Too many choices TBH!
Pho Anh Dao- Amazing Vietnamese. My favorite. Favorites are Ox Tail Pho or the Grilled Pork Chop Pho.
Skylark Diner (not your average diner!)
Harold’s Deli (a NJ institution)
Swagath (probably the best Indian food)
Penang (Thai)
Meemah (Chinese)
Keep in most of these places lack ambience. Food is really good at all of them.
Also for Italian, LouCas (another NJ institution, most traditional) and Mangia Toscana (more new wave)
this is what Im after!
appreciate the recs
Thanks for the northern Bergen County recs. Cafe Panache in particular looks like a good combination of food and location.
Update on 100 Steps.
Under new management, and doing a fabulous job! The menu is largely fish, with very little meat on it. Had a piece of Halibut that was absolutely perfectly cooked. The raw bar is still there, and was top quality. Still BYOB too.
any recs for a BYOB place near Prudential Center? taking my kid to a hockey game this sat. have a car so anywhere between there and the city is ideal.
Kitchen Step in Jersey City is great, and corkage friendly. It think it’s like $35?
If you want to go for a simple (but amazing) burger and beer before the game, highly recommend Krug’s in Newark.
looks like kitchen step is closed.
krugs looks great. if you have any other ideas where i can bring wine, please share.
Sadly, most of my experience in and around Newark is after a baseball game, so normally we are a sweaty mess and looking for some place that is quick and easy.
When I’m in Newark I usually go to Forno’s. Not BYOB but they have a nice list reasonably priced.
If coming from the LT, stay on Rt3 W and Rutherford has a couple of good Italian places, Fiorentini for a more modern take and Paisano’s for more traditional. Easy on to Rt 21 from there and 20 minutes to the Rock. Rutherford only has 1 restaurant with a recent liquor license after being a dry town for restaurants.
If coming from the HT, a couple of Italian places in Jersey City are also about 20 minutes from the game. Corto or 15 Fox Place are both BYOB.
Went to Jessica’s Restaurant this past Saturday. Important to note that I appreciate a good meal but am not a foodie per se. I didn’t really care for the ambiance and the place seemed glossy/flashy. The service was borderline servile, to the point of distraction. To me the food was very good but not great. Either way, they whipped the food out of the kitchen as fast as they could (yet it was unlikely they’d turn the table).
There were three other tables near us where they were celebrating birthdays so it seems to be “that kind of place.”
Several of us have noticed a pretty big decline here recently. I missed a dinner last week, but the last time I went was June and started noticing some of the things you are seeing.
I agree with Ian. I think when we go as a group during the week, we get better service and the food is good. On the weekend, when we go for a table of 2 or 4, it’s rushed and quality suffers.
had a very enjoyable casual dinner at uncle momos in jersey city last week. very friendly staff, great prices and byob.
How was parking?
I had heard good things about Fusion 27 BYOB in Totowa from a number of guys so we tried it out last week.
It was so good! Literally, everything was so good.
Salmon teriyaki over polenta tapas appetizer, gnocchi with braised short rib and grilled salmon with rice and a mango chutney.
We had homemade tiramisu for dessert. Yum!
Highly recommended. Will be back soon.
we found a spot 2 blocks away on our way to the restaurant and i scooped it up right away. seems like a tough area to park in. we live by the path train in nyc so would probably take the train next time.
Parking can be really tough though there are pay lots not too far away
I was never impressed by the food at Momo but the ambience and service are very pleasant. Maybe I should give them another try
Rezza fans, your man has returned!
Chef John recently opened Mangia Bene on Route 10 in East Hanover. It’s got a little bit of a Viaggio vibe going on to it though…in a strip mall, next to a bagel store.
Menu is scaled back a bit, but the old favorites are on there. The Cacio de Pepe arancini balls are out of this world! The steaks are damn good (didn’t say LeFreda, but I know that was his provider at Rezza and they taste like LeFreda too). Didn’t get to have any pasta this time around. Pork shank Osso Bucco was amazing (and only $28!)
Interior is an upgrade from Rezza, but still not “fine dining”
They have a great sign that says BYOB encouraged 
Glasses are fine, nothing to write home about. Drank some Gaja and Giovanni Canonica from them, and weren’t disappointed.
If you are looking for a bargain, this place is a home run.
John stores wine with us so knew about this but haven’t had a chance to go yet. Looking forward to it, we always enjoyed Rezza and missed it.