There are plenty of foodiesout there - myself included - who do not mind driving for good food.
It isexciting, seeking out new restaurants and making the trip. It doesn't matter if the dish you seek is a simple, perfect hamburger or a masterful nine-course chef's tasting; for people who truly enjoy food, the experience is everything.
The next time culinary wanderlust strikes, consider one of these 10 road trip-worthy restaurants.We think they are worth the ride.
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1) Elements
At thissmall (28seats) modern American restaurant in Princeton, Chef Scott Andersoncan be seen working in the state-of-the-art open kitchen (and at your table delivering the amuse-bouche course). Anderson, anaward-winning chef who has won praises from just about every major publication andhas beennamed one ofthe 100 Best Restaurants in America by the websiteOpinionated About Dining,uses the freshest ingredients from local farmers, performing culinary magic on earthenware bowls and plates produced by local artists.
The small space allows for great intimacy —with your dining partner (the nine tables are wellspaced) and with members ofthe kitchen staff, whocometo your table bearing a plate andreciting drool-worthy explanations of what will wow your palate next.
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ON THE MENU: The restaurant is said to change its menu daily, but recent dishes include arugula and fennel salad in mustard vinaigrette,bluefin tuna with burnt lemon and turnip,peekytoe crab in buttermilk custard,rib-eye with mushrooms,and honey pie withsorrel ice cream(weeknight four-course meal costs $79,Saturday five-course meal costs$99,chef's tastingis $125).
IF YOU GO:66 Witherspoon St.; call609-924-0078 or visitwww.elementsprinceton.com.
2) Ninety Acres
It may oncehave been the carriage house of a three-story brick mansion last owned by the Prince of Morocco, but today, Ninety Acres in Peapack-Gladstoneis a stunning, richly wooded and cleanly modern farm-to-table restaurant - with an emphasison farm. The James Beard-nominated restaurant— part of the new Natirar resort complex, it is located at the end of a long, winding driveway in a lush Somerset County Park—runs a 14-acre farm growing herbs and vegetables and raising chicken, lamband other animals. You can actually take a tour of itif you schedule one beforehand.
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And while there’s no denying that this is haute dining, there’s a casual, pretense-freeair to the place. Take the dress code:All that management asks of men is that they wear a shirt with a collar (ties and jackets not required) and, if jeans are preferred, black is the color of choice.
ON THE MENU: cast iron-cooked octopus with fennel and olives, Wagyu top sirloin with toasted polenta, braised rabbit leg and crispy sweet breads, coconut zeppoli, cinnamon cheesecake with apple compote (a la carte, $14 to $25; three-course prix fixe, $75 per person; tasting menu,$105).
IF YOU GO:2 Main St. inPeapack; call 908-901-9500 or visitwww.natirar.com.
3) Viaggio
Robbie Felice, the chef and partner at this contemporary, BYOB Italian restaurant, may be young -27- but his soulful, bold creations demonstrate the deft and artistry of a culinary masterwilling to take risks. The former sous chef for the restaurant group of Mario Batali and Joseph and Lidia Bastianich shows his chops in his salumi program,in his luscious house-made pasta (linguine with mini clams and house-cured pancetta and tagliatelle with chanterelles),and in his signature branzino with fregola and olives that he fears will provoke a rebellion if he ever dares to take it off the menu ($18 to $29).
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ALSO ON THE MENU: Other winning dishes: charred octopus served over a tangy-sweet apricot mostardo ($14) and buttermilk-soaked calamari fritte in a lemon butter sauce ($13).
IF YOU GO:1055 Hamburg Turnpike in Wayne; call 973-706-7277 or visit viaggioristorante.com.
4) Turtle + the Wolf
Lauren Hirschberg, the bearded chef and owner of this outstanding American restaurant,declares on itswebsite: "My mission is simple: to cook seasonal food with ingredients sourced as locally as possible." As a result, Hischberg's menu changes frequently, so by the time you read this what may have made us go gaga may no longer be available. But fret not. Hischberg is a wizard in the kitchen; for 13 years, he worked with “Top Chef” celebrity judge Tom Colicchio. He knows his stuff.
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ON THE MENU: If available, don't pass up the chicken liver mousse appetizer with preserved cherries and pickled mustard seeds ($11) or the daily offering of Berkshire pork (priced according to the market). Or better yet, go for the "large-format" dinners, which must be ordered in advance: slow-roasted pig for $72 a person or fried chicken for $45. Each meal includes a green salad to start as well as three seasonal side dishes, homemade buttermilk biscuits, and desserts. Bring along a bottle of good wine, grab one of the 60 wooden chairs in the modern dining room, and settle in for a leisurely night of good eats.
IF YOU GO:622 Valley Road inUpper Montclair; call 973-783-9800 or visit https://turtleandthewolf.
5) Jockey Hollow Bar and Kitchen
Along South Street in Morristown sits a grand estate, built by a millionaire in 1917 to house his family, their art and their many inventions. That never came to be, and the space ultimately served as the town's offices. But today, Vail Mansion is the home of Jockey Hollow Bar & Kitchen, a four-concept fine-dining restaurant helmed by veteran New York restaurateur Chris Cannon.
The four components of Cannon's restaurant are The OysterBar (formerly an art gallery), serving a casual contemporary menu; The Vail Bar (once the library), a 1920s-style co*cktail lounge; The Dining Room, which serves regional farm-to-table fare; and The Rathskeller, a private event space and beer hall that in the past served as the Morristown jail cell.
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ON THE MENU: In The Rathskeller, pork schnitzel, house-made bratwurst with German potato salad, and smoked pork chop($9 to $32); in The Dining Room, smoked foie gras, trout with parsnip risotto,and Greek yogurt panna cotta (four-course prix fixe,$81; six-course chef's menu$108); in The Oyster Bar, charcuterie with pickles and sourdough, baba ghanoush with flatbread, and salt and vinegar french fries ($7 to $24).
IF YOU GO:110 South St. in Morristown; call 973-644-3180 or visithttp://jockeyhollowbarandkitchen.com.
6) Zeppoli
Chances are, if you deem Zeppoli the best restaurant in all of South Jersey, you will get little argument.When dining critic Adam Erace first reviewed the BYOB Collingswood restaurant shortly after it opened four years ago, he called it “simply the best.’’
“The Sicily-by-way-of-Collingswood BYOB seats 35 in a busy, simply furnished room that, admittedly, can get a little loud. But to call this earnest Italian restaurant noisy would be like calling the Vatican Museum overcrowded; of course it is, but surrounded by such jaw-dropping splendor, who gives a flying fork?
The James Beard folks obviously agree, asChef Joey Baldino has received five nominations forBest Chef in the MidAtlantic region. And his second venture, the private Palizzi Supper Club in Philadelphia, was named by Bon Appetit as one of the 10 best restaurants in the country.
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ON THE MENU: Housemade fennel sausage with broccoli rabe,fusilli with almond pistachio pesto, Sicilian fisherman stew with couscous, and grilled swordfish with lemon ($12 to $29).
IF YOU GO:618 W. Collings Ave. inCollingswood; call 856-854-2670 or visit zeppolirestaurant.com.
7) Red Store, Cape May Point
It may seem odd to in one breath say Red Store is creating a buzz, and in another breath call it one of New Jersey’s best-kept secrets. But both things are true.
Red Store is an old general store in the center of Cape May Point, whereJames Beard-nominated Chef Lucas Manteca offers outstanding brunches, as well as dinners in season. Red Store’s supper clubs and other special events keep fans driving south in the slower months.
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ON THE MENU: The BYOB restaurant is beloved for its brunch. In addition to the memorable Red Store house pancake (crab, corn, roasted poblano pepper, feta cheese pancakes, arugula, creme fraiche and bacon), highlights include shrimp and grits, beach plum farm tartine, and The Avocado Toast with Egg ($4 to $18).
IF YOU GO:500 Cape Ave. in Cape May Point; call609-884-5757 or visit capemaypointredstore.com.
8) Roosterspin
Many Americans with a picky palette shy away from traditional Korean fare such as kimchi, made with fermented cabbage; bulgogi, which are marinated slices of beef or pork; or even sushi, which features raw fish.
But what if that kimchi was mixed with cheese in a dipping sauce for french fries, thebulgogi was on a burger with red onion pickles and jalapeno mayo, or the sushi was filled with Buffalo chicken?
This is the inspiration behind Mihae Cho’s Korean eatery Roosterspin, which has locations in New Brunswick and Westfield. The menu's signature dish isKorean double-fried chicken, which Cho first prepared at her New York City restaurant, Mono + Mono. The twice-fried chicken is light and crispy outside, juicy inside, and brushed with rich soy garlic or spicy soy sauce.
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IF YOU GO: Dishes range from $7to $23. 120 Albany St. in New Brunswick and 251 North Ave. in Westfield; call732-545-4500 or visitwww.roosterspin.com.
9) Hearthside in Collingswood
This restaurant is the newest on thislist; the 45-seat BYOB eatery opened in September.Serving contemporary American cuisine with an open wood-fired hearth as its centerpiece, Hearthside is at the corner of Haddon and Frazer avenues in a building that was built from the ground up.
The food is contemporary Americanand loosely based around seasonal ingredients, which gives Chefs Dominic Piperno, who has experience with Italian cuisine,and Aaron Gottesman, who is familiar with Southern cuisine, freedom with the menu. Both are inspired byLatin American and Asian cuisines.
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ON THE MENU: Themenu is split in three: small, medium and large plates, as well as one "for the table'' option (a 30-day dry-aged porterhouse, $92,or a whole red snapper, $55).Small dishes include beef carpaccio with mushroom vinaigrette, a medium plate option is duck confit with nectarines and walnuts, and large plate offerings include scallops with sweet potato and roasted eggplant with miso aioli and puffed grains ($14 to $32).
IF YOU GO:801 Haddon Ave. in Collingswood; call856-240-1164 or visitwww.hearthsidebyob.com.
10) The Frog and the Peach
This New Brunswick favoriteisno new kid on the block; ithas been serving upscale but fuss-free local farm and fishery fare in a formerly industrial building since 1983. After all this time, The Frog and The Peachhas managed to stay contemporary and, well, really good- earlierthis year, it received the inaugural Garden State Culinary Arts Awardfor the state's best restaurant - and still feels like a little secret oasis in downtown New Brunswick.
The executive chef and owner isBruce Lefebvre, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of Americawho hasworked at Daniel and other locations in Manhattan. Lefebvregot his startworking at The Frog and the Peach under its original owners.
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ON THE MENU:fried green tomato with shaved fennel, roasted bone marrow with herb salad, house-smoked salmon with truffled egg salad, and black sea bass with braised cabbage ($13to $37).
IF YOU GO: 29 Dennis St. in New Brunswick; call732-846-3216 or visithttp://frogandpeach.com.
Esther Davidowitz, Jenna Intersimone and Tammy Paolino contributed to this story.
