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.
Many new restaurants have opened in North Jersey so far this fall.Here’s a list of the latest; with spots hailing from Morris, Essex, Sussex, Bergen, Passaic and Hudson Counties.
Good news, eaters: Chips Ahoy has started stuffing cookie butter into its cookies!
Called the Holiday Edition Cookie Butter-inspired Chewy Cookies, the recently-released product features soft-baked Chips Ahoy (with white chocolate chips) around a molten center of gooey cookie butter.
And, though the cookie butter filling isn’t official Biscoff cookie butter (I’m sure this is a copyright thing), I’d say the seasonal snack drop is still the second most exciting thing to happen culinarily this fall.
The first? A bunch of new local restaurant openings.
From Bergen County to Essex, here are 21 just-opened hotspots as noteworthy as cookie-infused cookies.
Sam’s Table, Montclair
Farm-to-table fine dining restaurant Sam’s Table opened in Montclair. Though the menu will rotate biweekly — to include the freshest available produce — some dishes from opening night included steak tartare, halibut with carrot escabeche, black garlic ribeye and scallop crudo with melon dashi. Go: 377 Bloomfield Ave., Montclair; 973-200-2092, samstablenj.com.
Panaderya Salvaje, Jersey City
Panaderya Salvaje, a small-batch bakery with treats inspired by “flavors from the Philippines,” opened in Jersey City. Sweets and savories are both on the menu, with standout items including ube latte croissants, piaya (traditional unleavened flatbread filled with muscovado sugar) and Dinakdakan pot pie (featuring chili, ginger and pork). Go: 9 Erie St., Jersey City; instagram.com/panaderyasalvaje.
Beastro Eatery, Wallington
Beastro Eatery, a comfort food cafe with everything from brunch sandwiches to dinner entrées, opened in Wallington. All menu items are made with local or imported ingredients, and range from cannoli cream-stuffed French toast to an Italiano firecracker chicken sandwich. Go: 109 Locust Ave., Wallington; 973-685-0002, thebeastronj.com.
Chicken House & Grill, Passaic
Passaic welcomed its latest fast-casual hot spot as it cut the ribbon on Chicken House & Grill. Located on Main Ave., the restaurant specializes in extra-crispy wings, tenders, nuggets and more. Go: 921 Main Ave., Passaic; 862-381-2048, instagram.com/chickenhousengrill.
Angeloni’s, Sparta
Social media-famous thin-crust pizza spot (known for its high Portnoy review score of 8.8) Angeloni’s opened a second location. Situated on the waterfront at Lake Mohawk, the new restaurant offers the same “amazing Italian food” guests enjoy at the team’s original Caldwell pizzeria. Go: 7 Boardwalk, Sparta; 973-729-9901, instagram.com/angelonislakemohawk.
Baumgart’s Café, Fairview
Popular Bergen County Asian-fusion restaurant Baumgart’s Café reopened — in a new location — after a lengthy hiatus. The café is now in Fairview, and offers dishes like spicy mussels, Grand Marnier prawns, pineapple chicken and Mongolian beef. Go: 378 Bergen Blvd., Fairview; 201-496-6008, baumgartcafefairview.com.
Panda Express, Flanders
Panda Express, the largest Asian-segment restaurant chain in America, opened a store in Flanders. Bowls, plates and kids’ meals are on the menu, featuring hot orange chicken, honey walnut shrimp (my favorite), grilled Teriyaki chicken and more. Go: 50 International Dr. S., Flanders; 862-418-3377, pandaexpress.com.
Tatte Bakery & Café, Morristown
Beloved Boston-based bakery and café Tatte launched its second North Jersey location. This one is in downtown Morristown and has the same menu specialties (croissants, shakshuka, breakfast sandwiches, etc.) as its Ridgewood predecessor. Go: 100 Morris St., Morristown; 973-441-2310, tattebakery.com.
The Ridge House, Wood-Ridge
The Ridge House, an upscale bar and kitchen, opened in Wood-Ridge. Housed in the former Gus’ Last Word space, the new concept serves modern American food — like crispy calamari, parmesan wings and skillet cookies — alongside craft cocktails. Go: 191 Valley Blvd., Wood-Ridge; 973-939-5608, instagram.com/theridgehousenj.
O’Bagel, Montclair
Long-anticipated Montclair location of O’Bagel officially welcomed its first guests on Sept. 13. The menu is the same as the regional chain’s other stores, and includes brand favorites like the Bee Sting (scallion cream cheese, hot honey, bacon, egg, cheese), Ridge Diablo (Taylor ham, bacon, jalapeño, pepperjack, chipotle) and O’G chicken cutlet; all on fresh bagels. Go: 560 Bloomfield Ave., Montclair; 973-330-3512, obagel.net.
Becca, Cliffside Park
Becca; a “modern Mediterranean escape” with “prime cuts, a brick oven” and a “vibrant ambiance,” opened in Cliffside Park. Starters range from Jaffa-style hummus to Canoe cut bone marrow, while entrées include roasted lamb shank, whole branzino and Faroe Island salmon over eggplant and tabbouleh. Go: 700-B Palisadium Dr., Cliffside Park; 973-221-5553, beccanj.com.
Wyckoff Tavern, Wyckoff
Wyckoff Tavern, an American kitchen and bar, opened in Wyckoff (in the former Cafe Amici space). On the menu are pub grub favorites such as spinach and artichoke dip, bacon cheeseburgers and crispy rock shrimp with Thai chili sauce. Go: 315 Franklin Ave., Wyckoff; 201-848-0198, wyckofftavern.com.
Deek’s Hot Chicken, West Caldwell
Deek’s Hot Chicken, a seed oil-free chicken spot using beef tallow in its fryers, opened in West Caldwell. Committed to using “only high-quality ingredients,” the team turns out crispy delicacies like Loaded “Monster” Fries, Nashville tenders, signature sandwiches and more. Go: 590 Passaic Ave., West Caldwell; 973-685-0001, instagram.com/eat_deeks.
San Patricios, Jersey City
San Patricios, a “Mexican Cantina meets Irish Pub,” opened in Jersey City. The menu features dishes that combine both cuisines, such as corned beef tacos (with slaw and mustard), Mexican beer-battered fish & chips and Irish coffee tres leches. Go: 8 Erie St., Jersey City; 201-630-8559, sanpatriciosnj.com.
Tenmomi, Westwood
Exceptional — and well-loved — ramen ghost kitchen Tenmomi got a new home in Westwood. Though it’s still primarily a takeout spot, there are a few seats for dine-in. The menu received a makeover as well, as it now includes stir-fried lo mein dishes (and appetizers like yakitori skewers) in addition to its beloved broth-based offerings. Go: 267 Westwood Ave., Westwood; 201-397-6900, instagram.com/tenmomi.
Saffron, Paterson
Saffron, a South Asian restaurant with dishes like chili chicken and beef Biryani, opened in Paterson. Boasting stellar Google reviews so far, early customers have most enjoyed its “samosas,” “curries” and “welcoming, cozy” vibes. Go: 130 Wayne Ave., Paterson; 973-341-4520, saffronrestaurantnj.com.
Double A’s Eats, Hasbrouck Heights
Casual Hasbrouck Heights hot dog joint, Boulevard Dogs, revamped its menu and reopened as Double A’s Eats. Located at the same address, it still serves the former’s “award-winning hot dogs and burgers,” but alongside sandwiches, wraps, wings and more. Go: 206 Blvd., Hasbrouck Heights; 201-272-1853, doubleaeats.com.
Bismillah Gyro & Fried Chicken, Paterson
Bismillah Gyro & Fried Chicken, a comfort food platter spot with extended hours (10 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily), joined the food scene in Paterson. Menu highlights include falafel, gyro, burgers, pizza, sandwiches and chicken. Go: 464 Chamberlain Ave., Paterson; 973-956-7315, facebook.com/Bismillahgyrof.
Italiana by Zod, Montclair
The long-awaited Italian project by Zod Arifai (who once owned a restaurant with a Michelin star) opened in Montclair. Called Italiana by Zod, it serves fresh pasta, wood-fired pizza and more — and is an absolute knockout, if you ask me. Go: 558 Bloomfield Ave., Montclair; 973-433-9213, italianabyzod.com.
Threefold, Verona
Threefold, a “friendly neighborhood coffeehouse” with a full menu of crêpes, opened in Verona. Drinks range from lattes to Americanos, and crêpes come in both sweet (caramel apple) and savory (bacon and egg) varieties. Go: 662 Bloomfield Ave., Verona; 908-382-6418, threefoldverona.com.
Meximodo, Jersey City
Meximodo, a trendy Central Jersey Mexican restaurant, cut the ribbon on a North Jersey location. Located in Jersey City, it specializes in similar dishes — tacos, queso, steaks, etc. — as its Metuchen sister spot, and has a full list of cocktails and spirits. Go: 25 Christopher Columbus Dr., Jersey City; 201-377-3265, meximodo.com.
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