This is New Jersey’s cheesiest chicken parm
Served on Mondays and Tuesdays at Bar Mutz in Westwood, this innovative new parm gets smothered in cheese — right at your table.
A hybrid appetizer, cheesy entrée and creative French dish most impressed food writer Kara VanDooijeweert this week.This column publishes on Saturdays, and typically features standout eats from Morris, Essex, Bergen, Hudson, Passaic and/or Sussex counties.
There are a lot of things we’re told not to do in life.
Don’t put aluminum in the microwave, don’t get into a van with a stranger, don’t eat candy with a hole in the bag.
When there’s lightning outside, don’t take a bath. When there’s sand in the lot, don’t park in it. When there’s no collar on the stray, don’t pet it.
If you’re sick, don’t take more than six Advil; if you’re thirsty, don’t drink coffee; if you’re getting gas, turn the engine off.
And, above all, never leave the fireplace lit on Christmas Eve (unless you want to cook Santa).
Well, folks, in a sea of things you can’t do, I’m here to encourage you with things you can.
These are the three best things I ate in North Jersey this week, and — under all circumstances — please do devour them.
Crab Rangoon Mozzarella Sticks, The Front Porch
Two cheesy appetizers merged into one crispy bar bite in this deep-fried Front Porch small plate. One of the newest items to be added to chef Melissa Mak’s Asian-inspired pub grub menu, the cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, crab-stuffed bangers have been on nearly every table at the spot since they were introduced just a few months ago.
Bite into a piece and admire the way the gooey center oozes and drips from its crunchy, wonton-style wrapper. Dunk a bite into the accompanying Thai chili sauce, and savor a sweet and salty combo too delicious to miss.
Go: 217 Wagaraw Road, Hawthorne; 973-310-3828, njthefrontporchpub.com.
Lobster ‘Escargot,’ Stern & Bow
No snails were harmed in the making of this Stern & Bow starter, but some shellfish and flour might have been.
Featuring lobster pieces prepared in the style of escargot (with garlic, butter and puff pastry), the innovative dish is perfect for those who’ve always been curious about the flavor of the classic French appetizer, but have shied away from eating mollusks. Apart from the textural difference between lobster and snails, the taste of the two renditions is remarkably similar.
When I stuck my tiny escargot fork into my first lobster popper, I noted how the butter squished from the rim of the puff pastry — simultaneously absorbing into the dough while dripping from the edges. As I bit into the meat, I appreciated its softness, as well as the intensity of the seasoning around it.
Go: 171 Schraalenburgh Road, Closter; 201-750-3350, sternandbowrestaurant.com.
Pollo de la Casa, Delizia Pizza Kitchen (Boonton)
If you’re a fan of chicken vodka parm, Delizia Pizza Kitchen of Boonton needs to be the next strip mall Italian joint on your culinary hit list — because the local “hometown pizzeria” is turning out one of the sauciest, most elevated versions of the dish in the area. Called Pollo de la Casa, it showcases the typical house-breaded chicken cutlet with vodka sauce (over rigatoni), but, instead of just one cheese, it includes both ricotta and fresh mozzarella, as well as a layer of spinach.
In other words: It’s chicken vodka parm, but with double cheese, extra colors and a handful of unexpected ingredients.
And, when you cut a steaming piece from the meat’s hot center, you’ll note that it’s as decadent as local entrées come.
Go: 308 Wootton St., Boonton; 973-334-3511, deliziapizzaboontonnj.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.
PS: As for next week, it’s all about crêpes, noodles and Mexican desserts, so make sure to tune back — or keep your eyes glued to @northjerseyeats.
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.
Dining and Cooking