USA TODAY named 2 New Jersey restaurants among the best. We wish these 9 made the cut, too
Well, North Jersey, the results are in: our region has two of the best restaurants in the country.
According to USA TODAY's Restaurants of the Year 2024 list, Sushi by Sea in Ridgefield and Al-Basha in Paterson are among the top 47 places to eat in America.
With the northern tip of the state being one of the most diverse, densely populated areas of the nation, though, that double win comes as no surprise.
In fact, if you ask us? We think even more local spots could've made the list. From the Peruvian cuisine of Paterson to the Italian sandwiches of Hoboken, the unique eats of the upper Garden State can put just about any other food scene to shame.
But, until the concept of equity disappears — and we can stop pretending the Midwest, Deep South and Carolinas hold a candle to our culinary prowess — making a passive statement is the best we can do:
Here are nine additional North Jersey eateries, therefore, that we wish had made USA Today's list.
Eighty Twenty Smash, Westwood
When it comes to food critiquing, there are things we consider:
The quality of the food
The originality of the food
Consistency of the restaurant (between visits, and between dishes)
And, when it comes to nailing that criteria? No North Jersey restaurant competes with Eighty Twenty Smash.
A hidden fast food joint run by former fine-dining chef Matt Borgersen, the Westwood concept specializes in crafting the most high-end, reliably awesome smashburgers you'll ever taste.
Featuring 80% lean beef cooked with secret seasoning and grilled onions (and topped with melty cheese and subtly spiced Mandy Sauce), each burger the team serves is as unique as it is upscale — and all are as delicious as the last.
Visit on a Thursday for a Double Smasher with onion rings, or on Sunday for an XXX with curly fries, and you're guaranteed to receive a perfect meal, every single time.
Go: 48 Westwood Ave., Westwood; 201-639-4043, eightytwentysmash.com.
What's the best restaurant near you? Check out USA TODAY's 2024 Restaurants of the Year
Blue Steel Pizza Co., Bloomfield
Don't let the name fool you; Blue Steel is so much more than a pizza company. Sure, we love chef Lawrence's bechamel and jalapeno-topped White Pie, but — from globally-inspired apps to innovative entrées — the spot is one of the most versatile restaurants in the state.
To start, diners at Blue Steel often order the Wild Mushroom Dan Dan Noodles, or Beer-Battered Delicata Squash over whipped burrata and fried Brussels Sprouts. Many chase those appetizers with the Duck Confit Pizza, before indulging in a bowl of house-made, spicy vodka-topped rigatoni. When we go, we always opt for the Tuna Tartar with cherry pepper mayo and house-made salt and vinegar chips.
AKA, if the brain can conceive it? This trendy Bloomfield restaurant is probably making it.
And, if they're making it? It's probably better than everyone else.
Go: 285 Glenwood Ave., Bloomfield; 973-678-1873, bluesteelpizzaco.com.
Spice Bazaar, Westfield
New Jersey is known for its Indian food, but not all Indian restaurants — especially in a state with at least a thousand of them — are created equal. Each time we choose to indulge in some South Asian cuisine, then, we like to visit Spice Bazaar.
Instead of claiming to offer "authentic" Indian eats (a phrase that is often controversial amongst the local population), the primarily millennial-staffed Westfield spot offers modern dishes inspired by traditional Desi flavors.
In the past, for example, we enjoyed a tender, intelligently-spiced Sour Octopus Nimbu. Though that protein isn't generally used in Indian cooking, it was paired with a rich broth characteristic of the country's most mouthwatering creamy curries.
Truffle Lamb Keema Sliders and crispy Masala Dosa Croquettes reflect a similar fusion of cultures and taste great preceding a course of Portuguese-style pork Vindaloo (with a two-foot slice of garlic naan for dipping).
Go: Reservations only at 39 Elm St., Westfield; 908-389-1888, spicebazaarnj.com.
The Pasta Shop, Denville
Simplicity is key at this no-frills Morris County Italian joint. From a $16 Bolognese to Chicken Parm in red sauce, Tommy Pollio and team aren't reinventing the wheel; they're just doing classics right.
"My guys and I aren't out here trying to do the fine dining thing," Pollio told us when we met him last year. "We're just trying to be your local, neighborhood pasta spot."
And, suitably named The Pasta Shop, that's exactly what the restaurant has become known to be.
But, if you think that means boxed ziti and Sargento from a bag? Think again. Snag a coveted spot in the dining room, and you'll watch as the dedicated team rolls each tiny piece of pasta by hand (and makes every mouthwatering sauce to order).
Whether you go for the Pumpkin Ravioli or Rigatoni Vodka, then, you'll end up nose-deep in the best version of Jersey's most familiar foods.
Go: 13 1st Ave., Denville; 973-253-4143, thepastashopdenville.com.
Steve's Burgers, Garfield
There's a lot to love about Steve's Burgers — the hole-in-the-wall vibes, the accessible prices, owner Steve Chrisomalis's endearing charisma.
Truth be told, there's so much to love about Steve's Burgers that, next year, USA Today should just cancel their list altogether and print 47 consecutive pictures of the spot in a row.
Because, when you indulge in a double-stacked Steve's Classic with cheese, bacon, sauce and an onion ring? You'd be hard-pressed to say the Jersey gem isn't the best restaurant in America.
Go: 506 Route 46, Garfield; 973-772-1770, instagram.com/stevesburgers_.
15 Fox Place, Jersey City
New Jersey is famous for its Italian food, of which 15 Fox Place might make the best around.
Or, at least, when you're sitting inside of the Budinich's residential home enjoying a family-style meal, it sure feels like it is.
Started by Kathryn Budinich in the dining room of her Jersey City house, 15 Fox Place is a one-of-a-kind restaurant known for its grand, prix-fix dinners designed to resemble grand holiday celebrations. At each (highly critically acclaimed) meal, guests are provided with massive share plates of eggplant rollatini, polenta, zeppole and more — all served from the family's cozy dinner tables.
To guests, a trip to the novel-yet-nostalgic spot feels like a visit to grandma's.
And, with dishes from stuffed pastas to warm chocolate cake? It tastes like one, too.
Go: Reservations only at 15 Fox Place, Jersey City; 201-333-1476, instagram.com/15foxplace.
Lomo Saltado Peruvian Cuisine, Paterson
If you're from North Jersey, you're familiar with Paterson's — AKA, "Little Lima's" — bustling Peruvian food scene. Take a trip down Market Street or Union Ave. and you'll find rows of ceviche-serving, causa-filled, coastally-inspired hotspots.
Despite this plethora of options, however, we are partial to Lomo Saltado, chef Karina Flores's inaugural ode to her home country.
Enter the restaurant and be immediately impressed by the notable notes of sizzling beef wafting through the air. Grab a table and salivate over a menu of crispy fried seafood platters and Peruvian pesto noodles. When you finally receive your order (which we hope includes the spot's namesake dish; the Lomo Saltado), prepare to be blown away by tender meats, bright colors and gorgeous plating.
Tiny interior, minimal decor and an unpretentious atmosphere, Flores's passion project is a true hole-in-the-wall foodie find — but that doesn't stop it from being one of Jersey's must-try dining destinations.
Go: 249 Union Ave., Paterson; 973-333-8979, lomosaltadonj.com.
Review: This New Jersey restaurant is one of the best in US. Everything to know before you go
The Circle, Newton
When it comes to fine dining, The Circle in Newton might be North Jersey's most noteworthy hidden gem. Run by two alums of Jean-George Vongerichten's flagship NYC Michelin-starred restaurant, Jean-Georges, the modern American restaurant serves fun, creative dishes inspired by the flavors of the season.
With the menu dependent on produce availability, offerings at the high-end spot are constantly changing. Currently, the team is whipping up Crispy Rice with Faroe island salmon and togarashi aioli, a Raviolo (egg yolk-stuffed ravioli) with white bolognese and winter truffle cream, and Long Island Duck Breast; char-grilled and served with a confit duck spring roll.
Featuring exciting flavor pairings, aesthetically pleasing emulsions and textures that never fail to surprise us, dishes at The Circle are just as intricate as their Manhattan counterparts.
At Jersey prices, however, we're convinced they taste better.
Go: 310 Route 94, Newton; 973-862-6410, thecirclerestaurant.com.
Review: This Paterson restaurant is one of the best in the US. Everything to try when you visit
Fiore's House of Quality, Hoboken
Fiore's House of Quality might just be a sandwich shop, but acknowledging the best food in Jersey without mentioning sandwiches would be like talking about football without Tom Brady.
Fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, Italian bread; Garden State subs are the king of all subs, and Fiore's is the king of the genre.
We believe, therefore, that this Jersey City landmark is one of the greatest food establishments in the country — whether USA Today agrees with us or not.
Go: 414 Adams St. #2693, Hoboken; 201-659-1655, instagram.com/fioreshouseofquality.
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, join our NorthJerseyEats Facebook group, and sign up for her North Jersey Eats newsletter.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: New Jersey restaurants we wish made USA TODAY's list of the best
