Prime and Beyond: Steak and More

Prime your pump and get ready for a carnivore extravaganza at this family-run restaurant and butcher shop. If succulent meat gets you salivating, customers say Prime and Beyond is as good as any you’ll find in the tri-state area. In fact, it’s so good that the owners just opened a second location in NYC in the East Village. What’s so great about their meat? Q the butcher and owner selects only Prime USDA beef, then he ages it himself for up to eight weeks using his own tried-and-true process. That’s what inspires adjectives like ‘awesome’ and ‘perfection’ from customers! Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Closed Mondays.

Prime and Beyond
501 Main Street
Fort Lee, NJ 07024
(201) 461-0033

Harvest: Casual Elegance

Casual elegance and fresh New American cuisine are what make Harvest a welcome addition to the restaurant scene in this neck of the woods. Entrees include luscious dishes like Pan Seared Sea Scallops with pumpkin risotto, Steak au Poivre, and Jack Daniels braised Short Ribs. If that doesn’t get you salivating, there are a variety of other yummy entrees to strike your fancy. Stop by Sunday through Thursday till 10 p.m. and weekends from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. for their Prix Fixe special, a deal at $29. Sunday brunch is a crowd-pleaser, where you can settle in around the blazing fireplace with a basket of fresh muffins and eggs or a regular dinner-style entrée. Reservations are recommended.

Harvest
252 Schraalenburgh Road
Closter, NJ 07624
(201) 750-9966

Biagio’s: Italian Dining Done Right

A small, beautiful grotto with a waterfall greets as guests enter Biagio’s, a family-run Italian restaurant and bar. Once inside, guests will feel as though they entered a bustling bistro, with terracotta-colored walls and glowing fireplaces. With a new head chef, Jimmy Perides, Biagio’s has updated its traditional Italian cuisine with daily specials that push the envelope. 50 handpicked and reasonably priced wines compliment options from the large menu of seafood, steaks, and imported pastas. The low-key bar is noteworthy in its own right, with skillful bartenders and fantastic bar food, like the Pizza Margarita. Biagio’s is great for larger events too, with banquet facilities that can accommodate 20 to 170 people. One of the newest facilities, a ballroom, is a classic setting for any special occasion, with a rich mahogany bar and granite dance floor. With great food at an affordable price, Biagio’s makes anything from causal night out to a wedding special.

Biagio’s
299 Paramus Road
Paramus, NJ 07652
(201) 652-0201
www.biagios.com

Agave: It’s a Margarita Kind of Night

Mexican restaurants in New York seem to fall into two major groups—either tiny take-out places or large-scale salsa palaces that seem to make more money on margaritas than food. West Village mainstay Agave falls squarely into the latter category, for better or for worse. Opening up, the maragritas are truly excellent—diners often report staggering out of the restaurant significantly tipsier than they intended to be. Try the blood orange variety for an unusual flavor treat. The jalapeno infused margaritas are also quite good, with a subtle but not overwhelming heat that creeps up on you. As for food, the tacos are well-prepared, with simple combinations. Dishes with cheese and sauce tend to make out less well, with some diners complaining about the poor presentation of the food. Note that this place can get incredibly crowded and rowdy, especially on weekend nights, so if you’re looking for a quiet spot for a bite you should look somewhere else.

Agave
140 7th Avenue South
New York, NY 10011
(212) 989-2100
www.agaveny.com

The Best Indian Food In Morris County: Cinnamon Indian Restaurant

This fantastic Northern Indian restaurant has been tantalizing diners with an extensive menu of dishes for years. You’ll fall in love with Cinnamon from the minute the servers bring the basket of complimentary garlic naan to your table—diners unanimously agree that their take on the traditional Indian flatbread is some of the best you’ll find anywhere. Thankfully, the rest of the menu offers plenty of delicious dishes to soak up with that bread. Regulars rave about the delicious saag paneer, chicken tikka masala, lamb kachi mirchwalla, and more. There really isn’t a bad note on the menu, though, so order with confidence and you won’t be disappointed. Service is attentive and helpful, with the staff able to explain the flavors that you might not be familiar with. Some complain that the prices are a little high for Indian fare, but budget-conscious diners visit at lunch to take advantage of the well-stocked buffet.

Cinnamon Indian Restaurant
2920 New Jersey 10
Morris Plains, NJ 07950
(973) 734-0040
www.cinnamonindianrestaurant.com

Aquagrill: Soho By the Sea

New York’s Aquagrill has been a downtown destination for seafood lovers for fourteen years, serving up spectacular meals both inside in the dining room and outside on the spacious patio. If you can, sit outside, as the people-watching on this busy corner is top of the line. Voted the number one brunch in New York six years running by Zagat’s, Aquagrill is a great place to start your day with light, fluffy berry pancakes, brioche French toast, and amazing smoked salmon. Oyster lovers flock here for the fantastic shellfish selection—they often offer as many as 30 different varieties in a given day, from favorites like Blue Points to more exotic breeds. If you want your seafood cooked, the truffle cod with ravioli and creamed spinach is a can’t-miss dish. Seared diver scallops with lobster risotto is also a fantastic, decadent dinner. Walk-ins are welcome, so don’t stress too much if you don’t have a reservation.

Aquagrill
210 Spring Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 274-0505
www.aquagrill.com

La Isla Restaurant: A Hoboken Haven For Fantastic Cuban Food

Looking for a taste of Little Havana in Hoboken? La Isla Restaurant, a family-owned and operated, 50s-diner style Cuban eatery, has a lot to recommend it. It was the 2009 pick for Best Caribbean by New Jersey Monthly, only one of three restaurants in Hoboken to receive a 26 food rating from Zagats, and their strawberry and guava cream cheese-filled stuffed French toast was featured on Throwdown with Bobby Flay on the Food Network. Referring to itself as “a humble setting,” La Isla Restaurant draws tastes from authentic Cuban cuisine as well as Nuevo Latino flavors. The Cuban sandwiches are amazing, specially the Choripan: Chorizo, caramelized onions, and potato sticks on Cuban bread. Scrumptious drinks like batidos (fruit milkshakes), the iced Cuban latte, and the guava shakes are a yummy addition to any meal. Well-known for good reason, La Isla Restaurant is the number one place in North Jersey for Cuban cuisine.

La Isla Restaurant
104 Washington Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030
(201) 659-8197
www.laislarestaurant.com

Crumbs: Cupcakes That Pack a Punch

New York is uniquely vulnerable to restaurant fads—when something makes money, hordes of imitators descend like locusts to try to grab their piece of the pie. Or, in the case with Crumbs, their piece of the cupcake. First opened in March of 2003, Crumbs caught the cupcake craze that quickly swept Manhattan courtesy of shows like “Sex & The City,” providing moist, delicious fist-sized cakes in a variety of flavors. Unlike many cupcakes, Crumbs doesn’t make their baked goods overly dense—their cake is airy, fluffy and moist, but firm enough to support a variety of delicious frostings and toppings. There are a wide variety of flavors on offer, from the perennial favorite Red Velvet to unique offerings with flavors of cheesecake, cookie dough, caramel apple, a special flavor of the month, and more. The Signature cupcakes are enormous and a feat to finish—but Crumbs now offers "Taste" and "Classic" sizes for those who want a smaller portion of a Crumbs creation. This isn’t the kind of thing you can eat every day, but if you want a sweet treat in the city, Crumbs will do you up right.

Crumbs (check the website for your nearest location)
www.crumbs.com

Chow at Tao for Haute Asian Cusine . . . and Celebrity Sightings!

You will feel like you have just stepped into Asia as you enter Tao, one of the most popular Asian restaurants in Manhattan. Transformed from what was once a 19th century stable, today the fabulous décor provides immediate relaxation for all five senses—artifacts adorn the walls, floors, and ceilings, and a giant Buddha sits proudly in the center of the restaurant for all to see. Specializing in Hong Kong Chinese, Japanese, and Thai cuisines, the menu has something for everyone, beginning with small plates, which include a spicy tuna tartare on crispy rice and squab lettuce wraps; continuing with a long list of sushi rolls, soups, dumplings, tempura, a variety of delicious entrees; and ending with delicately displayed, delectable desserts. Don’t be surprised if you run into Tom Cruise, Madonna, or any member of New York’s sports teams, as they are all regulars.

Tao
42 East 58th st
New York, NY 10022
(212) 888-2288
www.taorestaurant.com

Casa Dante: The Finest Italian Dining in North Jersey

Winner of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2009 and highly ranked by Zagat,, Casa Dante is a fine experience in Italian dining. And since it has been voted “Best Italian Restaurant in North Jersey” for 3 consecutive years, it doesn’t show signs of slowing down anytime soon. Founded in 1971, it has served up the most flavorful ethnic cuisine from various parts of Italy. And it also features a weekend entertainment schedule that serves to round out a diner's experience. Chef Gregg Freda grew up in the food industry, has cooked in some of New Jersey’s finest restaurants, and brings his expertise to the restaurants traditional recipes. "We want to show off all the dishes for which Casa Dante has been made famous, as well as the introduction of new dishes from Italy and from the traditional Italian neighborhood centers of the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area,” Freda says. You will fall in love with this timeless dining experience.

Casa Dante
737 Newark Ave.
Jersey City, NJ 07306
(201) 795-2750
www.casadante.com

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