This cozy Mexican BYO is fresh and authentic.

After its acclaimed original chef, Anthony Bucco, left to revive the Ryland Inn, Uproot in Warren decided to take its food in a more approachable direction. With CIA grad Mark Farro, the son of the owners, in charge, the kitchen is turning out easy-to-like bar fare and hard-to-resist desserts. Pat Tanner gives you the whole picture in her review.

In a renovated 1913 train station, chef/owner Michael Carrino hits his stride, gladly shifting from haute and formal to rustic and relaxed.

Everyone loves pizza and just about everyone loves sushi. Put 'em together (on rice cake) and you get the can't-miss, don't-miss sushi pizza starter.

Or, rather, chefs Kathy and Tom West do the playing, serving a dish called Oysters Bingo at their little Mockingbird Café in Basking Ridge. The fare is eclectic, from those gently pan-fried oysters with beurre blanc to meatloaf, crab cakes and ricotta gnocchi. But as Pat Tanner writes in her review, one thing you can count on is quirkiness, in more ways than one.

Jonas Gold, chef/owner of 55 Main in Flemington, recently called in his mom, Ruth, to give the place a warmer look. In the kitchen, Jonas employs his creativity to keep his largely local clientele from getting bored. As Jill P. Capuzzo writes in her review, the menu features dishes with Thai, Japanese, Italian, Mexican, French and southern American influences.

To stand out in the Indian communities of Union County, an Indian restaurant must be outstanding. Khyber Grill passes the test.

No self-respecting hillbilly would be caught dead at MoonShine Modern Supper Club in Millburn—it's much too sophisticated, and the drinks it serves are a long way from throat-searing hillbilly hooch. Just watch your step going in, advises Pat Tanner in her review.

This bustling riverfront spot is equal parts family restaurant, sports bar and late-night party scene. Civilized at lunch and dinner, it gets loud after-hours and elbow-to-elbow at the bar.

Kevin Meeker burned through iterations of his Westmont restaurant, Cork, before he folded it and reinvented it as Keg & Kitchen, a beer-focused pub. Adam Erace takes its measure. Among the highlights, he writes, "the beer selection is among the best in South Jersey."

Intimate Abruzzo-style restaurant housed in an early-20th-century Peapack residence offers affordable, authentic Italian standards.

Juan Placencia’s heritage, CIA training and work with top chefs (including his dad) combine to create a Peruvian restaurant of unusual refinement.

Steve Christianson could have named his restaurant Steve's, but by splitting and punctuating his name he came up with something that sounds grander. St. Eve's, in Ho-Ho-Kus, has a wood-burning grill, rustic yet hip decor and a loyal following. Reviewer Karen Tina Harrison takes the measure of its food.

Red-brick walls and wrought-iron light fixtures create the ideal atmosphere for Abigail’s eclectic mix of Hungarian, Polish and Portuguese food.

For three generations, the Latz family ran the venerable Knife & Fork Inn before selling it in 2004 in the wake of a bitter family dispute. The Latzes also ran Latz's Inn in Somers Point from 1918 to 1942. Now Andrew Latz, 57, who once managed Knife & Fork, has opened his own place, Latz's By the Bay, across the street from where Latz's Inn once stood. Adam Erace reviews.

A casual eatery with less than a dozen tables that offers authentic island cuisine and is decorated in the hues of the Jamaican flag: bright green, yellow and black.

Experienced new owners, and a gifted chef whose time has come, have returned the Ryland Inn to the summit of New Jersey fine dining.

California surfer chic meets healthy, hearty fresh-Mex fare.

Hidden behind a discount gas station on a gritty strip of Route 9 in Old Bridge, Just restaurant surprises you when you walk through the door—it's a glamorous supper club, pricey too. In her review, Pat Tanner takes its measure, especially on the plate.