A massive sports bar, a pizza shop, a creperie: 8 New restaurants to try in North Jersey
Looking for something new to try in North Jersey? We did the finding for you. All you've got to do is enjoy the eats.
Here are the latest batch of restaurant that have opened in our midst.
Empanada Mania, Bergenfield
It may not be a brand new restaurant, but owner and chef Galo Grijalva said fans won't recognize the empanada shop that he recently re-opened after a two-year closure (blame COVID for the closing). Empanada Mania has been refashioned with a new floor, repainted walls, new seating arrangement and digital TVs. "It's brand new," Grijalva said.
The product too has changed. Jrijalva said he is sourcing better red meat and better chickens. "Everything is so expensive now. If you're going to pay more, you might as well get better ingredients." And while Empanada Mania founded in December, 2011, originally offered six varieties of empanada, today it offers 10. The new additions are empanadas stuffed with guava and cheese, rice and beans, Thai chili chicken or smoked pork Cuban. "We had a Cuban before but now we smoke it for eight hours," Grijalva said. "It makes a world of difference."
Grijalva aspires to take his brand nationally. He is currently negotiating for a machine that can turn out 1,200 empanadas an hour (he now produces 100 in 60 minutes) without, he said, making any compromises to his recipe. "We don't use any fillers and we don't use lots of dough."
He is also converting a second food truck, one that can be stationed in one spot, the other used for private and corporate events. Currently, you can find his food truck at the Teaneck Farmers' Market on Thursdays and at pop-ups at Casa de Montecristo Cigar Bar & Lounge in Paramus.
Go: 62 S Washington Ave., Bergenfield; 201-374-2150, empanadamania.com.
Scotty's Bar & Grill, Cresskill
Scott Roberts, an ex-Marine who had once owned a sports bar in Alabama, has transformed short-lived Moo Moo's Italian Steakhouse in Cresskill into an eponymous bar and grill that he described lovingly as an "updated dive bar."
Make that a roomy, modern, spic-and-span-clean dive bar with a 100-inch TV set and plenty of 60-inch sets, two pool tables, a slew of dart boards and enough seats to accommodate 200. What's more, just about any, if not every, sports event played just about anywhere in the world, can be enjoyed at Scotty's.
"We bought every sports package that you can buy," he said. "Every football game will be on our TVs on Sundays."
But you don't have to be a sports fan to enjoy Scotty's. You can come in for the food -- and drinks -- and ignore all those TV sets and sports fans.
The bestselling item thus far, according to Roberts, are the wings, which should not surprise. Hey, Scotty's is a sports bar. Roberts's favorite item on the menu is the Cobb salad with blue cheese crumble. "I eat it every other day," said Roberts, who is a self-taught cook. The father of two moved from New York City to Cresskill -- "I live three minutes away from the restaurant" — three years ago.
Also on the menu: fish and chips, chicken pot pie and, of course, burgers.
Open every day from 4 p.m. Brunch is slated to be offered soon.
Go: 172 Piermont Road, Cresskill; 201-222-1100, scottysbarandgrill.com
The Oak House, Oradell
Charlie Brown is gone. In its place is The Oak House, a modern American restaurant that the owners of Fire & Oak in Montvale and Jersey City have built. "We gutted the entire restaurant, raised the ceiling, put in a new kitchen and constructed an addition in the back," said Jessica Doras, one of the owners.
Culinary Institute of America-trained chef Anthony LoPinto is the executive chef. LoPinto previously was the executive chef of Mercato Roman Pizzeria in Tappan, New York, and had worked at Third & Vine Cheese Bar in Jersey City.
The meu is an "eclectic mix" of American comfort food, said Dorras, with almost everything -- from the pasta to the salad dressings to the fruit juices and desserts -- made in house. Thus far, the homerun dishes include the Gruyere-topped smash burger, the "out-of-this-world" burrata served on brioche toast with housemade fig jam and the wings, Dorras said.
The restaurant's bar seats 12 as well as 24 more in booths surrounding it. The dining room can accommodate 175.
The Oak House is open every day from 4 p.m.; Sunday from 3 p.m.
Go: 2 Kinderkamack Road, Oradell; 201-277-4892, fireandoak.com.
The Gyro Project, Fort Lee
The Gyro Project just opened in Fort Lee — and it's already a big hit. On opening day servers had to stop taking orders by 8 p.m. so that the kitchen could catch up. What's the story? Two North Jersey restaurateurs, George Tenedios, founder of Manhattan’s salad chain, fresh&co, and Spiro Kokkosis, owner of several Times Square spots including Majestic Deli, Premier Deli and The Times Eatery have joined forces to offer Greek street food such as house-stacked gyros, souvlaki, bowls, salads and feta-brined rotisserie chicken. Among the more unique dishes are sesame-crusted baked feta, honey-drizzled saganaki, croquettes, and Greek-style lamb chops.
Should you wish to go home and cook a Greek dish or two, the restaurant has an "agora" (marketplace), where you can pick up infused vinegar, Greek olive oils, house-blended custom spices and rubs.
Open every day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Go: 2151 Lemoine Ave., Fort Lee; 201-571-4501, thegyroproject.com.
Mo' Dough, Chatham
Want to indulge in pizza and doughnuts -- at the same spot? Mo' Dough feels you. The new Chatham restaurant, which describes itself as "artisanal dough makers," specializes in donuts and pizzas plus -- why not -- pasta. Your donut options include peanut butter and jelly, lemon curd, cannoli cream and chocolate glaze. Pizza choices include pepperoni, breakfast (mozzarella, crumbled bacon, basil, light tomato sauce and egg), a mozzarella-and-ricotta mushroom, a vodka sauce pie and veggie (eggplant, sundried tomato sauce, mushrooms and artichokes). The most popular, according to manager Rhiannon Teng, is the traditional Margherita, though her favorite is the burrata pie. "It's so delicious," she said.
As for pasta, there's Norma, pesto, cacio e pepe and vodka, among others.
Go: 262 Main St., Chatham; 973-507-9147, .modoughco.com/
Soma Cafe and Creperie, Waldwick
Marija Nedelkoski, who immigrated from Macedonia, intended to buy a food truck and serve crepes, lemonade and croissants. But then someone mentioned a storefront and, well, today she is the proprietor of a brick-and-mortar cafe in Chatham that specializes in crepes as well as a variety of breakfast and lunch dishes. Nedelkoski uses a special European machine to produce her homemade crepes, which patrons can gild with just about any fruit, syrup, cream and sweet. The most popular, she said, is Nutella with fruit, any fruit, be it banana, strawberries, blueberries, etc.
Also available are omelets, pancakes and French toast, salads and sandwiches and more than 20 specialty coffees. The pastries are gotten from a local bakery; the croissants are homemade.
There are six tables indoors and six more outdoors.
Open every day except Monday.
Go: 41 W. Prospect St., Waldwick; 201-389-3184, somacafecreperie.com/
Mikki & Al's Noshery, Montclair
Not a new restaurant, but Mikki & Al's, the popular non-kosher Jewish deli, has moved from small quarters on Park Street to equally small quarters on Glenridge Avenue. However, the new space has a bigger kitchen and storage facility allowing chef and owner Natalie Lee to be able to offer more deli delights, even hand-rolled bagels.
"The bagels are not necessarily New York bagels," Lee said, "but a mix of Montreal and New York." In other words, denser, chewier and smaller. "You don't have to scoop anything out," she said.
She can now also offer brisket every day, whereas before brisket was a holidays-only special. Also new: two chicken schnitzel sandwiches, one sporting mozzarella cheese (your kosher-keeping grandma would not approve but your taste buds will probably break into song). Also new is a quinoa salad with roasted sweet potatoes, chickpeas and a creamy cashew dressing.
Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Go: 179 Glenridge Ave., Montclair; 973-744-7100, mikkiandals.com.
Dutch's Sandwich Shop, Montclair
Had Dutch's Sandwich Shop's "The Dutch Daddy" sandwich yet? According to owner Amir Kamal, it is "one of the best breakfast sandwiches you'll have in New Jersey." The Daddy stuffs piles of sliced pastrami, crisp bacon strips, two eggs and Muenster cheese into a toasted brioche slathered with the shop's "signature sauce." Said Kamal, "It's near and dear to my heart." The reason? He not only created it but it's the shop's bestseller.
Amir also created the other sandwiches on the four-month-old sandwich shop, many named after local streets, songs and movies. The "Honey Honey," a tribute to Abba, features honey-roasted turkey, honey ham, honey mustard and a drizzle of hot honey. The Titanic is a wrap sandwich made with roast beef, pepper jack cheese, horseradish sauce and, of course, iceberg lettuce.
Open every day.
Go: 16 Church St., Montclair; 973-846-1684, sandwichshopmontclair.com.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: New NJ restaurants: Pizza, sports bar try in North Jersey
