The Chick-fil-A that replaced the iconic Fireplace opened this month, and every time I pass it, I think about the Jersey restaurants gone too soon.
I recall the 24-hour Empire Diner in Parsippany, and the way its massive orders of wings hit different after midnight. The melty scoops at Bischoff’s cross my mind, as well as the elegant halls (but mediocre plated dinners) of The Manor.
Digging deeper into memory, I recollect when Denville boasted a rice pudding shop called Miami Rice, and a fro-yo castle named Yogurtland.
And, when my thoughts drift to fast food? I could literally cry over Quiznos.
Despite all these closings, however, the culinary circle of life continues to work in our favor, as the past three weeks have seen twelve new restaurants open in our area.
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Here they are — and here’s hoping they’ll be as good as the late TGI Fridays on Route 46.
ORA Freestyle Italian, Oradell
ORA Freestyle Italian, a farm-to-table Italian restaurant, opened in Oradell. Dishes are made with locally-sourced ingredients, and include chef-crafted small plates, wood-fired pizza, fresh pasta and sizable entrées. Go: 304 Kinderkamack Rd., Oradell; 201-267-4304, orainthedell.com.
Spring House, Tenafly
Spring House, a “world-class bar and restaurant,” opened in Tenafly. Outside of the high-quality food, the concept is made unique by its 230 year-old digs — as it took over the Demarest-Lyle House, AKA, the oldest home in the town. Go: 91 W Clinton Ave., Tenafly; 201-353-0080, springhousetenafly.com.
Chick-fil-A, Parsippany & Paramus
Chick-fil-A, the nation’s most popular chicken franchise, hit us with a DOUBLE doozy this week by opening two North Jersey locations; one on Route 46 in Parsippany, and another on Route 17 in Paramus (the one that replaced The Fireplace). Menu highlights mirror the other franchise shops, and include spicy chicken sandwiches, popcorn-sized nuggets and underwhelming (sorry) waffle fries. Go: 1180 Route 46 in Parsippany, and 718 N State Route 17 in Paramus; chick-fil-a.com.
Retro FroYo, Bloomingdale
Retro FroYo corp. on Instagram: “Show us your FroYo masterpiece !!🪩”
Retro FroYo, a 1970s-themed frozen yogurt concept, opened in Bloomingdale. Enter its totally righteous space and enjoy self-serve fro-yo, an extensive toppings bar, vintage arcade games and classic decor. Go: 47 Main St., Bloomingdale; 973-291-4405, retrofroyo.com.
Charlie’s Place, Waldwick
Charlie’s Place opened in Waldwick. The early menu features contemporary American dishes including whipped ricotta dip, Korean BBQ baby back ribs and an elevated cheeseburger with bacon-onion jam and tomato confit. Go: 18 W Prospect St., Waldwick; 201-652-9819, charliesplacenj.com.
Just Taco, Garfield
Just Tacos, a fast-casual Mexican restaurant, opened in Garfield. It specializes in tacos (of course), with varieties such as carne asada, carnitas or hot-pressed birria with cheese. Desserts including churros and tres leches are also available. Go: 65 River Dr .#97B, Garfield; 973-272-3266, instagram.com/just_tacos1.
TACSA, Montclair
TACSA, an upscale Portuguese and Spanish-inspired bistro, opened in Montclair. The team provides itself on “boutique Michelin-level” dishes, such as seared foie gras with pāo d’avo, smoked whitefish pâté and — for dessert — a pastel de nata cronut (AKA, a croissant doughnut filled with custard). Go: 337 Bloomfield Ave., Montclair; 973-415-0001, tascabistro.com.
Stew Leonard’s, Clifton
Small, local grocery store chain Stew Leonard’s opened its latest supermarket in Clifton. The location is the second for the brand in North Jersey, and offers farm-fresh fruits and veggies, fish “straight from the docks” and produce from dozens of New Jersey vendors. Go: 467 Allwood Rd., Clifton; 973-859-7701, stewleonards.com.
16 Handles, Montclair
16 Handles, a national frozen yogurt chain known for its exceptionally creamy frozen desserts and vast topping selection, opened its latest location in Montclair. Though the flavors on tap constantly rotate, some delicious past offerings have included Nutella, Birthday Cake and Graham Cracker (my favorite). Go: 42 S. Park St., Montclair; 973-210-0004, 16handles.com.
101 Chicken, Fort Lee
101 Chicken, a Korean fried chicken restaurant where robots fry your chicken, opened in Fort Lee. The spot is led by the champion of Netlfix’s The K-Chicken War (a Korean fried chicken cook-off), and is the first in the tri-state area to use a programmable robotic arm to fry its meat. Go: 2151 Lemoine Ave., Fort Lee; 201-402-0001, 101chicken.com.
District Taco, Wayne
District Taco,an East Coast Mexican chain restaurant known for its Yucatán-style tacos & burritos, opened in Wayne. Menu highlights include black bean nachos, fish tacos and a California burrito with avocado, chipotle mayo and your choice of protein. Go: 1295 Hamburg Tpke., Wayne; 862-329-6436, districttaco.com.
Casano’s Pizza Parlor, Rutherford
Casano’s Pizza Parlor, the new pizzeria by the former owner of Tavolino’s, soft-opened in Rutherford. Current hours are 3 to 9 p.m. (Wednesday through Sunday), and current menu offerings include round pies in flavors from vodka stracciatella to crispy pepperoni. Go: 8 Highland Cross, Rutherford; instagram.com/casanospizzaparlor.
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Kara VanDooijeweert is a food writer for NorthJersey.com and The Record. If you can’t find her in Jersey’s best restaurants, she’s probably off running a race course in the mountains. Catch her on Instagram: @karanicolev & @northjerseyeats, and sign up for her North Jersey Eats newsletter.
