The Essential Spots to Dine in Northern New Jersey, Late Summer 2022 Edition

Dear Maud is indeed a new Irish restaurant in town, but it’s not just another storied pub in Hoboken. It’s a versatile addition to downtown Hoboken, and a great place to meet up with city friends, as it’s close to the PATH and the ferry (and the gorgeous Hoboken waterfront). It boasts exceptionally good craft cocktails, too. Dear Maud is the first Garden State restaurant from the team behind Jackdaw in New York’s East Village, with a penchant for naming their restaurants after ​​works by the Irish poet W. B. Yeats.

Despite its name, the menu here is mostly contemporary American and Asian-inspired, with chicken wings and bao buns, or spicy tuna with crispy rice for starters, and for entrees, there’s a cheeseburger, fried chicken sandwich and roast chicken.

Cocktails are a point of pride — the program was curated by partner Darragh McConnon and Cory Miller of Sweet Afton in Astoria — and they’re a great addition to brunch, where French toast sticks and fried chicken and waffles are favorites.

Harrison, with its proximity to the PATH train, has gotten some serious investment in recent years. That includes dining. Viennese bistro Charley is one such addition to the neighborhood, and just one block from the PATH. It comes from chef Kurt Gutenbrunner of Michelin-starred Wallsé in New York City’s West Village.

Inspired by Gutenbrunner’s childhood in a small village outside Vienna, Charley is much more casual than the upscale Wallsé, from its fun, colorful decor to its menu, with hot pretzel and currywurst (both with traditional bratwurst and Beyond sausage options) starters and three types of schnitzels (chicken, veal and sirloin) for entrees. You’ll find American-style fare as well, from chicken wings with blue cheese buttermilk dip to a greens and quinoa salad. Like any respectable Viennese eatery, there’s also a formidable pastry selection, complete with strudel, sachertorte and more. Brunch is also not to be missed, either.

The former owner of the super popular Noches de Colombia in Englewood is back with a new venture just down the street. And he’s back in a big way: Colombia Kaliente, a bakery, bar and grill, seats close to 150, and is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The massive menu sports dozens of traditional Colombian dishes, like grilled flounder and shrimp in a creamy wine sauce, arepas, fried red snapper, and the classic churrasco grilled skirt steak. The house margaritas, sangrias, and mojitos are also not to be missed. Breakfast goers will appreciate the array of Colombian- and Latin-style breakfasts, from tostadas and arepas to migas and chicharrones. There’s also live music on Fridays and Saturdays from 8 to 10 p.m.

Call (201) 569-2510 for reservations.

Tucked away in the back of Sirenetta is its edgier cousin, Backstage, the site of a former music venue. The cocktails are named for bands and acts who played there (and whose photos can be seen on the walls), including the Almost Famous (mezcal, Aperol, lime and chartreuse; the Say It Ain’t So (vodka, lemon, elderflower and cinnamon); and The Cure (vodka, cucumber, agave, lime and jalapeño).

The slightly speakeasy vibes make it an ideal early date spot, and if things are going well and you need sustenance to go along with that second round of drinks, do order from Sirenetta’s raw bar and small plates menu (we like the coconut scallop ceviche and tuna tartare with local tomatoes). Better yet, Sirenetta’s full dessert menu is also available.

Oysters are $2 from Fridays from 5 to 6pm; and on Wednesdays, classic cocktails are $10 all night.

Pro tip: Let your server at Sirenetta know you want to head to Backstage after your meal so you can snag a table; otherwise, make sure you have a Resy, especially for weekends and late night.

What better way to round out summer than with a lobster roll? Hackensack’s latest seafood shop offers your standard New England- and Connecticut-style rolls, as well as some less traditional rolls, like the Atlantic City, which is stuffed with fried lobster.

If you like your lobster sans roll, City Lobster’s also got lobster mac and cheese and lobster cheese fries, as well as stuffed clams, fried shrimp, and chicken wings. There are around 15 seats, or grab your lobster and picnic somewhere along the Hudson with a nice view.

Call (908) 952-0921 for more information. Walk-ins only.

Consider sleek and chic Soma, which opened in the spring, as a new go-to for excellent sushi, crafted by an alum of New York’s Sushi of Gari. With plenty of options, both a la carte and omakase, you can’t go wrong. (If you’re feeling like splurging, spring for the 18-course omakase that includes three appetizers and a dessert.) Just a stone’s throw away from the George Washington Bridge, it’s a great choice for a nice meal before a night out in the city, or after a day of adventuring.

If Hoboken is as far as your travels are taking you this summer, this French Riviera-inspired spot may be just what you need to be transported for a couple hours. From the same owners as nearby Barbès – which is focused on French and North African cuisine – La Bohème offers a lighter, more Mediterranean version of French food.

There are plenty of classically French dishes – mussels, a cheese plate, escargot. But there’s also a variety of brick oven pizzas (after all, the South of France is nestled right up against Italy). La Bohème’s pies (which can also be made gluten-free) have a distinctly French bent, with a Niçoise pie and one dotted with merguez sausage. If brunch is more your move, get your oeufs French-style – with steak, poached or fried atop a croque madame – under the raffia lanterns and coastal decor.

Venerated for its Spanish and Portuguese restaurants, the Ironbound section of Newark is also now home to Little Tijuana. David Viana, chef and partner of the well-known Heirloom Kitchen in Old Bridge, consulted on this modern Mexican restaurant where you can find birria nachos and BLT tacos. The late-night vibes and impressive rooftop are ideal for long summer nights, as are the margaritas and cocktails galore, including a handful of frozen options for those fiery end-of-summer days, too.

There’s a reason Battello is such a popular wedding destination – it’s truly hard to beat the stunning views of New York City from its perch on a pier in the Hudson River. On a beautiful day, see the skyline from the spacious patio; at night, check out the lights; you might even catch some live music.

But unlike lots of places with good views, Battello doesn’t rely on looks alone. The modern Italian menu is heavy on seafood, whether you’re springing for the elaborate seafood tower or the hamachi crudo starter. Even a couple of the pastas get the seafood treatment, from squid ink torchio (torch-shaped noodles) to the fettuccine with lobster and anchovy butter.

Battello is closed to the public for a good chunk of weekends for rescheduled Covid weddings, so plan ahead or consider a weeknight outing.

Maplewood mainstay Lorena’s, which has been open since 2005, got a new lease on life after pandemic pivoting and hardships. Literally. Chef-owner Humberto Campos Jr. and his team moved into a much larger space last year that’s able to seat three times as many diners, but thankfully much else has remained the same at Lorena’s.

At Lorena’s it’s all about seasonal dishes with a French and American bent. If you came for French food, you’ve got escargot, crepes, foie gras, and charcuterie; more American choices include the house burger, a Thai-style salad with a lime, peanut and ginger dressing, and ravioli filled with peas and caramelized onions. Enjoy it in the new space’s cozy interior (perhaps one of the cozy booths?) or make the most of outdoor dining season on the shaded patio.

One major change due to the move is that Lorena’s is no longer BYOB. However, the new wine, beer and cocktail list is extensive, with wines, yes, from France, but also Portugal, Italy, California and more.

If it’s an escape you want, you’ll get it at 15 Fox Place, a family-style menu-less Italian restaurant inside a home in a residential neighborhood in Jersey City. As a 2020 James Beard Award semifinalist, it’s less of a hidden gem than perhaps it used to be, but that doesn’t make 15 Fox Place less of a unique dining experience. The grandma’s house vibe isn’t just cutesy décor; 15 Fox Place used to be the family home of the current owners.

Grab a big group of still-in-town friends, some wine (it’s BYOB) and come hungry, as portions of its classic red sauce Italian food — meatballs, lemon pasta, polenta, stuffed peppers, and the like (plus dessert) — are notoriously large and rich. Plan to stay awhile, too, as the multicourse meals take several hours.

Call (201) 333-1476 to make a reservation.