As we bid farewell to 2023, we asked nine Instagram food influencers in New Jersey to spill the beans on their favorite Garden State bites of the year. Read carefully to see which restaurant made the list twice!
@EatswithEmm (Emily Ponczek)
Menu item: Hot Julia pizza
Business: Emilio’s Wood Fire Pizza
Location: Nutley
@EatswithEmm says: “The Hot Julia is such an amazing pizza at Emilio’s! On the pizza is pepperoni, ricotta cheese, basil, pecorino romano cheese and Mike’s Hot honey! Talk about a delicious pie!”
Menu item: Bombolini
Business: Luigino’s Parmigiana
Location: Montclair
@EatswithEmm says: “The Bombolini at Luigino’s are the BEST! They are so light and airy and drizzled with Nutella and vanilla anglaise. Perfection!”
Menu item: Chopped Grano antipasto
Business: Grano
Location: Scotch Plains
@EatswithEmm says: “The Chopped Grano Antipasto salad is my favorite at Grano! It has ham, salami, provolone, shredded mozzarella, black olives, roasted peppers, cucumber, and tomato and is dressed with oil and vinegar to make the perfect salad!”
@fo0odforfun (Bryanna Seddon)
Menu item: Handmade warm burrata-style fresh mozzarella
Business: Cafe 2825
Location: Atlantic City
@fo0odforfun says: “They make it right at your table and you can add on roasted peppers and prosciutto.”
Menu item: Mixed grill combination
Business: Oyster Creek
Location: Galloway
@fo0odforfun says: “Grilled shrimp, tuna, salmon, and scallops served with two sides at a casual waterfront seafood spot.”
Menu item: French onion soup
Business: The Smithville Inn
Location: Historic Smithville
@fo0odforfun says: “Topped with fried onions, bread, and a generous portion of cheese, it is the BEST cozy soup for soup season. The same soup is served at the Baremore Tavern, a more casual bar/restaurant attached to the inn.”
@FoodaholicNJ (Jennifer Nangano)
Menu item: S’mores dessert
Business: The Block
Location: Long Branch
@FoodaholicNJ says: “Aside from being known for their steak dinners, they serve some decadent desserts.”
Menu item: Wood-fired chicken parm
Business: Ava’s Kitchen & Bar
Location: Kenilworth
@FoodaholicNJ says: “Astounding—as was everything else I ate. If it were closer I’d eat there weekly.”
Menu item: Baby artichokes with chickpeas
Business: La Mondina
Location: Brielle
@FoodaholicNJ says: “Dressed arugula and Grana Padano is fantastic.”
@Gabriellaamariaa (Gabriella Mantilla)
Menu items: 36 oz sixty-day dry-aged porterhouse, with cavatelli shrimp scampi (Note: these are separate menu items.)
Business: Ember & Eagle
Location: Eatontown
@Gabriellaamariaa says: “The 36 oz sixty-day dry-aged porterhouse has a mouthwatering tenderness and is rich in flavor. You don’t even need a sauce! Just ask for their homemade smoked salt. I highly recommend sharing it with your date. The pasta is also my favorite. I always tend to order it to go with the porterhouse, to give me all of my favorite things: pasta, seafood, and steak.”
Menu item: Bang Bang shrimp
Business: Waterside Restaurant & Catering
Location: North Bergen
@Gabriellaamariaa says: “Bang Bang shrimp from the Waterside is crispy, creamy, sweet, and spicy — with just a few ingredients. It tastes like it should be the most popular appetizer on the menu!”
Menu item: Black mamba sushi roll
Business: Teak
Location: Red Bank
@Gabriellaamariaa says: “This has to be the best sushi roll I have ever had. It is a delicious explosion of flavors in your mouth. The black rice, shrimp tempura, and spicy lobster have an incredible savory taste and then you have a piece of sweetness from the banana! The tempura crunch and eel sauce just tie it all together!”
@justanotherfoodreviewpage (Marc DiPasquale)
Menu item: The #2 (chicken cutlet, fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, and balsamic)
Business: Wallington Deli
Location: Wallington
@justanotherfoodreviewpage says: “This is my go-to sandwich as I’ve been ordering it at least once a week from here for the past four months. The bread they use is next level, mozzarella, which is made in-house, is top notch, and the chicken cutlets are made fresh to order.”
Menu item: Brisket
Business: The Brisket Guy
Location: Springfield
@justanotherfoodreviewpage says: “Whether you are getting it in a sandwich or on a platter, the brisket from here does not disappoint. Super juicy, tender, and melt in your mouth! I literally call Trevon, the owner, the Brisket King.”
Menu item: Hot Honey Heaven pizza (San Marzano tomato base, pepperoni, crispy Chicken, ricotta, and Mike’s Hot Honey)
Business: Grumpy’s Pizza Co.
Location: Saddle Brook
@justanotherfoodreviewpage says: “This pizza is literally as the name states: Heaven.”
@megthings_ (Meghan Longo)
Menu item: “Omakase” Frutti di Mare
Business: Jasper Stone
Location: Monroe
@megthings_ says: “Selection of fresh seafood served omakase style. I loved this because it was super unique and different than the usual seafood tower. For the sushi and raw bar lovers, this is a must.”
Menu item: Rigatoni alla vodka
Business: The Pasta Shop
Location: Denville
@megthings_ says: “Homemade rigatoni vodka with prosciutto and peas. This is an iconic NJ restaurant with fresh pasta made daily. This dish was one of the best rigatoni vodkas I’ve ever had. You could taste the quality and love put into each dish.”
Menu item: Eggplant fritta
Business: La Mondina
Location: Brielle
@megthings_ says: “Fried eggplant layered with red sauce basil pesto ricotta and mozzarella. If you love eggplant parm, this is next level. This probably could take the cake as the best eggplant dish in Jersey.”
@revciancio (David Rev Ciancio)
Menu item: Miami Vice Cuban Sandwich
Business: Cafe 28
Location: Passaic Park
@revciancio says: “Making an incredible Cuban sandwich is truly an art form and many restaurants take shortcuts in creating one. Not Cafe 28 in Passaic! They’re using the highest quality ingredients and making the pernil in-house. I highly recommended getting one of these with their Cafe Freddo, an iced espresso experience like you’ve never had before.”
Menu item: Fugazzeta (classic Argentinian pizza)
Business: Ethan’s Pizza
Location: Paramus
@revciancio says: “Copious amounts of cheese between two layers of dough, with sliced sweet onions on top. It’s the double-crust offspring of an onion pizza, invented around 1900 in Argentina by Augustín Banchero and considered a melding of the cuisines of Argentina, Italy, and Spain. This might actually be the only Fugazzeta in New Jersey, a classic Argentinian pizza. This is in the top Fugazzetas I have ever had. Not your speed, that’s cool, you’ll get there. And you can customize any pizza at Ethan’s to your liking!”
Menu item: TBB Cuban chicken sandwich
Business: The Blended Bistro
Location: Cliffside Park
@revciancio says: “A lot of people gave me grief over this one, claiming that a proper Cuban sandwich can’t be made with grilled chicken. To them, I say, ‘If you eat this and you don’t love it, we may need to check your taste buds into the emergency room.’ Everything at the Blended Bistro is incredible and this one will blow your mind.”
@thehungryytraveler (Jenna Piemonte)
Menu item: Smasher
Business: Eighty Twenty
Location: Westwood (inside B&S Kitchen)
@thehungryytraveler says: “In my opinion, these are the best in the state! I’m a huge fan of burgers and these are my all-time favorite.”
Menu item: Garlic soy wings
Business: Oiso BBQ Pit
Location: Fort Lee
@thehungryytraveler says: “These wings are so crispy you can hear the crunch when you bite into them. And the flavor is amazing.”
Menu item: Mexican street corn pasta
Business: Flour
Location: Hoboken
@thehungryytraveler says: “This dish is flavorful and light, I would have never thought to make street corn pasta but it’s amazing! The agnolotti pasta complements the cream sauce so well.”
@tipsycritic (Kyle Getz)
Menu item: Cannelloni
Business: Luca’s Ristorante
Location: Somerset
@tipsycritic says: “This was a unique pasta dish! Spinach-infused cylindrical pasta stuffed with lobster/mascarpone brandy tomato cream sauce. I suggest washing it down with your favorite pinot noir at this cozy BYOB.”
Menu item: Angry Parmigiana
Business: Saly G’s
Location: Warren
@tipsycritic says: “This is by far my favorite chicken parm in the entire state. It is absolutely massive and comes butterflied and submerged in a spicy vodka sauce. A must-try for all taste buds and might require some sharing.”
Menu item: Dry-aged bone-in ribeye special
Business: Toscano Steakhouse
Location: Bordentown
@tipsycritic says: “If you happen to visit this spot currently ranked as my number one steak in the state and come across this special on the menu, then you simply cannot leave without trying it. It’s a bone-in ribeye, dry aged in-house in their salt locker finished with a pastrami BBQ dry rub and topped with a root beer bourbon butter.”
