Restaurant Reviews
“Hands of Gold”: Valentina’s in Northfield
January 16, 2019
That is how chef Rosaria Conti’s skill with dough is described by Paula Giordano, her business partner. It's a just description for Conti’s pizzas and pastas. But he says not all of Valentina’s menu meets that golden standard.
At Gayeon in Fort Lee, a Beautiful Encounter
January 2, 2019
The Korean word "Gayeon" translates to "beautiful encounter" into English. With few exceptions, the restaurant lives up to its name.
You’ll taste the South in virtually everything from chicken, meat and seafood to mashed potatoes and black-eyed peas at this down-home eatery.
Owners Cory and Natalie Reuss met in Austin, Texas before moving to Collingswood. The couple opened Macona BBQ over the summer in the space that once held Sweet Freedom Bakery.
That, more or less, is what noted chef James Avery (of the Bonney Read in Asbury Park) set out to create with his “neighborhood kitchen” Farmly.
SEAK and You Shall Find Eclectic Asian: SEAK in Edgewater
December 18, 2018
SEAK (Southeast Asian Kitchen) in Edgewater, serves mostly Vietnamese and Thai food in a colorful contemporary space with a few tables offering Hudson River views.
Tasty New Life For An Old Storefront: Broadmoor in Lambertville
December 12, 2018
After running Rick’s in Lambertville for 13 years, chef Alex Cormier thought he was done with restaurants until his business partner pulled him back in. Together they reinvented the Broadmoor, a long-shuttered Lambertville institution.
Craveable Crossroad: Central + Main in Madison
December 5, 2018
Leia Gaccione’s second place named for cross streets elevates the intersection of familiar and amazing.
Giovanna Germinario and her family run Giovanna’s Cafe. As Sabrina Bush writes, it's a small, homey place for breakfast and lunch with an Italian-American accent.
Try Division Cafe in Somerville, where there are about half a dozen different varieties of empanadas. While you’re there, try some of the other Latin-American specialties.
Neptune’s Hippest Bar Scene: The Grand Tavern in Neptune
November 15, 2018
The Grand Tavern in Neptune has earned a loyal following, especially from local chefs, bartenders and sommeliers. The food is good, if uneven, but the reason the place is rocking is the quality of its bar scene.
The menu is vast at Pho 9 Vietnamese in Cherry Hill, but servers will help you find your way. And psst: portions are huge.
Where Europe Meets Asia: Bosphorus in Lake Hiawatha
November 8, 2018
Bosphorus is named for the strait that separates Europe and Asia and divides the city of Istanbul. Its Turkish cuisine is itself a bridge.
Geared For a Fine Ride: Bici in Ramsey
November 1, 2018
Chef and bicyclist Anthony DeVanzo balances tradition and creativity at his refined Italian BYO.
The Salty Whale & Guesthouse has been fully refurbished and renamed by new owners. The Guesthouse is still in the works, but the restaurant features appealing wings, mussels in Thai green curry and coconut milk and a host of burgers and sandwiches. At dinner, there’s a bone-in pork chop for $26.
The recently opened Dolce & Salato is a cozy Hoboken storefront—part café, part takeout shop—celebrating the foods of southern Italy and Sicily.
All-Season Italian on the Shore: Marandola’s in Bradley Beach
October 17, 2018
At Marandola’s in Bradley Beach, Mark Marandola says he makes his Italian menu 'not too red-saucy.’ He calls it “a mixture of traditional and a little innovative.”
A Friendly Hive of Eats, Drinks, Music and Games: MudHen in Wildwood
October 10, 2018
The new MudHen Brewing Co. in Wildwood is an all-year venue with plenty of dishes to lure the hungry as well as brews to entice the thirsty.
An Ascent Long Awaited: The Hill in Closter
October 4, 2018
Ben Pollinger, who won a Michelin star in New York in 2006, finally opens his own restaurant—in his home county.
Hên Vietnamese Eatery in Cherry Hill offers six types of the classic bánh mi sandwich. There’s also four pho soups, plus many other dishes at this "stylish eatery…in a clean and modern space" that opened in June.