OPENINGS
THURSDAY, MARCH 6
Hailing from Atlantic City, Tony Boloney’s has launched a second restaurant in Hoboken at 263 First Street (201-222-8669). It features pizza, subs, from-scratch homemade grub and an erotic menu. Yes, now you can buy boob pizzas and a penis-shaped stromboli. Future plans include delivery service along with catering, wholesale mozzarella, and pizza/mozzarella making classes. Tony Boloney’s has won various awards including the 2010 Guy Fieri Cheesesteak Battle on Food Network and most recently LIVE! with Kelly & Michael’s Truckin’ Amazing Food Truck Competition.
30 Burgers: 38 West Front St, Red Bank (732-530-8888). Restaurant offering cooked to order 7oz-certified Angus beef burgers accompanied by toppings, condiments, and sauces.
200 Tice: Hilton Woodcliff Lake, 200 Tice Boulevard, Woodcliff Lake (201-391-3600 x4038). A seasonal and locally sourced menu.
A & L BBQ at Trecolore Pizzeria: 1207 Rt 35 Middletown (732-671-1800); BYO.
Amore Tuscan Grille: 464 Sylvan Ave Englewood Cliffs (855-502-6673).
Anthony Marra’s: 18 E Mount Pleasant Ave, Livingston (973-992-8911); BYO.
Antoinette Boulangerie: 32 Monmouth St, Red Bank (732-224-1118). High-quality pastries, breads, cookies, cakes and tarts freshly baked on site.
Bank on Mattison: 649 Mattison Ave, Asbury Park (732-774-4445). Eatery housed in a 1919 building, formerly a bank.
The Bar Room + Kitchen: 100 Norwood Ave, Deal (732-686-1295).
Bar Volume Music Café: 5600 Rt 42, Blackwood, Washington Township (856-218-7777). An alcohol-free live music venue with coffee and snacks.
Bella Italia Pizza, 1005 Market St, Palmyra (856-786-8435).
Black Olive, 910 Haddonfield Berlin Road, Voorhees (856-435-5500): BYO. A Greek restaurant.
Blend: 152 Main St, Manasquan (732-223-0030); BYO. A modern-American bistro with a seasonal menu.
Blu Alehouse: 92 Rt 23 N, Riverdale (973-831-4258). Offering New American Cuisine, more than 50 beers on tap, and 30 big screen TVs.
The Brick Fire Baked Pizza: 1122 Washington St, Hoboken (201-963-3236); BYO. Previously known as Molfetta, the new eatery remains under the same ownership.
Buffalo Wild Wings: 1540 Rt 46, Parsippany (973-588-5501).
Cabana Grill: 213 Washington Ave, Little Ferry (201-440-4700). Offering a menu of salads, sandwiches, burgers, and entrees. In the spring, entertainment and dancing will be introduced.
Chipotle Mexican Grill: 235 Prospect Ave, West Orange (862-252-8096).
Chris Roberts Italian Grille & Bistro: 2206 Rt 37 E, Toms River (732-288-2525).
The Counter Burger: 374 Rt 3 West, Clifton (973-594-8700). A full bar, burgers and salads made with locally sourced and sustainable products.
Crepes Celestes: Garden State Plaza, Paramus on the first floor near Cinnabon. Features both savory and sweet crepes.
Dim Sum Villa: 1260 Springfield Ave, New Providence (908-898-0388); BYO.
El Gallo Giro: 226 Rt 1, Edison (848-202-1600); BYO. A Mexican restaurant.
Empanada Guy Restaurant: 568 Park Ave, Freehold (888-623-7765). Empanada Guy also has a series of food trucks.
Estia Greek Taverna: 140 W Rt 70, Marlton (856-596-5500). Featuring seafood, Mediterranean cuisine and a full bar.
Family Pizza & Grill: 584 Chews Landing Road, Lindenwold (609-721-2931); BYO.
Firebirds Wood Fired Grill: Monmouth Mall, 180 Rt 35 S, Eatontown (732-676-1901).
Firefly: White Sands Hotel, 1205 Ocean Ave, Point Pleasant Beach (732-223-0152). Firefly, previously located in Manasquan, now has a liquor license.
Grilly Cheese: 22 High St, Glassboro (856-409-0474).
Havana Koi: 90 South St, Morristown (973-998-8939); BYO. Creative Cuban food including tapas, empanadas, arepas, spring rolls, ceviche, and entrees such as ropa vieja, miso crusted fish, and Havana braised chicken in a Creole sauce.
Jersey Mike’s Subs: 100 Water St, Red Bank (732-530-5333).
Joia De Portugal at The Castle: 147 W Westfield Ave, Roselle Park (908-259-0011).
Jubilee Chocolate Café: 322 Broad Ave, Palisades Park (201-944-5150). Featuring chocolates, desserts, coffee and tea.
Lago: 230 Washington Place, North Brunswick (on Farrington Lake) (732-297-3803). New American cuisine.
La Piccola Cucina: 208 Medford Mt Holly Road, Medford (609-654-2934); BYO.
Lulu’s: 225 River St, Hoboken (in the W Hotel), (201-253-2520) This lounge, with a 20-foot bar, large outdoor terrace and a den with a vintage pool table, offers late-night dancing and a menu of sharable foods. Formerly the Chandelier Room.
MBM (My Beautiful Mind): 46 Rt 46 East, Wayne (973-837-8322). Italian and New American cuisine.
Mizu Sushi: 41 S. Finley Ave, Basking Ridge 908-766-0206. Take-out only.
Mr Adams Steakhouse: 1034 McCarter Highway, Newark (973-622-6221). Featuring steak and rodizio.
Mundo Vegan: 20 Church St, Montclair (973-744-5503). Organic, non-GMO and vegan food; BYO.
My Daughter’s Cakes: 120B West Shore Ave, Dumont (201-927-4293). Custom cakes and desserts.
Novu: 1055 Hamburg Turnpike, Wayne (973-694-3500); BYO. New American cuisine.
Papa’s Tomato Pies of Trenton: 3100 Quaker Bridge Road, Trenton (609-586-8282). Located inside Risoldi’s Market & Café.
POC (Port of Call) American Fusion Buffet & Sushi: 450 Hackensack Ave, Hackensack (201-488-0888); BYO.
Ranchero Cantina, Texas Family Dining: 214 Kinderkamack Road, Emerson (201-523-9250).
Riviera Maya: 116 Rt 46, Rockaway (862-209-1999). Mexican cuisine.
San Remo has moved from Shrewsbury to 115 Oakland St, Red Bank (732-345-8200); BYO.
Sapphire: 445 Cedar Lane, Teaneck (201-928-0770); BYO. Thai cuisine.
Say Cheez: 183D Nassau St, Princeton (609-924-2454). The menu offers custom grilled-cheese sandwiches and homemade soups, as well as some Greek dishes.
Seasons 52: 217 Lafayette Ave, Menlo Park Mall, Edison (732- 632-1852). Seasonal cuisine with menu items 475 calories or less.
Seventy Seven Walnut: 77 Walnut St, Montclair (973-744-8777); BYO. A seasonal menu of rustic-style foods of Italy and the Mediterranean.
Side Bar Restaurant:10 Washington St, Toms River (732-240-4211). A casual eatery offering breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Super Juice Nation: 46 Chestnut St, Ridgewood (201-857-0458).
Third & Vine 353 Third St, Jersey City (201-533-8309). International cheeses, wines and small plates.
Tom+Chee: 3681 Rt 9 N, Freehold (848 222-4731). More than 25 grilled-cheese sandwiches, three different tomato soups, salads and seasonal specials.
Yama Sushi: 100 Rt 9, Manalapan (732-414-6788); BYO.
Yi Mo Sushi, 357 Applegarth Road, Monroe Township (609-395-8805).
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CLOSINGS
March 6, 2014
At least 50 percent or more restaurants close within the first year. This week, I have listed two (Community Eatery and Gradde), which have closed within a few months of opening. Many factors can go into a restaurant not making it: underfunding, partners not agreeing, poor management, an unappetizing menu and poorly cooked food, even issues like weather. The effects of weather and economics have taken a toll on the New Jersey scene this month.
When asked why a restaurant fails, I received the following from Frank Diaz, a restaurant marketing consultant and partner at Waldy’s Wood-Fired Pizza & Penne (NYC): "Whether a restaurant is busy or not on a given night has everything to do with what else is going on—bad weather, a sporting event, random holidays—restaurants are a fragile business. This season, we’ve had multiple snowstorms followed by freezing temps and ice storms. But the biggest reason why so many are closing? Under capitalization and bad partnerships. They don’t have the funds to withstand serial bouts of really bad weather and the process of building an audience."
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A Little Café, Voorhees
Bistro by the Beach, Spring Lake
Bistro Ole, Asbury Park
Bubble Tea & Smoothie, in the Livingston Mall has closed and will be replaced by TCBY.
Burrito’lam, Teaneck
Comfort Food Kitchen, Montclair
Community Eatery which opened in December 2013, in Flemington, has already closed.
Dauphin Grille & Berkeley Bar, Asbury Park
Dos Cubanos, Paramus
Freedman’s Bakery, Belmar
Grädde Swedish Restaurant, which opened on December 1, 2013 in Westfield has closed.
Khyber Grill, South Plainfield
Kimchi & Sushi Restaurant, Lincroft
Metro Grille, Flanders
Muscle Maker Grill, River Vale
Nuova Luna, Toms River
O’Neil’s, Verona
Pagoda Tea House, Lakewood
Pizza Express, Norwood.
Saffron, East Hanover
Sbarro, which has announced that it will be closing 155 locations nationwide has closed in Livingston Mall.
Solar do Minho, Roselle Park
Spasso, Cresskill
Your Way Café, Westwood
Please e-mail me any other restaurant closings that you know about.