When news broke in October that “Top Chef” alum Dale Talde plans to open a second location of his popular Brooklyn eatery Talde in Jersey City next year, everyone was quick to anoint the other side of the Holland Tunnel as the next great food destination.
But Jersey City’s culinary scene has been on the rise ever since former Momofuku chef Kevin Pemoulie and his wife, Alex, opened Thirty Acres, an inventive American restaurant, to much
acclaim in April 2012.
A number of talented chefs and restaurateurs, from NYC and beyond, have since followed suit, lured by cheap rents and residents who welcome innovation and experimentation.
“We all have unique spins on what we have to offer,” says Jessie Isaacs, a former pastry chef at Nobu who opened her own sweets emporium, Cocoa Bakery, in Jersey City last month.
Talde isn’t slated to debut until next fall, but there are plenty of other delicious reasons to hop on the PATH train before then. Here are six:
Cocoa Bakery
275 Grand St.; 201-830-3430
While owner Jessie Isaacs says her traditional cupcakes “are definitely worth trying,” to really get an idea of what she’s doing, opt for some of her more unique combinations — like a chocolate cupcake topped with chocolate stout beer buttercream ($2.75) or a chocolate-ganache-filled banana cupcake with chocolate cream-cheese frosting ($2.75). Or eschew cupcakes all together and try a delightful mini pumpkin or chocolate whoopie pie ($13 for 1/2 pound).
Sam A.M.
112 Morris St.; 201-432-2233
Dieters beware: It’s all about hearty meals at this cozy cafe that only serves breakfast and lunch. The chicken & waffles ($15) forgoes frying for chicken that’s roasted and accompanied by sage gravy and a house-made cranberry sauce. Worried about starting your day with such a heavy dish? “It’s always the right time to have chicken and waffles!” enthuses Kirk. Sweeter fare, like a toasted croissant ice-cream sandwich ($6), is no less indulgent.
Milk Sugar Love
Available at various locations
Don’t like fruitcake? Maybe you just haven’t had the right version of the oft-derided holiday treat. Emma Taylor, former Gramercy Tavern pastry cook and founder of this new organic ice cream and cakes outfit, says her fruitcake ($3 at Warehouse Cafe, 140 Bay St.) “tastes better as it ages” — especially if you treat it right.
“Keep it in an airtight container and spritz it now and then with your alcohol of choice,” she says. “The flavor will reach its peak in about two weeks.” Still not convinced? Try some of Taylor’s other tasty treats, like homemade ice creams (left) in funky flavors such as lemon olive oil ($6 at Roman Nose, 125 Newark Ave).
Park & Sixth Gastropub
247 Washington St.; 201-630-4184
Owner Brian Dowling’s month-old Park & Sixth Gastropub is all about comfort food made fancy. “I offer a different twist to familiar food at an affordable price,” says Dowling. To that end, he serves up a dry-aged Wagyu burger (right, $16) with a memorable mustard-onion jam, an oven-roasted pork chop topped with a fried egg ($21) and delightfully crispy tater tots ($7) that are more akin to goat cheese and cheddar croquettes and come with an addictive Sriracha ketchup for dipping. While Dowling insists that he’s “not reinventing the wheel,” he ought to give himself more credit. Whatever he’s doing, it’s delicious.
Razza
275 Grove St.; 201-356-9348
Chef Dan Richer’s Maplewood, NJ, restaurant, Arturo’s, landed him in the semifinals for a James Beard Award in 2011. At his year-old Jersey City outpost, Razza, it’s all about the bread. His favorite loaf is an unleavened rustic rye made with a mix of locally grown rye flour and locally milled wheat flour that’s served with homemade butter (left, $4). It’s a simple combo that makes for breaded bliss. “The way the two come together at the last second before you bite into it is what makes this dish special,” Richer gushes.
Thirty Acres
500 Jersey Ave.; 201-435-3100
“No signature dishes,” Kevin Pemoulie says of the menu at the restaurant he manages with his wife Alex (both right). “We want customers to return because they are excited to try new things.” The kitchen’s offerings rotate based on market availability, and fish entrees — like an arctic char with grapefruit-glazed turnips ($26) — are consistently great. So is the impossibly tender beef-tongue sandwich ($12), a brunch standby elevated by Latin accoutrements such as chipotle eggplant and avocado.