ALVA TAVERN
Alva Tavern, named after Thomas Edison, has opened in the boutique hotel, Indigo, at 810 Broad Street, Newark (973-242-0065). Featuring modern American food and bar menus, dinner items include Mediterranean spreads; oyster po’boy sliders; kale salad; pizzettes; Pat LaFrieda burger; sandwiches; black-pepper ricotta dumplings with duck confit and porcini mushrooms; Griggstown chicken; striped bass with escarole, olives and chickpeas; buttermilk panna cotta and olive-oil pound cake with poached pears. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
BURGER WALLA, NEWARK
Kai Campbell is a burger walla. In India walla or wallah is a word that follows an occupation. Campbell is living up to his name as chef/owner at Burger Walla, the new Indian-themed burger restaurant in Newark, where we devoured his rendition of a burger with a twist.
The juicy beef burger (also available with lamb) is made with meat from Pat LaFrieda, a meat purveyor with an excellent reputation. Chicken and shrimp burgers are also served and add-ons are available. Do not bypass the slightly spicy, Burger Walla sauce, a secret recipe that makes the burgers here different and worth seeking out. Try the hand-cut, double-fried house fries, too, or the pop-into-your mouth, addictive sweet potato tots served with a sprinkling of kosher salt. A side of curried cauliflower and chickpeas left a tingle in our mouths from the spices. Other options are a vegan and gluten-free veggie burger with Masala spices, hot dogs cooked in walla garlic butter, wings (“Buffalo”, sweet-mango tamarind or vindaloo style) and samosas. If you find yourself still hungry, homemade cookies, sweet parathas and from-scratch rotating dessert choices, such as croissant pudding, pound cake, apple crumble and brownies, are available. Wash this all down with Boylan soda, lassi, or coffee from Newark’s own Law Coffee. Burger Walla is BYO and sells limca, a lemon-lime carbonated drink sold in India, which we have been told is excellent with tequila or beer.
Burger Walla sweet potato tots.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein
Burger Walla
47 Halsey Street
Newark
862-259-2552
OTHER OPENINGS
12 Farms Restaurant, featuring farm-to-table cuisine, has opened at 120 North Main Street, Hightstown (347-603-6447); BYO. Some items on the premier menu include: citrus salad; lamb cassoulet; salmon in parchment; homemade fettuccini with park ragu; and pear tart. The mission of the restaurant is to secure the best, freshest, local and when-possible organic ingredients and the menu will change regularly to reflect what’s best in each season.
Lance Knowling, previous owner/chef of Indigo Smoke and Indigo Kitchen, both in Montclair has opened Blujeen NYC, 2143 Frederick Douglass Boulevard, New York City (212-256-1073).
Brunello Ristorante & Bar, serving traditional Italian fare, has opened at 7000 Kennedy Blvd E, Guttenberg 201-854-4114.
Cilantro’s Restaurant, Banquet and & Catering, featuring Puerto Rican and American favorites, has opened at 2841 Monmouth Road, Wrightstown (609-353-1847); BYO.
Upscale cocktails and a small menu will be featured at Dullboy Bar, 364 Grove Street, Jersey City, recently opened by the team behind the Garrett in New York City and Brian Dowling from Park & Sixth and Park & Sixth Gastropub both in Jersey City.
A crostini tasting; empanadas; fettuccini Bolognese; skirt steak; shrimp burger; and herb-brined chicken breast are a few of the menu items at the newly opened Emma Restaurant at 34 East Palisade Ave, Englewood (201-227-6103); BYO. House-made virgin cocktails are also offered such as Blackberry Smash with muddled blackberry, rosemary, lime and citrus.
Casual British pub fare including bangers and mash; fish and chips; and roasted chicken and a London broil are on the menu at the newly opened, 250-seat, Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill, which has opened at Caesars, 2100 Pacific Avenue, Atlantic City (609-348-4411). Along with a large selection of international craft and microbrews, there are more than 30 beers on tap.
The owners of Uproot Restaurant in Warren have opened INC American Bar & Kitchen (Ingredients-N-Craft) at 302 George Street, New Brunswick (732-640-0553) in the space that was previously Daryl.
Juanitos Mexican Restaurant, 3 Broad Street, Washington (908-835-2555); BYO.
Kamayan Grill, offering Filipino cuisine, has opened at 2040 Rt 33, Neptune City (732-361-5264); BYO.
Another option for Asian food is now available at Peking Duck House, 2174 Rt 130, North Brunswick (732-821-8787); BYO.
Pizza, pasta and heros are offered at the newly opened Porrino’s Pizzeria, 315 Main Street, Little Ferry (201-641-4948); BYO.
Mazur’s Sugar Flake Bakery, previously known as Mazur’s, has reopened at 323 Ridge Road, Lyndhurst. Other Sugar Flake Bakeries are located in Westwood, Wyckoff and Fair Lawn (201-636-2299).
A Colombian restaurant Sal & Pimienta, is now open for breakfast, lunch and dinner at 477B Cedar Lane, Teaneck (201-357-4897); BYO.
Fried fish, wings, corn bread, collard greens and candied yams are a few of the dishes available at Sweet Pea’s Soul Food Café, 43 S Broad Street, Woodbury (856-848-7000); BYO.
Tapeo, offering tapas and Spanish and Portuguese food has opened at 2870 State Rt 35, Hazlet (732-217-9051).
Zoe’s Kitchen, restaurant offering Mediterranean food, has opened at 1200 Haddonfield Road, Cherry Hill (856-910-0010).
CLOSINGS
Benito, Guttenberg
Luce Restaurant in Caldwell has closed and will be moving to 507 Franklin Avenue in Nutley as Bella Luce, Restaurant & Bar.
Mia, Caesars Atlantic City.
Terrazza Ristorante and Bar, Nutley.
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