A classic Atlantic City dining establishment, a new farm-to-table restaurant, and barbecue in Rumson headline this month's hot restaurant list
NJ.com has launched a new regular feature, "Where to eat now in N.J.," highlighting the most exciting restaurants of the moment, including places both new to the scene and ones that have been here a while but are still firing on all burners. If you'd like to recommend a restaurant to be considered for a spot on a future "Where to eat now in N.J." list, let us know in the comments section below.
SURF BBQ: Popular Jersey restaurateur Victor Rallo, the man behind Birravino and Undici, has brought barbecue to the town of Rumson. Surf BBQ is the first non-Irish pub to take up shop at this location (Molly Maguire's, Murray MacGregor's, and Briody's once called this address home), and the interior has been delightfully transformed from Guinness signs and Celtic swag to a hip Austin, Texas-esque barbecue pit. The restaurant employs a "choose your own adventure" style of ordering. Patrons belly up to a counter where they choose their main course and sides. The brisket ($14 per 1/2 pound) is phenomenal. It's succulent, extremely tender, and the fat renders itself to a near butter-like consistency. It's basically a barbecue symphony in your mouth. The St. Louis spare ribs ($12 per 1/2 pound) are also no joke, as they are massive slabs of meat slathered in a house sauce. The side are divine -- the mammoth cornbread ($4) is nearly dessert-like, the twice-cooked hand-cut fries ($5) are excellent, and the four-cheese mac and cheese ($5-$9) is creamy goodness. For dessert (if you have room), Billy's Homemade Banana Pudding ($6) is the perfect punctuation to a Surf BBQ meal. 132 East River Road, Rumson. 732-530-6590.
Day boat fluke with summer ratatouille and rosemary at d'Floret in Lambertville. (Cathy Miller | Inside Jersey) D'FLORET: The husband and wife team of Dennis Foy and Estella Quinones have been serving up culinary excellence in Lambertville since 2012. Foy is one of the top names in Jersey dining (Shore natives may remember Dennis Foy's in Point Pleasant), and his Lambertville bistro has certainly impressed diners in the hip town. The restaurant combines Foy's love of cooking and painting, evidenced by the unique art pieces hanging on D'Floret's walls. The menu changes each week; recently among the tantalizing selections were a seared rare tuna Nicoise salad with white Belgium endive and spinach ($28), sauteed foie gras with cabbage, lardons and a raspberry glaze (market price), organic whole roasted Amish chicken for two with pomme puree ($26 per person), and the sauteed tian of crab with thyme and aioli sauce ($17). Please note that D'Floret is open Thursday-Sunday and is a cash or check only restaurant. 18 South Main Street, Lambertville. 609-397-7400.
REDD'S BIERGARTEN: Biergartens are all the rage these days, so it makes sense that one would open right across the street from Newark's Prudential Center, a bustling hub for concertgoers and sports fans. The move to open a 7,000-square-foot German beer hall was made by people who know a thing or two about opening a restaurant near a popular New Jersey stadium -- the people behind Redd's in Carlstadt (located right by MetLife Stadium). The menu at Redd's Biergarten is teeming with German-inspired fare, including spicy cheddar brats ($6.99), Jaegerschnitzel ($14.99) and the classic Bavarian soft pretzel ($10.99). For those not into the Germanic menu items, there are fresh salads ($7.99-$8.99), barbecue baby back ribs ($24.99), pasta primavera ($11.99), and fish and chips ($14.99). Its draft beer selection is legit, serving everything from German beers such as Paulaner and Franziskaner to Hawaiian beers like Kona. 218 Market Street & 37 Edison Plaza, Newark. 201-933-0015.
The legendary wings at LBI's Chicken or The Egg are a must-have app this summer. CHICKEN OR THE EGG: One of the classic eateries at the Jersey Shore. The Chicken or the Egg (or "Chegg" as it is affectionately known) is a seasonal 24-hour eatery that re-opened in April. This is a must if you're down on LBI for the summer, or even if you're visiting for the day. Breakfast is served all day long, and one cannot recommend the omelettes ($7.29-$9.29) enough. In fact, if you're a big breakfast person you can try to take its legendary "The Ultimate" omelette, which is six eggs, any or all of their various ingredients, along with home fries and toast for $13.99. Speaking of legendary, you cannot talk about Chicken or the Egg without mentioning the wings. These wings gained national attention when Travel Channel's "Man v. Food" profiled them in 2010. You don't have to engage in a wing-eating challenge like the show's host Adam Richman did, but you should challenge yourself to eat these wings. They come breaded (original) or naked, and you can chose one of 16 sauces ranging from the mild teriyaki to the "ludicrous" hot sauce. These are big, juicy, meaty wings that get sauced to perfection. 207 North Bay Avenue, Beach Haven. 609-492-3695.
ROWENA'S DELIGHT AND CAKEHOUSE: In a recent article, the internationally recognized food magazine Saveur wrote at great length about the Filipino food explosion happening in Jersey City. One of the landmark Filipino restaurants in JC is Rowena's, serving up Philippine cuisine since 1997. For those who have been curious about Filipino dining, it's recommended you try some basic dishes. These would include: the Shanghai eggroll, lechon kawali (crispy fried pork belly), bistek (thinly-sliced steak covered in soy sauce and caramelized onion rings), kare-kare (stew covered in thick peanut sauce), or the chicken or pork adobo. Customers have also raved about Rowena's Sisig (sizzling fried pork) and the fried banana. 444 West Side Avenue, Jersey City. 201-435-1567.
JAMES ON MAIN: James on Main opened its doors on March 25. The concept of the new eatery is simple: New American dinners and brunches using a wood fire grill and locally sourced seasonal ingredients. The brunch menu is served Thursday-Sunday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and sports health-conscious items such as multigrain pancakes, a baby kale and wheatberry salad, and a wood-grilled chipotle chicken and quinoa wrap. There's also options such as the Hackettstown hanger steak and eggs, the Main Street Monte Cristo and wood grilled burgers, so there's a nice balance of healthy options and comfort food. The dinner menu, served Tuesday-Sunday at 5 p.m., has casual fare such as the Catskill Mountain smoked salmon baguette and nachos (which can be topped with barbecue pulled pork or bison chili) and unique entrees such as a Berkshire hog chop, Vienna schnitzel, and wood-grilled wild American shrimp. You can end things on a sweet note with crispy apricot doughnuts or a citrus trifle. 105 Main Street, Hackettstown. 908-852-2131.
Arena, the latest addition to the West End of Long Branch's culinary scene, serves up a delectable Picada. ARENA RESTAURANT & LOUNGE: Arena is a unique spot on the Jersey Shore, blending classic American bar and grill fare with Caribbean influences. That influence can be seen at the top of the menu with empanadas ($8.99), Caribbean coconut shrimp ($9.99), and the Dominican sancocho de pollo ($7.99). Even the burgers have a bit of twist -- the Arena burger ($10.99) is covered with avocado, sauteed jalapenos and salsa. The entrees are "latitude changing" with churrasco ($23.99), ropa vieja (Cuban shredded beef topped with peppers and onions, $14.99), and Caribbean tilapia and shrimp ($15.99). The bar serves up frozen and tropical drinks just in time for the warmer weather. If you're wondering where to find Arena, it's located in the heart of the West End section of Long Branch, and occupies the corner where former nightspots such as The Draft House and Groove Lounge once stood. 100 Brighton Avenue, Long Branch. 732-693-5016.
THE RYLAND INN: "Old soul, new traditions." This is the mantra of the Ryland Inn, built in 1796 and currently run by the people behind Jersey City's Liberty House and The Stone House in Warren. The culinary concept of the Ryland Inn was designed by chef Craig Polignano. Polignano uses a local and sustainable farm-to-table ethos that allows the Ryland to change their menu seasonally. Lunch is served 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, and diners can opt for a $36 prix fixe menu (appetizer, entree, dessert), or they can choose from items ranging from flatbread ($12) to day boat halibut ($26). Dinner ranges from the causal Ryland burger ($21) to the classy Griggstown chicken served with asparagus and savory bread pudding ($29). The "Duck Bar" at Ryland serves up homemade barrel-aged cocktails. 115 Old Route 28, Whitehouse Station. 908-534-4011.
KNIFE & FORK INN: Last year on his CNN series "Parts Unknown," celebrity chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain spoke about how the "rebirth" of Atlantic City would be fueled by the city-by-the-sea's dining scene. One of the anchors of that scene for the past 104 years -- and one of the restaurants Bourdain spoke so highly of -- is the Knife & Fork Inn. The Knife & Fork is the type of place that makes you want to dress a little nicer and order a classic (and classy) Jersey Shore dinner -- seafood, steaks, etc. -- and lots of it. If you're looking for intriguing appetizers, they've got you covered with Kobe sliders ($14), crispy duck leg confit ($12), crab and avocado terrine ($12), and colossal shrimp or crab cocktails ($18). Their steaks range from a 12-ounce sirloin ($34) to a seafood-covered filet Oscar ($49). Seafood ranges from a $29 pan-sauteed flounder with crabmeat to a $51 lobster Thermidor. If you're looking for king's ransom of food, go for The Knife & Fork Dinner ($64), which comes with corn and crab chowder, Jersey tomato and Buffalo mozzarella salad, a 1-pound lobster Thermidor, and 6-ounce filet mignon. 3600 Atlantic Avenue, Atlantic City. 609-344-1133.
HARVEST SEASONAL GRILL: Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar, located in the Moorestown Mall, serves up a menu that is populated with local, farm-fresh items, many of which are under 500 calories per plate. If you want a snack, you can order appetizers such as the local farms cheese plate ($14), the organic hummus trio ($8), the spinach pierogi potstickers ($11), or blue claw crab cake ($13). The entree side of the menu sports a healthy amount of seafood, including the spicy shrimp noodle bowl ($20), pan-seared Thai curry grouper ($26), and spring sea scallops ($27). If you're a meat lover, don't fret: There are grass-fed burgers and a filet mignon as well as chicken and pork chops. 400 Route 38, Moorestown. 856-581-0044.
Bill Bodkin can be reached at bodkinwrites@gmail.com. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.