Jersey Bites

10/25/2026

An Old Fashioned with sesame. An espresso martini with shiitake. 👀🍸 Asbury Park’s newer arrival, Esquina Nº 525, gives you plenty to talk about over drinks.

The restaurant specializes in Nikkei cuisine. Think Japanese techniques and ingredients like miso, ponzu, and wasabi meeting Peru’s bright citrus, chiles, and bold flavors.

That spirit carries over to the cocktail list. Here’s what we tried:

🥃 Gomae Old Fashioned: Bourbon, demerara, Angostura bitters, orange, and sesame—a nutty twist on the classic.

☕ Café Exprés: Vodka, Nakanaka shochu, shiitake mushroom, and espresso. An earthy, savory turn for the espresso-martini crowd.

🍹 Solo Mírame: Blanco tequila, citrus, pomegranate, and Angostura bitters—a fruity, citrusy counterpoint to the other two.

Add a beautiful dining room and a seat where you can watch the bartenders work, and you’ve got a new stop for your next Asbury Park night out.

📍 Esquina Nº 525 | 525 Cookman Avenue
Which cocktail would you order?

10/20/2026

Millburn will be the centerpiece of a food tour arriving Sunday, November 15. This guided, 3-hour walking tour will take guests behind the counter at some of Millburn’s most exciting eateries, where chefs will offer exclusive tastings and an insider’s perspective on the town’s lauded culinary scene.

Tap the link to learn more and to purchase tickets.

Millburn will be the centerpiece of a food tour arriving Sunday, November 15. This guided, 3-hour walking tour will take guests behind the counter at some of Millburn’s most exciting eateries, where chefs will offer exclusive tastings and an insider’s perspective on the town’s lauded culinary ...

10/16/2026

New Jersey’s dining scene keeps growing, with new restaurants bringing everything from authentic Mexican cuisine and traditional Cantonese barbecue to French bistro fare, fresh sushi, and creative breakfast and brunch menus to communities statewide. This October roundup highlights the latest openings, exciting new dining destinations, and upcoming restaurants worth adding to your list.

New Jersey’s dining scene keeps growing, with new restaurants bringing everything from authentic Mexican cuisine and traditional Cantonese barbecue to French bistro fare, fresh sushi, and creative breakfast and brunch menus to communities statewide. This October roundup highlights the latest openi...

10/13/2026

🥃 A hidden wh**ky tasting room in Jersey City with a $12,500 bottle behind the bar? Now that's worth investigating!

Tucked beneath Brick Lane Curry House, House of Amrut is home to the largest collection of Amrut Indian single malt wh**ky in the U.S. We got a first look (and taste!) at this fascinating new destination. Take a peek inside! 👇

House of Amrut in Jersey City, a new wh**ky destination featuring nearly 30 Indian single malts and rare bottles worth up to $12,500.

10/09/2026

Ever wonder who's behind the design of some of NJ's most popular restaurants? 👀

From Coastal Canteen and Cuzin’s Seafood & Clam Bar to Naxos Estiatorio and Fins, Raymond Haldeman has transformed some of New Jersey’s most recognizable dining spaces.

But his approach goes beyond dramatic lighting, digital waterfalls, and jaw-dropping interiors. Having spent decades running restaurants, he knows great design also has to make money.

We sat down with Raymond to talk restaurant design, the details diners never notice, and a few trends he’d happily see disappear.

Read the story on JerseyBites.com 👇

Meet Raymond Haldeman, the restaurant designer behind some of New Jersey’s most recognizable dining rooms, from Cuzin’s to Coastal Canteen.

10/01/2026

Waterfront dining comes with quite a backdrop at Beneci's D'Italia Cucina in Weehawken. Located inside the Sheraton Lincoln Harbor Hotel, the restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner overlooking Weehawken Cove, Hoboken, and the New York City skyline—and you don’t need to be a hotel guest to dine there.

Dine at Beneci’s in Weehawken for Italian favorites, cocktails and NYC views, then make a night of it at the Sheraton Lincoln Harbor.

09/30/2026

New restaurants and food concepts are popping up across New Jersey, bringing everything from modern Italian and coastal dining to Greek cuisine, Pan-Asian fare, Indian fusion, sushi, specialty coffee, and handcrafted baked goods to communities statewide. From exciting new neighborhood spots to growing concepts making their New Jersey debut, here are some of the latest openings to add to your dining radar.

Discover new NJ restaurants opening this September, from Italian and Greek to Indian cuisine, plus exciting new spots across New Jersey.

09/29/2026

From a small Jersey City cafeteria to a growing restaurant group. 🇨🇺❤️

When Alan and Nairelys Lopez arrived in New Jersey from Cuba in 2001, they couldn't have known where their journey would take them. Today, they're the couple behind Rumba Cubana, with restaurants across New Jersey and more on the way.

We're sharing their story — the risks they took, the business they built, and the Cuban food and hospitality that remain at the heart of it all.

https://jerseybites.com/from-cuba-to-new-jersey-the-rumba-cubana-success-story/

Discover how Rumba Cubana grew from a small Jersey City café into a thriving Cuban restaurant group rooted in authentic food and hospitality.

09/28/2026

🍸 100+ spirits to sample. One night. And 40% off tickets.

The Jersey City Cocktail Festival takes over Harborside Atrium on Saturday, October 3, with 100+ spirits and cocktails to sample, local food vendors, live music, games, and more.

And we’ve got a deal for Jersey Bites readers: 40% OFF tickets through our exclusive link or use code JERSEYBITES. 🙌

📍 Harborside Atrium, Jersey City
📅 Saturday, October 3
⏰ 6–9:30 PM

Hit the link to grab your discounted tickets and start planning your night out. 🥃🍹
https://jerseybites.com/jersey-city-cocktail-festival-returns-october-3/

Jersey City Cocktail Festival returns October 3 with 100+ spirits and cocktails, food, live music and 40% off tickets for Jersey Bites readers.