Hi, friends!
Last autumn I set out to write a story about Smorgasburg in Jersey City. Smorgasburg is a weekly, open-air food festival with super unique dishes you’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else in the area (like duck fat poutine and wagyu burgers on an ube bun).
Welp… then it promptly closed for the season. So, I had to wait until it reopened in the spring. Finally, that time has come! So, for any adventurous eaters out there, I present to you my deep dive into Smorgasburg.
Smorgasburg: Everything you need to know about the Saturday food market in Jersey City
Openings
Eddie V’s, Paramus
Fine seafood restaurant Eddie V’s has opened a location at Garden State Plaza. The seafood is flown in daily from around the world. Dishes include Chilean sea bass, Parmesan sole and crab fried rice. Prime steaks carved by the in-house butcher are also available. Showy cocktails and an extensive wine list are also available. $$$. At Garden State Plaza, 1 Garden State Plaza Blvd., Paramus; 201-518-1558, eddiev.com.
New restaurants: Gold-flecked ramen, vegan donuts, kosher Peruvian and more: 6 new restaurants in North Jersey
Cast Iron Pot, Little Ferry
Cast Iron Pot is a classic all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue joint. The 7,000-square-foot restaurant is located in a strip mall next to the H-Mart in Little Ferry. Guests will pick their meat, which has been freshly cut in the open kitchen and have it made right in front of them in a big cast iron pot. The buffet is $36.95 per person. $$$. 260 Bergen Turnpike, Little Ferry; 201-853-9520, castironpotbbq.com.
More new: A Brazilian steakhouse, a charming bistro and Latin fusion: 10 new restaurants to try now
Closures
Mima’s Cuban Cafe, East Rutherford
Mima’s Cuban Cafe, a fast-casual restaurant in East Rutherford, has succumbed to the devastation COVID-19 has inflicted on so many restaurants. Its last day will be June 15.
Chef and owner Kassandra Gutierrez, an alum of the Culinary Institute of America, said that her three-year-old restaurant “just couldn’t recover from COVID-19,” which was made that much worse by the startling increase in food prices.
Closing soon: Mima’s Cuban Cafe in East Rutherford set to close doors due to COVID
Opening soon
Sa’Moto, Paramus
Sa’Moto, Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s pan-Asian restaurant, will open soon in Garden State Plaza. Morimoto is a Japan-born celebrity chef who has received numerous awards including a James Beard Foundation Award and a Michelin star. The menu will feature dim sum items such as spicy chicken wonton and crab spring rolls as well as appetizers like popcorn shrimp and spicy edamame. Ramen dishes include chicken wonton with ramen noodles and a miso-glazed fried tofu vegan soup.
Sa’Moto: Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto to open a restaurant in Paramus
Czen, Englewood
Czen — pronounced season — a Caribbean-Asian fusion restaurant, will take over the spot where Biddy O’Malley’s was, next door to the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood. Owner Ron Hall hopes to be open at the end of July.
Asked why a Caribbean and Asian restaurant, an amalgamation of two rather different cuisines, Hall answered, “Everyone likes to go the Caribbean and everybody loves sushi and Asian food. I thought, “Let’s try to fuse everything together.'”
Czen: Caribbean-Asian restaurant to open in Englewood in Biddy O’Malley’s former space
News bites
Sol-Mar, a Portuguese restaurant in the Ironbound district of Newark, is ramping up for its multi-day celebration of Portugal Day. It will run from June 10 to 12 and feature performances from Portuguese artists. Plenty of food will be served, as well.
Portugal Day: Try a variety of food at Portugal Day celebration in Newark’s Ironbound district
And finally, for anyone fighting off early-summer boredom: here’s a list for you! I’ve created a summer bucket list for North Jersey food lovers. Happy eating!
Summer bucket list: North Jersey foodies, don’t miss these experiences
That’s it from me! Until we meet again, here’s where to find more dining news:
NorthJersey.com | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Cost key:
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$ Affordable (can get a filling meal for under $15 per person)
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$$ Average (can get a filling meal for $15 to $25 per person)
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$$$ Pricey (can get a filling meal for $30 to $40)
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$$$$ Treat yours
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Smorgasburg, an Iron chef coming NJ + more