You'll never guess which Central Jersey restaurant was named one of the best by Yelp
Love it or hate it, diners often scurry to Yelp to share their compliments to the chef or their complaints about a meal gone wrong.
That’s why for the second year in a row, the reviewing website asked Yelpers to nominate their favorite restaurants so the site could develop its list of the top 100 restaurants to eat at in 2024.
From a vegetarian Mexican eatery to a takeout window serving Hawaiian comfort eats, the nominations poured in, and one spot in Central Jersey – a hidden gem in Plainfield – made the cut.
Jessica’s Café, tucked behind a bare-bones white façade with a window company headquartered upstairs at 150 Terrill Road, was named No. 37 on the list – three spots higher than its ranking last year.
The menu is small but mighty, serving high-end, internationally-inspired dishes like grilled milk-fed pork chops with chickpea stew and salsa verde; and homemade fettuccini from Nicola's Pasta Fresca in Kenilworth with overnight braised short ribs, Yellowfoot chanterelle mushrooms, burrata, white truffle oil, fresh herbs and tomato ragu.
Owner and chef Armen Saqe changes the seasonal menu offered for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch three times per year. To the Albanian native who grew up working at his uncle’s restaurant on the Adriatic Sea and at his grandmother’s remote home where he helped make olive oil, wine, jam, cheese and butter, it’s only natural to use fresh, local ingredients that are at their prime.
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“When you have a small menu, it keeps itself fresh. We buy good quality items and cook them right away – there’s no room to keep piling things,” Saqe said of the small BYOB restaurant with just 26 seats. “The difference is in the details. We’re not doing anything out of the ordinary, but we’re doing them well and consistently.”
It’s hard to imagine what’s being made in the kitchen behind the simple interior set with plain dark wood chairs and draped white tablecloths. But that’s just how it is at Jessica’s Café, where everything from the sauces to the desserts are made in-house.
The restaurant has a 4.8 rating on Yelp from 300 reviewers, but Saqe doesn't think much about that. “If I get an award, I just put it on the shelf and it looks good, but I don’t look at it anymore,” he said. “It’s exciting for a week and that’s about it.”
It has been good for something, though. Jessica’s Café is busy enough that in April, it will be moving to 250 South Ave. in Fanwood at Fanwood Crossing, which was formerly the home of the Railside Café and Mara’s Bakery & Café.
The new restaurant will have 80 seats and essentially unlimited parking – in contrast to the current 13 spots – as it will be across the street from the Fanwood train station, where parking is free after 3 p.m. and on weekends.
It will also feature a new, modern design with granite-topped tables and a stone façade in the heart of downtown Fanwood. It will also have a bar (but will still be BYOB) as well as an outdoor patio.
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It’s been a long time coming for Saqe, who moved to the United States from Albania in 2005 and fulfilled his dream of opening Jessica’s Café – the first restaurant he has ever owned – in 2019.
He named it after his wife.
“When I arrived here, I saw a lot of people from my country and a lot of opportunities that were not at home at that time,” Saqe said. “Here, you receive more support to achieve your dream, and for me, that was owning my own restaurant.”
Go: 150 Terrill Road, Plainfield; 908-754-2080, jessicasnj.com.
Contact: JIntersimone@MyCentralJersey.com
Jenna Intersimone has been a staff member at the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey since 2014, after becoming a blogger-turned-reporter following the creation of her award-winning travel blog. To get unlimited access to her stories about food, drink and fun, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. You can also follow her on Instagram at @seejennaeat and on Twitter at @JIntersimone.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Jessica's Cafe in Plainfield named one of top 100 restaurants by Yelp
