Jump to content

Recommended Posts

I never thought I'd find decent sushi on Route 17 N in Bergen County New Jersey, but there is a Japanese restaurant off of Rt 17 near Mahwah, NJ that serves good sushi. Nagoya is in a shopping center just beyond the Seiko headquarters. I ended up there one night eating whatever the sushi chef (Steve) prepared. Very good temaki (I had my standard for judging temaki, spicy tuna), nicely rolled, lots of tuna and very flavorful. I also had a very good sea urchin nigri and a fatty tuna that was out of this world. If you end up in that part of the world (close to Orange County, New York, just before the intersection with the New York State Thruway, it's worth a stop.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Suffern; Hillburn; Ramsey

I never thought I'd find decent sushi on Route 17 N in Bergen County New Jersey, but there is a Japanese restaurant off of Rt 17 near Mahwah, NJ that serves good sushi.  Nagoya is in a shopping center just beyond the Seiko headquarters.  I ended up there one night eating whatever the sushi chef (Steve) prepared.  Very good temaki (I had my standard for judging temaki, spicy tuna), nicely rolled, lots of tuna and very flavorful. I also had a very good sea urchin nigri and a fatty tuna that was out of this world.  If you end up in that part of the world (close to Orange County, New York, just before the intersection with the New York State Thruway, it's worth a stop.

For Japanese, give yourself a treat, travel a moment further up Route 17 into Suffern/Hillburn and go to Mount Fuji at the top of the mountain. The food is not spectacular, but the spectacle of the place is.

You wind up this mountain road just to the restaurant at the top. As you drive by the mountain on the Thruway, you can see colorful banners from the place at the top. The place was built in the 50's as "Motel on the Mountain" and by the time the Disco Age came along it had seriously changed its base clientele and eventually went out of business.

A wonderfully designed place, though, and sometime in the mid-80's some Japanese investors took it over and converted it into Mount Fuji Restaurant, complete with gardens, wonderful views, the hibachi tables, sushi bar, etc. From their website I see they have a catering operation going on up there now and they host functions.

Again, you're going to pay more for location and spectacle than you are for quality dining. But it's worth checking out once if you're in the area.

And just a clarification, it borders Rockland County, NY, not Orange.

Now, right next to Mahwah but in Ramsey and infinitely more important and north Jersey-renowned is Kinchley's Pizza on Franklin Turnpike, just off Route 17 and a spit before the border with NY. Famous thin crust pizza that you'll either love or hate. I love it. It's a tavern restaurant with a gravel parking lot that fills with dozens and dozens of cars. If you're thinking of going on Sunday during football season, be sure to get there at least two hours before the Giant game starts and you better be wearing blue. A great description of the place is in this guy's blog. Edited by porcupine
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ramsey

Kinchley's!  I was just thinking about that joint.  Wine from a tap, no beer better than Molson, and pizza, er, "of a style."  Yum, that is, when you're in the right frame of mind.

I've been eating their pizza for almost 35 of my 40 years. You're right. It's "of a style" but damned good. The Fra Diavolo with meatball and mushroom. And pitchers of Molson. I wouldn't want to watch football anywhere else. I've brought several of ther pizzas back in boxes to VA on an airplane.

Escoffier, if you travel up there regularly, I guarantee you you could start up a side business delivering their pizza to the DC area. There's enough NY/NJ folks here who'd gladly pay to have regular delivery of Kinchley's even if it means reheating it at home.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ramsey; Saddle River

For Japanese, give yourself a treat, travel a moment further up Route 17 into Suffern/Hillburn and go to Mount Fuji at the top of the mountain.  The food is not spectacular, but the spectacle of the place is. 

And just a clarification, it borders Rockland County, NY, not Orange.

Now, right next to Mahwah but in Ramsey and infinitely more important and north Jersey-renowned is Kinchley's Pizza on Franklin Turnpike, just off Route 17 and a spit before the border with NY.  Famous thin crust pizza that you'll either love or hate.  I love it.  It's a tavern restaurant with a gravel parking lot that fills with dozens and dozens of cars.  If you're thinking of going on Sunday during football season, be sure to get there at least two hours before the Giant game starts and you better be wearing blue.  A great description of the place is in this guy's blog.

I ate at Mount Fuji once. It only took one time to convince me that the view is the only selling point. I had the chirashi and it was small, tired and not the freshest. The staff was predominantly Chinese (there's nothing wrong with that, however I want Japanese to greet me and at least staff the kitchen). One time, over $40 for chirashi and tea and I went looking for a better deal.

You're right about it being Rockland County, I used to travel to Orange county from that area. No more, thank goodness...
I agree about Kinchley's...great pizza (I happen to like thin crusted pizza). There is one 2 star restaurant in Ramsey but for the life of me, I can't remember what it is. The Palm near the Ramsey exit on Rt 17 is decent and there is a grill in Suffern (The Fin if I remember correctly) that has good seafood. Hard to find, not at all where the phone book says it is, but worth the search.
Just stay away from Satin Dolls on Rt 17 south of Saddle River. It's used as the Bada-Bing in the Sopranos but NJ has some strange laws about alcohol and ladies being isn a state of "naturalness"....
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ramsey

Kinchley's! Ahh the memories. We used to go there after shows during high school and cause trouble. The staff hated us (I think they hated everyone), but they must have appreciated the generous tips in the end since we were always welcome (well, almost.. I think there was one year we were banned).

Moved out of Bergen County before I really got into food.. so I don't know much past the chinese buffet or local pizza joint. As for strip clubs, you have to find the ones that don't serve booze. Booze and bush can't mix in NJ. Sometimes they're referred to as "juice bars".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kinchley's! Ahh the memories. We used to go there after shows during high school and cause trouble. The staff hated us (I think they hated everyone), but they must have appreciated the generous tips in the end since we were always welcome (well, almost.. I think there was one year we were banned).

Moved out of Bergen County before I really got into food.. so I don't know much past the chinese buffet or local pizza joint. As for strip clubs, you have to find the ones that don't serve booze. Booze and bush can't mix in NJ. Sometimes they're referred to as "juice bars".

Just so I can determine if there's anything worthy of moving to PM.....let me put it this way....which side of the border did you go to high school on? And for clarification, there was no fermentation and gardening ever to be found on the NY side either. But if you're a student of history, you'd already know that that's why Montreal was founded back in the 1920's! Not many people know that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fair Lawn

Roadfood is at its best when it's the local specialty. And that's how on Monday, jparrott and I found ourselves keeping an eye out for hotdog joints in northern NJ, ending up at Johnny & Hanges in Fair Lawn ("since 1939", although in Paterson for the first six decades). Between the Elvis parking area and whatever curious nomenclature resulted in the phrase "genuine New Jersey Texas-style hotdogs", this was clearly a place to be reckoned with. We were not disappointed.

The dogs (several basic types offered) are deep fried. Sweet mother of arterial plaque, this is genius! I feebed out (it being a snack stop, after all) and ordered mine with mustard and kraut. Ever in search of authenticity and focus, jparrott (no doubt mesmerized by the pictures in the window, on the walls, and on the bright menu board) ordered his "all the way"...you can see the chili piled high in the background of the second photo. Also superb: the onion rings. Breaded, hot, crisp on the outside, plump and cooked through on the inside. For all I know, it could have been Sysco...no matter. Two thumbs up. If you don't want a fountain soda to wash it all down with, they also carry the Boylans line.

post-710-1172708528_thumb.jpg post-710-1172708542_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dumont; Fort Lee

Roadfood is at its best when it's the local specialty. And that's how on Monday, jparrott and I found ourselves keeping an eye out for hotdog joints in northern NJ, ending up at Johnny & Hanges in Fair Lawn ("since 1939", although in Paterson for the first six decades). Between the Elvis parking area and whatever curious nomenclature resulted in the phrase "genuine New Jersey Texas-style hotdogs", this was clearly a place to be reckoned with. We were not disappointed.

This post brings back long-forgotten memories of all the hotdog joints in northern NJ that I grew up with. My father used to take my brother and I to Jolly Nick's in Cresskill (now located in Dumont) at least once every 2 weeks. In Fort Lee, there used to be 2 hot dog places next door to each other! Callahan's, which has since closed (the Fort Lee location) and Hiram's used to both have their hard-core fans (ala Pat's and Gino's for cheesesteaks in Philly). I think Anthony Bordain stopped into Hiram's on his No Reservations show.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hoboken

Cucharamama in Hoboken is a locally well known South American influenced restaurant whose fame has spread across the river. On Friday night we left believing it's fame should remain locally based, south of the Hudson and north of the Susquehanna. On a positive note "shrimp in Panca pepper sauce" from their prominent wood burning oven and an unnamed pie (they did not have a menu insert that I could take with me; their website is also severely limited) were both excellent. This is also locally popular, intimate and quite good for what it is. Still, its regional aspirations, for me, are overly ambitious. If you are in Hoboken you will have an excellent meal there; but I would not go out of my way to go to Hoboken...

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Any recommendations for the Livingston/Short Hills area in Essex County? It's a pretty affluent area and I expect to find myself there for business more in the future, but have never been anywhere except for a (decent) Chinese hole-in-the-wall that I can't remember the name of. Places that are open for lunch preferable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Paramus

Just got back home to NJ after a terrible bus ride (everybody in the world was on the road, and rather than getting to NY at 3 PM we got there at 7), and the family decided to go out for Indian in order to eat something completely different than all the Italian and Thanksgiving food we'll be devouring tomorrow. We headed over to Mantra, on Route 4, based on it being chosen by NJ monthly as one of the top 25 restaurants in the state either last year or the year before. Here's a link: http://www.mantranj.com/

While the food was pretty good, I don't quite see how it ended up in the top 25. Maybe NJ is just really lacking in good places? I'm not sure, but I know that we could have had Indian food that was just as good for significantly cheaper prices in DC, which really surprised me. $18 for rather paltry portion of Chicken Makhani? Sure, it was a decent rendition, but the dish can't really be taken very far, and the five or 6 chunks of chicken in the usual tame, creamy tomato sauce didn't at all warrant the price. The same goes for all of the entrees we tried: Chicken Chettinad, Goan Shrimp Curry, Chicken Tikka, and the Tandoori Mixed Grill. In particular, the shrimp curry ($19) was just sad - at most there were 5 small shrimp in a disproportionately large pool of sauce.

By far, the most impressive portion of the meal were the appetizers: the Table Side Chaat ($11) was at least worth the price - the table side preparation was fun, and the results were delicious. The Bhelpuri (complements of the kitchen, not really sure why...) was also really good. But the Vegetable Samosas were just average, and at $6 for two, that's pretty unacceptable. Lastly, the bread basket: there were some interesting bread choices on the menu (Kulcha stuffed with crab, or another version stuffed with goat cheese), but I went for the simple sampler since this was my family's first Indian experience. The naan just wasn't very good...much of it was too soggy, doused with oil yet lacking in flavor.

So, I'd definitely avoid Mantra in the future. I hear that there are a number of impressive, hole in the wall Indian places a little south of Bergen County, and I bet they'd be less tame in terms of spicing and not so crazy as to think that they could charge nearly $20 an entree for what looked like mere half portions of food.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Elmwood Park; Jersey City; Edison; Iselin


We headed over to Mantra, on Route 4, based on it being chosen by NJ monthly as one of the top 25 restaurants in the state either last year or the year before. Here's a link: http://www.mantranj.com/

While the food was pretty good, I don't quite see how it ended up in the top 25. Maybe NJ is just really lacking in good places?


I'm closing in on two decades of life in southern Bergen County & I have to agree that it's hard to find good Indian food out here. There are some exceptional Thai restaurants & lots of other good food, but I guess we haven't had the concentration of Indian settlement that leads to many good restaurants. Bhoj in Elmwood Park is probably the best bet in the immediate area.

I hear that there are some good places in Jersey City, on Newark Ave. on a block surrounded by enough of a population to sustain all sorts of Indian businesses.

The area you're referring to is probably Oak Tree Road down near Edison & lselin. Here's a guide to the restaurants there & elsewhere with some amusingly opinionated reviews: http://www.oaktreeroad.us/ The cranky reviewer seems to agree with you about Mantra.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Harrison

The corner pizza shop.
DC is bereft of such places, and poorer for it.
The florescent lights too bright.
At the counter - the owner's teenage daughter.
In back, a middle-aged man churning out one pizza after another.
The sandwiches are called heroes...mine was stuffed with Italian sausage, peppers, onions, and smear of sauce.
No wood-fired brick oven, house-cured guanciale, truffle oil, DOC bullshit.
It's just a slice.
Cheese, some pepperoni, a little too much grease, served on a paper plate.

I ate at such a place this weekend...twice.
Two slices and a coke...4 bucks

La Pizza
240 Harrison Ave
Harrison, NJ

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The corner pizza shop.

DC is bereft of such places, and poorer for it.

The florescent lights too bright.

At the counter - the owner's teenage daughter.

In the back, a middle-aged man churning out one pizza after another.

The sandwiches are called heroes...mine was stuffed with Italian sausage, peppers, onions, and smear of sauce.

No wood-fired brick oven, house-cured guanciale, truffle oil, DOC bullshit.

It's just a slice.

Cheese, some pepperoni, a little too much grease, served on a paper plate.

I ate at such a place this weekend...twice.

Two slices and a coke...4 bucks

La Pizza

240 Harrison Ave

Harrison, NJ

Sigh. I grew up in Queens with every cluster of stores including at least one tavern and one pizza place. Regular slice, Sicialian square slice. Spicy sauce, thinnish layer of mozzarella, maybe cornmeal on the bottom of the crust. Most places just served cheese slices. You want toppings, just order a whole friggin pie, man, and stop busting my chops. The good ole days.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just went to visit family in Jersey over 4th of July and one of the top things on my list: BUY GOOD PIZZA.

I don't know why it's so hard to find a good pizza in the DC Metro area. I'm not talking neopolitan like at 2 Amys or Comet Ping Pong...I'm talking the kind described in the OP! Every "pizza by the slice"-type pizza I've encountered in the area is absolutely DRIPPING with cheese, and the crust is too thick and doughy...

::sigh:: If my family ever moves out of Jersey, my stomach will weep. :)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ramsey

I lived in northern New Jersey for 25 years. When I heard David Brenner say: "Sex is like pizza - when it's good, it's good - when it's bad, it's still good.", I smiled. How true it seemed.


Kinchley's. Took 35 friends there one night. Overwhelmed the place, still the best pizza in the tri-state area.

We now return to our regularly scheduled, gritching session :D.
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maplewood

Just want to give a shout out to my hometown restaurant - Verjus - upon seeing that again they have been named one of the 25 Best Restaurants of the year (2017) by New Jersey Monthly.  Open now for over 15 years I must have eaten here at least two dozen times (if not more) in that period for lunch, brunch, and dinner.  I have only eaten off the standard French influenced menus, but they have of late added a theme night series of menus of other cuisines.  Charles Tutino's cooking is always rock solid and Jane Witkin is a delightful and engaging host always working the room and making sure everyone feels at home and has everything they need.  It is not quite on the beaten track, but if your track veers in this direction, you should stop in and say hi.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, cucas87 said:

I grew up in Maplewood and in all of my trips back have not made it to Verjus.  Maybe this is the year.  After all, there's only so much Roman Gourmet pizza I can eat.

Lorena's in Maplewood Center also made the list, although I have never been there.  It does not appear to have a liquor license (BYOB), which may explain why I never made it over.  At Restaurant Lorena’s in Maplewood, a Menu Built Around Vegetables, by Fran Schumer, May 22, 2015, on nytimes.com.  Verjus is on the other side of the tracks (as much as that can be said for any part of Maplewood) where my people emanate.

The New York Times has also written favorably of Arturo’s and Abril Cocina.

Not a Typical Pizza Place Anymore, by Richard Perez-Pena, July 10, 2011, on nytimes.com.

Restaurant Review: Abril Cocina in Maplewood, by Fran Schumer, November 5, 2015, on nytimes.com.

Not bad for a little New Jersey town.

Fun fact:  Ultimate Frisbee was invented at Columbia High School in 1968 in - you guessed it - Maplewood.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, cucas87 said:

I grew up in Maplewood and in all of my trips back have not made it to Verjus.  Maybe this is the year.  After all, there's only so much Roman Gourmet pizza I can eat.

 

1 hour ago, dcs said:

Lorena's in Maplewood Center also made the list, although I have never been there.  It does not appear to have a liquor license (BYOB), which may explain why I never made it over.  At Restaurant Lorena’s in Maplewood, a Menu Built Around Vegetables, by Fran Schumer, May 22, 2015, on nytimes.com.  Verjus is on the other side of the tracks (as much as that can be said for any part of Maplewood) where my people emanate.

The New York Times has also written favorably of Arturo’s and Abril Cocina.

Not a Typical Pizza Place Anymore, by Richard Perez-Pena, July 10, 2011, on nytimes.com.

Restaurant Review: Abril Cocina in Maplewood, by Fran Schumer, November 5, 2015, on nytimes.com.

Not bad for a little New Jersey town.

Fun fact:  Ultimate Frisbee was invented at Columbia High School in 1968 in - you guessed it - Maplewood.

Ahhh.  Essex County.  Grew up there also.  As a kid, didn't make it to  Maplewood often, in fact infrequently.  Sort of too far for a bike ride. Seemed like the fancy part of the county :D  My dad and his cousin were business partners with a small local business that started on Springfield Avenue in Newark, then moved to a Springfield Avenue site in Irvington, just down the road from Maplewood.

Good Italian food throughout the County.  Aw jeez.  I miss it.

Jersey North, Central and South are simply a conglomeration of suburbs.  Its largest city, Newark had and still has some good dining areas, though not extensive.  Is there a single area known for its food or dining?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/20/2017 at 1:27 PM, dcs said:

Lorena's in Maplewood Center also made the list, although I have never been there.  It does not appear to have a liquor license (BYOB), which may explain why I never made it over.  At Restaurant Lorena’s in Maplewood, a Menu Built Around Vegetables, by Fran Schumer, May 22, 2015, on nytimes.com. 

Lorena's made the list of the 100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America for 2018 As Voted by OpenTable Diners.  Alas, they appear to be fully committed on Valentine's Day, but there is nothing stopping romance on the other 364 days of the year.  Get cracking.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Englewood

Similar to Little Sesame in DC there are hummus restaurants in the NY area.  I ate at Hummus Elite in Englewood NJ.  This is abt 6 yrs old.  It is tiny, a former coffee house.  It has room for about 20 inside and during good weather 16 outside.  

This is a middle eastern sit down hummus restaurant, Israeli style.  You can bring your own wine/liquor as with many restaurants up there.  It is casual and relaxed: service was friendly and knowledgeable 

Wonderful thick creamy hummus dishes with inventive toppings;  I shared some eggplant and shredded chicken dishes.  Also had a simple appropriate small “Israeli salad”, tomato, cuke, mint, light dressing- perfectly fine for the meal type.  

It really is a rich tasty hummus of different flavor than I’ve had before: quite excellent.

It looks like there are 2 similar restaurants of similar menu in Manhattan 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...