6 Essex County Restaurants Make ‘Best Of NJ’ List

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Several Essex County towns had restaurants that made the 2018 cut for NJ Monthly’s “30 Best Restaurants in New Jersey.” Local diners will recognize most of them from previous years’ lists.

Earlier this month, NJ Monthly released an expanded list for 2018; previous years named 25 eateries as opposed to 30. It’s a sign of the diversity of the Garden State’s restaurant culture, according to the publication. (Read the full list here)

In Essex County, the following restaurants made the 2018 list:

Maplewood – Lorena’s

NJ Monthly says: “An excellent and unexpected value at lunch, with substantial selections, Lorena’s at dinner becomes a luxurious fine-dining destination. Chef Humberto Campos Jr. and his wife, Lorena, specialize in elevating the standard repertoire, and do so in an especially comfortable and intimate-feeling pair of dining rooms.”

• See related article: Maplewood Couple Behind Lorena's Planning New Restaurant

Maplewood – Verjus

NJ Monthly says: “Not only can he cook marvelous French food, [Charles Tutino] is just as good with Italian, German, American and other cuisines. He admits he is not a creator of dishes, but for 17 years, he and his wife, the gracious hostess Jane Witkin, have kept Verjus vital by making the tried-and-true seem new.”

• See related article: French Classics Reinvented at Verjus

Millburn - Common Lot

NJ Monthly says: “Every detail has purpose; the total is complex yet unified. Examples abound: tuna ceviche with salmon roe, avocado, chili, radish, lime and coconut cream; char-grilled octopus with onion relish and potato salad; goat-cheese cheesecake with walnuts and lemon gel. For all its sophistication, this food doesn’t ask you to bow down; it serenely lifts you up.”

• See related article: Millburn Restaurant Scene: Common Lot Opens On Main Street

Montclair – Fascino

NJ Monthly says: “In Fascino’s 15th year, chef Ryan DePersio and his team continue to keep their flagship restaurant rewarding and relevant, a go-to for modern Italian food…. And you don’t have to be a vegetarian to find the three-course vegetarian menu sensuous and satisfying.”

• See related article: Montclair Restaurant Ranked Among State's Best For 2015

Montclair – Laurel and Sage

NJ Monthly says: “As it happens, Shawn Dalziel’s pad Thai noodles with corn sauce have no gluten, dairy or animal protein (though you can add the latter). About a quarter of his customers, he says, want to avoid those things, and he happily obliges, creating dishes that sacrifice nothing in pleasure.”

• See related article: Montclair's Laurel and Sage Makes 'Best Restaurant' List For 2016

Newark – Marcus B&P

NJ Monthly says: “As co-owner of 33 restaurants around the world, Marcus Samuelsson is certainly one of the food world’s most successful brands. But sitting in Marcus B&P, you feel the imprint of an actual person, one with a verve for connecting people over food, drink and art that reflect his own unique background (Ethiopia/Sweden/the Big Apple), as well as that of the local community.”

• See related article: Newark Reborn: Hahne and Company Building Revived To Fanfare

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