Restaurant Reviews

Sam Freund, known for cofounding a funky sandwich joint, opens a stunning restaurant on the very spot where his parents once dated.
An offshoot of a venerable and beloved bakery in Brooklyn, this bustling restaurant offers a large selection of Italian favorites.
At Kabab Paradise in Lake Hiawatha, the Saleh family serves a variety of tasty Afghan-inspired dishes as well as indulgences like the Mars Burger.
Cambo Box in New Brunswick has found a devoted following among Rutgers students for its small but highly customizable menu of modern Cambodian dishes. It's also a convenient quick lunch spot if you’re on jury duty at the nearby courthouse.
The restaurant, which opened last May, is bringing excitement to its part of Union County, in an attractive faux-industrial space, with some appealing dishes. But overall it needs to execute dishes more consistently.
At Holy Tomato in Blackwood, customers sit at close-set tables under ornamental lights and quippy signs to enjoy whole pizzas (no slices) and novelties like cheesecake in warm butter-rum sauce.
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.
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.
Pho crab fried rice banh mi.
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.
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.
The bulging burger beckons strongly.
Leia Gaccione’s second place named for cross streets elevates the intersection of familiar and amazing.
Brioche French toast dipped in custard, dusted with powdered sugar and served with fresh fruit
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.
House-made empanadas.
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.
Pan-seared duck breast, cabbage, leeks, chile, duck confit and a Bixi Bixia sauce.
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.
Rice-noodle soups.
The menu is vast at Pho 9 Vietnamese in Cherry Hill, but servers will help you find your way. And psst: portions are huge.
Manti, a type of Turkish ravioli.
Bosphorus is named for the strait that separates Europe and Asia and divides the city of Istanbul. Its Turkish cuisine is itself a bridge.
The signature risotto al Chianti.
Chef and bicyclist Anthony DeVanzo balances tradition and creativity at his refined Italian BYO.