A legendary seafood house, a Greek eatery with a panoramic view, a slider-based food truck, and more headline this month's list of hottest restaurants in New Jersey
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.
MOLOS: Picturesque perfection. This Greek restaurant positioned right on the Weehawken waterfront delivers amazing views of the New York City skyline, and cuisine that is absolutely "nostimo" (Greek for delicious). This combination of breathtaking views and delicious Greek cuisine make the weekend brunch (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) an absolute must. Start off with the "kalamari" ($14) -- but don't go for the obvious flash-fried version of this dish (of course it tastes great here), but instead opt for the grilled version, which is almost indescribably delectable. Molos masterfully chars the squid and covers it with the perfect amount of oil and red onions. Moving past the appetizer, the main brunch items at Molos will knock you off your seat. The lobster Benedict ($22) is literally eggs Benedict with half a lobster. Seriously, no lumps or chunks, half a lobster. If you're more of a meat eater, the traditional steak and eggs was also fantastic. The steak, cooked to your liking, cuts like butter and meshes exquisitely with your over-easy eggs.
Outside of weekend brunch, Molos also does a Sunday lobster feast ($39), and it serves up some great classic Greek dishes such as taramasalata (carp roe mousse, $6) to saganaki (graviera cheese and sun-dried figs flambeed with brandy, $14) to paidakia (lamb chops, $39). 1 Pershing Road, Weehawken. 201-223-1200.
BRASSERIE 513: The name of the restaurant, located in quaint Califon in western Jersey, may have its origins in the French vocabulary, but the menu here is a blend of American, Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. The pasta portion of the menu diverges from your traditional Italian fare and goes with more eclectic items such as filet mignon ravioli ($21), gorgonzola gnocchi ($21) and spinach and mascarpone ravioli ($20). The entrees at Brasserie 513 range from the light pan-fried Mediterranean chicken with baby greens and feta ($20) to an Argentinian marinated skirt steak with chimichurri mushrooms ($28) to wet-aged sirloin steak with a peppercorn brandy cognac sauce ($29). 438 County Road 513, Califon. 908-975-3159.
At the historic Parker House in Sea Girt, you can order up a grilled cheese or a slider for lunch, or opt for a fine lobster or steak for dinner. THE PARKER HOUSE: The Parker House has been a Jersey Shore institution since 1878. What makes Parker House so unique, and so beloved to the area, is that you can walk off the beach, sand still clinging to your flip-flops and grab a couple of shrimp for $5, or you can throw on a button-down or a nice dress and enjoy a full lobster dinner. One of the staples of The Parker House's board of fare is its raw bar. Here you can get a delicious mini burger ($2), a hot dog ($2), steamed clams ($9), or half a dozen shrimp ($5). The downstairs tavern expands on this casual menu with more mini sandwiches such as sliced steak ($4), BBQ chicken ($3), and soft-shell crab ($3). You can also grab a 1 1/4-pound lobster (market price) or jumbo crab cocktail ($9). On weekends (at select times) you can belly up to the tavern raw bar and grab "shucked-to-order" clams for either 25 or 50 cents. In the main restaurant, you chow down on casual lunch items such as a grilled cheese ($9), a roasted veggie flatbread ($9), or a Beacon Boulevard steak salad ($12). For dinner there's the restaurant's famous lobster dinner ($26), the 12-ounce New York sirloin ($29), and the cedar plank salmon ($27) -- all marvelously prepared, and perfect summertime dining. 290 1st Avenue, Sea Girt. 732-449-0442.
THE OUTSLIDER: There's an endless sea of food trucks out there, but only one of them is the Outslider. This truck, which also has a physical location attached to Olde Queens Tavern in New Brunswick, serves one of the best sliders you'll ever have. Its regular cheeseburger slider is fantastic. The beef is bursting with flavor (it's Angus, so not surprising), and it is cooked to perfection. If you're looking to kick up your burger experience a notch, then you need get your hands on the bourbon BBQ burger complete with bourbon BBQ sauce, cheddar and applewood-smoked bacon. Other sliders on the menu include the beer-battered haddock slider, and the Southern Chix, which includes grilled chicken, cheddar cheese, BBQ sauce, and cole slaw. The truck is constantly on the go; check its whereabouts here. Contact: 732-448-9370/Catering: 609-670-0970. Physical location: 108 Easton Avenue, New Brunswick. 732-846-4006.
The Goffle Road chicken is just one of the many creative dishes at Chef's Garden located at the Crystal Springs Resort. CHEF'S GARDEN AT CRYSTAL SPRINGS: You've heard of "farm-to-table" restaurants, but have you experienced a "garden-to-table" restaurant? Chef's Garden at the luxurious Crystal Springs Resort is located on an acre of organic gardens that provide the herbs, lettuce and vegetables for Chef's Garden and its sister eatery Restaurant Latour. All cooking at Chef's Garden is done on wood-fired ovens and grills by executive chef Anthony Bucco and his team. Outside of their garden, Bucco and his crew import food from local farmers and purveyors from the surrounding areas of New Jersey's Skylands region, and New York's Black Dirt Region. Some highlights on the menu include local field lettuces with fire roasted vegetables ($12), Barnegat Light black bass ($29), Goffle Road chicken ($29), smoked Berkshire pork ribs ($29), and the vegetarian-friendly Ancient Grains dish (dandelion, foraged mushrooms, and fontina, $24). 3 Wild Turkey Way, Hamburg. 855-977-6473.
MARTELL'S WATER'S EDGE: The Martell name has returned to this popular waterfront restaurant, tiki bar, and wedding reception venue after a year away. (It was known as Water's Edge on the Bay for a handful of years). This restaurant is an ideal spot for those looking for a waterfront eatery or nightspot but do not want to deal with the traffic and the crowded nature of Jersey Shore boardwalks. If you're hanging on the deck, which sports an amazing bay view, you'll find a decidedly casual menu, with Corona-battered fish and chips ($14), mammoth fish tacos ($12), or Dalton's Bavarian Burger (burger with fried onions and cheddar on a Bavarian pretzel roll, $12). If you're looking to get messy, order up a pound of peel-and-eat shrimp ($24) or half-a-dozen oyster shooters ($24). Inside, you're going to find a more elegant dining option -- cloth napkins, centerpieces, and a more subdued and classy atmosphere. The menu, prepared by James Beard-nominated chef Kristopher Greene, is highly seafood-centric. Menu items include a whole Maine lobster with clams and mussels ($32), grouper ($25), the "reef and beef" (10-ounce filet paired with an 8-ounce lobster tail, $50), and a creation dubbed "The First Mate" (twin 8-ounce lobster tails and a pound of snow crab, mussels, clams, and shrimp, $80). 125 Bayview Avenue, Bayville. 732-269-3000.
DELAWARE AVENUE OYSTER HOUSE & BAR: "The newest bar on LBI in 10 years" opened this summer, and has quickly become a staple for local and tourist dining on the island. The menu at Delaware Avenue Oyster House & Bar is classic Long Beach Island fare. You've got your half-pound peel-and-eat shrimp ($12), your jumbo crabmeat cocktail ($16), and the classic lobster or snow crab dinners ($25). There's also a smash burger ($14), lobster roll ($23), Philly cheesesteak ($14), and other two-handed sandwich options. But the main event here is oysters, lots and lots of oysters, and clams, too. You can get classic dishes (market priced) such as oyster shooters, ice-cold fresh shucked oysters, roasted oysters ($14), and oysters Rockefeller ($14). Then you can go with the unique options like oysters Moscow ($14) complete caviar and cream cheese. Clam fans can enjoy them casino-style ($11), or on the half-shelf ($8-$15). Craft beer lovers -- the Oyster House has your hook-up with plenty of microbrews on tap. 13211 Long Beach Boulevard, Beach Haven Terrace. 609-492-3352.
No, that's not a burrito. That is the mammoth quesadilla that you can order at New Brunswick's Tacoria. TACORIA: New Brunswick's Easton Avenue has been known as a row for bars and pizzerias for generations. But over the past few years it has quietly become a hotbed for creative cuisine. Tacoria is one of those creative cookeries that's captivated Rutgers students, Hub City residents and foodies alike. The restaurant is a "Mexican street kitchen," so if you're a casual fan of Mexican food and are used to the safer, Americanized version of the cuisine, prepare to have your world turned on its head. The quesadillas suiza ($6-$8.50) are massive and bursting with flavor. The addition of crema inside the quesadilla, instead a dollop on the outside as many places do, creates an extra layer of gooey delight to the tried and true Mexican staple. Tacoria serves burritos two ways -- traditional form, or "box form." The box form is basically a deconstructed burrito with no tortilla included. The flavor is massive, and it's definitely good for those looking to cut carbs. For sides, you cannot go wrong with the Mexican street corn ($3) which is smothered in Cotija cheese and chipotle aioli (be warned, this can get spicy). Also, the chips and guac ($3.50) -- muy bueno. 56 Easton Avenue, New Brunswick. 732-317-2070.
CAPITAL CRAFT: The craft movement isn't just a bar-specific thing. Sure, Capital Craft, located on Route 22 in Green Book, has a plethora of craft beers on tap and in bottle. However, to this eater/writer, the craft movement also happens in the kitchen, with new, creative ideas on homemade and home-cooked dinners. It's about taking what you know and adding your own kick to it. For example, why not start off a meal with delicious plate of poutine, Canada's favorite export? Or why not go for a piping hot order of fluffy and crispy German pretzel bites ($8)? The menu is wildly diverse with a slew of coal-fired pizzas ($10-$16), salads (including a summer-specific watermelon salad, $10), and comfort items such as mac & cheese ($14), and chicken and sweet potato waffles ($18). The burgers at Capital Craft are top-notch, and the pork belly (which come on nachos, pizza, and on special occasions serves as a full meal) is divine. 171 Route 22, Green Brook. 732-968-5700.
This 4-pound lobster is surprisingly not the biggest lobster Atlantic City's famed seafood house, Dock's Oyster House serves up. DOCK'S OYSTER HOUSE: Dock's has been an Atlantic City institution since 1897. In November, the owners (the great-grandchildren of the founder) closed down the famed seafood house for renovations. On June 1, they re-opened a magnificent new version of Dock's. They expanded seating exponentially in the dining rooms and at the bar. While there have been aesthetic changes to Dock's, the heart of the restaurant, its bountiful array of seafood, remains intact. The restaurant sports a highly impressive raw bar, with anywhere from 8 to 10 different types of oyster being served (this changes daily). Dock's serves a delicious pan-roasted halibut special, as well as a potato-crusted flounder ($28) and seared sea scallops ($28). There are also "classics" that have been on the menu since 1897 such as fried oysters ($21), crabmeat au gratin ($28), a 16- to 18-ounce lobster tail ($54), and the "beef and reef" (a grilled 6-ounce filet mignon with a grilled lobster tail, $64). And of course, there are mammoth lobsters. We saw one that was more than four pounds, and we're told Dock's serves them even bigger than that. Make sure you're either really hungry, or have company for that dish. 2405 Atlantic Avenue, Atlantic City. 609-345-0092.
Bill Bodkin can be reached at bodkinwrites@gmail.com. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.