—Faubourg in Montclair and The Little Hen in Haddonfield will soon expand Franco-European vibes in Jersey dining, but until they open there’s Café Mignon, a small, fast-casual spot that just opened in Leonia. There are bubble teas and snacks, but look for a quality coffee program (anchored by Stumptown beans) and crêpes. Café Mignon, 332 Broad Avenue, Leonia; 201-292-1992
—A few month ago we reported that Hash House A Go Go was coming to the Moorestown Mall. This house of self-described “twisted farm food” has finally opened—just in time to warm yourself with a tower of sage-fried chicken and waffles. Hash House A Go Go, 400 Route 38, Moorestown; 856-439-6550
—Open just over a week now, Maeberrie Market in Avon is the charming breakfast-and-lunch brainchild of industry pals Keri DeCorso, Salvatore Capobianco and Michael Halsey. Capobianco is executive chef. The website is still under construction, but a recent Facebook post of the menus shows their take on American cuisine with dishes like vanilla bean “Fluffcakes” with matcha butter and blueberry sauce, a Caprese salad with Lioni Latticini fresh mozzarella, and buttermilk-brined fried chicken with cornmeal waffles. The space includes a small market with flowers, pastries baked in-house and vintage kitchenware. Maeberrie Market, 504 Main Street, Avon-by-the-Sea; 732-807-3279
In the Works:
—Call it Eataly by way of Short Hills. An Italian “luxury food court” called Primo Mercato is adding to the pizzeria, grill, bakery, gelateria and cocktail bar it opened in December in the Short Hills Mall. By the end of February, Primo Mercato says it expects to add a fine dining osteria and a prepared food counter for eating in or taking out. Primo Mercato, Short Hills Mall, 1200 Morris Turnpike, Short Hills; 862-309-9210, primomercato-usa.com
—It’s been several months since acclaimed veteran chef Dennis Foy opened Café Loret in Red Bank (Loret made NJM’s 28 Hottest New Restaurants list, coming in our February issue). In February, Foy and his wife, Estella Quinones-Foy, will add a pastry shop. Patisserie Loret, 120 Broad Street, Red Bank; 732-430-2250
—Salsaritas Fresh Mexican Grill will be part of a multi-unit project from Villa Restaurant Group opening soon at Newark Liberty International Airport. Salsarita, 3 Brewster Road, Newark; no phone yet.
—It looks like the Canton, Ohio-based Twenty/20 Taphouse will finally open up its second location, in Somerset, in March. The beer-focused gastropub should finalize its front-of-house crew as they finish construction in the coming month. The restaurant will be located in a 6,100-square-foot “event space” adjacent to the Springhill Suites hotel on Cedar Grove Lane. If the Jersey spot is anything like the original in Ohio, expect local beers among the wide selection and fun/refined bistro grub. Twenty/20 Taphouse, Cedar Grove Lane, Somerset; no phone yet.
Closed:
—After 40 years of continuous service in the greater Atlantic City area, The Ram’s Head Inn has closed. Though the website’s message to customers talks about the sprinkler system, the trouble is apparently deeper—“given how extensive the problem appears…we do not as yet have specifics of a timeline (certainly long) when we will reopen, if, sadly, we are able to at all.” The restaurant, located in a historic Colonial-style building and regular site of weddings and large parties, had made a point of staying open through the holidays. The Ram’s Head Inn, 9 White Horse Pike, Galloway; 609-652-1700