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Brigantine
Seafood Brigantine Seafood is a casual, 25-seat restaurant that focuses on its strength and doesn't try to be all things to all people. One can get a pretty good steak, but seafood is obviously the specialty here. Seafood distributor and former Stony Hill Inn executive chef Alfred Inniello has opened his own seafood market by day and restaurant for lunch and dinner. There is also an oyster bar. $ [5/12] Mezza
Mediterranean Cuisine Mezza Mediterranean Cuisine (201-722-8822), at 31 Westwood Avenue in Westwood, has opened in the space that Porquoi Pas? previously occupied. One will find the traditional Middle Eastern fare here, but there are some variations and exotica that make this a destination restaurant. Mezzafs Moroccan Chicken Tagine was superb, the Ricotta Gnocchi (yes, gnocchi!) were a revelation, and the stuffed grape leaves were among the best in Bergen County. But the Beef Adana Kebabs, despite being very flavorful, were a bit chewy. There are so many interesting offerings that Mezza requires several visits for a good sampling of their offerings. The service is friendly but still a work in progress. Open seven days. $$ [4/12] Spice
Melody Spice Melody is a new, family-owned, northern Indian restaurant. All the dishes are made in-house. The service is earnest, and all the dishes we tried were delicious. View the complete menu at www.spicemelody.com. A lunch buffet is available. Closed Mondays. $ [3/12] Duck King The owners of the now-closed Peking Duck House in Bergenfield have opened Duck King in Edgewater (across from Whole Foods) in the same space where John's Shanghai never reopened after a kitchen fire. Like Johns, DK features Shanghai-style food that is worth the trip. As the name implies, duck is their featured meat, but there are many other options. The Pork Steamed Juice Buns, the Snow Pea Greens, and the Peking Duck special (with small, homemade pancakes) are terrific. Dinner for two ranges from $-$$ [2/12]
Brick Lane Curry House replaces Radicchio in Ridgewood. A British-style Indian curry house, it is the fourth restaurant (two in Manhattan and one in Montclair) to be opened by owners Satinder Sharma and Ajit Singh Bains. This is very good Indian food with some twists on the menu that separate it from others. There is something here for everyone, from vegans to lamb lovers. Don't miss the breads, the Imli Baingan and Lassuni Gobi appetizers, or any of the protein options with the Tikka Masala sauce. Check out the menu at www.bricklaneridgewood.com. Open seven days. $$ [1/12] Cuban
Flavor Cafe Cuban Flavor Cafe is your basic breakfast and lunch spot that morphs into a very casual, but terrific Latin restaurant at night on Wednesday through Saturday. This is authentic, moderately priced, and rib-sticking good food. Check it out at www.cubanflavorcafe.com. $ [12/11] Tawara
Authentic Japanese Restaurant Tawara has been around a long time. In fact it was one of the first restaurants we wrote about back in 1994 when we expanded our newsletter to include a BYO restaurant review. At the time, sushi was not as ubiquitous as it is today, and Tawara was considered exotic. The food was pretty good, but it was expensive, and the service could charitably be described as sullen. The service, the menu, and to some extent the decor have been updated since then, and prices seem more reasonable. The offerings are more authentically Japanese than those found in most Japanese restaurants. Tawara is worth the trip. $$ [11/11] Porch Light Productions (201-857-3520), at 555 Broad Street in Glen Rock, is not a restaurant, but a local theater company that offers café-style seating and encourages patrons to bring their own bottle! Talent is drawn from throughout the tri-state area, and the quality of these productions is quite high. Plays are performed on Friday nights, Saturday nights, and Sunday afternoons. Dinner with Friends is in production through October 9th and will be followed by The Goodbye Girl (Feb. 10-Feb. 26) and The Wedding Singer (April 20-May 6). Porch Light Productions also offers acting classes, seminars, and workshops. Go to www. porchlightproductions.org for more information. Tabboule
Pearl replaces the little Natalie's cafe. With only 27 seats, it is a bit snug, but the food is very good. Owner Maximillian Viola's creative menu changes daily depending on the fresh food purchased each morning. Chef David Anderson trained with Wolfgang Puck. A sample menu may be viewed at www.pearlridgewood.com. $$$ [8/11] Wayne Steak
House St. Eve's St. Eve’s has opened after much anticipation. Steven Christianson (the name of the restaurant is a clever play on his name) was Kevin Kohler’s original partner at Café Panache. Steven left to open the highly regarded Citrus Grill in Airmont, N.Y. St. Eve’s is quite promising, potentially a two pot-of-gold restaurant. The ambitious menu is eclectic, modern, and creative. The execution is quite good and in some cases brilliant (i.e. the gazpacho and the veal meat balls). As is the case with any new restaurant, there are a few issues here that need to be addressed here, but try it out. Steve has smartly listed several of the menu selections in both appetizer and entrée sizes, so that a "grazing" experience is possible. View the menu at www.stevesnj.com. Bring good wine! $$$$ [6/11] Uncle Paulie's Puro Sabor Uncle Paulie's Puro Sabor is one of the few Peruvian restaurants in the area. It is quite casual, but the service is friendly. Most of the offerings will look familiar to those who frequent other Latin restaurants, but the spices are somewhat unique. Chicken is their specialty, but there are many beef dishes, a few fish entrées, and, surprisingly, several Chinese dishes. Dinner for two averages. $ [05/11] Mekong Grill Mekong Grill is a fine, authentic Vietnamese restaurant with a multitude of choices. The selections are modestly priced and sized so that you can sample several dishes and still not spend a lot of money. Everything we tried was delicious, but the Mekong roll, Vietnamese fajita, and black pepper squid stood out. Service is attentive; the food came out at a leisurely but comfortable pace. View the complete menu at www.mekonggrillrestaurant.com. Closed Mondays. $- $$ [3/11] Honey Honey, just north of Rte. 4 in Teaneck, bills itself as a Mediterranean restaurant and market, but it is really an informal Persian restaurant with a fascinating store section where you can buy spices, desserts, and more. There are some menu items that sound Greek/Turkish, but the flavors are distinctly and wonderfully Persian. The choices include soups, stews, kabobs, and sandwiches with various combinations of steak, chicken, lamb, and fish. Try the saffron-rose water ice cream! $ [03/11] Toros
Toros is the third restaurant of the same name owned by Hüseyin Bayram. The others are in Clifton and Paterson. It replaces Lodos at the same location. In addition to the typical Turkish/Mediterranean offerings, there are some unusual but delicious entrées such as Kuzu Incik (lamb shank) and Hunkar Begendi (baked lamb chunks on an eggplant purée). The overall quality is very high. The stuffed grape leaves are exceptional. The menu varies slightly at the three locations, but the website list (www.torosrestaurant.com) will give you a good idea of the offerings. $$ [2/11] Blue
Fish
Blue Fish is a Middle Eastern / Seafood restaurant that is the brainchild of Egyptian-born chef Shrief Sarkies. Although fillet of branzino and surf & turf are the signature dishes, Blue Fish offers a wide variety of Middle Eastern dishes with a smattering of Greek, Italian, and even French choices. Everything is made from scratch, including the stocks. The fish comes from Peterfs Fish Market in Midland Park. Both the food and the service are solid. Entrée prices range from $14 to $29. Open seven days for lunch and dinner. $$ [1/11] GAO Thai Kitchen GAO Thai Kitchen takes over the space previously occupied by Scoop de Ville and Mamacita's. This is very good quality Thai food with a wide assortment of duck, chicken, fish, shellfish, beef, and vegetarian dishes. $$ [12/10]
Sakura is another excellent Japanese restaurant. This stand-alone is not related to Sakurabana in Ridgewood but the owners do have another restaurant of the same name in Millburn. The interior is very attractive, but the noise level can be a bit high when the restaurant is full (which it usually is). Portions are generous, and the menu can be viewed at www.sakurawyckoff.com. Open 7 days. Reservations are recommended. $$ [11/10]
Tani is a great addition to the local dining scene. Billed as a Pan-Asian restaurant, its menu is mostly Japanese (including sushi and sashimi) and Chinese (including some terrific dim sum), but there are also nods to Korea and Thailand. The decor is beautiful, relaxing, and quiet. Service needed work when Tani first opened, but it has greatly improved since then. Both the quality of the food and the presentations are outstanding. View the menu at www.taniasiangrill.com. $-$$ [10/10]
Picnic, The Restaurant is hard to typify, but American/Continental will do. Open since early July, it features an ambitious and well-executed menu that changes daily, but there are many constants and, thankfully, no "specials." Christine Nunn and Annabel Schlair, who previously won plaudits as caterers in Westwood, have created a little gem. Portions are generous. $$$ [9/10] Natalie’s
of Ridgewood
Natalie’s of Ridgewood has been reincarnated at the site of the recently closed Marra’s. The double storefront allows Natalie and Frank Trent to do parties on one side while the restaurant is open on the other. The menu has been updated slightly, although there is still an Italian touch. The decor is somewhat upscale. We’ll review the Latin restaurant that the Trents have opened in the old café space across the street soon. $$-$$$ [8/10] Armando’s
Tuscan Grill
Armando’s Tuscan Grill is a 40-seat restaurant that covers both northern and southern styles of Italian cuisine. This is the sister restaurant of Armando’s (Linda and Armando Talocco) in Fort Lee. The atmosphere is pretty laid back and casual. Although the open kitchen and hard surfaces make it somewhat noisy, the food here is very good. $$ [6/10] Branchetto
Feast Italian Gourmet
Banchetto Feast Italian Gourmet (also at the Nanuet Mall on Rte. 59 in Nanuet, NY), is the latest restaurant incarnation at this Westwood location. The odd menu makes it look like a pizza/hero/wrap joint, but keep searching; you will find serious entrées for fine dining. View the complete menu at www.banchettofeast.com. The service was leisurely on our visit, but the food was terrific. If so inclined, try the various racks of veal. $$ [5/10] Pizza Fusion
Pizza Fusion is not fine dining, but this eco-friendly (recycled materials are used where possible) franchise offers organic food of good quality. In addition to numerous, interesting pizza combinations (there are even vegan and gluten-free ones), there are some very nice salads and sandwiches. And the wine glasses are terrific! View the menu at www.pizzafusion.com. $ [3/10]
(201) 507-0093 Sorrento Ristorante (201-507-0093), at 132 Park Ave in East Rutherford, carries the same name and location as a previous restaurant back in the early 1990s, but the ownership is new. This unabashedly Italian restaurant offers excellent quality food that doesn't stray far from the classics. The seating is spacious and very comfortable - perhaps the most comfortable restaurant chairs in Bergen county. Chef Zorko Zoran Glavan shows a deft hand using obviously fresh and high quality ingredients. The menu may be viewed at www.sorrentoristorante.net. Closed Mondays. $$ [2/10] $$$ [3/09]
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Brick
Lane Curry House