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Anthony
January 31, 2011
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Featured Cuisines
Passaic
Tacos Matamoros
Anthony
December 17, 2010
Grab one of the 12 seats or 3 stools in this tiny Clifton spot and enjoy some of Northern New Jersey’s best tacos, huaraches, sopes and other Mexican street food staples. The soft corn tortillas are homemade and delicious. The taco fillings (chicken, pork, tongue, chorizo, beef, tripe) are grilled just right and served with onions, radishes, jalapenos, and even pineapple.
Quesadillas de Huitlacoche @ Tacos Matamoros
© 2010 EthnicNJ.com
Quesadillas de huitlacoche (corn smut) are surprisingly light, made with large homemade corn tortillas, queso fresco, sliced jalapenos, corn with huitlacoche, and a drizzle of sour cream. Tacos Matamoros also serves breakfast, tortas and main dishes.
Everything’s cheap, the service is straightforward, and Spanish will come in handy.
Tick Tock Diner
Anthony
October 25, 2010
The Tick Tock is the classic New Jersey diner. The chrome exterior and neon sign have welcomed generations of hungry Route 3 drivers heading into and home from the City. Open 24 hours, the many tables and booths in the large dining room are just as likely to be full at 3 am as at noon.
Like all great diners, the menu is extensive, and covers all the bases. Breakfast: omelettes, pancakes, Irish Benedict (poached eggs, hollandaise sauce and corned beef hash on an english muffin) and Captain Crunch French Toast (crusted in Captain Crunch cereal). Lunch: Taylor ham and egg, French Dip, and the Happy Waitress (open-faced grilled American cheese with bacon, tomato and fries). Dinner: Meatloaf, seafood, and Penne a la Vodka. Hungry yet? Leave room for homemade cheesecake. More than a greasy spoon, Tick Tock’s food is well above-average, for diner fare. The famous sign out front says it all: “Eat Heavy.”
Chengdu 46
Anthony
October 9, 2010
We had high hopes for Chengdu 46, frequently mentioned as New Jersey’s top Chinese restaurant. Given some of the reviews I’ve read, I thought the Sichuan fare would crack my top three Chinese. Not so, unfortunately. The Dumplings in Spicy Sauce aren’t, and the Spicy Volcano Beef is so salty (and this is saying something given my palate) I couldn’t taste anything else after two mouthfuls. The Cold Sesame Noodles taste fine and our solemn waiter in a tux put on quite a show preparing the Bananas Flambee, but the resulting dessert is too bitter to eat. Perhaps Chengdu 46 is living off past glory, serving expensive Chinese food to upscale, overwhelmingly non-Chinese diners.
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Rutt’s Hut
Anthony
September 28, 2010
Update
I visited the restaurant/bar side of Rutt’s Hut recently. “Old school” immediately comes to mind when you sit at the well-worn bar and read the menu on the wall, with Jersey basics like “Taylor Ham” and egg, and fried clam strip sandwiches. Beck’s is the most exotic brew on tap. (Rutt’s will never be confused with a gastropub.) Daily specials – think brisket and meatloaf – are listed on a whiteboard. The main draw, of course, is still the rippers and fries. Everything that comes over the pass from the kitchen is cheap and satisfying.
Royal “Abe” Rutt opened his roadside stand here in 1928. The Karagiorgis family, which has owned Rutt’s since 1974, last month lost John Karagiorgis to a heart attack.
Review – September 2010
You’re here for the deep fried hot dogs. Order a “Ripper” at the counter. Add the sweet-spicy yellow relish. Eat. If you prefer your hot dog deep fried until blackened, ask for a “Creamator.” You might also try the onion rings or fries with gravy. Wash it down with a beer on tap. Repeat.
Atmosphere? Rutt’s Hutt is an asphalt oasis between Route 21 and an exit ramp. A stand-up indoor counter room on the right, a dive bar with table service on the left. Haven’t tried the bar side. Plenty of room to eat at the counters. Kid-friendly.
It’s all about the hot dogs at Rutt’s Hut, and for taste, toppings and gritty atmosphere, there is no better Jersey dog.