They earned his vote: Munchmobile driver casts his ballot for top restaurants and dishes from 2012 season
by Peter Genovese | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com | August 31, 2012
[excerpted from the full posting found online]
What a year. It wasn’t just that this was the Munchmobile’s 15th anniversary, or that we put some serious miles on the Big Dog.
No, Munchmobile 2012 stood out for the eclectic mix of trips (Thai, smoothies, empanadas, Route 1, seafood shacks, gourmet pizza and hot dog trucks, among others) and our fun-loving, feistier-than-usual band of Munchers.
“You better have a reunion — or else!” Louise Loffredo said when I brought up the possibility of a Muncher reunion.
“Admit it — we were the best group you’ve ever had,” a Muncher on our empanada trip demanded.
(Let the record show that when asked about the best trip in the past 15 years, I invariably respond, “All of them.”)
Picking the best restaurants and dishes of each Munch season is never easy, but here goes. Call my Top 10 restaurants and Top 25 dishes the most worthy candidates in this political Munch year. Our slogan this year was “In a Crunch, Vote Munch.’’ In this case, I voted with my stomach.
The restaurants are listed in alphabetical order. And it’s my list; it often diverges from the weekly Top Dog pick, which is voted on by the Munchers. (Who seemed to disagree with me more than ever.)
TOP RESTAURANTS
Cheng Du 23, 6 Willowbrook Road, Wayne: (973) 812-2800. I’ve called this the best Chinese restaurant in New Jersey (it is not related to the better-known Chengdu 46 in Clifton), and our Munch visit did nothing to change my mind. If you order the chicken and broccoli or General Tso’s chicken (zzzz), you should have your chopsticks taken away from you. Go right to the Szechuan specials such as tea-smoked duck, spicy volcano chicken and prawns with minced pork and pickled vegetables and scallion in chili sauce. The spicy cabbage or sliced conch with hot pepper sauce will get your dinner off to a fiery, super start.
Empanada Man truck, various locations; (908) 906-5147. An empanada is an empanada, right? Wrong. Carlos Serrano — the red bandana-ed guy and his bright red truck seem to be everywhere — turns the simple meat/vegetable/cheese pie on its head, with Mexican chorizo and chicken tequila empanadas, among others. You want a beef empanada; don’t worry, he’s got those too, and they’re good. The chicken tequila empanada is filled with shredded chicken marinated in Karma tequila, plus roasted peppers, garlic, chipotle, onions, potato, olive oil and cilantro. It is not definitely not your grandmother’s empanada.
Istanbul Restaurant & Patisserie, 1000 Aaron Road, North Brunswick; (732) 940-1122. Forget its inelegant location, squished behind an Exxon gas station on Route 1; Istanbul, open just two years, is already one of the state’s best Turkish restaurants. Good luck getting past the appetizers; the thick, crusty homemade Turkish bread is irresistible, the hummus near-heavenly, and the baba ghanoush may be even better. The adana kebab (chopped lamb and beef) makes for a simple, super sandwich. And don’t you dare leave without trying the kazandibi or bottom-of-the-pan pudding.
La Conguita Restaurant, 351 Grove St., Jersey City; (201) 435-6770. Colorful, cheery brick-walled cafe, with 10 tables, swivel stools at a diner-like counter and an extensive chalkboard menu. Good empanadas and better egg dishes, especially the huevos rancheros, nestled pretty-as-you-please in a tortilla; the tortilla conguita, a pepper, onion, tomato and mushroom-topped, pie-like creation; and the huevo y chorizo, the best breakfast sandwich I had all summer.
Mr. Tod’s Pie Factory, 7 Cedar Grove Lane, Somerset; (732) 356-8900. Best pies in Jersey? My vote would go to Tod Wilson’s bake shop, practically hidden in a dour strip mall just off Route 287. Wilson uses wild Maine berries in his blueberry pies, and his banana cream pie is the stuff sweet dreams are made of. Can’t make up your mind? You can buy mini-pie versions of the pies here. Mr. Tod’s recently opened a store in Englewood, with a third store opening in Hunterdon County this fall.
Organico Grocery Cafe, 495 N. Franklin Turnpike, Ramsey; (201) 934-5511. Forget the hardwood floors and hip, soothing sound track (everyone from the O’Jays and Dylan to K’naan). Organico’s shelves are stocked with the latest in organic/healthy foods, and the smoothie/juice bar does a brisk business. My favorites here included the Mahwah Mango (white grape juice, mango, banana, frozen yogurt) and the Almond Date. Good sandwiches, too; I recommend the California veggie, with organic alfalfa sprouts, red onion, cucumber, tomato and avocado. You’ll feel better just walking into the place.
Osteria Procaccini, 4428 Route 27, Kingston; (609) 688-0007. This new, smallish pizzeria/cafe went up against several pizza heavyweights (Arturo’s in Maplewood, Nomad in Hopewell, Ah’Pizz in Montclair) on our pizza field trip, and won going away. Tino Procaccini uses locally sourced food when possible, and his pizzas are simple and satisfying, with none of the studied fussiness found in other gourmet pizzerias. The Nonna Cesino combines mozzarella, gorgonzola, ricotta, provolone, tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and basil into a classic white pie. The margherita pizza may be the best of its kind I’ve had all year, and I’ve had a few.
Shawarma Express, 418 Raritan Ave., Highland Park; (732) 640-1461. Another newcomer, and already a strong candidate in the increasingly crowded Middle Eastern restaurant field. Shawarma Express is smaller and more casual than most; it’s almost fast food, done fresh and fine. The hummus with shawarma (lamb, beef or chicken sliced from revolving towers of meat) is a hit — smoky, lemony, garlicky and tangy all at once. The homemade sauces, including the spicy sweet chili and the chimichurri, also separate Shawarma from the pack.
Skipper’s Seafood Market, 647 Route 72, Barnegat; (609) 698-4430. Skipper’s has a limited cooked-food menu (clam strips, flounder sandwich, steamed jumbo shrimp), but no stop was more fun this summer. It’s a rambling, purple-shuttered building improbably situated in the Pine Barrens, with a curvy red-lipped mermaid out front. You can buy fish fresh, frozen or heat-and-eat, but for the ultimate Skipper’s experience, walk over to the outdoor raw bar and order a dozen (or two) oysters on the half shell. Skipper’s is also known for its key lime pies; they make about 700 a week.
28 BBQ Churrasqueira, 303 W. Union Ave., Bound Brook; (732) 805-0900. Big portions and excellent food can be found in this spare but lively cafe. If it’s nice, sit on the patio; for beer or wine, there’s a liquor store across the street. The garlic chicken, pleasantly burnt around the edges and humming with garlic-y goodness, is the best dish here. The picanha, four huge chunks of superbly seasoned steak with rice and beans for $15, turned out to be the year’s best value. Desserts are dee-lish; try the cinnamon-streaked rice pudding, or the chocolate tres leche.