BELLEVILLE
Belmont Tavern-12 Bloomfield Ave.-no reservations. Throwback in time. Famous for their chicken savoy, shrimp beeps, and ziti with pot cheese. Delicious! You may not have a car when you leave...
Solar Do Minho-15 Cleveland Street. Portuguese. Lots of seafood and beef. Fun spot. Good but not great. Has a bar,
Me and Tommy's-4 Essex Street. A dive. Known for their vodka sauce. Has a bar.
BLOOMFIELD
Holsten's- 1063 Broad St. Tony Soprano's last scene took place here. Known for ice cream and candy, but serves basic food: sandwiches, burgers, and fries.
Stamna-1055 Broad St. Good greek food. Try the gigantes, the whole wheat pasta with sautéed onions, and their fish dishes. It's all good and they have a new venue that is lovely. BYO.
Zi Zia-80 Bay Ave. Eat on the food side (not the pizza side). The chef is terrific and will make you anything. Tell the waitress, Patty, that I sent you! We love this little dive. BYO.
CALDWELL
Angeloni's-6 Brookside Ave. Upscale pizzeria. Great Thinny Thin crust pizza. Hearty food. They take a reservation and it's a BYO.
Cinar-632 Bloomfield Ave. Mediterranean. Food isn't bad, but the service and staff is horrendous. Best for takeout. BYO.
Cloverleaf-395 Bloomfield Ave. Pub with Bar food. Fine for what it is. Best Bet is a burger and a beer.
Davina-461 Bloomfield Ave. Make a Reservation. The owner is a great chef and the staff is terrific. Try the chicken agre dolce (even if it's not on the menu) and the lasagna. Everything is good. BYO.
Horseneck Tavern-11 Bloomfield Ave. We go there for drinks so I cannot comment on the food. Lovely Brunch and Dinner Menus and a fun bar. Live music.
Forte/ La Famiglia/ Rusillo's: All on Bloomfield Ave. All decent Italian food and pizza. Nothing special but nice to try for a change. All are BYO.
Mandara's-40 Clinton Road, West Caldwell. Good pizza, Excellent Entrees (eggplant parm is good), and pastas. Full service bar.
Tony D's-3 Hanford Place. Many think their Sicilian thin crust pan pizza is the best around. I still like Star and Angeloni's better.
CHATHAM
Charley's Aunt-810 Railroad Plaza. Pub food. Beer and Burgers.
Chatham Sandwich Shop-253 Main Street. Always good for submarine sandwiches. Craving one now!
Scalini Fedeli-63 Main Street. Highly Overated hoity toity Italian. Place is old, a bit seedy, and coasting on its reputation from years ago.
Restaurant Serenade-6 Roosevelt Ave. Upscale French. Not my idea of fun, but good food. Instead, sit at the bar and order their amazing burger-cozy spot for date night.
River Grille-34 River Road. Fun Bar with decent bar food. Good for a Sunday night with the kids.
MADISON
Bottle Hill Tavern-13 Waverly Place. Happening Bar. No reservations-long waits. Pal's cream of mushroom soup, fried chicken, open turkey sandwich, and burgers. Cute menu and fun spot.
Central and Main-3 Central Ave. Great Brunch and Dinner. Reservation necessary. BYO.
Il Goccino-33 Main St. Consistently good and fresh Italian entrees. Always enjoy. They take reservations and it's a BYO.
Il Mondo Vecchio-72 Main St. Still good after all these years. Reservations are a must. Food is delicious. BYO.
Osteria Trevi-4 Park Ave. Food is fine-a bit institutional when it comes to the veggies and potato on the plate. Reservations needed. BYO.
Shanghai Jazz-1818 24 Main Street. Jazz, Sushi, and Asian entrees. A fun spot. Food is fair, Jazz is good. Wine is available.
MAPLEWOOD/ SOUTH ORANGE
Arturo's 180 Maplewood Ave.-Good pizza and salads. Small menu. Everyone loves it. Long waits.
Personally, I like the soups and white pizza at Village Trattoria (2 Inwood Place).
The Cassidy-160 Maplewood Ave. Good for a bite after you get off the train. Limited menu. Nice Bar.
Coda-177 Maplewood Ave. Basic menu. Nice Bar. Food was just fair. I wouldn't go back. Good for
kids. I like the Maple Leaf Diner better!
David Burke at Orange Lawn-305 N. Ridgewood Ave. South Orange. Need a Res and you must join for a small fee to eat here. Lovely menu, Lovely Bar, and delicious food. Pricey.
Luna Stella-5 Highland Place. Fun menu. Just opened. They need to work out kinks. Noisy and has a bar. Service needs help. Surprising since these are the owners of Restaurant Lorena.
Restaurant Lorena-168 Maplewood Ave. Upscale French. Nice for special occasions. Reservations necessary. BYO.
St. James Pub-167 Maplewood Ave. Good pub food. Nice bar. kid options too.
Town Hall-74 1st Street. Home of the Original Sloppy Joe. Need I say more? Yummy!!
MILLBURN/SHORT HILLS
Box Car-25 Chatham Rd. Nice local spot. Great for a bite coming off the train, meeting your family, or just drinks.
Basilico-324 Millburn Ave. Decent Italian. Never real busy. I like it better for a salad at lunch. BYO.
EVOO & Lemon-45 Main Street. Again, decent Mediterranean. I like Mezza in Livingston or Stamna in Bloomfield. But if you live close, this is a good enough option. BYO.
Gian Marco/ La Strada-both have good pizza and hearty Italian pizzeria entrees. Great for take out.
Café Monet-309 Millburn Ave. Nice French bistro food. Limited menu but good. BYO.
Oscar's/ Millburn Deli/ Millburn Diner-great for breakfast and lunch options. Like all three for sandwiches, omelettes, salads, etc.
Peter's-
Cucina di Clemenza- Not a fan of these 3. I wouldn't bother.
Cara Mia-
There is also Tillie's which is fine, as a Millburn option with some good entrees, and Par 440 which is more bar than food worthy.
LIVINGSTON
There is a lack of good restaurants in this town.
Marra's-18 E. Mt. Pleasant Ave. Passable Italian. Nothing special. BYO.
Mezza-277 Eisenhower Pkwy. Love the Mediterranean options at lunch. Wish they would have them on the dinner menu. Don't like the upscale dinner options as much. BYO.
Nero's-618 S. Livingston Ave. Used to have the best drinks. Now you need to ask for an UP POUR to get the old sized drink. Food is always reliably good. Steaks, Salads, Chicken dishes, and Dessert are worth a tumble. But the real reason to go to Nero's is the staff-They are Fabulous and always make it the best evening!
Nana's-127 S. Livingston. Best sloppy joes and coleslaw. Try their sandwiches, soups, and tuna. All Delicious!
And of course Shake Shack for Burgers and The Ritz Diner for apple pancakes and apple pie!
MONTCLAIR
I will try to name most but there are so many of them!
Brick Lane-540 Valley Road. Indian. We like it! Nice Sunday night dinner. Veggie options galore.
Corso 98-98 Walnut St. Used to be better. Now they phone it in. Not so great. BYO
The Crosby-195 Glenridge Ave. Bar food that's mediocre. Happening bar scene and young!
Da Pepo-54 Fairfield St. Very tiny. Good pastas and that's about all there is. Limited. BYO.
De Novo-275 Bellevue. Good upscale bar food options. Fun place. Nice bar.
Fascino-331 Bloomfield Ave. Highly overated. Upscale and not fabulous. BYO.
Fin-183 Glenridge Ave. Good fish dishes. Noisy. Has a liquor license now.
Greek Taverna/ Zeugma- Mediterranean and Greek options. I like Stamna in Bloomfield Better.
Mish Mish/ Marcel Bakery-both great for lunch. Mish Mish is better for dinner. BYO.
TS Ma/ Hunan Taste-Both very good Chinese. We like them both. BYO.
Egan and Sons-118 Walnut Street. Pub with good food. Been around for a long time.
__HIGHER END DINNERS__
Fauborg -544 Bloomfield Ave. Nice French Café Menu. Limited Entrees. BYO.
Scala Del Nonna-32 Church St. Used to be good. Gone downhill. Not rushing back. BYO.
Turtle and Wolf-622 Valley Rd. Quirky Menu. Order fried chicken a day in advance! BYO.
Laurel and Sage-33 Walnut. Good food, but place doesn't turn me on. BYO.
Halcyon-114 Walnut. High end fish entrees with several meat options. Pretty& Nice for date night.
Osteria Giotto-Midland Ave. Been waiting all summer but still not reopened. BYO if it does open!
Laboratorio-615 Bloomfield Ave. High end menu. Good presentation. BYO.
__OTHERS I SHOULD MENTION__
Montclair Social Club-Entrees, Tapas, Salads and Liquor. Also music.
Salute-good Italian. Always Busy. BYO.
Osteria Prime 151-151 Valley Road. Fair hearty Italian and Steaks. Wouldn't rush back. BYO.
Villalobos-6 S.Fullerton. Limited but good Mexican fare. BYO.
Palazzo-11 S. Fullerton. Italian. It's fine, but I don't like it. BYO.
Bistro 18-18 S. Fullerton-Another decent Italian. But again, nothing to write home about. BYO.
___BRUNCH/LUNCH_____
La Salbuen-97 Walnut St. Lovely breakfast, lunch and weekend dinners. French. BYO.
Toast-700 Bloomfield Ave. Nice options. Decent food.
Raymonds-28 Church Street. Always good. also serves dinners.
Jackie's Grillette-614 Valley Road. One of my favorite dives. Delicious salads and Mediterranean.
Bluestone Coffee-123 Watchung Ave. Delicious eggs, burritos, frittatas, waffles, etc.
The Corner-115 Grove. Always a line out the door. Home made pastries. Limited options but yum.
Red Eye Café-94 Walnut Street. Sandwiches, Salads, Eggs.
Vanillamore-349 Bloomfield Ave. Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Dessert. Cute menu.
___ETHNIC CUISINE____
Costanera-Peruvian.
Uncle Momo-Lebanese.
Mesob-Ethiopian.
Saveur Creole-Haitian.
Samba-Brazilian.
Cuban Pete's-Cuban.
SLA Thai-Thai
Noches De Columbia-Columbian
Nori-Sushi
SUMMIT
Breakfast and Lunch Spots...
The Eatery-447 Springfield Ave. Salads, Wraps, sliders.
Marigold's-426 Springfield Ave. Breakfast bowls, salads, paninis. Yummy.
Summit Greek Grill-90 Summit Ave. Extensive breakfast and lunch options. Large menu!
Summit Diner- Union Place.Opened 1929. Cash Only. Typical diner fare. No highchairs either!
The Committed Pig-339 Springfield Ave. Pancakes, French Toast, Burgers, Grilled Cheese.
Broadway Diner-55 River Road. Great for breakfast with the kids.
Lunch/Dinner mostly...
Fiorino-38 Maple St. Busy Bar. Good Italian but I find the menu very limited. Not my favorite.
Huntley Tavern-3 Morris Ave. Fun place. Fair Food. Best to eat starters, a burger, and drinks.
La Foccacia-523 Morris Ave. One of my favorites. Good food. Always busy. Many choices. BYO.
Marco Polo-527 Morris Ave. Good for Sunday Family dinners. Decent Italian. Has a Bar!
La Pastaria-327 Springfield Ave. better than average Italian. I've been going for over 20 years! BYO.
Roots-401 Springfield Ave. Upscale steakhouse. But they took away the veal chop, so we don't go!
The HAT Tavern-570 Springfield Ave. Hamburgers, Alcohol, and Tapas (HAT). In the Summit Hotel.
Summit House-395 Springfield Ave. Raw Bar, Entrees, Cheeses, Charcuterie. Hate it!
Has an attitude, limited menu options, small drinks.
VERONA
Ariane-706 Bloomfield Ave. Upscale menu. Great Bar. Good food. Former
Frank Anthony's-667 Bloomfield Ave. Good Pizza. Decent Entrees. We like a make your own Antipasto with choices. BYO .
Miele's -125 Bloomfield Ave. If you don't go to the Belmont Tavern, EAT HERE! Fabulous chicken dishes and chopped salads. All the food is good. Owner is great. And there's a bar!
Saluga-510 Bloomfield Ave. -Pizza, Pasta, Sandwiches, and dinner entrees. It's good! BYO.
Arroy D Thai Elephant-605 Bloomfield Ave. Standard Thai Dishes-it's pretty good! BYO.
Verona Inn-624 Bloomfield Ave. Craft beers, sports on the TV's and Pub grub.
WEST ORANGE/ORANGE/EAST NEWARK
Star Tavern-400 High St., Orange. In my opinion, there is no better pizza anywhere! Great thin crust-try the pesto. I can eat a whole pie myself. It's that good. Long lines on the weekend. There's a bar.
Highlawn Pavillion-1 Crest Drive. On the other end of the spectrum from Star Tavern. Upscale American in a beautiful setting and great NYC views. Or Go to the Bar and eat lighter fare, which is more up my alley. And a lot more fun.
Julio's-459 Mt. Pleasant Ave. Julio always makes a great drink. He cooks great food and is a great Host. Older crowd comes early!
Labretti's-554 Nassau Street, Orange. Food just ok. But the karaoke is fun every Friday and Saturday night from 8pm-1am.
Primavera Ristorante is no longer (thank goodness). There will only be the Trattoria at 500 Pleasant Valley Way. This is the better of the two. There is a full bar. Lots of seafood and pasta. My friends all like the Trattoria. I am not a fan and avoid meeting there for dinner.
Chit Chat Diner-410 Eagle Rock Ave. This is touted as the best diner in New Jersey. I think the food is fair, the portions are small, and the prices are high. It is open 24 hours. Every time I have gone, I have been very disappointed. Not good (in my opinion).
BEST DINER IN THE UNIVERSE IS:
Tops Diner-500 Passaic Ave. East Newark (Harrison). Every dish under the sun. All very good. Open all night. Lines are out the door on weekends.
BEST PIZZA IN NEW JERSEY IS:
Star Tavern or Angeloni's. I am told Columbia Inn in Montville makes a great pizza too.
BEST CHICKEN SALAD IS:
Oscar's in Millburn.
BEST SLOPPY JOE IS:
A tie between Nana's and Town Hall. Millburn Deli makes great sandwiches too!
BEST SUB SANDWICH;
Chatham Sandwich Shop and Sorrento's in East Hanover
BEST STEAK IN THE AREA:
Not sure? Roots or Sammy's or River Palm or Sear or Rails or Nero's?
BEST BURGER IS:
Serenade in Chatham
BEST CHINESE IS:
Hunan Taste in Montclair and Denville
BEST INDIAN IS:
Brick Lane in Montclair
BEST VEAL DISH IS:
Veal Pricipesa at Davina
BEST CHICKEN DISH IS:
Chicken Savoy at Miele's in Verona
Let's go eat! Peace Out! OneB
