Like death and taxes,you can count on restaurants to open —no matter what. Horrible weather, a near-three-year pandemic, astronomically high food prices and supply chain headaches don't deter restaurateurs from launching their businesses.And we, food lovers, are the grateful beneficiaries.
So what's new this month?
Here is the latest batch of restaurantseager to have you try out their food.
Grumpy's Eat Big, Saddle Brook
Grumpy is what owner/chefMarceloSegura is before he has his morning coffee, said his wife, Nicole, by way of explaining the name of their new pizza and pasta shop in Saddle Brook.
The 800-square-footjoint—the couple's first restaurant — had a soft opening on Jan. 7, when a snowstorm engulfed North Jersey. Itwas followed by an official grand opening when a nor'easter dumped at least four inches of snow.
The couple, who live in Hasbrouk Heights,did not take that as a bad omen. "We are doing really well," Nicole said.
They serve pasta family-style (linguine al limon is the most popular thus far), as well as sliders and"an amazing" dessert (zeppole with Nutella dip), but the focus is on pizza.
Marcelo makes the dough with high-hydration flour so it produces a light, crispy crust. And though he cooks pizza with a variety of toppings —shrimp and garlic, crumbled meatballs and braised steak tips, chicken and blue cheese, among others —the No. 1 bestseller is The Big Grump, a 12- or 18-inch pie with tomato sauce, pesto and burrata.
Go:22 Saddle River Road, Saddle Brook;201-880-0555,grumpysnj.com.
Thumbody, Paramus
Thumbody is one of the most exciting cafes to open in North Jersey in some time. Half of the shop isa record and magazine store with hard-to-find vinyls from artists such asIdris Muhammad. The other half is a café counter serving coffee and bites representative of the owners’ cultures.
“We want to explore culture through the lens of food,” said owner Marcus Anderson, who is African-American. He owns Thumbody with his wife, Audrey Killip-Anderson, and brother-in-law, Teofilo Killip, who are Filipino.
On the menu are pastries such asalmond croissantsand scones, as well as African-American treats, such assweet Navy bean pie, and Filipino items, including bright purple ube lattes, made from the popular Filipino yam, mashed in-house.
Anderson is also working on perfecting his cornbread cobbler with fruit fillings such as strawberry, blueberry and guava.
The coffee is sourced from Nguyen Coffee Supply, owned by Sahra Nguyen.Vietnamese Robusta coffee beans are “taboo in the coffee world,” said Anderson, and often regarded as filler for more high-quality beans. But, Anderson said he’s fighting that perception with Nguyen's “phenomenal” coffee. They offer single-origin coffee in three roasts (Robusta, arabica and a blend) and play with them in different drip and espresso extractions.
Anderson formerly worked in the sports industry as a producer and talent booker. His goals shifted after his mother passed away just before the pandemic.
“It’s cliché, but I didn’t want to live life with regrets,” he said.
The name was inspired by pins that used to be handed out by mental health organizations in the 70s and 80s with a thumbprint and the phrase “thumbody loves you.” They loved the old-school logo and decided to add their own touch. They incorporated the image into their logo.
As far as the records go, expect to find some deep cuts. Said Anderson, “Everything we keep here is carefully curated and defines our past and present interests.”
Go: 80 E. Route4, Ground Floor Suite GFW, Paramus; 201-267-6554,facebook.com/Thumbody-109926734890715.
River & Henley, New Milford
With big leather couches, dim lighting, a fireplace, massive TVs lining the walls and $3 bottled beers during happy hour, the new sports bar River & Henley is a great place to catch the game. On the menu is pub food such as wings, pizza, buffalo shrimp, tacos and chicken sliders, while the bar whips up cosmos, green tea shots and mules.
The 2,000-square-foot space seats 80 to 120 people. It's owned by the Cifelli family. Folks may know Rocco Cifelli from is other bar in Garfield: Hive Bar and Bistro.
Go:704 River Road, New Milford; 201-262-0391;riverandhenley.com.
Cubita Café, Nutley
Gustavo Gutierrez, owner of Cubita Café in Nutley, was tired of old-school Cuban restaurants. A graduate of Hudson County Community College’s culinary program and a first-generation Cuban-American raised in Hudson County, he had worked and dined at plenty.
“They’re all the same with a different name,” he said. “You start counting images of classic cars, you’ll count 30 before you hit the bathrooms.”
At Cubita, you’ll find no old cigar boxes. Instead, you’ll see a mural of Biggy Smalls smoking a cigar on the back wall. “I wanted to make Cuban culture modern,” he said. “Hip hop, that’s what I grew up listening to.”
Gutierrez serves nonconventional food to match his décor, like an empanada stuffed with Taylor ham, egg and cheese and sprinkled with everything bagel seasoning. Another popular offering is the Oreo empanada.
“It’s super soft like a brownie inside,” he said. “Those ones you can get at carnivals are dipped in batter so they get oily. Ours are covered in dough.”
It was dough that got him into empanadas in the first place. During quarantine, he was “driving his wife crazy,” moping around the house; she told him to get a hobby, fast. He grew up making hundreds of empanadas during the holidays, always with store-bought dough. Gutierrez decided to make his own dough during quarantine. His wife and grandmother thought he was crazy. (“No one actually does that,” his Cuban grandmother said.)
“I didn’t do it with the intention of being an empanada guy. But then, I started selling them out of my garage,” he said. A year later, and he has expanded to offering those empanadas at Cubita.
Gutierrez has worked at such restaurants as La Isla in Hoboken and Le Cirque in Manhattan. He also worked with restaurateur Danny Meyer and opened restaurants in Newark Airport.
But, “I couldn’t find my fit anywhere,” said Gutierrez. “I just wanted to serve my food without anyone telling me what I can and can’t do.” The answer: Cubita.
Go: 234 Franklin Ave., Nutley;973-630-9220,facebook.com/CubitaCafeNutley.
Three Chefs Steakhouse, Elmwood Park
A new steakhouse has opened in the former location of gastropub The Twisted Elm in Elmwood Park.
Three Chefs Steakhouse — owned by Ray Tarantula, Amado Guzman and Zoila Almonte, hence the name — is a BYO specializing in wet-aged steaks. Unlike dry-aged steaks, which are hung in almost-freezing open-air, wet-aged steaks are marinated and vacuumed sealed. Italian and Latin influences can be seen in other options including veal, pasta, ropa viega, mofongo and churrasco.
The space was refreshed for Three Chefs. The bar was ripped out and replaced with banquettes. The floors were restained, the walls repainted and the roof repaired.
Though you can’t get a co*cktail, you can purchase a bottle of wine from Alba Vineyard & Winery in Milford if you don’t bring your own.
Go:435 River Dr., Elmwood Park; 973-928-2400,thethreechefs.com.
Q’enko, Bloomfield
Come to Q’enko for the beautifully smokey, farm-raised chicken and stay for the bubbly Peruvian sodas. Everything at Q’enko is organic (except for those aforementioned sodas), said Maria Sosa, who owns the restaurant with her Peruvian husband,Eric.
Sosa said sourcing organic ingredients and spices directly from Peru has made a huge difference in the quality. Sosa’s family also owns local Peruvian chain Leña y Carbón and used to own PositiviTea in Verona, which closed in 2018.
The in-house marinated chicken is a favorite, and can come whole, half or quartered. Sosa also recommends the ceviche, a tangy combo of fish fillet, red onions, sweet potato and Peruvian corn; and papa or yuca a la huancaína, potatoes or yucca covered in creamy yellow sauce.
The space is light and airy with a big mural of a Peruvian child on the wall. Q’enko is named after a city in Peru known for its architecture.
Go:68 Washington St., Bloomfield;973-434-9500,qenkochicken.com.
Gregorys Coffee, Paramus
New York City coffee chain Gregorys has expanded witha new location in Paramus on Route 17 South, complete with a drive-thru. You may know it by its familiar logo: the top of a man’s head with big, square glasses.
"From the beginning, Gregorys Coffee was on a mission to fix coffee," said CEOGregoryZamfotis."We wanted to prepare amazing coffee, and get it to our 'Gregulars' quickly and with incredible customer service."
All of the pastries are made from-scratch in Gregorys cafe. Gregorys also offers manyplant-based treats.
The first Gregorys opened in Manhattan in 2006. And though they’re spotted all over the Big Apple, there were only two in Jersey City and one in Hoboken before the Paramus location opened. Gregorys imports its coffee from all over the world and roasts it in a facility in Long Island. Gregorys is open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Go: 393 Route 17 South, Paramus; 201-857-7050,gregoryscoffee.com.
In addition
AJ Shanghai, Lyndhurst.Chinese restaurant offeringsoup dumplings, scallion pancakes, dan dan noodles andkung pao chicken. BYOB.775 Riverside Ave., Lyndhurst;201-885-3438, noweb.
Viva Margarita, Hackensack.The fourth outpost for this Mexican chain. It replaced sports bar Cheers. Menu includes typical Mexican fare: enchiladas, tacos and fajitas.774 Main St., Hackensack; 201-379-7779,/vivamargarita.com.
Chopt, Morris Plains. Fast-casual salad chain Chopt has opened a new location at Briarcliff Commons in Morris Plains. You can order one of its pre-designed salads or design your own by picking your base and toppings.1711 Route 10 Suite 10, Morris Plains;973-993-7301,choptsalad.com.
Keytlym Bakery. From-scratch treats include donuts, cookies and party cakes, as well as bread and sandwiches. 806 Summer Ave., Newark; 973-901-9171,dessertsnewark.com.
Artichoke Basille’s Pizza. New York-based pizza chain Artichoke Basille’s Pizza has opened a new location in Jersey City. It offers slices and whole pizzas. Try the crab pie with crab sauce and fresh mozzarella; the artichoke cream sauce; or the Staten Island Pie with meatballs and ricotta cheese.246 Bay St., Jersey City;
201-375-4757,artichokepizza.com.
EstherDavidowitzis thefood editor for NorthJersey.com. For more on where to dine and drink, pleasesubscribe todayand sign up forourNorth Jersey Eats newsletter.
Email:davidowitz@northjersey.com
Twitter:@estherdavido
