The five best things we ate in North Jersey this week (featuring a deep-fried bagel)

I'm not the biggest fan of Thanksgiving.

On every other day of the year, I have the choice of eating just about anything I want. But, on the fourth Thursday of November, I'm restricted to the same six dishes that some religious refugees ate on a rock in Massachusetts.

And, if you're even going to begin to tell me that turkey and green beans taste as good as literally anything from Blue Steel? You're in outer space, bud.

So, Happy Thanksgiving weekend, foodies.

Here are five dishes that are probably better than everything you ate on Thursday.

Monte Cristo Bagel, Walnut Street Bagels & Co.

Walnut Street Bagels & Co. is taking over the old Harvey's space with a vengeance. Serving the latter's hand-rolled bagels (prior owner Matt Harvey shared his recipe before selling) but topped with all sorts of hip, high-end spreads and ingredients, the trendy Montclair spot is pioneering a new genre of chef-inspired breakfast sammies.

AKA, move over bacon, egg and cheese; "fancy" bagel sandwiches are officially a thing.

My favorite creation on Walnut Street's inaugural menu is the team's play on a Monte Cristo. Featuring a cinnamon raisin bagel — that's been battered, buttered and deep-fried into French toast — topped with honey ham and a melty swiss and fontina blend, the sandwich tastes somewhere between an artisan doughnut and a Christmas dinner.

Go: 98 Walnut St., Montclair; 973-746-0789, instagram.com/walnutstreetbagelsandco.

Takoyaki Brussels Sprouts, Tiam Tiam

Just like last week, I've got meaty Brussels sprouts making an appearance on this list. Unlike the previous, though, this version hails from an unconventional Taiwanese hole-in-the-wall. And instead of pork? They come loaded with tender grilled octopus.

That's right, foodies; meet the Takoyaki Brussels Sprouts from Tiam Tiam, a restaurant that — if you haven't already visited — needs to be number one your hit-next list.

Run by a couple of Asian-American millennials with a passion for all kinds of cuisine, the hidden gem spot serves classic Taiwanese, Japanese and Korean dishes with modern twists. In Japan, for example, takoyaki are deep-fried, round octopus fritters that resemble little donut holes. Tiam Tiam's version, however, uses Brussels sprouts instead of batter balls, and tosses the octopus alongside the pieces, rather than baking it into them. The various sauces and mayos on each sprout, though, are the same as you'd find on the usual fried ones.

AKA; whether you like vegetables, takoyaki or both, this is a fun spin on each that you'll definitely enjoy eating.

Go: 241 Harrison Ave., Harrison; 862-772-4234, tiamtiamnj.com.

Stuffed and Meaty Pizza, Franco's Metro

This was a pizza stuffed with meatballs, ham, cheese, sausage and pepperoni.

So, yeah.

Go: 1475 Bergen Blvd., Fort Lee; 201-461-6651, francosmetrofortlee.com.

Chocolate Cake with Warm Ganache, F1rst

Conceptualize an inside-out lava cake: a warm, soft-baked cupcake with a shot glass of thick, hot chocolate ganache on the side. Imagine pouring the latter over the former; watching the decadent liquid fudge drip from the moist edges of the soufflé-reminiscent dessert onto the plate underneath it. Picture topping all of that with a scoop of homemade cappuccino ice cream, and simply letting it melt.

That, my friends, is the Chocolate Cake at F1rst.

Go: 112 Lincoln Ave., Hawthorne; 973-830-2119, firstrestaurantnj.com.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Empanadas, Zilpa's Desserts

As long as Zilpa's Desserts continues making new flavors of cheesecake empanadas, I'm going to keep putting them on this list.

This one was stuffed with homemade pumpkin pie filling (purée and various spices), and was just as sweet and creamy as the others.

If I had to make a flavor ranking at this point? I'd put this newcomer one step below the Original Cheesecake, which — to this day — is still my favorite.

Go: Sold at Steve's Burgers (Route 46 Garfield location) and Frank Anthony's in Verona; instagram.com/stevesburgers_ & frankanthonys.com.

Hungry for more?

Want more on this week's latest food news? Check out some of my (and others') best articles at NorthJersey.com/food, or keep up with me @northjerseyeats.

And if you're looking for something good to do with all of those Thanksgiving leftovers? Flour tortilla, turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, mozzarella cheese.

Serve with an extra side of gravy for dipping, and you've got yourself a Gobbler quesadilla.

(Stuffing is optional, cranberry sauce is a hard no).

Kara VanDooijeweert is a food writer for NorthJersey.com and The Record. If you can't find her in Jersey's best restaurants, she's probably off running a race course in the mountains. Catch her on Instagram: @karanicolev & @northjerseyeats, and sign up for her North Jersey Eats newsletter.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: The five best things we ate this week in North NJ (feat. fried bagel)