The Last of the 2017 Newcomers

Plus coming soons in the new year.

There’s another new kid on the blocks of Princeton, where the restaurant scene seems to be getting livelier by the week.

Two Sevens Eatery & Cantina, 277 Witherspoon Street in Princeton, had its grand opening last week and has been segueing from soft-open status to full-out open ever since.

The newbie from Fenwick Hospitality has older, established siblings in town: Agricola, Cargot and Dinky Bar. But this 190-seat venue is all about the foods of Central and South America, with a beverage focus on agave.

The chef is Patrick Lacey and the menu encourages diners to order communally and share plates. Open daily for lunch and dinner. 609-921-2779; twosevensrestaurant.com.

Also open:

Aroma Sabor, at 294 Park Avenue in Newark. Owner Richard Garcia offers classic Latin American fare morning, noon and night. BYO. 973-732-2929.

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Speaking of cuisines from Spanish-speaking countries, there are several in the coming-soon department:

Coming soon:

Los Compadres, 1224 Anderson Avenue in Fort Lee. Mexican. BYO; lunch and dinner.

Empanada Shop, 251 Valley Boulevard in Wood-Ridge. Starring the South American favorite of its moniker. Lunch and dinner; BYO. 201-559-2165.

El Merenguito, 313 Washington Avenue in Belleville.

El Picante Mexican, 3010 Route 27 in Somerset. 732-419-3277.

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Meanwhile, there’s also news in the restaurant franchise world.

The Hummus & Pita Co., a New York-based Mediterranean fast-casual concept, will expand into New Jersey in 2018.

The company has signed a five-location franchise deal with Kaushal Shah and Rishi Parikh to open outlets in Monmouth and Middlesex counties, targeting Holmdel, Freehold, Old Bridge, Woodbridge and East Brunswick.

Hummus & Pita was born in 2011. Known for its pita and laffa breads, vegetarian dishes and meats cooked in taboon ovens, the company most recently added a line of sweet dessert-style hummuses.

We’ll keep you posted as we learn the details.

Meanwhile, Happy New Year! Here’s to delicious dining in 2018.

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