Safu Sushi
The noise and the hubbub might be on the beach, not downtown, when summer’s at high pitch. But there are mod takes on sushi and its mates at this year-rounder in an always-hopping county seat close to the coast.
Royal Ganesha
A restaurant in a mall that’s not part of a chain? And owned by its working-on-the-premises chef? Yes, and yes. Peanut masala signals its potential.
Stephen’s Restaurant
There’s no sleight of hand, but rather a sure hand with amped-up classics in the well-trod Italian American genre at a newcomer to the South Shore.
Good Karma Cafe and Harper’s Table
A good neighborhood joint is a valuable asset to a community. Does yours have one? We evaluate a couple, for better and for worse.
Jalapeno and Cilantro Grill
Way to go at a modest storefront that serves all-day breakfast? Cherry-pick the chef’s own takes from the Tex-Mex genre and experience sincerity supported by well-honed technical skills.
Café Bubamara
It’s a hub and an oasis within the Botany Village neighborhood, a European-style café with foods of the Balkans at its core. Magically and mystically, it’s also a place where you can connect and disconnect.
Maison Bleue Bistro
Act II from the Jardin folks is a more casually attired petit bijou that weaves pinpointed Garden State ingredients into the often-taut fabric of French classics. Adam assesses the scene.
Yubu-Yubu
High alert: Sophie Lin’s takes on the Korean classic of yubuchobap at the food court inside the Lotte supermarket are intriguing, flat-out fun and ultimately irresistible.
The Pasta Shop
Rising above the masses and the mundane is Tommy Pollio’s storefront BYOB, where you can watch the star of an extraordinary show being made as you eat.
Cranky Noodles
Complex ramen, ferociously flavored sides and soft-serve as a meal cap: You could only be cheerful after eating at this outlier inside a bike shop in Sussex County.
Cape May Pho & Boba Tea
Finally, pho comes to the Garden State’s peninsula-in-a-peninsula. Adam slurps and sips in the scene.
Shag’s Crab & Seafood
At this destination in Salem County for seawater-sweet crabs from the Delaware, you can get ’em cleaned and cooked and packed up by the bushel. Absolutely do takeaway for a picnic, but don’t leave this home port without eating a platter of crab cakes on site.