Sensing a shift in public mood, a leading Italian restaurant remakes itself in the more casual mode of a country osteria.

AOZORA 407 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair Aozoramontclair.com; 973-233-9400 Hours: Mon–Thurs, noon–10 pm; Fri, noon–10:30 pm; Sat, 2:30–10:30 pm; Sun, noon–10 pm.… Read the rest

Maynard’s Café 9306 Amherst Avenue Margate 609-822-8423; maynard-café.com Hours: Daily, 8 am–close (often as late as 4 am) Price: $… Read the rest

Spanish Potato Grill 399 Mantoloking Road, Brick 732-228-7655 spanishpotatogrill.com Hours: Daily, noon–9 pm Price: $$ Style: This storefront with less… Read the rest

Satis Bistro in Jersey City, writes Pat Tanner in her review, combines the most beloved dishes of French bistros, Italian trattorias, Spanish tapas joints and Portuguese cafes. That's a lot to juggle, but by adding a modern twist, Tanner says, Satis succeeds more often than not.

Robin Damstra & Jim Salant rave about the food at El Tule, a family-owned-and-operated restaurant in the heart of Lambertville, serving authentic Mexican and Peruvian specialties. Don't miss the exciting ceviches, they say, or the traditional—and distinctively delicious—non-alcoholic drinks.

At The Diving Horse the season is short, so don’t wait to dive into some of the Shore’s most captivating food.

The Spot Pizza Grill 1506 Richmond Avenue Point Pleasant Beach 732-701-8303; spotpizzagrill.com Hours: Sun–Thurs, 11 am–midnight; Fri and Sat, 11… Read the rest

The Liberty House in Jersey City's Liberty State Park is situated right on the Hudson River, facing Lower Manhattan. Does the food and service live up to the view? Read Karen Tina Harrison's review for the answer.

Suzanne Zimmer Lowery reviews Gazelle Café and Bistro in Ridgewood, where two young chefs with no formal training are cooking with confidence.

Zeppoli—hot Italian doughnuts—are just part (the last, best part) of the sublime experience of feasting at Zeppoli.

Alchemist & Barrister 28 Witherspoon St, Princeton 609-924-5555; theaandb.com Hours: Lunch: Mon–Sat, 11:30 am-5 pm; Sun, 3 pm-5 pm. Dinner:… Read the rest

Aliperti’s Ristorante 1189 Raritan Road, Clark 732-381-3200 alipertisrestaurant.com Hours: Mon–Thu, 4–10 pm; Fri and Sat, 4-11 pm; Sun, 3-9 pm… Read the rest

TAPHOUSE GRILLE 344 French Hill Road, Wayne 973-832-4141 taphousenj.com Hours: Sun-Wed, 11:30 am–10:30 pm; Thurs–Fri, 11:30 am–midnight; Sat, 1 pm–midnight… Read the rest

Red Horse Cafe 1211 Route 31, Lebanon 908-238-9604; redhorsecafe.net Hours: Mon-Fri, 5 am–7 pm; Sat–Sun, 6 am–3 pm Price: $… Read the rest

The setting of Harry's Oyster Bar at Bally's Park Place in Atlantic City is inviting—there is an outside section surrounded by lawn facing the Boardwalk. The pedigree is fine—it's owned by the family that owns Dock's Oyster House and the Knife and Fork Inn. The food and service, Adam Erace says in his review, may be coming together after a rough start.

The Blue Pig Tavern is located in one of Cape May's leading landmarks, the renovated 1879 Congress Hall Hotel. Its food is New American and it gets a lot of its produce from its own nearby farm. Adam Erace reviews.

Zod Arifai, wizard of Montclair’s Blu and Next Door, revives and reinvents a proud New Brunswick marquee.

Sea-wind foam, porcini "soil" and neon-hued gels are part of what Tre Ghoshal, chef/owner of Adara in Montclair, calls "postmodern dining," sometimes known as molecular gastronomy. "It can and should be be witty, provocative sleight of hand," writes Pat Tanner in her review. Does Adara meet that standard? Read her and find out.

Red Eye Cafe 94 Walnut Street Montclair 973-509-3663; drinkredeyes.com Hours: Mon, 7 am–5 pm; Tues–Fri, 7 am–11 pm; Sat, 9… Read the rest