Good Restaurants in Bergen County?

[cdma2001]

Just had a fabulous meal at "No. 9" in Lambertville, but the problem is, it's 75 miles away from home! Bergen County seems to be a wasteland! Any recommendations for New American, NOT overpriced nice meal in Bergen? I can find better and cheaper meals in Manhattan!! Anything half decent here is $100+ for 2. Help!!

[jhlurie]

"New American" may be more of the issue than "not overpriced". There's plenty of good food in Bergen--its just that a lot of it is ethnic.

A more exact price range might help too. We know your top bracket ($50 per), but we don't know your bottom.

[tommy]

for 50 a head you can eat at cafe panache, cafe matisse, latour, 28 oak, and quite a few others. i'm thinking that these are the "best" that bergen has to offer.

scrolling through the NJ board would certainly yield many many ideas.

[cdma2001]

I knew about those-- those places generally cost over $100. No. 9 in Lambertville cost $70 for 2. We had Scallops in the shell, potato and goat cheese tart, and equally creative entrees. Service was excellent, ambience very cute. I know of many places like this in Montclair, Millburn, Morristown, but NONE in Bergen. Even Manhattan has lots and lots. Any ideas? Thanks!

[tommy]

I knew about those-- those places generally cost over $100.  No. 9 in Lambertville cost $70 for 2.  We had Scallops in the shell, potato and goat cheese tart, and equally creative entrees.  Service was excellent, ambience very cute.  I know of many places like this in Montclair, Millburn, Morristown, but NONE in Bergen.  Even Manhattan has lots and lots.  Any ideas?  Thanks!

which restaurants in millburn and montclair are you talking about? it's hard to get a feel for what you want when you mention only one restaurant. and what restaurants in the city are less than 100 a couple and notable, or better than those i mentioned?

additionally, in my experience, you can get out of 28 oak and latour for under 100 a couple.

[Double 0]

for 50 a head you can eat at cafe panache, cafe matisse, latour, 28 oak, and quite a few others.  i'm thinking that these are the "best" that bergen has to offer.  

scrolling through the NJ board would certainly yield many many ideas.

I hate to disagree with you, but do the math. $20 entree, $10 app, and $10 dessert and coffee ( this is conservative because you are mostly talking about BYOs). Thats $40, barely makes the threshold of $50 after tax and tip. I think Bergen is better for ethnic food in that price range. Beat me up later I've got to go to my son's football game.

[tommy]

I hate to disagree with you, but do the math. $20 entree, $10 app, and $10 dessert and coffee ( this is conservative because you are mostly talking about BYOs). Thats $40, barely makes the threshold of $50 after tax and tip. I think Bergen is better for ethnic food in that price range. Beat me up later I've got to go to my son's football game.

no, you are both absolutely right. i'm not sure where to get "creative new american" for less than 18 an entree and 9 an app, especially in NYC. perhaps i should get out of bergen more often.

both panache and matisse are considerably more than i remembered. but they're worth it, imo.

[cdma2001]

This is off the topic, but here is a list of some restaurants that I like outside of Bergen:

Montclair: Palazzo, Blue Sky, Epernay, Chelsea Grille

Maplewood: Jocelynes, Celebrated Food, American Fare

Millburn: Basilico, 40 Main, Lilac

Morristown: Tim Schaefer's, Pierre's

Manhattan: Abigaels, Melissa Blue, Village, Candela, Isabella's, Ocean Grill.

Tommy has asked for this list; I would like to know of restaurants of this ilk in Bergen for $70-80 for 2. Any ideas?

[Double 0]

This is off the topic, but here is a list of some restaurants that I like outside of Bergen:  

Montclair:  Palazzo, Blue Sky, Epernay, Chelsea Grille

Maplewood:  Jocelynes, Celebrated Food, American Fare

Millburn: Basilico, 40 Main, Lilac

Morristown:  Tim Schaefer's, Pierre's

Manhattan:  Abigaels, Melissa Blue, Village, Candela, Isabella's, Ocean Grill.

Tommy has asked for this list;  I would like to know of restaurants of this ilk in Bergen for $70-80 for 2.  Any ideas?

Do you drink? If you do, you're not getting out of most of these places for under $50. Even a cheap bottle has to add $30 onto the bill. If you say $35 for three courses you're still pushing the upper limit of $100 per couple. Even go to TGIFriday or any of that ilk and you'll spend $50 pp after a couple of drinks.

[Rachel Perlow]

I like your taste, we also have enjoyed Jocelynes, Pierre's and Tim Schaefer's Cuisine, however only the latter is "New American." Pierre's and Jocelyne's are both French. Basilico is Italian. Blue Sky is another American place we've been to and enjoyed. Also, you must be ordering very carefully to get out of most of these places for $70-80 per couple.

OK, so places in Bergen County you'd enjoy... America in Tenafly you'd like, but it is on the high end of your price range; Jerry's Osteria, also in Tenafly, is very nice but Italian. There's got to be lots in Ridgewood, but I'm not overly familiar with that town. Since you are a new member, may I recommend that you do a search for "Bergen County"? Be sure to have NJ as the search area, and select "search entire post" and "any date" as your ranges. I got about 3 pages of results, some of which must fit your bill. You can try this link, but I'm not sure if it will work. We try to have the county as part of the subheading of user posted restaurant reviews so as to facilitate these searches.

[tommy]

blue sky et al are just as expensive as 28 oak, latour, and probably even zarole, all in ridgewood, all decent enough.

the poster seems to be making a statement more than asking a question. i find it strange and i'm done repeating myself.

[Double 0]

I've always wondered, What the hell is "New American"?

[Rosie]

Rebeccca's in Edgewater--Cuban BYO

Campania , Fair Lawn-BYO

[jhlurie]

Rebeccca's in Edgewater--Cuban  BYO

Campania , Fair Lawn-BYO

See tommy? Rosie is much more flexible with her interpretation of "New American" than you are! Cuban New American and Italian New American!

If that's the spirit, I might add that Saigon Republic is wonderful Vietnamese New American!

[Rosie]

Rebeccca's in Edgewater--Cuban  BYO

Campania , Fair Lawn-BYO

See tommy? Rosie is much more flexible with her interpretation of "New American" than you are! Cuban New American and Italian New American!

If that's the spirit, I might add that Saigon Republic is wonderful Vietnamese New American!

I'm getting new glasses next week so I will be able to read the questions!

[ngatti]

I hate to disagree with you, but do the math. $20 entree, $10 app, and $10 dessert and coffee ( this is conservative because you are mostly talking about BYOs). Thats $40, barely makes the threshold of $50 after tax and tip. I think Bergen is better for ethnic food in that price range. Beat me up later I've got to go to my son's football game.

no, you are both absolutely right. i'm not sure where to get "creative new american" for less than 18 an entree and 9 an app, especially in NYC. perhaps i should get out of bergen more often.

both panache and matisse are considerably more than i remembered. but they're worth it, imo.

Esty Street

Citrus Grill (airmont NY, but close enough)

Freelance Cafe' (Piermont, same same)

Nick

[ngatti]

and what restaurants in the city are less than 100 a couple and notable, or better than those i mentioned?

the poster seems to be making a statement more than asking a question. i find it strange and i'm done repeating myself.

Excellent, pointed, cogent.

Nick

[201]

Montclair:  Palazzo, Blue Sky, Epernay, Chelsea Grille

Maplewood:  Jocelynes, Celebrated Food, American Fare

Millburn: Basilico, 40 Main, Lilac

Morristown:  Tim Schaefer's, Pierre's

Manhattan:  Abigaels, Melissa Blue, Village, Candela, Isabella's, Ocean Grill.

Methinks there is a pattern here!

Maybe the following Bergen County towns have something to offer?:

Mahwah

Maywood

Midland Park

Montvale

Moonachie

Moreover, may I ask why you limit your Bergen County dining to New-American?

Might it be that's the only cuisine you feel is overpriced in the area?

[menton1]

Would "Sonoma" in Rutherford qualify as "New American"?

I guess New American is a new category to distinguish the Anachronistic American Steak & potatoes low creativity type. It is our "nouvelle cuisine". (It does qualify as a category in Zagat)

[ngatti]

While driving into NYC on Monday morning with another industry pro (not a chef), we were discussing the state of fine dining in Northeastern NJ (this post is admittedly Bergen County specific).

The converstion was partly inspired by cdma2001's post about the difficulty in finding a so-called New American restaurant in Bergen County. We both agreed that while Ridgewood, and the Western parts of Bergen had a decent selection of places to eat, the Northeastern part of Bergen County, with a rare notable exception or two, was a bit of a fine dining desert.

It hit us as we approached midtown down the Westside Highway. We made the trip to midtown in about 25-30 minutes. About the same amount of time it would take us to drive to Ridgewood. Costs of doing business are on a par with NYC costs (apart from rents). Labor and Food costs are similar. Add to that the increased wages that a culinary pro (specifically gratuity) can expect to earn in a NYC restaurant and the labor in NJ becomes not only as expensive but scarce as well.

With restaurant operating costs being similar (and by implication meal costs) would a Bergen resident not be better served by making the short trip into NYC to dine there? If one is going to spend 2-300 dollars on a meal, why not drive to NYC and get the "real deal"?

Thoughts?

Nick

[tommy]

there are several fine dining destinations in bergen that are byo. you'd be hard-pressed to drop 2-300 bucks there. as for the others (saddle river inn, ho-ho-kus inn, the dining room), they're all so "old-school" in my mind that i wouldn't bother setting foot in them to begin with. i am lucky in that i do most of my fine dining in NYC as i spend a lot of time there, and most of my casual "neighborhood" type dining in NJ. rarely to i feel the need to go to NYC to eat when i'm in jersey.

and when calculating the cost of going to NYC for dinner, please don't forget tolls and parking, which can easily add 30 dollars.