RESTAURANT OPENINGS
Belmar Kitchen by David Burke • Belmar
Chef David Burke has opened Belmar Kitchen, upstairs from Main Street’s Beach Haus Brewery. Burke calls it “a sit-down restaurant; you can actually go on a date there.” Belmar Kitchen serves bistro-style fare, more adventurous than the “wings/burgers/pizza, no reservations” operation downstairs at Beach Bar & Grill by David Burke, which opened in January. At the Kitchen, expect items like Short Rib Pizza, wood-fired Heirloom Carrots & Brussels Sprouts, Spicy Oven-Roasted Prawns, Chicken Milanese and Pan-Seared Branzino.
It’s already been a busy year for Burke, with openings in Rumson (Red Horse, the former Fromagerie); East Brunswick (Orchard Park); Charlotte, North Carolina; Garden City on Long Island; and a pop-up in Asbury Park.
This fall, he says, he expects to open a Modern American restaurant called 1776 on the Morristown Green (about 100 paces from the statue of Washington, Hamilton and the Marquis de Lafayette conferring together). The building, at 55 Park Place, for many years housed the offices of New Jersey Monthly.
“I’m all in for Jersey,” Burke says. “I’m reopening the Burke Tavern in New York City next Tuesday. We’ll see how that goes. I’m optimistic but not foolish. Jersey has kept our company afloat. If I only had restaurants in New York I’d really be in bad shape. I used to live in Morristown. I’ve always liked the town. Now it’s really thriving with the condos. And the surroundings towns—Mendham, Chatham, Chester, Morris Plains—are full of people who like to dine.”–Eric Levin
Belmar Kitchen by David Burke (at Beach Haus Brewery), 801 Main St., Belmar; 732-202-7782
Tango’s • Somerville
Opening downtown—official ribbon cutting to come—Tango has a menu ranging from appetizers like Coconut Shrimp, Portuguese Sausage and Clams Marinara to salads (such as Apple Spinach and Chickpea Salad) to entrées (including Pollo Milanese, Seared Salmon, Surf & Turf and Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin). The team is still developing its social media pages and website, but is currently offering paper menus at the location, plus a digital menu here.
Tango’s Restaurant, 45 W. Main St., Somerville; 609-450-9400
Bitol Mexican Handcrafted Cantina • Clifton
Veteran chef Julieta Vallesteros is running the kitchen at this new eatery. It can seat around 70 guests and offers authentic flavors from different Mexican regions. Serving brunch, lunch and dinner, dishes range from De Pez Tacos (crispy fish with apple coleslaw), Mexican-Style Pizza (with toppings like grilled cactus, poblano peppers and spiced hanger steak) and Corn Truffle Tortitas (corn cake fritters with jumbo lump crab). Open Sunday, 3–9 pm; Monday–Thursday, 4–10 pm; Friday and Saturday, 4–11 pm.
Bitol Mexican Handcrafted Cantina, 1061 Bloomfield Ave., Clifton; 973-246-3558
The Puddin Palace • Oaklyn
Co-owners Miranda Jordan and LaGracia Givings began doing pop-ups of their pudding business in 2018. Now they’re preparing to open their first brick-and-mortar space in late April or early May. The Black-owned business will offer 15 homemade pudding flavors, including Oreo, Fruity Pebbles and Strawberry Shortcake. Vegan and sugar-free options will be available, as will cookies, cheesecakes and milkshakes.
The Puddin Palace, 211 W. Clinton Ave., Oaklyn; 856-278-2629