Eccola Restaurant: A Spectacular Italian Bistro in Parsippany

From the minute you step into Parsippany’s Ecolla you know you’re in for an excellent dining experience. This popular Italian-American bistro is devoted to excellent food and service, and they deliver on that promise day in and day out. The food here is spectacular, melding traditional fare with a wide variety of interesting ingredients. Diners rave about the pan seared scallops with shiitake mushrooms and Gorgonzola cheese, as well as the calamari Chino, lightly breaded and served wth garlic and oil. Moving on to entrees, Ecolla makes all of their pasta from scratch and it shows in the tender quality of their noodle dishes. The dense, hearty lasagna and fluffy gnocchi are special standouts, but the entire menu is good. Regulars recommend the seafood dishes most of all, as they are innovative and excellently prepared. Some eaters complain that the tables are packed a little tight in the dining room, which can make things loud when the restaurant is full.

Eccola Restaurant
1082 US Highway 46
Parsippany, NJ 07054
(973) 334-8211
www.eccolarestaurantnj.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

Pat Thai: A Morris County Must For Thai Food

Originally located in a somewhat downmarket spot in Bloomfield, NJ, Pat Thai’s relocation to Parsippany is the best thing that could have happened to the place. Locals have been raving about the excellent, authentic Thai dishes here for years, and you’ll know why from your first bite. The menu is massive, with over a hundred dishes ranging from familiar favorites to excellent new sensations. Regulars rave about the excellent curries, with the Massaman curry a special standout; this robust, comforting meal is laden with meat and vegetables and perfectly spiced. A note to adventurous diners: pay attention to the Pat Thai's spice ratings—when they give a dish the highest "Hot Two Star" rating they mean it, so make sure you can handle the heat. The restaurant does not have a liquor license, so bring your own wine or beer to enjoy with dinner.

Pat Thai
435 North Beverwyck Rd
Parsippany, NJ 07054
(973) 257-1444
www.patthai.net

Gourmet Cafe: The Best of Parsippany Dining

This classic bistro is one of Parsippany’s most popular restaurants, and for good reason. If you’re looking for high-quality Italian-influenced fare prepared with excellent ingredients and precision, you’ll find lots to rave about here. Located in an unassuming shopping plaza, when you step inside you’ll find yourself in a classic dining room adorned with watercolors by local artists. Service is competent and professional. Chef and owner Matthew Pierone has worked at some of New Jersey’s best restaurants and he uses that expertise to produce popular dishes like his delicious broccoli rabe and sausage appetizer, which bursts with robust flavor, as well as the house trademark Portobello mushroom topped with warm goat cheese, artichoke hearts, and roasted pine nuts with a balsamic demi-glaze. The pastas are cooked to perfection and served with a number of savory sauces. As part of their commitment to the community, a portion of profits on “Make A Difference Mondays” are donated to local charitable organizations.

Gourmet Café
136 Baldwin Road
Parsippany, NJ 07054
(973) 316-0088
www.njgourmetcafe.com

A Local Sushi Favorite: Fu Sha Sushi Bar

This long-lived Parsippany destination for Japanese food recently came under new ownership to excellent results. Candy Huang and Collin Lin polished their culinary skills in New York City before setting off on their own in New Jersey, and their hard work is the gain of those who rave about the excellent sushi at Fu Sha. The classy, eclectic dining room is dominated by a beautiful light sculpture that slowly shifts colors and tones. The menu has the typical sushi standouts, including well-prepared nigiri and rolls, but Chef Lin has also added some of his own creations to the menu. Regulars rave about the spicy crawfish and avocado hand roll, which uses a very American ingredient to excellent effect, as well as the Hot Lady roll, made with black pepper tuna, avocado, and spicy mayo for a real kick. Every Saturday evening a jazz ensemble plays in the restaurant for an additional touch of class.

Fu Sha Sushi Bar
156 Parsippany Road
Parsippany, NJ 07054
(973) 386-9200
fushasushibar.com

Tabor Road Tavern: The Total Dining Package

This spectacular fine dining restaurant has drawn throngs of patrons since opening in 2008, and for good reason. Tabor Road Tavern boasts an irresistible combination of excellent ambience, great service, and astonishing food. This place is always packed, so wise diners without reservations often choose to sit at the bar to mitigate the long wait. Once you’re ready to order, the menu is robust, with diners raving about the excellent seared tuna with wasabi sauce, which is cooked to absolute perfection. The steaks are also great—fantastic cuts prepared expertly to order. Crab cakes are also a Tabor Road specialty, with some regulars claiming that they’re the best in the country. Make note of the daily specials, are often the best dishes the kitchen has to offer. Desserts are spectacular as well, with the pastry chef nationally-ranked and producing succulent sweets that are the perfect ending to your meal.

Tabor Road Tavern
510 Tabor Road
Morris Plains, NJ 07950
(973) 267-7004
www.taborroadtavern.com

Dip Into An Interactive Dining Experience at The Melting Pot

Fondue is a truly fun and interactive dining experience, and its pretty safe to say the Melting Pot has easily defined that niche across the American dining scene. When the first Melting Pot opened just outside of Orlando in 1975, it only featured 3 items: Swiss chess fondue for an appetizer, beef fondue for dinner, and a chocolate fondue for dessert. But since that time its entrée have grown to offer choice cuts of chicken, lobster, teriyaki marinated sirloin, and peeled shrimp; complete with a diverse variety of fondue pots to smother them in. for an appetizer you can enjoy several kinds of cheese fondues  and an endless amount of bread, vegetables, and fresh cut apple chunks to toss in them. No fondue restaurant would be complete without dessert; and that’s why you can enjoy the restaurants famous milk, dark, or white chocolate fondues; as well as accompaniments like amaretto, caramel, and plenty of dessert dippers.

The Melting Pot
www.meltingpot.com

100 Sinatra Drive
Hoboken, NJ 07030
(201) 222-1440

250 Center Avenue
Westwood, NJ 07675
(201) 664-8877

831 Route 10
Pine Plaza Shopping Center
Whippany, NJ 07981
(973) 428-5400

Culinariane: A Foodie’s Delight

Chef Ariane Duarte is pretty confident that she’ll be cooking at Montclair’s Culinariane for some time—after all, the restaurant is named after her. The Top Chef: New York competitor showed her skills on the popular Bravo reality series, and even though she didn’t win, she’s still got some serious chops. This classy, comfortable bistro located down a side street is one of Montclair’s best restaurants, offering a carefully-curated menu of delicious dishes that have locals raving. Start off with the white asparagus appetizer if it’s on the menu—served with chopped morel mushrooms, greens, and shaved Parmesan in a punchy vinaigrette, it’s a great way to prepare your palate for the pleasure that’s to come. The cornmeal crusted oysters are also fantastic, the breading perfectly complementing their flavor. Seared scallops with mushroom ragout and white truffle oil are decadent and perfectly-prepared. Culinariane is BYOB, but a local wine store will make recommendations and deliveries.

Culinariane
33 Walnut St.
Montclair, New Jersey 07042
(973) 744-0533
www.culinariane.com

Saffron: Affordable, Dynamic Indian in a Dazzling Environment

Named for what is thought to be the most precious spice in the world, Saffron’s Indian cuisine offers scrumptious dishes, each infused with this special ingredient. Specializing in upscale dining, Saffron’s inauspicious outside hides a gorgeous dining room inside, with a beautiful circular dome painted with sky hues, and Indian tapestries on the walls. Sophisticated, but at an affordable price, Saffron’s cuisine showcases numerous offerings from India, including staples like spinach curry, tandoori chicken, and lentil curry, alongside specials like grilled lamb chops. Lunch is a buffet with many appetizer and entrée options, while dinner offers ten signature dishes plus the approximately fifty dishes also available for takeout. The staff is very helpful at explaining what each dish is, so Saffron is a great place for novice Indian eaters. With so many options that are so delicious, Saffron is a wonderful place to experience a taste of India.

Saffron
249 Route 10 E
East Hanover, NJ 07936
(973) 599-0700
www.saffronnj.com

Nisi: A Greek Gem on the NJ Dining Scene

Want to eat at the best restaurant in all of New Jersey? The state has a lot of restaurants, so finding the best one is a pretty big deal. However, The New York Times rated Nisi as New Jersey's “Best Over All Restaurant 2009”, which truly speaks to its quality since it only opened in January 2009! Nisi was founded by two brothers, Peter and Othon Mourkakos, who reached their vision for the restaurant by hiring top sommelier Sterling Roig from New York, accomplished executive chef John Piliouras, and a top architect to design the serene, elegant décor complete with vaulted ceilings, soft curtains and a waterfall. Nisi also has an inviting bar to enjoy a drink or a glass of wine from the glass-enclosed wine cellar, and a secluded, private dining room for large parties and events. Specialties of the house include starters like ouzo cured salmon and grilled octopus, along with a smorgasbord of seafood plates, soups, and traditional Greek salads. Entrée selections feature simply prepared dishes of fresh whole fish and seafood, as well as more complex plates of juicy lamb, pork, and beef. In the chef’s own words, the food is prepared with a “classic French style of cooking, using the finest Greek ingredients."

Nisi
90 Grand Ave.
Englewood NJ 07631
(201) 567-4700
www.nisirestaurant.com

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