the restaurant from the founders when
they retired last year, the neighborhood
had gentrified and the name Frog and
Peach had become synonymous with
excellence. Now celebrating F&P’s 30th
year, Lefebvre, 43, is stripping the walls,
exposing the original brick of the 1876
printing plant that houses the restaurant.
He calls it “enhancing some of the natural elements of the building,” and it parallels what he’s doing on the plate: “letting
the natural aspects of each ingredient
shine.” Take his shrimp broiled with lime
salt, served on a disc of avocado (
vacuum-compressed to intensify its flavor and
texture) with a corn pudding made only
from highly reduced fresh corn juice “for
the true essence of corn.” Adding a sprinkle of crispy spaetzle made from Mexican masa flour completes the dish with a
gonzo globalism. 29 Dennis St, 732-846-
3216, frogandpeach.com
FUJI (Haddonfield)
Since 1979, chef/owner Masaharu “Matt”
Ito has been serving some of the most authentic and adventurous Japanese food
around. His menu of cooked dishes alone
is worth a trip to his serenely modern restaurant, to say nothing of the raw treasures and the pleasure of sitting at the
eight-seat sushi bar, handcarved out of a
single trunk of champagne-hued maple.
Lately, more customers have been requesting Ito’s omakase and the larger
kaiseki tasting menus, the best way to experience the full spectrum of Japanese
tastes. “These days a lot of young people
are trying the tastings,” Ito says. “They
have more freedom, I think. But many
omakase customers are regulars. So,” he
adds with a laugh, “all the time I have to
make something different.” BYO 116 E
Kings Hwy (Rt 41), 856-354-8200, fujires-taurant.com
LORENA’S (Maplewood)
A year after Lorena—chef Humberto Campos Jr.’s wife and the restaurant’s co-owner—gave birth to son Liam, Humberto is
back in the kitchen full-time. Energized,
he’s tweaking the bistro classics that made
Lorena’s an instant hit when it opened eight
years ago, and reveling in his roots. “I was
trained by Craig Shelton and David Drake,”
he says. “They bled French. I took to it. There
may not be a French word on my menu, but
it’s my foundation.” The tweaks are small—
a new goat-cheese dressing for his beet salad, or ripe apricots adding plush tartness to
bread pudding—but the pleasures of a meal
at this 36-seat jewel box remain large. BYO
168 Maplewood Ave, 973-763-4460, restau-rantlorena.com
LUKE PALLADINO (Northfield)
The chef/owner knows the knock on his
35-seat trattoria tucked into a strip mall.
»
New and Notable
One sign the economy is picking up? A bumper crop of ambitious restaurants
and fun eateries hanging up shingles all over the state. One of them—Agricola,
in Princeton—even made our Top 25. Here are 27 more worth checking out.
12 West (Montclair)
Under chef Shawn Paul Dalziel, the Upper Montclair
train station’s newest tenant is packin‘ ’em in with a
hot bar scene and a menu that runs the gamut from
burgers and steaks to pizza and pad Thai noodles.
275 Bellevue Ave, 12westmontclair.com
AMA T THE DRIFTWOOD
Ama Ristorante at the
Driftwood
(Sea Bright)
Ama had just relocated from Atlantic Highlands
when Sandy battered Sea Bright. The newcomer
became the first restaurant in town to reopen. It
features ocean views and chef Pat Trama’s Tuscan
touches, with a wine list of estate Italian vintages.
1485 Ocean Ave, amaristorante.com
Brother Jimmy’s BBQ
(New Brunswick)
Ribs come in three varieties—Northern, Southern
and Dry Rub—at this first Jersey outpost of a NYC
mini-chain, featuring tasty sides, drinks served in
Mason jars and a 45-foot-long bar. 5 Easton Ave,
brotherjimmys.com
Catelli Duo (Voorhees)
The swank second incarnation (in a new building,
with patio bar) of this modern Italian also lives up to
its name by offering two sizes of most starters and
pastas. Brunch entrées come with a complimentary
Bellini. 12101 Town Center Blvd, catelliduo.com
Despaña (Princeton)
Spinning Spain, owners Angelica and Marcos
Intriago import their proud paella and trademark
tapas from Manhattan’s SoHo to a bi-level, industri-
al-chic setting. BYO, so supply your own wine for the
sangria-mixing bar. 235 Nassau St, despanabrand-
foods.com
