At the end of each month, the team at New Jersey Digest highlights the standout bites from the past 30 days. September was packed with food worth talking about. From shrimp-crusted pork chops to flawless bánh mì, these were the best things we ate this month.
Short Rib Skewers and an Ice-Cold Beer – Izakaya Kumade
412 Bergen Blvd, Palisades Park, NJ
I will be the first to admit that I do not explore the Palisades Park-Ridgefield-Fort Lee food scene enough, which, as someone who loves Korean food, is a huge miss on my part. Did you know Bergen County has the third largest Korean population in the U.S.? Anyway, I went to Izakaya Kumade on a recommendation from a friend and was greatly satisfied. Ice-cold Orion on draft, grilled skewers, sashimi, noodles and plenty of Soju shots. Izakaya Kumade offers a fun, vibrant fusion of Korean and Japanese flavors in a transformative setting. For the skewers, this short rib was the standout. Simply seasoned boneless short rib is skewered and charred on an open flame. It has that intensely beefy short rib flavor without any of the toughness that usually comes with the cut. The cold beer on the side to wash it down is what put this one on the list.
My Trusted Bacon Cheeseburger – Riverside Inn
56 N Ave E, Cranford, NJ
One of my favorite burgers in Jersey comes from Riverside Inn, aka “The Dive.” Here is what I love about it: the poppy seed roll, the hand-formed patties, the generous season of salt. Sometimes I get it with a smear of cheddar spread, but this time I went for good ol’ American cheese. The reason this will always be one of my favorite burgers is because it is nothing more than it has to be. It’s just a really good dive bar burger. When that’s what you’re after, it doesn’t get much better than this.
Zeppole Mountain – Ferrari Pizza & Italian Kitchen
40 NJ-31, Flemington, NJ
This one will bring you right back to the carnival when you were a kid. Ferrari’s zeppole are light, yeasted, piled high and drenched in powdered sugar. When I was little, my mom would limit me to two zeppole per night at the carnival (something about too much sugar), but now that I’m grown and without the oppression of a loving, caring parent, I can have five—maybe six. And so I did. It’s worth the powdered sugar stains that will inevitably splatter your shirt. What was once a year treat back in the day is now a year-round reality. Yum.
Yes, a Shrimp-Crusted Pork Chop – Sergeantsville Inn
601 Rosemont Ringoes Rd, Sergeantsville, NJ
It’s been just over a year since Chef Sean Gray took over Sergeantsville Inn and it’s going just as great as every food nerd in New Jersey expected it to. Sergeantsville Inn is one of NJ’s best restaurants—and Gray one of its best chefs. Recently, the Inn hosted Chef Jeremy Fox to cook a five-course menu from his new book, On Meat. The final savory course was unforgettable. A pork rib chop was encased with a shrimp-cilantro farce, coated in sesame seeds and seared to order. Think Chinese-style shrimp toast meets pork chop. Each slice of pork revealed three layers: rosy pork, bouncy and flavorful shrimp and crunchy sesame seeds. At the bottom of the plate was a silky smooth shrimp-infused Sauce Newburg that was tasty enough to drink on its own (which I did).
Easy On the Pizzi – Cafe Crevier
25 E Main Street, Denville, NJ
I’ve been told to try Cafe Crevier a few times and I finally caved. What better day than my brother’s cat’s birthday? I went for their vodka sauce pie topped with crispy cupped pepperoni, mozzarella, fresh burrata, thinly sliced basil and a drizzle of hot honey. It’s one of their best sellers and I can taste why. The sweet and savory flavors went perfectly together. The crust was thin, with cheese that went right up to the edge (which you don’t normally see). Let’s just say I wasn’t easy on this pizzi—I could have eaten the whole thing if I didn’t have to share. I’d definitely order it again.
A Ridiculous Pheasant Roulade – SECRET LOCATION
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I recently had the honor and privilege to dine at a new secret dinner concept by Chef Antonio De Ieso of Fiorentini in Rutherford (more on this to come). If you’ve read any of our food coverage here at Digest, then De Ieso is certainly no stranger. The final savory course of my super-secret-underground night of dining was a pheasant roulade. Tender breast encased a rich stuffing farce from the thigh meat. Surrounding the protein was a sherry jus, dollops of smoked gouda crema, porcini mushroom and the always-delicious and labor-intensive potato pave. This boasted all the flavors of a good roast dinner while sporting a fine dining outfit. De Ieso wows me once again. Are you surprised?
The House Special Chicken Kidreh – The Olive Bistro
66 E Main St, Little Falls Township, NJ
I heard a little while back that there was a tiny restaurant in Little Falls dishing out authentic Palestinian food. For some reason, it took me until now to give it a try. The Olive Bistro’s Chicken Kidreh comes with flavorful roasted chicken, seasoned rice, chopped almonds, pine nuts and chickpeas. The spiced chicken fat cascades over the mound of rice, flavoring it even more as you make your way through the plate. On the side is a bowl of cucumber yogurt sauce, which provides a tangy addition to this rich plate of roasted chicken.
A Crave-Worthy Lomo Saltado – Myrna Peruvian Restaurant
601 Ridge Rd, North Arlington, NJ
I had a hankering for Lomo Saltado last week that I just couldn’t shake. The next thing I knew, I was driving over to a Peruvian spot not too far from where I live to satiate my craving. I stumbled into Myrna Peruvian Restaurant, a vibrant, family-owned spot in North Arlington. I went with the mixto—which includes steak and chicken, fries, peppers, onions and a rich stir fry sauce. Lomo is one of my favorite dishes in the world because it tells the story of Chinese immigration to Peru—a Chinese-inspired stir fry with firm Latin digs. Myrna’s version was just what I was looking for. I like when the fries are tossed into the stir fry at the very end so their crisp just starts to break as they soak in the sauce. The onions still have a bite, the meat is tender and, above all, the portion is f****** huge. What’s not to like?
Grilled Pork Bánh Mì to Forget Your Problems – Bánh Voyage
4 Fairfield St, Montclair, NJ
I’ve always found the bánh mì options in North Jersey to be lacking. That isn’t to say there aren’t good ones, but none have brought me the same joy as the first bánh mì I ever had, however long ago that was. For a while, I thought it could have been nostalgia—that my rose-tinted glasses were blinding me. Nope. Bánh Voyage, a new Vietnamese cafe in Montclair, reminded me what that first bite was truly like all those years ago. Grilled pork is my preferred bánh mì filling, so that’s what I went with. From there, it’s pretty much all the classics: charred-and-blistered sliced pork shoulder, crunchy cucumbers, pickled carrots and daikon, cilantro, jalapeno, a smear of mayo and a steamy toasted baguette. I ate it at the counter in absolute silence and serenity. For a few moments, all of the pain in the world vanished and all that remained was an insanely good sandwich.
No Gimmicks. No Burrata. Just Eggplant Parm – Mainline Pizzeria
8 Main St, Little Falls Township, NJ
Listen up, chicken parms are good, but I think I might like eggplant parm better… at least when it comes to sandwiches. Put your pitchforks down, it’s just an opinion! When discussing eggplant parm, I think the simpler, the better. Here’s what I want: paper-thin slices of fried eggplant, zesty tomato sauce, melty low-moisture mozzarella and a toasty roll. That’s it. You can take your stracciatella, your vodka sauce, your pesto drizzle and shove it. I want a pizzeria-style eggplant parm, is that too much to ask for? When we whittle it down to those parameters, Mainline Pizza in Little Falls serves my favorite one. It’s utterly simple. Just a few components but all done really well. It’s the kind of care that a good sandwich deserves without resorting to any gimmicks. The first half of the 2020s was all about the over-the-top sandwiches—let’s make the second half about ones that are actually good. Deal?
Like what you see? Check out the best bites from last month
Peter Candia is the Food + Drink Editor at New Jersey Digest. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Peter found a passion for writing midway through school and never looked back. He is a former line cook, server and bartender at top-rated restaurants in the tri-state area. In addition to food, Peter enjoys politics, music, sports and anything New Jersey.
