Restaurant Reviews
Venerated, Reinvigorated: The Ryland Inn
April 6, 2017
Forming a top-flight team, an accomplished chef and an astute general manager return one of the state's most honored marquees to destination status.
At El Guacamole you’ll enjoy the hospitality of the Jacobo family as well as their authentic Mexican food—hearty, delicious and affordable.
What’s Up? Docks! Dock’s Oyster House
March 16, 2017
After a multi-million dollar renovation, Dock’s Oyster House in AC reopened last year. The 105-year-old seafood establishment is still going strong.
Taphouse 15 is a spacious gastropub bedecked in wood, tile and stone for a rustic yet modern look.
The Manor in West Orange is a leader in high-end weddings, but its lesser known dining room, the Terrace Lounge, turns back the clock in a worthy way.
A Fiesta For All Seasons: Barrio Costero
March 2, 2017
A talented team take Mexican traditions on a rollercoaster ride of scintillating flavors in food and drink.
Ashley Doyne, 29, a vegan, was encouraged by her parents, who are veteran restaurateurs, to open a café for people with dietary restrictions.
After John Cowan closed his venerable Nutley Pub in 2014 brothers Tom and Dean Maroulakos resurrected it and named it for its founder.
Kimchi Smoke
February 16, 2017
At Kimchi Smoke in Westwood, chef Robert Cho “is not just a pitmaster; he’s a chef.”
St. Moritz
February 15, 2017
St. Moritz, just off Lake Mohawk in Sparta, proudly proclaims its chicken schnitzel “Our #1 seller.”
Wizard of the Waters: Two Fish in Haddonfield
February 2, 2017
After a dizzying rise and sobering fall, chef Mike Stollenwerk pares down to 26 seats and his affinity for seafood.
Comfort Food With Soul: Vonda’s Kitchen
January 26, 2017
At Vonda’s Kitchen in Newark, owner Vonda McPherson serves what she calls “healthy comfort food.”
Ahoy, Pirates!: Bonney Read in Asbury Park
January 19, 2017
Named for early-1700s pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read, the Bonney Read, the Asbury Park seafood house that opened in 2015, is pretty shipshape.
Viaggio
January 12, 2017
At age 26, chef Robbie Felice is on what promises to be a journey worth following. His restaurant's name, Viaggio, means “journey” in Italian.
Hamilton Pork
January 5, 2017
Two Greek-Italian brothers and a Mexican chef bring a smokin' taste of Texas to Jersey City's Hamilton Pork.
Sax
December 22, 2016
Visiting the Sax restaurant at The Reeds at Shelter Haven hotel in Stone Harbor, there is promise but also some problems, which seem quite solvable.
Latham House
December 15, 2016
Taking over and barely changing a handsome Jersey City restaurant space that did not make it, chef Daniel Latham and his baker wife Kris Yettra reinvented it as Latham House.
Fromagerie
December 8, 2016
Famous but ill fated, the former hot spot in one of Jersey's toniest towns is revived in a style both neo and retro.
The big portions and wide variety of American favorites at the venerable Ocean City eatery provide solid value.
For about three decades, the people who love chef Julio Rodriguez’s cooking have been following him from one West Orange location of his restaurant, Julio’s, to the next.