Jay,
I posted this in the thread-
Wasai replaced ATH and it is very good.
Would not recommend Basilico as a destination…been there 3x in the last few months. Bad stemware,average NJ Italian food and Definitely a scene on the weekend to avoid.
Interesting! I was there 2 times over the summer, and both times it was outstanding. Sucks they can’t find the consistency!
Thanks Ian! I just updated the initial post
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All the towns are making nostalgic. I grew up in Livingston. Sounds like the restaurant scene has improved a lot since the 80s’
Born in the 80s and haven’t left the area since (minus college). The restaurant scene has definitely vastly improved. Both in diversity of cuisine and quality. Also the quality of the bakery’s is up, especially recently (post pandemic). Lots of high end French style bakery’s churning out delicious pastries.
With the influx of affluent folks from the city coming to the burbs, the demand seems to be there for it.
I think with the changes coming in the liquor licenses, it’s only going to continue to improve.
Do the upcoming changes only apply to on premise licenses or also retail?
On premise only.
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Cafe Matisse is the gold standard by which I compare all others.
Turtle and the wolf in Montclair- winner, winner, fried chicken dinner with BYOB champagne.
Semolina in Red Bank.- great homemade pastas and locally sourced ingredients.
Anjelica’s in Sea Bright. Always a tough reservation, especially in the summer.
Gioia Mia & Laboratorio Kitchen in Montclair
Viaggio in Wayne
Heirloom kitchen in Old Bridge.
Scalini Fedeli in Chatham- yes you can bring your own for a corkage fee ($25 I think). They used to do free corkage on Fridays and may still do it.
South and Pine in Morristown
Common Lot in Millburn
Little Buca in Little Silver- really good Italian but cash only.
Osteria Trevi in Madison- it’s all about the Cacio e Pepe.
Harmony Mediterranean grill- Franklin Lakes
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I feel like I’m an outlier…I don’t love Jessica’s. I’ve only been a few times, but I find the menu too big (it’s hard to do a lot of different dishes well) and in general I find it to be a quantity more that quality restaurant.
Ambeli is one of those weird places. I think the food is really good and the owner (and his family) are great. They really get the idea of hospitality. That said, all the charm is with the people. The restaurant itself is kinda dumpy and the wine glasses are a joke. We are there pretty regularly. It’s odd though…I think Old City Grill is equally good food wise. Less charm and same issue with the stemware and ambiance. But it’s empty compared to Ambeli. To me, it’s a classic example of what a huge, fun personality (Ambeli owner) can add to the experience.
I agree…I think Wasai is excellent and it’s ruined all the other local sushi places for me.
One minor quibble (and I’ve addressed this with them) is the food comes out too fast and all at once.
Damn, you covered half the state…
Turtle and the Wolf is excellent! Heirloom Kitchen is a weird one for me…I’ve had dishes there that were amazing and then others that were duds. But I haven’t been in a while, I have been to his other place, Lita, (they have a liquor license) and it’s absolutely amazing. Common Lot is a tasting menu on weekends which makes it hard for us as my wife is kinda picky.
Same here. I always tell them to not rush the courses out. We were out to dinner at a place in Tampa last night where entrees showed up when we had just started our shared app. I hate that.
I feel like we’ve discussed this before…it’s my number one restaurant peeve.
I’ve done a couple wine dinners at Turtle and the Wof where we preordered the whole suckling pig. And some fried chicken because it’s so good. Fun and delicious dinner with some great wines.
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Common Lot used to be our go to place for both couples dinners and wine dinners but they changed a lot over the years becoming more fru-fru IMO. I miss the bo ssam lamb shoulder and tea smoked duck. We rarely go any more. I only know one person in my wine group that still goes with some regularity.
You’ve been very unlucky at Jessica’s. I’ve never had a bad meal there.
Totally agree with Ambeli. Great good, great people, looks like a dated diner inside.
Osteria Trevi is a real sleeper pick. Stems and ambiance are average but the food is fantastic. Also worth noting they have a delicious shaved truffle pasta dish when they are in season.
It’s still worth keeping il mondo vecchio on the list (also in Madison). It’s a bit pricier and heavier than osteria, but decent ambiance and good food.