With 2025 swiftly approaching, I find myself reminiscing on some of the best bites I’ve had in New Jersey this year. With NJ’s food scene constantly evolving, it feels as if the list of best bites gets better each year. I truly believe food to be a universal language—one that I, as a Restaurant Editor, love to share with the world. From perfect pizza pies to stuffed pork gyros, nothing is off-limits. Without further ado, these are the best bites I’ve had—in New Jersey—in 2024.
In no particular order.
Plain Pie – Pizzeria Lucci’
809 Belmar Plaza, Belmar, NJ
I’m born and raised in New Jersey, so loving pizza is just a part of my being. It’s natural. And while I truly love all pizzas, some versions just stand out above the rest. Pizzeria Lucci’ in Belmar feels like Pizzaiolo Mike Gallucci’s life’s work. It’s a pizzeria by pizza nerds, for pizza nerds. His plain pie—which is baked in a deck oven—boasts the perfect amount of charred bubbles, and a great mix of crisp and chewy textures. Vibrant milled tomatoes, a blend of low-moisture and fresh mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano and basil makes what is my current pick for the best pizza in New Jersey. Seriously, it’s that good.
Bacon Cheeseburger – The Riverside Inn, AKA “The Dive”
56 N Ave E, Cranford, NJ
Ask me on any given night what I want for dinner, and I’ll probably give you a pretty straightforward answer: “I could do a cheeseburger.” Burgers to me are the perfect food, and while smash burgers are all the rage right now, I find myself craving a good ol’ griddled cheeseburger most times. The Dive in Cranford has one of my favorite burgers in New Jersey. Fresh seasoned beef, pressed hard on the plancha and served on a kaiser roll. I like mine with American cheese, bacon and maybe some grilled onions if I’m feeling wild. Simple. That’s how I like it!
Love Burgers? The Best Burgers in North Jersey
BBQ Pork Banh Mi – Baguette Delite
381 Old Post Rd, Edison, NJ
I think banh mi is my favorite sandwich. Baguette Delite’s BBQ pork option is exceptionally great. Soft and chewy bread, zingy pickled carrot and daikon, Cilantro, jalapeno, a mound of savory BBQ pork and a spread of butter. That’s all it takes to make a sandwich that I, Peter Candia, have been dreaming about for months. Though there are plenty of banh mi spots in NJ that I still have yet to try (and I will!), this one is my current favorite.
New School Cheesesteak – Christo’s Wake and Steak
1290 Broad St, Bloomfield, NJ
My other favorite sandwich is a classic Philly cheesesteak, and I’m particular about it. I want plenty of seasoned ribeye, griddled onions and white American cheese. Most importantly, I need the components to be thoroughly mixed on the grill so that each bite is as good as the one before. That’s a crucial step in cheesesteak construction that the rookies often overlook. Christo’s New School Cheesesteak is a contender for best in NJ. It’s one of the best things I’ve eaten this year.
Bread Pudding – Antique Bar & Bakery
122 Willow Ave, Hoboken, NJ
Hoboken’s Antique Bar & Bakery is all of the rage, and for good reason. The restaurant is a time capsule into “Old Hoboken” with its hundreds of trinkets and vintage decor. A century-old bread oven is central to the operation. Roast chickens, burgers, steaks—they all see a kiss of live fire in one way or another. But it’s the bread pudding that is irresistibly good. A mound of custard-soaked bread—easily enough for four people—is baked off and doused in warm caramel tableside. It’s the perfect way to end the meal. And when you inevitably do not finish it, it makes for an excellent breakfast the next day. It’s basically French toast, right?
Lobster Tortelloni – That Pasta Club
7 Hawthorne Ave, Park Ridge, NJ
Those who know me know that pasta is sort of my forte. It’s the food I cook the most, and something I studied pretty extensively while in culinary school. I love all shapes and styles of pasta, but a good stuffed pasta is hard to beat. Chef Nicolas Pescatore of That Pasta Club—a secret restaurant set inside of an empanada shop in Park Ridge—served me a lobster-stuffed tortelloni earlier this year that was outrageously delicious. Each morsel of pasta is adorned with Hokkaido uni and bathed in brown butter. It was briny, rich and, most importantly, ideally textured. A knockout of a dish!
Sesame Chicken – First Wok
13 Stevens Ave, Little Falls Township, NJ
Like pizza and bagels, Chinese-American takeout is inherently “Jersey,” and every NJ food lover worth their weight has a favorite spot—usually, it’s the one you grew up on. For me, it’s First Wok in Little Falls, the Chinese food of my youth. I’ve eaten a General Tso’s or boneless spare ribs combo weekly for as long as I can remember. However, there was a day this year when I did the unthinkable: I went for the sesame chicken. What a treat. It’s sweet and saucy, with a coating that holds onto its crisp thanks to First Wok’s lightning-fast delivery. When I say I could eat Chinese food three times a week for the rest of my life and be happy, I mean it.
I can see the comments now: “Chinese takeout was one of the best bites you’ve had this year?!?” Hey, at least I’m honest.
Ice Cream Sundae – Black Sheep Bar & Provisions
514 North Ave, Garwood, NJ
Black Sheep does a lot of things well. So much so that I named them one of NJ’s best restaurants of 2024, I’ve talked a lot about their savory food, but I’d like to highlight something lesser known: when they have it, Black Sheep’s ice cream sundae is my favorite dessert. Silky vanilla ice cream, fresh whipped cream, rich chocolate fudge, caramel, rainbow sprinkles and, of course, a neon-red cherry on top. It’s classic and perfect—an elevated play on the timeless dessert. It’s the dead of winter, and I want one right now.
More NJ Food: New Jersey’s 30 Best Restaurants of 2024
Pork Gyro – Efi’s Gyro
521 Bloomfield Ave, Montclair, NJ
Efi’s serves some of NJ’s best gyros right on Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair. Their pork gyro is my absolute favorite. Spit-roasted pork, sliced thinly and stuffed into a warm pita. It comes slathered with tzatziki sauce, sliced red onion, tomato, and the best part, a mound of crispy fries stuffed right into the wrap. It’s a true street-style gyro and I can’t get enough of it. Paired with an ice-cold Viko’s Cola, it’s an eating experience that’s hard to top.
Porcini Risotto – Fiorentini
98 Park Ave, Rutherford, NJ
When I first reviewed Fiorentini in 2022, I said Chef Antonio De Ieso’s risottos were the best you’d find in Jersey. Nearly three years later and that claim has only gotten truer. In the Spring, Chef Antonio cooked for me a porcini risotto that was unbelievably good. Dusted with caper powder and topped with a scoop of braised guinea hen leg meat, the dish activated every sense of my taste buds. Still, the most impressive part is the textbook cook he achieves on the rice. Each granule defined—with a bite—and sauced perfectly in its own emulsion of starch, stock, cheese and porcini. It doesn’t get much better than this.
Plain Pie – Patsy’s Tavern
72 7th Ave, Paterson, NJ
Okay, time to talk about pizza again. Finally, after years of procrastination, I took my eating talents to what many consider to be the best bar pie in New Jersey. Patsy’s Tavern in Paterson has been around for almost 100 years, and thanks to its cult following, it should exist easily for another 100. They’ve got all of the red sauce joint classics, but the pizza is what people travel for. Patsy’s pizza is definitively a bar pie, but with a tad thicker crust and a unique crimp on the edge. It stands up straight with no flop and boasts the perfect ratio of sauce to cheese. It’s basically my idea of Heaven, along with an ice-cold mug of beer.
Yard Bird Wings – Wing Bar
684 Bergen Ave, Jersey City, NJ
There was a time when a plate of buffalo wings was my pick for a death-row meal, a question you get asked a lot as a food writer. I like my wings classic: no breading, fried hard and sauced in a mix of Frank’s Red Hot and butter. Wing Bar in Jersey City serves a great version of the humble buffalo wing, but they have a sauce up their sleeve that bests even my beloved classic buffalo. The Yard Bird option lands you wings sauced with a mix of buffalo and garlic parm sauce. It’s a combination that is utterly addicting.
And while we’re on the topic of wings: flats > drums. It’s not close, either.
Ricotta Cake – Erie Coffeeshop & Bakery
10 Franklin Pl, Rutherford, NJ
Erie is the place I eat more than anywhere on this list. It’s my neighborhood coffee shop and also home to the best-baked goods in North Jersey. I stop in to feed my dessert-for-breakfast addiction at least once a week. Truthfully speaking, I’ve probably had 20 different things at Erie this year that would easily make this list, but my fatal flaw is I NEVER take a picture. Luckily, I snagged one of this ricotta cake, which is right up there with my favorite bites I’ve had from Erie. Moist cake, slightly sweet and dusted with powdered sugar. With a coffee, it’s my perfect breakfast.
Chicken Savoy – Belmont Tavern
12 Bloomfield Ave, Belleville, NJ
Do not make the same mistake I have. Do not wait 20-some-odd years before trying Belmont Tavern for the first time. 2024 wasn’t my intro to the legendary NJ cash-only red sauce joint, but it was the year that solidified my love for their signature dish, chicken savoy. A chicken is roasted in parts, coated in a mixture of Pecorino and garlic. They take it far—almost burnt, even. When the tray is removed from the oven, they deglaze the fond with a boat-load of red wine vinegar and that becomes a zingy jus to coat the succulent chicken in. It’s a dish that is even better than its impossibly high praise. I’ve tried recreating it, but nothing will ever top the original.
Fried Pork Belly – Grand Tavern
1105 6th Ave, Neptune City, NJ
In Neptune City is a well-kept dining secret. Grand Tavern is one of the best restaurants in NJ, full stop, and my most recent visit in the summer only solidified that claim. Among the array of enjoyable dishes was a fried pork belly that I still think about while daydreaming at work. Crispy, fried chunks of succulent pork belly, cold watermelon cubes, fresh basil and shaved fennel made up this hot-and-cold porky salad. A truly great starter that shows off the versatility of pork belly, whose rich fat allows it to hang with big, bright flavors. A knockout.
The Roast Duck – Ram & Rooster
83 Central Ave, Metuchen, NJ
Ram & Rooster is NJ’s best new fine dining restaurant. The tasting menu concept weaves through the vast and varied cuisine of China’s 23 provinces. Every dish was seemingly better than the one that preceded it, and for the staple menu item, the roast duck, there was certainly no exception. Rosy, slowly pan-roasted duck breast is plated alongside the fixings typical of a peking duck presentation, albeit with some contemporary flair. Souffle pancake, julienned cucumber, a rich hoisin sauce and scallion salad. It was a totally fit way to end the savory portion of Ram & Rooster’s defined menu.
Blueberry Pancakes – Steve & Andrea’s
298 Park Ave, Rutherford, NJ
I’m someone who really has to be in the mood for pancakes to order them… unless I’m at Stev & Andrea’s. The thin and lacy pancakes have become famous in the Rutherford area and for good reason, they’re addicting. Sweet, with slightly dark edges and best eaten doused in syrup and whipped butter. It’s pancakes like you’ve never had before. Once you try them, you’ll be hooked, too.
Carnitas Tacos – Tacos Polo
16 Little Falls Rd, Fairfield, NJ
This is how I like my tacos. Griddled corn tortillas, a shower of cilantro and minced onion, salsa, grilled spring onion and lime on the side for your own creative taco journey. When it comes to carnitas, I want to taste, well, pork! These tacos hit the nail on the head with their juicy and fatty pork filling—some pieces crisp and charred while others are soft and melty. The salsas, a green and red variety, serve as the perfect condiment. Tacos Polo is a mom-and-pop shop that doesn’t reinvent the wheel. That’s why it’s a top bite of 2024.
Hot Soppressata Sub – Annamaria’s
216 Hoboken Rd, East Rutherford, NJ
When it comes to subs, I’m pretty picky. I like dry cured meats, I hate lettuce, tomato and onion on a sandwich and mayo should go nowhere near my cold cuts. I don’t think that’s too much to ask. In my opinion, Annamaria’s in East Rutherford does sandwiches the right way. This custom order had hot soppressata, fresh-made mozzarella, artichokes, olive spread and crema di balsamico, AKA a balsamic glaze that doesn’t just taste like acidic simple syrup. Wrapped in a chewy semolina roll and eaten hunched over my desk, it’s basically what sandwich Heaven looks like.
More NJ Delis: The Best Delis in North Jersey
Two Rippers With Chili and Relish – Rutt’s Hut
417 River Rd, Clifton, NJ
If you know me at all, this will not surprise you. 26 years later and Rutt’s Hut is still one of my favorite meals. This year, they made a big, BIG change: they finally started letting customers order chili dogs. For most of my life, I was forced to order a cup of chili on the side and top the dogs myself. No more! Two rippers with chili and a spoon of cabbage relish on top—that’s a top bite. Don’t forget the onion rings.
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.
