ShareCheap Eats
Gluttony is unbecoming, unhealthy, and possibly immoral, but the urge to gobble up everything in sight is a sure sign that you are in the presence of genuine, mouth-watering cheap eats.
Like certain subjects the Supreme Court rules on, cheap eats are something we all know when we see them (or smell them, as in the seductive scents of sizzling meat, sautéeing garlic, or steaming soup). Our statewide dragnet is not meant to be all-encompassing or the last word (we leave that to you: e-mail us at editor@njmonthly.com). But there was a method to our munching.
Most items cost $15 or less and pretty much make a meal in themselves. If an entrée costs more, it should be big enough to share. We sought geographic and culinary diversity, but we nixed quotas. Finger food is classic cheap eats, yet sitting down in a nice place with utensils does not necessarily violate the integrity of the concept.
Cheap eats don’t have to wreak havoc with your health. Some are quite good for you. But please, when you eat naughty, permit yourself pleasure. It is unsporting to count calories in a sloppy joe. There is, however, no dishonor in a doggie bag.
Hamburgers
ARTHUR’S TAVERN (Morris Plains) Step inside on a Friday evening and be enveloped: the happy hubbub of the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd hits you first, then the visual jumble of beer mirrors and pictures covering every inch of wall space and oversized plastic liquor bottles hanging from the ceiling like piñatas. Two-fisted eaters on tight-fisted budgets feast here as at Arthur’s other locations in Hoboken, Emerson, and North Brunswick. A juicy, 9-ounce burger ($4.75) can be done up with American, cheddar, Swiss, or bleu for 50 cents. (Prices slightly higher in Hoboken.) Plop a 95 cent side of nicely caramelized sautéed onions on top, press down the softly yielding bun, and bite at the ooziest place. Note how the hubbub falls away. 700 Speedwell Avenue, 973-455-9705.
ORIGINAL WHITE MANA (Jersey City) To call White Mana the jewel of Tonnele Avenue isn’t saying much, considering the competition: grimy auto body shops, sleazy by-the-hour motels, the ubiquitous tinsel of razor wire, and the 24/7 soundtrack of rumbling eighteen-wheelers. But the cute little white enamel diner stands out, much as it did when it opened in 1946. When Mario Costa Jr. bought the place in 1979 with savings he had earmarked for law school, he added some booths but kept the stools, jukebox, blue-collar ambience, and no-frills fare: steak sandwiches on white ($3.50), milkshakes thick as just-poured cement ($2.30), and the famous 1-ounce burgers ($1). They’re made with fresh beef, fried onions, and an optional 17 cent slice of American cheese—manna from hubcap heaven. “Our sign originally had two Ns,” says Costa. “Coca-Cola used to service our signs, and one day they brought it back with one N. They misspelled it, and it stuck.” 470 Tonnele Avenue, 201-963-1441.
PALS CABIN (West Orange) What started in 1932 as a hot dog shack, not even a cabin, in the country west of Newark, is now a sprawling landmark replete with imposing timbers and stone edifices worthy of Teddy Roosevelt. A hangout for Essex County politicos, Pals is also kid-friendly. Skip the big-ticket steaks and chops, and tuck into the quotidian classics. The founding Horn family (third generation now in charge) grinds choice chuck daily. The 8-ounce burger is bully-good. It can be dressed in luxuries such as truly crisp bacon, melted bleu cheese, and sautéed onions ($9.95). Comes with good crisp fries, too. At $6.95, the thinly battered, piping-hot onion rings are, as Spencer Tracy might have said, “cherce.” 265 Prospect Avenue, 973-731-4000.
TASHMOO (Morristown) Is the food Indian? “We get that question all the time,” says Ernie Gsell, who contributed several family recipes to the six-month-old restaurant. No, Tashmoo is the name of a peaceful inlet on Martha’s Vineyard, a vacation spot favored by Gsell’s daughter Susan and her husband, Billy Walsh, the restaurant’s owners. Tashmoo’s elegant, wood-paneled interior, with its granite bar, high-def TV’s, and big single-malt scotch collection, could easily be transplanted to the Vineyard (or our own version, LBI), but is quite at home on a side street near the Morristown Green. The food suits the look: pub favorites executed with a little more sophistication and care than usual. Low prices and big portions seal the deal. Two standouts: a slow-cooked, meltingly tender and piquantly sauced pulled-pork sandwich ($7), and our February cover subject, a bravura, 10-ounce Angus beef burger with lettuce, tomato, and raw onion ($6, add a dollar for sautéed onions). Both come with a happy heap of extra-crisp steak fries. 8 DeHart Street, 973-998-6133.
Hot Dogs
AMAZING HOT DOG (Verona) Pizza has pineapple, burgers have mango salsa, but until a year ago, humor and imagination were lacking in the land of the tube steak. That’s when Eric Eisenbud, a trained chef, and Matthew Applebaum, former owner of a bagel shop, opened with creations such as the Amazing, a quarter-pound beef dog wrapped in bacon and deep-fried ($3.25); the My Schmiero, an Amazing with cream cheese and scallions ($3.75); the Hawaii Five-O, an Amazing dipped in teriyaki sauce with crushed pineapple, sesame seeds, and scallions ($4.50); and the Jersey Breakfast, an Amazing with fried egg and melted American cheese ($4.50). These and more go great with the twice-cooked fries ($3, $3.75) and Eric’s lip-smacking fresh limeade ($2). 148A Bloomfield Avenue, 973-433-3073.
BIG DADDY’S (Little Falls) While many of Jersey’s best hot dog vans have gone the way of the drive-in movie, and most Manhattan pushcarts now serve inferior dogs aimed at tourists, Brent Carr’s unprepossessing storefront carries on the tradition of classic pushcart-style franks. Order up a Sabrett natural-casing dog (simmered, not fried). Big Daddy’s old-school toppings like spicy sauerkraut and hot onions will please even the most discerning purist. And bring your appetite: Downing a dozen dogs in a sitting will earn you a plaque on the shop’s wall of fame. There are about 200 plaques now. If you’re determined to be top dog, the number to beat is—urp!—24. 62A Main Street, (973) 785-0206.
JIMMY BUFF’S (West Orange) The aftereffects of the Italian hot dog—which Jimmy “Buff” Racioppi of Newark is said to have created in 1932—may be the only symptoms that Alka-Seltzer can’t relieve (and yes, we mean that in a good way). In the words of one devotee, “Jimmy Buff’s has been doing it right for so long that you just take them for granted. The double sausage with peppers, onions, and potatoes is so good that you’ll order one to go just in case you can’t go back the next day.” Also in East Hanover, Irvington, and Scotch Plains. 60 Washington Street, 973-325-9897.
RUTT’S HUT (Clifton) Put pins in the map and you will see that New Jersey’s hot dog hot spot centers on Clifton. Deep-fried, the gnarled, rutted, Rutt’s “ripper” ($1.80) is such a classic the management does not deign to sell a chili dog as such. So order a cup of chunky, tomato-rich chili ($2.65) and spoon it over. 417 River Road, 973-779-8615.
THE HOT GRILL (Clifton) The Texas weiner, reportedly conceived in Paterson, has thrived in Clifton for almost half a century. The deep-fried dog ($1.99) takes well to chili, mustard and raw onions, or, as the leather-lungs at the counter shout back to the cooks, “All the way!”—a very New Jersey sentiment. 669 Lexington Avenue, 973-772-6000, thehotgrill.com.
WINDMILL (Long Branch) Huge, garlicky, plump, and grilled to just the right snap when you bite, these $3.69 babies are addictive. If you like to load ’em up, ask for a slathering of the homemade chili (30 cents extra). There are eight Windmill stores (which sell about 14,000 dogs a week), but the original, with the windmill on the roof, lets you recapture those endless summers when you lounged by the counter before, or after, a big night out. As much as you want a third dog, stick with two, but green-light the crunchy, lightly battered, $2.89 onion rings. 586 Ocean Avenue, 732-229-9863.
Pizza
BRUNO’S (Haddon Township) Bruno Schiano learned to make tomato sauce from his mother in their native village in Naples. Today, the sauce’s soothing aroma greets you, accompanied by Italian accordion music, as you enter his cozy family restaurant. The long-simmered sauce lends its tangy richness to many dishes but crowns the glory of Bruno’s great Sicilian ($1.25 a slice, pies $11.95 and up). Crusty and not too thick, topped with sausage, sautéed red peppers, and mozzarella, it makes music of its own. 509 Hopkins Road, 856-428-9505.
CONTE’S (Princeton) All layers of Princeton society mix easily in this unpretentious pizzeria and bar: Ivy Leaguers, local youth sports teams, couples on dates, people unwinding after a long day at work. The great equalizer is the crispy-edged, thin-crust pizza ($8.75–$21), made with Conte’s own tomato sauce. Toppings include the restaurant’s own Italian sausage; small pepperoni slices that curl at the edges in the oven; roasted peppers; and our fave, minced fresh garlic, which raises the pie to a masterful level. 339 Witherspoon Street, 609-921-8041.
DELORENZO TOMATO PIES (Trenton) Since 1938, the DeLorenzo family has been serving its unsurpassed tomato pies in two Chambersburg locations marked by the long lines of patrons outside. Regulars know the limitations: no salads, no pasta, no bar (it’s BYO), no reservations, no credit cards, no décor. Just soda and pie. On a wispy-thin, perfectly charred crust, plummy bits of tomato, redolent with fresh basil and garlic, go over instead of under generous sprinklings of mozzarella and romano. Actual hunger is irrelevant—the pie is so good you just keep eating. 530 Hudson Street, 609-695-9534; 1007 Hamilton Avenue, 609-393-2952.
PETE & ELDA’s (Neptune) This perenially popular thin-crust pie has a distinctive, cracker-like underside that fractures (but doesn’t fall apart) as you eat. Sauce, cheese, and toppings are all first-rate. The pie comes in five sizes, from the 10-inch bar pie ($4.50, available, logically enough, only at the bar) to the 12-inch small, 14-inch large, 16-inch extra large, and 18-inch double extra large ($13.99). Eat an XXL “entirely by yourself,” reads the fine print on the menu, “and win a limited edition pie-eaters shirt.” 96 Woodland Avenue, 732-774-6010, peteandeldas.com.
SCIORTINO’S HARBOR LIGHTS (South Amboy) The place may lack the ambience—and coal-fired brick oven—of its original home in Perth Amboy, but the pies ($8–$30) lure people far and wide with beguilingly almost-sweet sauce and homemade sausage. The new place, run by Lou Seminski, grandson of founder Paolo Sciortino, hasn’t lost the old-world style of crisp crusts, fresh toppings, and succulent sauce. 132 South Broadway, 732-721-8788.
STAR TAVERN (Orange) A crisp slice of Star pizza ($8.75 to $13.75, additional toppings $1.75) won’t droop as you lift it. It’s got delectable charred edges, too. And the mozz’ melds so well with the sauce that the pie looks like a NASA color photo of storms on the sun. But the crown jewel is the white clam pizza ($13.25), a family recipe that produces a luscious, creamy white pie loaded with clam flavor and tender bits of chopped clams. 400 High Street, 973-675-3336, startavern.com.
Sandwiches
CARMEN’S (Bellmawr) “We haven’t changed the recipe for 40 years,” says Ron Giglio, who owns Carmen’s with his sister, Elaine Braningan. Their parents and uncle developed the original, which Giglio calls a “city hoagie,” referring to South Philly. Your choice of crusty or soft loaf is lined with freshly sliced mild provolone, salami, and the meat that really rocks the sandwich: hot capicola ham. Lettuce, tomato, onions, oregano, and oil go on the meat, keeping the bread from becoming soggy. This “Italian” hoagie costs $6.20. For $1.30 more, you can upgrade to a “Sicilian,” which omits lettuce, switches to sharp provolone, and to the remaining ingredients adds prosciutto, roasted red peppers, and sopressata salami. Good luck getting one of these monsters on a Saturday afternoon—call ahead or be prepared to stand in line. 42 East Browning Road, 856-931-7203.
KIBITZ ROOM (Cherry Hill) You want décor? Gaze at the chorus line of hard salamis hanging over the deli case. You want old-fashioned hot pastrami and corned beef with a side of ornery, cantankerous countermen? Sorry, the folks behind the counter are actually pleasant. The wonderfully fragrant pastrami and corned beef sandwiches aren’t cheap at $11, but the portions are huge enough to share and still have plenty to take home. Also worthy: the free pickle bowl; crisp, oniony potato pancakes; brisket with gravy; egg creams; frosted black-and-white cookies; rugelach; and poppy hamantaschen. The Shoppes at Holly Ravine, Springdale and Evesham Roads, 856-428-7878.
MILLBURN DELICATESSEN (Millburn) Legend has it that the club sandwich known as the sloppy joe—made with deli meat, Russian dressing, and coleslaw—was invented in South Orange. Today, one of the best can be found in nearby Millburn. At noon on Saturday bedlam reigns as the line of waiting customers snakes to the back of the (takeout only) shop, and the staff signals new orders with honks on a bicycle horn. The best sloppy joe is made with fresh-sliced, rare roast beef on sourdough with Swiss cheese, coleslaw that asserts its caraway character, and a super-rich layer of Russian dressing. Slimming it ain’t, but you can get three meals out of just one $6.50 sandwich. 328 Millburn Avenue, 973-379-5800.
MORRISTOWN DELI (Morristown) “I don’t care what it costs, I’m gonna give you the best I’ve got,” says owner Marc Marowitz, 53, referring to his cost, not yours. Don’t worry, he’s not losing money—just look at the line for a table—but he does make a very nice sandwich, and more, at reasonable prices. There are hefty pastrami and corned beef sandwiches ($7.55 each), fresh-roasted sliced turkey ($7.75), matzo ball soup ($5.25), omelets galore (the pulled pork and barbecue sauce Texas Hold ’Em is $8.75), as well as the time-honored gamut of knish to smoked fish. The deli went sit-down when Marowitz moved to Elm Street in 1986. Ever since, he likes to stroll about, chatting with customers and refreshing their coffee. 7 Elm Street, 973-267-3766, morristowndeli.com.
TONY LUKE’S (Atlantic City) The best sandwich that big, bald, Philadelphia boxer/singer/actor/restaurateur Tony Luke Jr. makes is not his classic Philly cheesesteak but his chopped roast pork with broccoli rabe and sharp provolone ($8.50). The three ingredients form a flavor trifecta that leaves ordinary cheesesteaks limping at the starting gate. And you don’t have to cross the Delaware to get one. Just walk downstairs to the Cafeteria at the Borgata Resort and Casino and start salivating as you watch the cook load the hero loaf with the goodies. One Borgata Way, 866-MY BORGATA.
Asian
MEEMAH (Edison) The strip-mall setting accurately predicts the bargains within (most entrées run $8.95 to $11.95) but belies the finesse with which Meemah prepares its Chinese and Malaysian specialties. Of the latter, jumbo shrimp and okra sautéed with tangy-hot Malaysian shrimp paste dances on the taste buds. Minced chicken sautéed with ginger, scallions, and garlic, wrapped in lettuce leaves, makes irresistible finger food. Among Chinese entries, even standards like General Tso’s chicken rise to the kitchen’s reveille. Colonial Village Shopping Center, 9 Lincoln Highway, 732-906-2223.
PHO THANG LONG (Jersey City) Almost alone among Asian cuisines, Vietnamese is still an adventure for the average eater. The transliterations are hard to pronounce, but the food is less strange than the English translations suggest, and the staff is actually happier if you order by number. At Pho Thang Long, two can feast on 19, 24, 55, 102, and G15 for a total of $23.50. That would be lush rice-paper summer rolls with shrimp, pork, and vegetables (19); a crunchy, spicy, shredded salad with chicken and peanuts (24); grilled sesame beef on rice vermicelli (55); fiery sautéed shrimp with lemongrass (102); and, to sip throughout, a thick durian shake (G15). Durian is the melon-sized, thorny-husked Indonesian and Malaysian fruit prized for its custardy interior but notorious for its repugnant odor, which one writer likened to “a gym sock.” Pho Thang Long’s shake is tame to the nostrils and smooth, pleasingly sweet, and mango-like on the palate. For dessert, walk two doors south to lee sims chocolates. In this brightly lit sliver of a store, you’ll find excellent handmade milk and dark chocolates of all kinds ($9.95 to $13.95 a pound). Pho Thang Long, 749 Bergen Avenue, 201-209-9140; Lee Sims Chocolates, 743 Bergen Avenue, 201-433-1308.
PAT THAI (Bloomfield) Tucked away a block east of Garden State Parkway Exit 148 lies an oasis of tip-top Thai cooking. Tiny place, big menu—107 dishes. Food is cooked to order with care and sparklingly fresh ingredients. Crisp spring rolls ($4.25) and crab dumplings ($4.50) are luscious. Also recommended: crispy duck salad ($9.95), tossed with a carnival of slivered red onion, chopped scallions, cashews, orange, apple, pineapple, tomato, and cucumber in lime dressing. How do you say “Eureka!” in Thai? The crispy duck entrée with tamarind sauce ($12.95) confirms that the kitchen is not run by quacks. 410 Bloomfield Avenue, 973-259-0490, patthai.net.
YA-YA NOODLES (Skillman) Our pulse quickens when a Chinese menu has a section called “Exotic Traditional Cooking.” Ya-Ya’s does, and it contains such wonders as shredded pork with yellow leek and squid ($11.95), the ingredients slivered so that the stir-fried whole looks like a cross between noodles and a salad (photo above). The subtle flavors mate well, with the leeks adding textural contrast to the meltingly tender pork and squid. It’s hard to go wrong anywhere on the menu. Steamed juicy pork buns (eight for $6.50) are dumplings by another name, but juicy is right—best to pop the whole scrumptious thing in your mouth at once. Peppery prawns, plump and delicious on weightlessly crisp rice noodles, are worth the $14 splurge. Ya-Ya also boasts that rarity, a bubble tea bar. Bubble tea is the next bounce after designer lattes—cold tea with fresh fruit flavors and (optional) condensed milk, plus chewy tapioca balls huddling darkly at the bottom of the glass. Suck them up with the extra-wide straw, which plops them into your mouth like a peashooter in reverse. Montgomery Center, 1325 Route 206 North, 609-921-8551.
Asian
BOMBAY CURRY & GRILL (Basking Ridge) Charming waiters, BYO convenience, and a deft touch with the bright palette of Indian spices make Bombay Curry a winner. Murg tikka masala ($14.95)—boneless tandoori chicken slow-cooked in a coriander-scented tomato, onion, and green-pepper sauce—is mellow and almost buttery. The robust curry of lamb vindaloo ($14.95) is pleasantly offset by the lightest splash of vinegar. You don’t need to be a vegetarian to appreciate the subtle richness of kaju paneer ($11.95), a house specialty combining cubes of mild fresh cheese with cashews in a creamy almond sauce. Almonds also star in a fine dessert, liberally sprinkled over a serving of kulfi, the densely concentrated Indian ice cream. 933 Lyons Mall, South Finley Avenue, 908-953-9400.
DAKSHIN EXPRESS (Edison) Amid the gleaming shopping centers of Oak Tree Road, the drab little structure that Dakshin Express shares with a Krauszer’s looks like it was deposited (carefully) by Dorothy’s tornado. Push open the restaurant’s glass door and you step into a bit of Oz. Mirrored walls and powerful recessed lights make the little dining room as dazzlingly bright as a hospital OR. English is seldom spoken here. The specialties are dosa and biryani. Dosa is one of the most fun foods to eat in the world. It’s a thin, lentil-and-rice-flour crepe that spreads out on the griddle to about the size of the Declaration of Independence. It’s crispy on the griddle side, soft on top. The paneer dosa ($5.50) is sprinkled with mild shredded cheese, folded in thirds (crispy-side out), and placed on a plate that it overhangs like a propeller. You pull it apart with your fingers and dip the crispy-soft pieces into a trio of contrasting condiments, notably a creamy coconut chutney. Dakshin’s dosas are, in a word, great. The biryani (rice casseroles, roughly speaking), available in both vegetarian and meat varieties ($6 to $9), are fragrant and flavorful. The ravishing tamarind rice ($4.50) laced with cashews, poppy seeds, and mustard seeds is a satisfying meal in itself. The food is not tongue-curlingly spicy (unless you want it to be), but whatever level you choose, you cannot do better than have a fresh-tasting mango lassi ($2.50) at hand to quench the fire. 1689 Oak Tree Road, 732-494-6363.
Latin
HABANA LATIN (Ridgefield Park) Subtlety and refinement are not the main attributes associated with cheap eats, but they do apply to Lalo and Blanca Acuña’s attractive and gracious little restaurant and its delicious food. Lalo, the chef, and wife Blanca, the manager and hostess (pictured, right), are Mexican, but her grandfather was Cuban, and Habana Latin artfully mingles the two cuisines. Entrées range from $14 to $20, but you can feast on the ample menu of tapas, soups, salads, and tamales, most priced from $3 to $6. Lalo serves excellent Cuban beef empanadas with a Mexican smoked morita pepper salsa as well as Mexican-style three-mushroom and cheese quesadillas ($5). Tipico Cuban are the incredibly plump and juicy shrimp in lively garlic and wine sauce ($9.95), and the luscious cornmeal tamale steamed in the husk ($5), one of the oldest and best comfort foods in the world. 206 Main Street, 201-641-5588.
LA TAPATIA (Asbury Park) It’s worth noting that most of the customers here speak Spanish; the free newspapers and the display of business cards also are in Spanish. This modest-looking eatery, festooned inside with colorful Mexican shawls, makes its own tortillas and just about everything else. The usual suspects—burritos ($8.50), quesadillas ($7.50), chicken fajitas ($8.50), eggs rancheros ($5.99), and tacos ($5.99)—are unusually good. 703 Main Street, 732-502-0369.
Portuguese
PIC-NIC (East Newark) Ferry Street in Newark is well-known for its Iberian establishments, but if you cross the Passaic River into East Newark (a separate town, in Hudson, not Essex, County), you will be amply rewarded. All entrées at Pic-Nic, a classic Portuguese restaurant, are under $20. Stick with the generous appetizers and churrasco (barbecue), and you can live it up for even less. Try the succulent whole barbecued chicken ($10), the shrimp in garlic sauce ($8.50), or the homey, hearty vegetable soups, which change daily ($2). 224 Grant Avenue, 973-481-3646.
LISBOA BARBECUE (Verona) This little diner facing Verona Park is mostly a takeout joint, but it does have tables and chairs. You can usually grab a free newspaper to read over a quick, economical breakfast (ham and cheese omelet, $3.95). You’ll find the traditional barbecued meats on the spits. A favorite for its piquancy and inner moistness is the whole barbecued chicken, a steal at $10. Portions are generous—the foil takeout containers measure 10 by 13 inches; the staff pile on the rice and beans along with the meat. 467 Bloomfield Avenue, 973-571-9339.
And More...
BISTRO EN (Teaneck) The room holds only twelve tables, set with pristine white cloths. Total seating: 28 lucky people. The cuisine reflects French and Japanese influences, and the steal is a $24.99 prix fixe three-course menu. (Portions, while small, are fine for average appetites.) Stunning starters include yellowtail carpaccio marinated in a soy-based truffle vinaigrette; salt-and-pepper calamari with chili dipping sauce; and tempura shrimp with a tangy dipping sauce of miso, chili paste, and Cointreau. Tender duck breast with savoy cabbage and roasted apples in a red wine reduction makes a gratifying entrée; ditto a lively chicken Provençal braised with tomatoes, green peppers, olives, and a dash of Herbes de Provence. Desserts range from reliable crème brulée and molten chocolate cake to a laudable pear tart in puff pastry. 252 DeGraw Avenue, 201-692-0700.
BLUE FISH GRILL (Flemington) The scent of the wood-fired grill greets your nose before you even step inside this casual sibling to Matt’s Red Rooster, which co-owners Matt McPherson and Matt Green opened in 2004. Nautical-blue clapboard walls and big windows give the new place a New England feel. Pick a table, then order at the counter. Choose your fish (mahi mahi, salmon, tilapia, tuna, or butterfish), a sauce (mango salsa, lemon herb butter, red pepper tartar sauce), and a side (tropical rice, lemon herb linguine, grilled veggies). Cost: $6.99 to $8.99. A meaty lump crab cake is $8.95 with coleslaw and red pepper aioli; a catfish po’ boy with slaw is $6.50. Bring your own beer or wine. The house provides wine glasses and ice buckets. 9 Central Avenue, 908-237-4528.
CORNERSTONE CAFE (Frenchtown) A block from the banks of the Delaware in this cute-as-a-button Hunterdon County town, the Cornerstone makes up in friendliness, access (B, L, and D, seven days a week), and good simple cooking what it lacks in aesthetic appeal. Three pieces of crisp fried chicken in honey-laced batter with excellent fries cost just $6.95. Slow-cooked pot roast with boiled red potatoes, carrots, onions, and brown gravy ($8.95), is just like Mother used to make (in your dreams, anyway). Add homemade desserts and a drive-up ice cream window, and you’ve got country comfort. 31 12th Street, 908-996-2885.
DAYI’NIN YERI (Cliffside Park) The name means “Uncle’s Place” in Turkish. Owner Tevfik Bashelvaci says his is the only restaurant in the state serving pide, which are Turkish pizza. Whatever, his pide are delicious. Toppings include peynirli (feta, parsley, eggs, milk, butter, $9), pastirmali (Turkish pastrami, $9.50) kusbasili (lamb, peppers, and onions, $9), and ispanakli (spinach, $8). Plus kebabs, Turkish salads, etc. 333 Palisade Avenue, 201-840-1770, dayininyeri.com.
GREEK DELIGHTS (Montclair, North Arlington) What does a Latin-American family know about Greek food? A lot, it turns out. Owner Ursula Garcia fell in love with Greek food (and her husband-to-be, Willie) while working at a Greek restaurant in Bergen County. The couple learned well and opened their own place to instant acclaim in Montclair in 2003. What had been a sleepy little railroad-car diner was suddenly hopping with customers. Willie died in 2005, but Ursula has carried on and even opened a second location. The food is still as honest and gratifying as the prices are reasonable: terrific gyro sandwiches on plump, fresh-made pita ($5.75); traditional dips (eggplant, caviar, potato and garlic, yogurt and cucumber) served with pita ($5.50 each). The entrées are ridiculously good, especially the eggplant moussaka ($10.95), pasticcio (macaroni, ground meat, and bechamel, $9.95), and an always available special, eggplant and zucchini stuffed with chicken and rice, aswim in rich, tangy lemon sauce ($11.95). 14 Park Street, Montclair, 973-783-9100; 440 Ridge Road, North Arlington, 201-991-5055, greekdelightsnj.com.
JE’S (Newark) Corner coffee shop, bright lights, plastic tabletops. C’mon in, the Southern cooking is fine. Starters are chili ($4) or soup of the day ($3). Serious fried chicken? You’ve come to the right place ($9.58). Sides ($3 each) include tasty stewed okra with tomatoes, mashed yams, collard greens, crisp French fries, and killer onion rings. Barbecued spareribs in a finger-licking sauce ($9) fall off the bone. For dessert, peach cobbler and apple cobbler ($2.95) look messy but taste good. Coconut cake with pineapple will set you back an extra nickel. Go ahead, spring for it; you won’t be sorry. 34 Williams Street, 973-623-8848.
JUNE’S CAFE (Ocean City) “I want people to leave here going, ‘Wow, that was really something,’” says June Wickes, chef and owner of this year-old breakfast-and-lunch hot spot, formerly the Red Raider deli. Wow is the word for June’s challah French toast with glazed bananas ($6.95), homemade corned beef hash ($7), and creamed chipped beef ($7). The hits keep coming at lunch: lively seasonal soups ($5–$6); a fluffy quiche-of-the-week ($7); Crabby Eileen salad (lump crabmeat over bitter greens with fresh berries, $12); and roast beef melt with Portobellos, horseradish, onions, and Cooper cheese on grilled rye ($7). 617 East Eighth Street, 609-399-0303.
KRAKUS (Wallington) You’ll hear the knotty, robust Polish language spoken at the tables, taste the simple glories of hearty, hard-to-find Polish cuisine, and see that somehow it all fits together in this big, semi-formal dining room with its mauve walls and gold brocade curtains. And you will spend next to nothing. Choose from 14 soups ($2–$3.50), including white or red borscht, tripe, mushroom, and, yes, pickle (don’t ask, just get it; it’s wonderful). Best intro: the $10.50 Polish platter, which includes kielbasa, heavenly stuffed cabbage, ineffable potato pancakes, three kinds of (proudly and properly firm) pierogies, and a portion of bigos, which is the Chopin mazurka of sauerkrauts. 208 Main Street, 973-779-1922.
MONDIAL PASTRY (Paterson) We could fill an issue with great bake shops, and someday will. Meanwhile, consider this the Cheap Eats wildcard—a Middle Eastern garden of delights run by Syrian emigré brothers Mohamed and Abdul Kazan. Every wondrous cookie ($6.99/lb.) that can be made with dates, figs, almonds, pistachios, sesame, and sugar are stacked in alluring ziggurats on the marble counter. Don’t miss the crispy, pretzel-shaped, syrup-enriched moushabbak ($6.99/lb.)—funnel cake raised to the nth degree. 1068 Main Street, 973-247-0010.
PONZIO’S (Cherry Hill) What James J. Ponzio started in Brooklawn in 1949 (a diner with extras, such as air conditioning), has become a household name. In 1958, Ponzio sold to the Fifis family, who later moved the restaurant to Cherry Hill and made it the societal magnet now overseen by second-generation owner Chris Fifis. The sprawling eatery features a menu that even Evelyn Wood would have to ask for more time to get through. Diner staples such as open-faced turkey sandwiches ($10.99) and other platters are reliably good. Crabcakes ($13.49) are big and nearly filler-free. The people-watching is equally rich: Philadelphia Flyers, past and present; local pols and business leaders; families and every other kind of social group, attending events in the banquet rooms. Sweet-tooth alert: Ponzio’s bakery is top-notch. Choosing just one thing from the three-page dessert menu is a challenge. Solution: Have a small goodie now and grab a pie or three (pumpkin is the choice here) for the road. 70 Route 70 West, 856-428-4808.
SHAKER CAFÉ (Flemington) The menu is almost as whimsical as the huge collection of salt and pepper shakers for which the café is named. (The cacti in the picture at left, for example, are S&P shakers.) For edible whimsy, try the Fruity French Pig, a tasty ham, brie, and raspberry jam omelet ($7.50), or the eye-opening Hasta La Feasta: scrambled eggs wrapped in a tortilla topped with homemade salsa and Monterey jack cheese ($6.50). The fun continues at lunch with Ev’s Great Ham Salad ($5.75). Friday is Fiesta Night: nachos piled with black beans, onions, melted cheese, sliced jalapeños, and guacamole are $4.50 (small), $6.50 (large). The website promises “good eats, cheesey decor, sassy service.” 31 Main Street, 908-782-6610, shakercafe.com.
THAT HOT DOG PLACE (Red Bank) Think of it as “That Misnamed Place.” The reason people line up ten deep outside Gary Sable’s eleven-year-old hole-in-the-wall is not the Sabrett dogs, which are fine, but the marvelous soups. Three a day are listed every morning on his website. Even on sweltering summer days, Sable sells out by 2 pm, so come early. (He opens at 10 am, or whenever the soup is done.) It could be spicy sausage soup enriched with red wine and macaroni; Italian wedding soup with plump little meatballs; spicy-sweet stuffed pepper and rice soup; chicken-noodle; lentil; only Sable knows what else. That’ll be $3 for a 12-ounce container, $3.75 for 16 ounces, $7 for a quart, and a quarter extra for bread. Don’t get pushy or too chatty (unless you’re a Yankees fan) or it’s no soup for you. Well, not quite, but Sable does bring a certain Seinfeld character to mind. Cash only, lunch only, weekdays only. “I gave up weekends four years ago,” Sable says. Next! 30 Monmouth Street, 732-219-6999, soupmeister.com.
Breakfast
CHAT & NIBBLE (Asbury Park) Old enameled signs bedeck the walls and little shaded lamps grace the bare tables in this hip, funky, neighborhood hangout, which is open seven days a week (and around the clock on weekends). There’s something unstudied and comfy about the place, owing to chef/owner Mary Fallon’s hospitality and reliable home-cooking. Breakfast, served anytime, features hefty omelets such as the Sombrero (turkey chili, cheddar, salsa, and sour cream, $9.95) and the Hangover (potato, sausage, onion, and horseradish cheddar, $9.95). For lunch it’s hard to beat the chicken salad club with bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato, and sprouts on pita ($7.95 with a side—go for Fallon’s crunchy coleslaw). Bonus picks: homemade pies and cakes under glass; real tapioca pudding. 932 Asbury Avenue, 732-775-5100.
COUNTRY PANCAKE HOUSE (Ridgewood) Richard Lewis, Englewood’s gift to the comedy of angst, used to tell a joke in which he tries to conceal postcoital anxiety by leaping out of bed, shouting, “Got any frozen waffles?” Who knows why waffles are funny? We do know that the waffles at the 13-year-old Country Pancake House are worth getting out of bed for—and they aren’t frozen, either. They’re crisp and deep brown outside, nutty sweet inside. The amazingly deep menu offers waffles 51 different ways ($5.95 to $8.50), plus 29 “waffle frittatas,” a baked omelet on a waffle ($8.95), plus crêpes 9 ways, French toast 26 ways, eggs benedict 8 ways, and, oh yes, pancakes 90 ways. All of the above from $4.95 to $9.95, in lumberjack portions. Why so cheap? Says owner Milan Pavlovic, “I don’t like to get rich in one day.” 140 East Ridgewood Avenue, 201-444-8395.
