Need more evidence that our increasingly delicious state of New Jersey is growing ever more diverse in its culinary offerings?
Just take a look at the newest restaurants—and the restaurants that will be opening in the near future.
Cementing the trend for poke in particular and foods Hawaiian/Pacific in general is the opening of Splash Poke Bowl, 1605 LeMoine Avenue in Fort Lee.
According to the folks at this fast-casual spot, “Each day, we select the freshest, sushi grade fish; our fish come in whole and are never frozen. We build your bowl to order. There are endless combinations of bases, sauces, and toppings for you to customize.”
How many times can we say, “Chipotle meets…” and you fill in the blank of the style of cuisine? It’s the 21st century’s contribution to culinary history, apparently.
Splash is open for lunch and dinner; BYO. For more information, call 201-585-9900 or visit splashpokebowl.com.
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Tabla is a new Indian restaurant located at 16-18 Broad Street in Ridgewood, in the former home of Due. It’s also open for lunch and dinner; BYO. 201-444-4055; tablaridgewood.com.
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Ramen Azuma has opened at 39 South Van Brunt Street in Englewood. A sibling to Soba Azuma in Fort Lee and East in Teaneck, this Asian-ramen spot specializes in noodles made on the premises. 201-585-1396; azumaramen.com.
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City Platters, 6 Orient Way in Rutherford, comes to New Jersey as a spinoff of the popular Cafe Phoenicia mini-chain in and around Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Its food focus is the Eastern Mediterranean. The new transplants from the South tell us their inaugural menu features falafel and gyros, shawarma and shish kebab. Think Greek, think Lebanese, think a little Italian as well. City Platters is open daily from 10 am to 11 pm and is BYO. 201-528-7224.
Coming soon:
When The Perryville Inn was renovated and opened as a fine-dining restaurant almost a generation ago, its mission was to bring high-style dining to the Hunterdon County countryside. A countryside, mind you, that was a short hop off Interstate 78, taking one from New York City to Pennsylvania. For various reasons, various incarnations of the Federal-style inn located in Perryville, a section of Union Township, didn’t work out.
Now it’s being re-imagined by Oink and Moo food truck star Josh Sacks, who has successfully forged a reputation in New Jersey as an authority on barbecue, and will reopen as Oink and Moo BBQ & Brew at the 167 Perryville Road address. Oink and Moo, which also has a brick-and-mortar spot in Voorhees, is ramping things up even more at Perryville, which is some 8,000 square feet in size and sports a liquor license—which accounts for the addition of the “& Brew” to the name.
That’s a lot to look forward to, wouldn’t you say?
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Meanwhile, Taj Indian Grill is coming to 127 Valley Road in Montclair, while Taste of the Mint is planned for 10 North Center Street in Orange.
Son of Cubano, a stalwart in West New York, is adding an outlet in Fort Lee. Kimchi Mama, currently in Fair Lawn, is looking to expand into Caldwell.