Amayar Kitchen
Experience harmonic convergence of the culinary kind at this Burmese storefront where a chef’s command of his homeland’s iconic foods is on display in dishes both simple and complex.
Gub Khao Thai
Simplicity and complexity converge at a newcomer in a food-centric city that showcases the talents of a chef who cooks for diners much like he cooks for himself at home.
Sweet Melissa Patisserie
With its wide range of fine-tuned pastries, detailed to thrill upon first sight, this French-accented bakery plays at a high level, for sure. But don't ignore its savory fare, which sits at the intersection of classic and creative and brings uncommon culinary muscle to its part of the menu.
Ed Schoenfeld
When the ground-breaking envoy for Chinese cuisine died last week at age 72, the Garden State lost a friend, a fan, a force of nature who foraged for everything edible, and an inspiring guide to creating cutting-edge restaurants.
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.