of fun and the Mary Poppins duo in charge don’t need a spoonful of sugar to make it happen.
Wonton Guy
Hong Kong street foods are at the heart of this modest storefront where much time is taken early in the day to make by hand shrimp wontons, dumplings and a winsome tomato sauce that can arrive at your table soon after you do.
Ay Caramba
A Mexican seafood specialist rouses familiar fishes and combines elements from myriad Latin cuisines in a setting that invites convivial communal dining. It’s the first dine-card must of the new year.
Our Future
It’s that time of year when prognosticators prodded by the media tell us what we’ll be eating and drinking in the 12 months ahead. But instead of letting others tell us what will be on our tables, why don’t we take control of our own dining destiny?
A Baker’s Dozen from 2023
Once again, with feeling and loving justification, the 13 favorite restaurant dishes of the year that is ending, the dishes that never will be forgotten.
The Nonna Factor
A chain of commanding know-how is entering public eateries, bringing with it tradition, culture, legacy and scraps of precious hand-me-downs. And, sometimes, songs as comforting as a lullaby.