Like the occasions and the celebrants themselves, each eatery is unique in its own way.
Lesson on special occasions: This year, my bubbly teen daughter insisted on a little black dress to attend an important birthday party. She had found the dress online. It was just like one worn by her favorite actress. "Mommy, please!"
I prepared to do battle, picturing a revealing cut-out frock, a sparkling "Dancing With the Stars" ensemble, a dress that would be, in polite terms, too mature. In reality, the dress she chose was remarkably modest, black with short sleeves, a high neckline with a contrasting white Peter Pan collar, and a flared skirt that actually grazed the knee.
I was so relieved, I said yes before I even knew how much it cost. When I found out that it was only $21.99, well, I squealed and offered to buy two.
"Special" is in the eye of the beholder, and it's with this in mind that I share my list of 30 best special occasion restaurants. Some are sparkly, some are modest. Like the occasions and the celebrants themselves, each is unique in its own way.
ARIANE KITCHEN & BAR
In her personal life, Ariane Duarte is likely to walk through the door with a bag of burgers from White Castle for family movie night or take her girls to Sharky's in Clifton for a basket of chicken wings. Which may explain why Duarte is our favorite Jersey Girl chef, the sassy, down-to-earth counterpart to her more demure friend, the chef Amanda Freitag (Food Network star and "Chopped" judge). Duarte, who closed her tiny jewel box of a restaurant in Montclair in 2014 to open a more lively space in Verona, seems to have found her groove. Her fine dining signature dishes remain; the cornmeal-crusted oysters are always a must, as is the exquisite, Instagram-perfect sashimi tuna flower. But in Verona, the vibe is more fun and the restaurant has a liquor license. The burger at AKB is fierce, Kobe beef with a fried green tomato and a harissa aioli. (Duarte learned her burger lessons early in her career, working a grill station in Dallas.) The chef is no stranger to television and last year beat Bobby Flay in his own wheelhouse with a one-on-one throwdown that involved steak. This summer, she prepared skate for Kathie Lee and Hoda on "TODAY" and both women just gushed. At the restaurant, Duarte still draws customers thanks to her season five appearance on "Top Chef," which aired in 2008. Yet, if you were to sneak into the AKB kitchen on any given afternoon, you'd find the octopus bubbling on the stove alongside a pot of homemade chicken soup, which is being made for friends and family and neighbors -- anyone she might know in an hour of need.
Ariane Kitchen & Bar | 706 Bloomfield Ave., Verona; (973) 744-0533;
arianekb.com
BERNARDS INN
Executive Chef Corey W. Heyer is also a farmer and, now, his acres of land are in Bernardsville, which means that local produce is even closer to the kitchen. Fans of the restaurant's sweet potato ravioli, which is an autumn menu favorite, may be heartened to learn that the sweet potatoes are locally sourced. (At least some of them. In reality, the dish is so popular, the local yield is insufficient.) Heyer handcrafts the ravioli and fills it with a sweet potato puree seasoned with honey and nutmeg. The accompaniments are fresh sage, a brown butter sauce, Austrian pumpkin seeds (more nutty and rich than their American counterparts) and, drum roll, black truffle pecorino. The dish is a signature (ambitious cooks will find the recipe on the website) and the restaurant frequently pairs it with chardonnay. Ravioli aside, the real reason we love this spot is for its grandiose patio, all that fieldstone and marble, the gleaming wood that frames the windows. Just add sunglasses and, immediately, you're a femme fatale, Old Hollywood, Marlene Dietrich. The menu is full of regal classics -- lobster bisque, seared foie gras, dry-aged sirloin, Maine lobster, king salmon. The Bernards Inn experience remains genteel, sophisticated, elegant. Heyer has been at the helm of this kitchen for more than a decade, which, in restaurant time, is an eternity. But his kitchen philosophy continues to be shaped by his earlier kitchens, at the Fromagerie in Rumson, Restaurant Nicholas in Red Bank and Restaurant Daniel in New York.
Bernards Inn | 27 Mine Brook Road, Bernardsville; (908) 766-0002;
bernardsinn.com
BRICK FARM TAVERN
They call it honest simplicity at Brick Farm Tavern, but you've never had meat and potatoes -- or chicken -- like this. This is the refined promise of farm-to-table, superior ingredients married to superior skill in the kitchen. The farm, owned by Jon and Robin McConaughy, is 800 acres, an outdoor pasture for cows, pigs, lambs, ducks. To get out of the car is to be disoriented. Is this really New Jersey? Yet, it's as bucolic as it appears. This is a place where Berkshire pigs, for example, are fed GMO-free grain, which is roasted and milled on-site. The heritage pigs are also fed (get this) spent grain from Beach Haus Brewery in Belmar. Yes, such is the fodder for satire, "Portlandia" style. And, yes, the occasional dish feels forced and overly precious (hay is an ingredient in an alarming number of dishes). But Brick Farm Tavern is no caricature. The food here is seductive. Executive chef Greg Vassos has worked with Eric Ripert, of Le Bernardin, and that disciplined classic French training is evident. (In other words, the farm is just the beginning.) Choose the rich Bolognese, with its lofty homemade gnocchi, or the sinfully creamy veloute. And the homemade bread with lardo, don't skip the lardo. The refurbished ancient farmhouse, all stone and wood and hearths, is unexpectedly elegant, with unconventional artwork throughout, which is exuberant and sometimes cheeky. The wine list is thoughtful; general manager Mike Lykens loves to showcase boutique wines and introduces wines at half price on Wednesdays.
Brick Farm Tavern | 130 Hopewell Rocky Hill Road, Hopewell; (609) 333-9200; brickfarmtavern.com
CAFE MATISSE
The restaurant business is a business of excess and chefs are notoriously a passionate, unconventional bunch. But the backstory of chef Peter Loria? It can't be rivaled. Loria's childhood was one of Sunday dinners, milking cows, homemade pastries baked by a Czechoslovakian grandmother. But it was also a childhood in a Pennsylvania orphanage. As an adult, Loria began his career as a mathematician and engineer; he was successful but not satisfied. In 1986, he earned his degree from the then-French Culinary Institute, then worked at Bouley. He opened his own place in New Jersey, hoping eventually to expand. Then Loria suffered an aneurysm that went untreated for four days. His doctors were shocked he lived through it. Love, for him, came later in life and he married at age 53. He owns rescue dogs. This is the man behind Cafe Matisse, which is considered by OpenTable to be one of the 100 most romantic restaurants in America. Cafe Matisse is indeed romantic, both the bold decor and the food are inspired by the French impressionist. Then there's the European garden located in a seductive hideaway in warm weather. Service is extraordinarily gracious and the restaurant somehow has retained the enviable electricity of the American '80s culinary scene -- luxuriant, creative, experimental. Dishes are an ambitious and complex layering of numerous ingredients. It may seem anachronistic, but, almost every time, will absolutely surprise and delight. At press time, the restaurant was scheduled to open its Moroccan front room, with expected additions to the menu.
Cafe Matisse | 167 Park Ave., Rutherford; (201) 935-2995; cafematisse.com
CAFE PANACHE
Chef Kevin Kohler offers a tight menu, a careful selection of nine to 12 items, depending on the number of reservations, so that the ingredients for each dish are always depleted, always fresh. Still, he has learned that his filet mignon ravioli, a rich, decadent seduction made with homemade pasta, is a sacred menu item and he doesn't dare remove it. Other revered offerings at Cafe Panache include the halibut with wasabi, the pecan chicken, the ginger duck. But ask Kohler about the best meal he's ever had and he'll tell you it was the most simple thing. Striped bass, which he caught in the waters off Montauk. He grilled it outside, sparked it with a squeeze of lemon. It's what he wants to eat now. So, Kohler is doubling down on the number of seafood choices at the restaurant, especially favoring wild or line-caught fish. (He hopes to spend next summer fishing for salmon in the Yukon River.) Kohler has always been smart enough to follow his gut. He fell in love with vegetables long before anyone else in the industry and, for years, spent his mornings in the gardens, choosing the perfect tomato. Today, he has shipments of organic produce delivered to his door. The choices at the restaurant are chef-driven, the selections of an expert, which explains why he remains a leader in the industry. It also explains why the restaurant has been open more than 30 years, which is not a typo and which Kohler would explain away with less flourish. He attributes his success to hard work and constant reinvention. Recent updates included a shipment of chairs from Italy to refresh the casual elegance of the dining room.
Cafe Panache | 130 E. Main St., Ramsey; (201) 934-0030; cafepanachenj.com
CHAKRA
If Chakra does not come readily to mind on your list of special occasion restaurants, it's likely because the restaurant is so damn fun that you may not view it as important. But a fine restaurant is not a museum and you ought to be able to bring your party attitude. Chef Thomas Ciszak is a classic chef, born in Germany, hard-working, disciplined (his history includes Tavern on the Green). He's also a perfectionist and a wine nerd (the restaurant's wine room is also where he cures Mangalitsa pork). But the chef's appearance remains boyish, as does his attitude. His food is globally inspired -- Peruvian chicken, pork schnitzel, hanger steak with chimichurri. Ciszak excels at seafood: His crispy trout is a must. But Chakra, with its candles and music and filmy decor, feels more like a nightclub than a restaurant. The energy is upbeat, sexy and self-indulgent, with whimsical cocktails that play along. (Boy Meets World is made with rye, brandy, homemade vanilla syrup and cinnamon.) Ciszak's food also is playful, with a potato-wrapped shrimp, for example, that looks like a Coney Island treat and tastes impossibly right. For dessert, Ciszak accompanies his treats with house-made cotton candy and caramelized popcorn. Also, there are doughnuts -- soft, sugary pillows. Was Ciszak first to offer New Jersey warm homemade doughnuts as dessert? Perhaps not, but no one does them better.
Chakra | 144 Route 4, Paramus; (201) 556-1530; chakrarestaurant.com
CHEF VOLA'S
"We're wonderful, thank God," says Louise Esposito, co-owner of Chef Vola's, the classic Italian-American restaurant famous for its bone-in veal parm and its 26 homemade desserts, including ricotta pie (spiked with liqueur and smoothed by mascarpone). Indeed, Chef Vola's customers say the same -- it's wonderful, thank God. The praise for the food here is a near communal swoon, for the outsized portions, for the warmth of the family, for the preservation, every day, of the classic New Jersey celebratory dinner in an Italian-American household. The restaurant has existed since 1921, was bought by Louise and Michael Esposito in 1982, and is where the Esposito sons, Michael Jr. and Louis, grew up, washing dishes, snapping green beans. Chef Vola's has always been a local favorite, but became suddenly famous thanks to a James Beard classic award in 2011, plus a later cameo on HBO's "Boardwalk Empire." Louise Esposito, who is instantly your friend, speaks in a breathless, continuous sentence. She loves the story of the James Beard award, how she was asked to speak but insisted that the entire family take the stage. "You'll turn us down?" The James Beard representative was incredulous. "It wouldn't be worth it if we couldn't be together," she replied. At Chef Vola's, it's all about tradition and family; the Espositos have traveled to Italy each year for nearly 50 years, are today saving to pay college tuition for the grandkids. (If we thought college was expensive, says Esposito, today it's a real sticker shock. "It's a couple of houses in Philly.") The restaurant itself is nothing special. Part of the charm is that it hasn't changed, that it is hard to distinguish from the rowhouses nearby, that it feels like an illicit discovery. Occasionally, says Esposito, a new customer is disappointed, expecting statues, water fountains, marble. "You'll have to go to the Borgata for that."
Chef Vola's | 111 S. Albion Place, Atlantic City; (609) 345-2022
COMMON LOT
The Lecture Room in London offers a particularly plush, gilded and eccentric experience; it is the most elite of the rabbit-hole adventures that make up the dynamic of the restaurant known as Sketch. At Sketch, even the hot chocolate is legendary, and the tea room fills with Fashion Week elite. (The restaurant is within walking distance of Hermes, Burberry, Alexander McQueen and Yves Saint Laurent, a stone's throw from Savile Row.) The Lecture Room, with its French-inspired cuisine, has two Michelin stars. So how is the story of Sketch relevant to a New Jerseyan? Because the Lecture Room kitchen was the training ground for chef Ehren Ryan, who last May opened one of the state's most exciting spots. In fact, the advance buzz for Common Lot was so intense, and the delays so frustrating, that foodies and critics practically stormed the Millburn dining room when the restaurant finally opened. The consensus is joyful. Nearly a year later, weekend seats are still hard to get. Chef Ryan, who grew up in Australia, and his wife, Nadine, who grew up in Austria, bring an entirely fresh spin on the New Jersey food scene -- from pea guacamole to sweetbreads to dry-aged ribeye -- in a relaxed, vibrant setting. (Unlike The Lecture Room, the Common Lot space is neither precious nor intimidating.) Another reason to love Ryan: While the restaurant opening was delayed, he volunteered as chef adviser to a team of high-school culinary students from Passaic County Technical Institute. The team, with its entree of roasted quail, faro risotto and Swiss chard, became state champions in the annual National ProStart Invitational and traveled to Dallas for the national competition.
Common Lot | 27 Main St., Millburn, (973) 467-0494, commonlot.com
CUCHARAMAMA
This past year, the chocolate community, led by Maricel Presilla, came to New Jersey. The uniquely rigorous rounds of judging done by the select groups of experts for the International Chocolate Awards -- with its numerous levels of competition, all done in blind tastings, each of which is executed in thoughtful silence -- was conducted at Montclair State University. Presilla, one of the founders of the organization, is proud to have brought the group to New Jersey, and the chef, who has a doctoral degree, is also proud to be affiliated with a university. This was also the year that Presilla introduced her version of Colombian potato soup, the humble ajiaco, to her restaurant in Hoboken. The events are not unrelated. The soup was salvation for the chef during a visit to a cacao farm, the perfect respite after she walked up a mountain in drenching rain. These adventures define the career of Presilla, who brings the divine, mystical and ancient foods of her travels to those of us in the United States. Presilla, who escaped from Cuba when she was a teenager, has won numerous James Beard awards, has cooked for President Barack Obama and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. But when she's in town, she's likely to be sitting at the bar at Cucharamama, sharing calamari with her newest friend. Order the roast pork, the chocolate-rubbed short ribs, the homemade empanadas, the mille-feuille cake with Malbec icing. Cucharamama is history and anthropology at its most seductive.
Cucharamama | 233 Clinton St., Hoboken; (201) 420-1700; cucharamama.com
EBBITT ROOM
The Virginia Hotel is not fussy and grandmotherly, like so many other spots in the Victorian oasis that is Cape May. The linens are delicate, the rooms bright, the bathrobes lush. The porch is black-and-white crisp, and leopard prints are a witty accessory throughout the hotel. These facts already earn points, contributing to the Ebbitt Room's popularity as a memorable destination. The food at the hotel's Ebbitt Room also tends to avoid the cliches of fine dining in this seaside resort -- thanks to the restaurant's own makeover, which eliminated some of the more ornate elements of the dining room, and thanks in part to the restaurant's relationship with Beach Plum Farm. The picturesque farm is just 2 miles away. There, blueberries are grown, of course, but also sweet potatoes, spinach, zucchini, lettuces, kale, leeks, ambrosia cantaloupe. The farm has 12 beehives, 800 chickens, Berkshire pork. The menu at Ebbitt Room features the Beach Plum pork chop, straight from the farm, when available. Also, seasonal berries in the creme brulee and, depending on the season, hakurei turnips, pickled peppers or eggplant puree (spiked with saffron) as accompaniments to the dinner entrees. Seafood here is also locally sourced. Other recent renovations included a 30-seat private garden, which the restaurant didn't publicize, hoping to keep it a secret for locals. The Ebbitt Room, which boasts a reputation for superior service, remains open on weekends in winter.
Ebbitt Room | 25 Jackson St., Cape May; (609) 884-5700; caperesorts.com
ELEMENTS
The kitchen staff is also the wait staff, and a 20 percent gratuity, defined as a guest experience, is included in the bill. Such things, in the industry, are considered radical. But that's like going to a concert and talking about the traffic. What's radical about elements, what's always been radical about elements, is the food. Chef Scott Anderson is a genius, the archetype of the future of the restaurant business. (Food writers, it is true, are prone to exaggerate; this, however, is no exaggeration.) The restaurant, now located upstairs from its sister space, Mistral, in downtown Princeton, offers a more tightly focused culinary event. Just 28 seats, dinner only. You may order a la carte, but the tasting menu experience is encouraged. Anderson's journeys are impeccable, with some dishes mannered and precise, others robust and outrageous. Dinner changes with the micro-seasons and according to the chef's fancy, but expect venison, rib-eye, local scallops, pheasant and ramen, with accompanying ingredients such as sumac, buckwheat, bergamot. As it has from the beginning, this is food that encourages debate, food with intellectual muster. Yet, this food, unlike that from other restaurants favoring experimentation and innovation, also tastes grand. You may never understand it or even be able to explain it, but you'll know immediately what the fuss is all about.
elements | 66 Witherspoon St., Princeton; (609) 924-0078; elementsprinceton.com
FASCINO
A chef never tires of inspiration from Italy. Ryan DePersio took the trip early in 2016 -- three regions, six days, 12 wineries. Wine was the reason for the journey and food was the uncomplicated accompaniment. Yet, it is the food DePersio talked about upon his return to the United States -- the authenticity of dinner, the simplicity and, especially, the flawless ingredients. "Everything in Italy is so perfect," he says. The olive oil, the sea salt, the orange zest. Fascino has been a starred New Jersey restaurant since it opened 13 years ago, a menu of Italian favorites (Bolognese, mezzaluna) made remarkably light, at times ethereal, thanks to DePersio's French culinary training (creme fraiche, celery root, scallions). At Fascino, the dining room is elegant and refined, the pasta is hand-crafted and vegetables are not an afterthought. (A vegetarian tasting menu has always been a priority.) In Jersey City, DePersio also runs the sprawling Battello and the indie-casual Kitchen Step, but Fascino remains his signature space, a BYOB that's classy, refined yet understated. After he returned from his wine tour, DePersio paid homage to the experience with a special dinner, featuring carne cruda, braised veal cheeks. An American chef must search for the perfect ingredients. In Italy, procurement is easier. "Go in the back and pick some cherries. That's it."
Fascino | 331 Bloomfield Ave., Montclair; (973) 233-0350; fascinorestaurant.com
IZAKAYA
The food at casino restaurants, despite all the hype, often is needlessly bland. In Las Vegas, even Gordon Ramsay's spots seem more about doughy satisfaction than about taste. Perhaps it makes sense, the market demographic is so broad and the restaurants have to please so many people. Plus, the big-name chef is rarely there and gimmicks abound. (Classic cocktails are rimmed in cinnamon; this is really a thing.) But ask another big-name chef for a restaurant recommendation in a casino town and you'll be steered toward the Asian restaurants. The punch of flavor is there and the freshness of the seafood can't be compromised. This is why Izakaya is our go-to place in Atlantic City, and not just because the Borgata seems the last remaining energetic casino in town. Izakaya has a sexy vibe, not fussy, and the menu is extensive enough to please everyone (Wagyu sliders, chicken wings, mahi-mahi tacos, a s'more tart, Amstel Light), but also includes more adventurous dishes (whole branzino, eel, salmon toro, yuzu panna cotta, Japanese whiskey). Edamame dumplings are a signature creation of chef Michael Schulson, who bolsters his credentials with frequent travels. The dumplings are gorgeous, nearly transparent. Schulson also specializes in robatayaki (Japanese barbecue) and his spicy tuna cracker gets rave reviews. (And by the way, If you're in Las Vegas, chose MOzen Bistro in the Mandarin Oriental; it bests Ramsay, as well as Michael Mina.)
Izakaya | 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City; (609) 317-1000; theborgata.com
JOCKEY HOLLOW
The employees of Jockey Hollow will tell you that it's not just a job, that it's a calling, a friendship, an inexplicable camaraderie. You may or may not believe them, but the facts are these. Turnover is exceptionally rare at the restaurant and many employees, after spending long days and long weeks together at the restaurant, also hang out with each other on their days off. Thus, the entire staff was hit hard in early 2016 when Justin Pehowic, who was about to be promoted to chef de cuisine, died unexpectedly. Pehowic was a Jersey boy, born in Madison, and had a history of heart problems. In homage, the restaurant held a special dinner, raising money for heart care. And today, Pehowic's retired apron hangs, framed, above the hearth in the kitchen. Also above the hearth is a striped bass, in honor of Pehowic's love of fishing. This kind of one-for-all attitude explains how the experience at Jockey Hollow often feels seamless, the kitchen and the wait staff in tandem. Restaurateur Chris Cannon demands much of each staffer, but, say employees, he also believes in you. In 2016, the award-winning restaurant added a patio and continues its support of the local community, including the increasingly popular Morristown Festival of Books. Still, the real reason to dine here is for the ambience (Cannon's unpretentious renovation of a historic Italianate mansion), plus the fresh Jersey oysters (from Forty North) and the exquisite hand-crafted pasta. Chef Kevin Sippel's braised octopus, with tomato asopao, just astonishes. Also, the wine. Cannon is considered the king of the game and his selections will intrigue -- and often at a far lower price point than you would imagine.
Jockey Hollow Bar & Kitchen | 110 South St., Morristown; (973) 644-3180; jockeyhollowbarandkitchen.com
LAUREL & SAGE
You will discover that carrot soup is remarkably sexy and that scallops are not the prissy creatures most chefs envision. You will be surprised by the stark difference in attitude, a West Coast approach toward food, which translates as blithe, sunny, vivacious. You will realize that most restaurant food in New Jersey is immediately aggressive, calling out for your attention -- in your face, edgy. Here, it's a slow infatuation, lighthearted. Your allergies and food aversions will not frustrate the chef. It's okay, it's all okay. Laurel & Sage, named for the chef's daughters, is a tiny BYOB, with real silver, gracious service and warm, homemade popovers. Shawn Paul Dalziel is an intense chef, with classic training, and you will be served an amuse-bouche. Yet the entire experience here is relaxed, gracious. Dalziel is from Malibu, Calif. -- perhaps that explains everything. Must-have dishes include the crab cake, with its frothy tartar sauce spiked with cornichons, and the airline chicken, stuffed with sausage, milky and sweet. Or the mussels in coconut milk, with apple, kefir and Chablis. Or the sea bass, which tastes sacred. And the impossibly seductive lobster dumplings. For dessert, homemade profiteroles or beignets. Those intriguing photographs that decorate the space? They were taken by Dalziel's friends; one photographer is a Pulitzer winner, another has worked with Justin Bieber. You will have trouble getting weekend reservations.
Laurel & Sage | 33 Walnut St., Montclair; (973) 783-1133; laurelandsage.com
LORENA'S
Renovations two years ago nearly doubled the dining space in this longtime romantic gem of a restaurant. Lorena's, which opened in 2005, is now able to accommodate a crowd of 52. Improvements to the kitchen were made as well, with the number of burners increasing from six to 12. "It's almost like a little restaurant," says chef Humberto Campos Jr. Yet seats remain hard to get, with nearly a month's wait for those popular weekend time slots. The philosophy here is French -- clean, pure, simple -- and Campos is known for his ability to make three ingredients sing. The menu remains old school, steadfast. Crab and mushroom crepe, rack of lamb, salmon tartare with wasabi and creme fraiche. Lorena's is consistently named one of OpenTable's 100 best in America, a designation that Campos humbly attributes to the restaurant's philosophy of service. The goal here is to put you on a cloud. In our experience, they succeed. Lorena's is a go-to spot for anniversaries, birthdays, marriage proposals. Couples frequently get engaged here; often, the staff brings out the ring under a silver cloche and films the moment. "We have a whole protocol for that." Lorena's is a tribute to love in the first place, named after the chef's bride. "She's my best friend; she's my partner," the chef said years ago, a sentiment he constantly repeats. (The couple now has a young son, Liam.) The restaurant opened for lunch last summer, serving brioche BLTs (with truffle mayo) and its signature crepes.
Lorena's | 168 Maplewood Ave., Maplewood; (973) 763-4460; restaurantlorena.com
NINETY ACRES
These days, so many restaurants are also farms that it seems difficult to believe that Ninety Acres was an original just six years ago, amid its first harvest. Yet when the restaurant unveiled its grandiose plan to breed livestock right outside the kitchen, to allow its chefs to gather just-laid eggs on the property, to plant tomatoes and herbs, the idea seemed so novel as to be nearly scandalous. What remains novel, especially for New Jersey, is the particularly noble setting for the restaurant. Up a winding country road, blissfully quiet, Ninety Acres, in a building that was once a cavernous carriage house, seems simply to materialize. It's a scene fit for "Downton Abbey." Today, the notion of farm just outside the table is not enough, and Ninety Acres now has an employee who does both, six hours each day on the farm, six hours in the kitchen, four days a week. The goal is more intimate communication between farm and kitchen. The experience can be refined or casual, sashimi with tomato water and Spanish vermouth. Or fried chicken, which remains so popular, it's now on the menu every day. It's a brined Griggstown bird (48 hours, lemon and herbs), which is slow-cooked and then fried to order, a classic flour and buttermilk coating. The ambitious plans for the property -- a hotel, villas, a spa -- have not progressed as quickly as projected, but a catering center is expected to open in the spring. Meanwhile, the farm-to-table philosophy plays out in the home of chef David C. Felton, whose three small children have been fascinated by the backyard fig crop -- two trees, one a transplant from the chef's former Hoboken residence. "Can we eat them yet?"
Ninety Acres | 2 Main St., Peapack-Gladstone; (908) 901-9500; natirar.com
PLUCKEMIN INN
Christopher Cree has an amazing credential: He is a Master of Wine. He earned the designation in 1996 and was the 13th American to do so. The exam is famously rigorous and includes blind tastings, 12 wines during a session. Those who pass are able to pinpoint, miraculously, a wine's variety, origin, quality and style. It's an exclusive club, with just 341 members worldwide. Cree today is the director of wine education and retail sales at the Pluckemin, a new job that reinforces, with enthusiasm, the commitment of the restaurant to its wine program. (Watch for classes, tastings, dinners.) Yet Cree, who often wears khakis and a sweater, is hardly the stereotypical wine snob. Ask him, for example, what exactly in red wine is the cause for that morning-after headache and he'll offer a simple, direct, logical answer. "It's the alcohol." The Pluckemin Inn sells wine, choosing and recommending vintages for its customers, with bottles of rose, for example, available for as little as $12. For the customer, it's a way to relinquish an often dizzying decision to an expert palate. In the kitchen, chef Andrew Lattanzio presides, maintaining the Pluckemin's historically consistent legacy of farm-to-table American cuisine. The menu features Griggstown chicken, lamb chops, risotto, pork. Dishes are creatively and seasonally accompanied by the likes of pea shoots, roasted garlic. More history? During the Revolutionary War, the inn's site was home to a tavern, where Washington's army often gathered.
Pluckemin Inn | 10 Pluckemin Way, Bedminster; (908) 658-9292; pluckemininn.com
RAT'S RESTAURANT
In the spring of 2016, for $10 a night, guests in Chicago could stay in an Airbnb replica of Vincent Van Gogh's bedroom. The interactive experience was championed by the Art Institute of Chicago and was part of the exhibit "Van Gogh's Bedrooms." In New Jersey, we've been doing this kind of thing for years, long before they called it an interactive experience. Rat's Restaurant was modeled on France's Giverny, and guests immediately feel as though they've stepped into a Claude Monet painting. In summer, the patio is popular -- all those flowers, the lily pond, the waterfall, the bridge. In winter, the whimsical, art-filled dining room is equally inviting. The menu is country French (mussels, charcuterie, trout meuniere, plus traditional accompaniments such as pomme puree, buerre blanc, Bordelaise). The restaurant is part of the Stephen Starr group of Philadelphia and the chef is Scott Swiderski, who came from Starr's famed Buddakan. Rat's is part of the unique Grounds For Sculpture, 42 acres featuring the work of well-known and emerging artists, the vision of artist Seward Johnson (of the Johnson & Johnson family). A stroll of the property completes the interactive experience. We are intrigued by The Oligarchs, by Michelle Post, a collection of busts meant to convey the generically wealthy, the robber barons and the industrial magnates who defined, in many ways, America. And the minimalist Floating Arrangement, a pair of human-like forms by Joseph Howard, which seem remarkably abundant in their incompleteness.
Rat's Restaurant | 16 Fairgrounds Road, Hamilton: (609) 584-7800; ratsrestaurant.com
RESTAURANT LATOUR
Martyna Krowicka, chef de Latour, spends hours in the woods, scrounging for wild strawberries, wild grape leaves, cattails. "The amount of stuff that's out there is incredible. You could actually survive in the wild in New Jersey." Krowicka oversees Restaurant Latour, the tiny dining room at Crystal Springs Resort, the room with a stunning view of the Kittatinny Mountains, the restaurant where jackets are recommended and jeans forbidden. The menu is designed to impress, innovative and ever-changing, with wine pairings designed to be equally stimulating -- 75,000 bottles from which to choose. Krowicka often reaches to her past for inspiration, those humble, rustic dishes from her childhood in Poland (where she also foraged, with her grandmother), that braised cabbage that is her father's specialty, those homemade doughnuts. At Restaurant Latour, the menu is deliberately vague, the goal is to prompt you to ask. The story of a dish might be this: Foragers see a bear, the animal's sudden movement releases a golden cloud, a dusting of cattail pollen. When the bear is gone, they collect the cattails, harvesting nearly 2 ounces of pollen. Krowicka adds the pollen to pasta dough, turning it gloriously yellow. She creates tiny agnolotti, which she fills with wapato, which are edible tubers, also foraged, and ricotta. The dish may seem ornate and abstract, but in reality, it's a dressed-up pierogi and it will please Krowicka if you get it. She describes her food as contemporary American, with an Eastern European influence, but her true goal is that you experience her food in the same intimate, personal way that she does.
Restaurant Latour | 3 Wild Turkey Way, Hardyston Township; (855) 977-6473; crystalgolfresort.com
RESTAURANT NICHOLAS
Maybe you've heard of how Nicholas Harary paid his culinary school tuition with a shoebox of cash, money saved from the pizzeria job he'd begun at age 14. Even better is the story of Harary's financial chutzpah in opening his eponymous restaurant. Harary had been approved for a $650,000 loan. He'd completed the paperwork without being seen; despite a strong resume, years of experience and work at Jean-Georges, he was just 25. Sure enough, on closing day, the Small Business Association was reluctant. "Is your father coming?" Nine hours later, the loan finalized, Harary high-fived the SBA team as they drove off in their luxury cars. He was driving a 1989 Ford Probe. The driver's side was battered (Harary had to crawl in from the passenger's side) and one pop-up headlamp was stuck (the car appeared to be winking). It felt somehow like a swindle. Still, the loan wasn't enough and Harary played the system again before opening day. He mailed out several credit card applications simultaneously and, within 36 hours, had maxed out each card, another $250,000 in debt. For the first year, a primary responsibility of his wife, Melissa, was to transfer money from one card to another, taking advantage of interest-free offers. The Hararys remained disciplined. As the restaurant earned accolades for its well-composed food and its pampered service -- and as it served prestigious guests, including a vice president -- the couple was still driving that Ford Probe and slept for three years in the unfinished basement of their townhouse (the paying roommates were upstairs). The restaurant is in its 17th year, remaining, as from the beginning, a Jersey best. Longtime favorites on the menu include the bourbon-braised suckling pig, the Parmesan gnocchi and the Long Island duck. Service remains a priority, and guests leave with a special thank-you, a homemade pastry for tomorrow's breakfast.
Restaurant Nicholas | 160 Route 35, Red Bank; (732) 345-9977; restaurantnicholas.com
RESTAURANT SERENADE
Last summer, chef James Laird challenged Bobby Flay, a swagger move that surprised colleagues. In truth, Laird had wanted to do reality television for years, but his lawyer had always advised otherwise: "James, why do you want to do that?" The lawyer's argument was that the potential negative fallout was too risky; the chef, with his strong, established business, had too much to lose. But a throwdown with Bobby Flay, no matter how competitive, never degenerates into a stew of hate. So Laird, without consulting his lawyer, decided to go for it. "It puts you on the map." Laird didn't win, but the response was tremendous -- turning July, a traditionally slow month, into a record-breaker. Restaurant Serenade had already seen a boost, thanks to a decor makeover. The fussy tablecloths are gone, the chairs are bright yellow, the lighting is more modern (and mellow), and, although guests don't notice, the dining room is now 11 paint colors. The goal is warmth, and Laird praises the design work of Studio 1200. The revamped dining room also has energy, attracting younger guests and a boisterous lunch crowd. Laird, who opened his fine dining restaurant in 1996, attributes longtime success to one philosophy: always push the envelope. At Serenade, one emphasis is on cocktails and beverage director John Jansma makes his own tonic, macerating it with seasonal aromatics (think cinnamon for fall). Meanwhile, the French-inspired menu is ever-changing, with an emphasis on superior local ingredients.
Restaurant Serenade | 6 Roosevelt Ave., Chatham; (973) 701-0303; restaurantserenade.com
ROBERTA'S BY JOE MULDOON
So the menu features a peanut butter bomb and chocolate sushi. So it offers take-out. So the restaurant is in a strip mall. So the decor is minimal and the walls are decorated with old-time black-and-white photos of Atlantic City. So the small space tends to get quite loud, especially on weekends. Do not view these as minuses. That clever chocolate sushi, in fact, is quite popular, chocolate cake rolled around mascarpone cheese, served with dulce de leche ice cream. Roberta's opened three years ago, and the young chef-owner is already viewed as a prodigy. Joseph Muldoon was born in South Korea, raised in Jersey and worked at The Reserve at Bally's in Atlantic City and for Philadelphia's beloved Di Bruno Bros. He opened Roberta's before his 28th birthday, turning around the space in a weekend. Muldoon's scallop corn chowder is an alarmingly decadent take on a Jersey classic, with lemon and thyme pan-seared scallops, roasted littleneck clams, corn and heavy cream, a warm bacon-cherry vinaigrette. It is accessorized with fried potato gaufrette, i.e., fancy homemade potato chips, or, as Roberta's server Ariel Giunta likes to refer to them, a dressed-up waffle fry. Addictive either way. Coconut shrimp, grilled shrimp atop a creamy mascarpone risotto, which has been accented by coconut milk and topped with toasted coconut, is another inventive favorite.
Roberta's by Joe Muldoon | 1205 Tilton Road, Suite 12B, Northfield; (609) 677-0470; robertasbyjoemuldoon.com
SADDLE RIVER INN
To learn that chef Jamie Knott was once executive chef at China Grill is to better understand the tricks up his sleeve. The bento box lunch at China Grill may qualify as the best lunch in Manhattan, and not just because it's a remarkable bargain. We've ordered the spicy calamari and the crispy spinach an embarrassing number of times. Knott came to the Saddle River Inn in 2013 and defines his role as a revivalist, which, it turns out, is a perfect description. He has coaxed a staid, longtime favorite restaurant into the modern world. Take, for example, the inn's filet mignon with bearnaise sauce. Knott's version is comfortingly old-school, but also unexpectedly modern (he's replaced the roux with a wine reduction and added some background heat). Other tricks -- a layering of techniques, a deepening of flavors -- explain why you fall hard for the seemingly modest dishes, the risotto or the potato gratin (which may be as addictive as the China Grill's crispy spinach). For a straight-up wow factor, order the tuna carpaccio, sushi grade, glistening, spiked with jalapeno. The restaurant is in a restored barn, which was built in 1790, and sits next to the river. Knott and his team removed some of the more fussy elements of the restaurant's decor and, while the dress code is no longer formal, white tablecloths remain, dressing things up a bit. Knott recently opened a second restaurant, Cellar335, in Jersey City.
Saddle River Inn | 2 Barnstable Court, Saddle River; (201) 825-4016; saddleriverinn.com
STOCKTON INN
Mitch Millet will tell you -- he probably says it at least once a day -- that he doesn't own the Stockton Inn, that the Stockton Inn owns him. That he's simply this generation's caretaker. Indeed, the Stockton Inn, built in 1710, is older than the nation itself. It has been a home, a speakeasy, a place to stay for raucous reporters during the Bruno Hauptmann trial. Its dining room became the New Jersey location for the Algonquin Round Table, including F. Scott Fitzgerald and Dorothy Parker. Other stories of artistic inspiration abound, with the inn playing a role in the creation of "Gone with the Wind" and a few Broadway musical numbers. When Millett bought the inn in 2012, however, it needed much help. Renovations have been extensive -- a new roof, electrical system, kitchen. Dine here today and it's obvious that Millett, a former aviation executive, had zero interest in the easy option, a Restoration Hardware approach. Your favorite artifact will be the dining room murals, cleaned and preserved by artist Illia Barger. Your second favorite artifact may be the pine floors, their unevenness seems whimsical, and you're glad Millett had the sense not to fix them. The chef is Alan Heckman, an Army brat with global culinary training. His seasonal menu is contemporary American, featuring Amish chicken, duck breast, scallops. Heckman, a congenial chef, frequently shares his kitchen with local chefs for collaborative tasting menus. The tavern menu is more casual (chicken pot pie, lobster rolls), and all artisan beers come from local breweries. History often seems dark, musty and claustrophobic. The Stockton is bright, sunny, energetic. Someone want to invite Lin-Manuel Miranda to dinner?
Stockton Inn | 1 Main St., Stockton; (609) 397-1250; stocktoninn.com
17 SUMMER
You will love the address -- the restaurant sits on the corner of Autumn and Summer. You will love the genuine effervescent enthusiasm of Jenna Cuccia (who sometimes squeals) when she greets people at the door. You will be inspired, as you watch from the dining room, by the quiet intensity and single-minded focus of her brother, chef Joseph Cuccia. You will happily make your way to Lodi, of all places, to discover a James Beard rising star chef nominee. And you will happily sit at a small table, which may or may not wobble, for the pleasure of the daily bread, which tastes ancient and crusty, all you might ever need. You will surprise yourself by lusting after the pigs' feet and by comparing vegetables to candy. Dinner at 17 Summer will not be the most pampering experience of your life, nor will it be your most quiet dining experience. You will need to bring your own wine. The restaurant, made suddenly famous by the James Beard fuss, is a dressed-up storefront, where Cuccia offers his fresh, modern take on European classics, with a menu that features boudin blanc, roasted bone marrow, black bass, carbonara, lamb, cassoulet. The Cuccias are entrepreneurs, who started as street fair vendors, selling crepes and hand-cut fries. During dinner, someone may mention that the pressed tin ceiling was preserved by the chef himself. You will feel the youthful brashness, the energy, the ambition. You will remember those days when you and your brother thought you could change the world with an idea.
17 Summer | 17 Summer St., Lodi; (973) 928-4780; 17summerrestaurant.com
THE RYLAND INN
Structurally, the kitchen at The Ryland remains a testament to its gloried past. Those sea-green tiles that line the walls, which you can glimpse from certain seats in the dining room when the door swings open, are hand-painted, imported from Italy. They were part of the legendary opulence that was The Ryland under Craig Shelton, along with Turkish carpets and Bernardaud china. Today, The Ryland kitchen is more practical. The kitchen floor has been replaced and cooks no longer have to adjust the placement of pots on the stove in order to compensate for an erratic slope beneath them. The cuisine is more practical, too. The Ryland is now more of a wedding and banquet spot than a legendary restaurant. Yet, its legacy remains. This kitchen is hallowed ground, where many of New Jersey's great chefs got their start -- and for that reason alone, it is still a storied place to dine. Today's diners should skip the requisite menu items, the steak and fries, for example, or the standard-issue desserts. Choose instead the more adventurous creations, the recommendations of the chef. The Ryland has recently named Chris Albrecht as executive chef of its storied kitchen. Like his predecessor, Craig Polignano, he will be charged with balancing banquet fare against his own, more creative dishes. As a guest, choose adventure. Albrecht's skills are first-rate.
The Ryland Inn | 115 Old Highway 28, Whitehouse Station; (908) 534-4011; rylandinnnj.com
VARKA ESTIATORIO
The promise at Varka is seafood so fresh, it startles you. In execution, owner Peter Mastorakos and chef Ubaldo Andres deliver. The restaurant, open since 2005, has earned a reputation for its consistent quality. Here, you can still park your car alongside luxury brands and impress your date with a cavalier attitude toward outrageous menu prices. But you'll also have a raucous good time, nothing hushed or fussy or staid. Dinner is not ornate or finicky. The philosophy is honest Mediterranean food. The seafood is crazy fresh (which explains the sticker price), and the favored accompaniments are simple, olive oil and lemon. Lobster is a signature -- chardonnay lobster, angry lobster, Sardinian lobster. But also gyros, homemade meatballs, homemade hummus, a tower of Greek cookies. The octopus is impossibly tender, charred and countered with an earthy bite of capers and red and yellow peppers. The waiter will announce that even those who don't eat octopus will eat the octopus at Varka's. (It's the best-selling appetizer.) For those afraid of octopus, and other carnivores, an unctuous steak is available. For dessert, you'll surprise yourself by consuming a fat piece of Uncle Nick's cheesecake, dressed in preserved figs. Uncle Nick refuses to reveal his secret (we think he whips it into impossible lightness). The galaktoboureko, puffed doughnuts in a syrup of honey and lemon and orange, make street-fair zeppoli seem like a redneck cousin.
Varka Estiatorio | 30 N. Spruce St., Ramsey; (201) 995-9333; varkarestaurant.com
YUMI
The mystical taste of black cod, fat and sweet. The brine of black seaweed. For $16, one of the state's best dishes. It's worth the menu search to find it. You'll know you're right by the smile your choice elicits. The miso black cod is simply transcendent. Yumi, a small storefront across the street from the imposing seawall in Sea Bright, is warm and inviting -- red walls, gleaming wood, a sushi bar. The restaurant has its own story, how it was rebuilt after Hurricane Sandy, grateful for the support of the neighborhood. It's an uplifting tale, to be sure, but we can't help but think the neighbors were also acting in self-interest. Would that we all had such a restaurant in our town. Yumi has a well-deserved reputation as one of most discerning sushi restaurants in New Jersey, earning high praise, as well, for its artful Asian-fusion presentations. Among the choices are spicy coconut seafood soup and signature rolls, such as the Sandy Hook, made with spicy tuna and lobster salad, in white seaweed with a wasabi-pepper sauce. Chef Shuenn Yang, humble and disciplined, has his stories, too -- those annual trips to a variety of locations in Asia for inspiration (from fine dining to street food, from Tokyo to Thailand), how the broth for the pork belly ramen is a process that takes several days, his quest for the perfect noodle. We'd advise that you skip the Americanized dishes (tuna pizza) and choose the more ambitious (a tartare trio, featuring tuna, yellowtail, salmon). Yang's steamed buns and ramen soup may also be the best in the state. Certainly, you'll have zero interest in sampling others.
Yumi | 1120 Ocean Ave., Sea Bright; (732) 212-0881; yumirestaurant.com
ZEPPOLI
Chef Joey Baldino promises us that he will never be that guy -- the chef who wins all the awards and then attempts to build a restaurant empire. There will not be a second Zeppoli; he has no plans for a chain of Zeppolis. His restaurant, a tiny, loud BYOB in a quiet South Jersey borough, is what it is. In fact, if you ask Baldino about his culinary inspirations, he'll talk about his mother, his aunts and the bar/restaurant around the corner from his South Philadelphia home, which was owned by his grandparents. You will appreciate his straightforward honesty, his regular-guy sincerity, but don't mistake either for artlessness. The food at Zeppoli is among the most intricate, complex and worldly in the state. Which explains why you'll have trouble getting a reservation and which also explains why it's a special occasion restaurant, even though the staff wears T-shirts and no one will mind if you do, as well. A seat here feels more like a seat at your grandmother's kitchen table than one in a fine dining room. Baldino may champion the Sicilian food of his youth, and the sausage he makes may rely on a certain oomph from Nero d'Avola, a Sicilian red wine, but the chef's bio includes work with Alice Waters, Daniel Boulud, Georges Perrier and Marc Vetri. The culinary refinements are crazy. Baldino's deeply flavored fishermen's stew remains the menu's most amazing dish and you'll be rendered speechless by every single pasta. The cannoli, with their handmade shells, their candied orange, their dusting of pistachio, are the most delicate, precious things.
Zeppoli | 618 Collings Ave., Collingswood; (856) 854-2670; zeppolirestaurant.com
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