Voice's Best of 2008

Best Outer Borough You Can Still Afford
Downtown Jersey City

You can still afford it, but just barely. As we write, luxury condos are sprouting up like mushrooms (not the magical kind) in Downtown Jersey City, but in their shadows are rows of brownstones, skyline views, a massive state park, and some diverse and delish grub. Transportation to Lower Manhattan takes eight minutes and costs less than the subway. And even if rent prices are creeping up into Park Slope range, one thing Jersey City has that the New York City boroughs don?t is a decent supermarket like the ones you remember from back home in Bumblefuck. Join the frequent shopper club and, come Thanksgiving, you?ll be thanking us for that free 16-pound turkey in your freezer.

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It?s Greek to Me
194 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, New Jersey, 201-222-0844

For the meaty fare of the Greek mainland, check out It?s Greek to Me, a Jersey chain with an annoying name that offers killer zucchini fritters called kolokithokeftedes.

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Philippine Bread House
530 Newark Ave.
Jersey City, NJ
201-659-1753

If you love white bread, you?ll love the soft rolls called pan de sal at Philippine Bread House, where a steam table also presents savory stews and roasts, and every other baked good contains eye-searing purple yam.

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Dosa Hut
777 Newark Avenue,
Jersey City, New Jersey,
201-420-6660

Sure, we love the dosas on Newark Avenue in Jersey City?but we love the upma even more. You can get this gussied-up cream of wheat, studded with pistachios, black-mustard seeds, and mellow cardamom, at Dosa Hut. And it?s not just for breakfast anymore!

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Suez Canal
117 Tonnele Avenue,
Jersey City, NJ
201-333-5305

Jersey City?s Alexandrian fish places have become legendary. The best is Suez Canal, where the modest premises belie some of the freshest locally caught fish around, rubbed with whole-wheat flour and charcoal-grilled?peel and discard the skin to reveal the smoky flesh.

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"Wildest Weenies" --
Boulevard Drinks
48 Journal Square
Jersey City, New Jersey NY
201-656-1855

Jersey shouldn't be called the Garden State, it should be re-dubbed the Hot Dog State. From the ripped glory of a Rutt's Hut frank, to the buttermilk-sided wonder of a Hot Dog Johnny's dog, the state excels in wild weenies. Our own nearest outpost is Journal Square's ancient Boulevard Drinks. What a civilized name, calling up to the imagination, maybe, a Paris landmark! Boulevard's only solid offering is a frank festooned, according to the sign, with chili, onions, and cheese. You'll quickly discover, though, that both the chili and the onions have been cooked down into a single delicious substance.

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"Least Horrible Franchise" --
FATBURGER
286 Washington Street
Downtown Jersey City
201-332-2244

I hope you won't hold it against me, but I'm fond of FATBURGER, the California chain that manages to incorporate maximum grease and salt into everything. Most compelling are the gloppy third-of-a-pound burgers; thick, thick milk shakes made from actual ice cream; and the sweet brown onion rings.

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Casa Dante
737 Newark Avenue, Jersey City
NY 07306
201-795-2750

Though we were tempted to treat the 13th-century poet to a truly hellish meal at one of Frank Bruni's favorite places to thank him (Dante, not Bruni) for mapping hell in The Divine Comedy, our better side won out, and so we decided to take him to his namesake restaurant, Casa Dante in Jersey City, where we'll regale him with Italian-American fare. The use of prosciutto in the superb linguine with filetto de pomadoro sauce may astonish him, since prosciutto is never used in sauces where he comes from.

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Freshest fish in the City
Morgan Seafood Restaurant
2801 Kennedy Boulevard
Jersey City NJ, 201-792-2400

It used to be that "Go to the Greeks" was the best advice for someone seeking the freshest, unfussiest seafood, and we can remember many splendid Astorian meals of grilled whole fish with a just a squeeze of lemon, a handful of fries, and a feta-planked salad. But let us turn now to the Egyptians of Alexandria, who have an even sparer fish cuisine, based on grilled whole fish and fried fillets, served elegantly with a sauce of herbed tahini. Morgan Seafood (named after the pirate Henry Morgan?) is the top spot, where your fish choice is often limited to porgy, sea bass, mullet, and whiting.

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Ibby's Falafel
303 Grove St.
Jersey City, NJ 07302
201-432-2400

I'm afraid this humble Middle Eastern caf? puts our own Mamoun's to shame, serving exceptionally fresh-tasting mezze, whipping up the lightest baba ghanoush on the planet, and twirling an amazing shawarma, which shatters into salty, smoky fragments as it's heaped over rice. A further specialty is the pastries, which you'll find arranged on top of the refrigerator case.


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Sri Ganesh's Dosa House
809 Newark Ave.
Jersey City, NJ 07306
201-222-3883

While most southern Indian spots offer only a handful of dosas, at Sri Ganesh's?named after the handsome Hindu elephant god?the roster runs to 66. That means you can freak out and order pessaratu, its wrapper turned verdant green with herbs, or spring dosa, filled with saut?ed onions and peppers but enfolding zero potatoes. Another strong point is the porridges, including upma (cream of wheat studded with toasted cashews) and pongal (lentils and mung beans with pungent spices). The accompanying coconut and peanut chutneys are made from scratch, and the free sambar is all you can eat.

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Dosa Hut
777 Newark Ave.
Jersey City, NJ 07306
201-420-6660

Not to be confused with establishments featuring various spellings of the same name, Jersey's Dosa Hut is a yellow-hued greasy spoon with cheap, excellent, and strictly vegetarian South Indian fare. The list of 30 different dosas makes for interesting reading, but the butter masala dosa is a can't-lose choice. Unusual dishes abound, including a quartered and deep-fried rendition of iddly dumplings, and a cold rice pudding called curd rice. Flavored with curry leaves, it's sour instead of sweet.

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Taquer?a Downtown
236 Grove St.
Jersey City, NJ 07302
201-333-3220

An antique corner bar has been transformed into a comfy Mexican taquer?a with a rather quirky menu, from which guacamole, fajitas, nachos, and burritos have been banished from the menu, and reviled as "not authentic." Never mind, the red or green enchiladas are well made and not badly priced, the tasty tacos served on a pair of soft corn tortillas, and the soup of the day (today, chicken loaded with vegetables) a great light meal. Though the food is made with the freshest ingredients, it tends to be bland, with virtually no chiles. Authentic? I think not!

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Patel Snacks
785 Newark Ave.
Jersey City, NJ
( Note: The Village Voice thinks it is in Linden)
201-714-9676

This ancient, strictly vegetarian snack shop with seating specializes in Gujarati and Punjabi tapas, which often take the form of chats: spoonable accumulations of fritters, crunchies, and sauces, one of which may be yogurt. Among Gujarati snacks are dokla, spongy yellow cakes shotgunned with black mustard seeds and glistening green chiles; and kachori, pillow-size fritters stuffed with green peas and served with yogurt and fried noodles. Gujarati snacks can be turned into a vegetarian hamburger (pav) by being placed in a bun. Punjabi snacks include samosas and various bread and curried chickpea combinations. Wow! Caution: spicy.

bluehorse wrote:
Quote:

punchy wrote:
Quote:

Eleanor_A wrote:
Jersey City ISN'T an "outer borough.

It's a WHOLE OTHER STATE! If you live here and work in NYC you HAVE TO pay NJ state tax.

While you do have to pay NJ state tax, a big plus of JC is you don't have to pay NYC income tax (which is pretty big, on top of NY state tax.)

Actually, you only have to pay NJ state taxes on income you earned in NJ (eg interest, capital gains). If you work in NY, you pay NY state taxes and get credit for it in NJ. So you are NOT double taxed by NY and NJ. As mentioned above, you also don't have to pay NY city taxes if you live in JC. The annoying thing is having to file both NY and NJ taxes.


If you've been paying both NY and NJ state taxes, you should get an accountant to clear that up.

GrovePath wrote:
[b][size=x-large]


[b][size=x-large]BTW - Hoboken only got one award this year and it was for "Fiore House of Quality" a Vietnamese Restaurant - and I think Nha Trang on Newark Avenue is better.


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brian_em wrote:
Nothing is worse than some dude who grew up in ohio and moves to brooklyn in his mid 20s and then "Hates Jersey".

Articles like this scare me, because the last thing we all want is for people looking to move to brooklyn to settle in JC instead.

Someone needs to write an article explaining that we live in JC because it's NOT brooklyn.

GrovePath wrote:

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...and the "Least Horrible Franchise"

FATBURGER
286 Washington Street
Downtown Jersey City
201-332-2244

I hope you won't hold it against me, but I'm fond of FATBURGER, the California chain that manages to incorporate maximum grease and salt into everything. Most compelling are the gloppy third-of-a-pound burgers; thick, thick milk shakes made from actual ice cream; and the sweet brown onion rings.

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rory_bellows wrote:
I've never eaten there but hear the fish is pretty fresh.

GrovePath wrote:
Has anyone eaten here?
What is it like?
How's the food?

Quote:

Voice's Best of 2008:

Freshest fish in the City

Morgan Seafood Restaurant
2801 Kennedy Boulevard
Jersey City NJ, 201-792-2400

It used to be that "Go to the Greeks" was the best advice for someone seeking the freshest, unfussiest seafood, and we can remember many splendid Astorian meals of grilled whole fish with a just a squeeze of lemon, a handful of fries, and a feta-planked salad. But let us turn now to the Egyptians of Alexandria, who have an even sparer fish cuisine, based on grilled whole fish and fried fillets, served elegantly with a sauce of herbed tahini. Morgan Seafood (named after the pirate Henry Morgan?) is the top spot, where your fish choice is often limited to porgy, sea bass, mullet, and whiting. 2801 Kennedy Boulevard, Jersey City, New Jersey, 201-792-2400

Voice's Best of 2008:

Freshest fish in the City

Morgan Seafood Restaurant
2801 Kennedy Boulevard
Jersey City NJ, 201-792-2400

It used to be that "Go to the Greeks" was the best advice for someone seeking the freshest, unfussiest seafood, and we can remember many splendid Astorian meals of grilled whole fish with a just a squeeze of lemon, a handful of fries, and a feta-planked salad. But let us turn now to the Egyptians of Alexandria, who have an even sparer fish cuisine, based on grilled whole fish and fried fillets, served elegantly with a sauce of herbed tahini. Morgan Seafood (named after the pirate Henry Morgan?) is the top spot, where your fish choice is often limited to porgy, sea bass, mullet, and whiting. 2801 Kennedy Boulevard, Jersey City, New Jersey, 201-792-2400

punchy wrote:
Quote:

Eleanor_A wrote:
Jersey City ISN'T an "outer borough.

It's a WHOLE OTHER STATE! If you live here and work in NYC you HAVE TO pay NJ state tax.

While you do have to pay NJ state tax, a big plus of JC is you don't have to pay NYC income tax (which is pretty big, on top of NY state tax.)

Eleanor_A wrote:
Jersey City ISN'T an "outer borough.

It's a WHOLE OTHER STATE! If you live here and work in NYC you HAVE TO pay NJ state tax.

Eleanor_A wrote:

I just hate when it's called "NYC's SIXTH borough."