Sneak peek: Here are the fall menus of 11 of Jersey’s best restaurants
When I was a kid, my parents would bring me — every September — to Riamede Farm in Chester to pick a bushel of crisp apples. Sitting on the top branches of a tree (sorry farm staff ), biting into a deep red Macintosh, I began to form the neural pathways that would forever link the taste of the fruit’s sweet flesh to the rise of the fall season. In my mind, an apple will always taste like autumn.
Last month, I contributed to a piece on where you can pick your own apples this year. While writing, I was surprised to see that some farms were already offering families experiences similar to the ones I had as a kid. Despite the 94-degree days we were (and still are) having, my subconscious leaped from August to October.
With corn and tomatoes on their way out — and apples, squash and spinach rolling in — though, the farms aren’t the only local businesses changing their offerings. Jersey’s restaurants, of course, are preparing to revamp their menus, too.
And, if they play it right? They can capitalize on the taste-to-memory nostalgia factor that certain foods, like apples for me, bring the residents of their nearby communities.
So, curious to see what the culinary stars of the state are planning to best utilize the flavors, colors and themes of the fall, I reached out to 11 of Jersey’s top restaurants.
Here’s a sneak peek at their fall menus.
The Pasta Shop, Denville
The lines around the block at The Pasta Shop are about to get even longer with the triumphant return of one of its most popular cool-weather dishes, the Ziti Norcina. Featuring house-made ziti pasta with light truffle cream, homemade sausage, pecorino and fennel pollen, the dish is a rich, hearty homage to the season. After the Summer Sweet Corn Ravioli (two weeks left on this, so grab it quick), it is my second favorite of chef Tommy Pollio’s creations.
Two other dishes the shop will be offering this fall include Tortelli di Zucca, a pumpkin-stuffed pasta in sage brown butter sauce with parmesan crema, and
a Shaved Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad with crispy potatoes, fried capers and white anchovies. I had a ravioli variation of the first in years past, and it was fantastic.
Go: 13 1st Ave, Denville; 973-2534143, thepastashopdenville.com.
Viaggio, Wayne
Viaggio may be chef Robbie Felice’s first-born culinary child, but, now that he’s off becoming an Instagram sensation, chef de cuisine Felix Gonzalez is holding down the Wayne fort — and he’s doing a great job of it.
Need proof ? Just taste the dishes Gonzalez has created for the restaurant’s fall menu. The first, Funghi di Busta, is an envelope-shaped pasta with smoked parmesan foam and mushroom fritti, while two others include a Chicken Marsala with pearl onions and a Spinach Fettucine with veal ragu, truffles and pancetta. Each are high-end, refined entrées that intelligently incorporate the earthy flavors of the season.
Go: 1055 Hamburg Tpke, Wayne; 973706-7277, viaggioristorante.com.
Tenmomi Ramen, Nutley (with market appearances)
Ramen is another dish that’s great for the dropping temperatures, and Tenmomi Ramen, a ghost kitchen in Nutley, is my favorite ramen joint in the state. I was pretty excited, then, when chef KC Gonzalez shared that he would be releasing a new bowl for the fall.
Called the Sinigang, the bowl is a play on the Filipino soup dish of the same name. Like the traditional island soup, Gonzalez’s recipe features tamarind, tomatoes, onions and fish sauce in its base. Unlike the staple dish, however, the broth is upgraded with the chef’s Drama Oil (which is for sale on his site), pork confit, garlic furikake and — as expected — noodles.
Go: 22 Washington Ave, Nutley (weekly market appearances updated on Instagram); 201-500-8582, tenmomi.com.
Saddle River Inn
It’s no secret chef Jamie Knott‘s Saddle River Inn is a great place to eat. Two months ago, our food and dining editor Esther Davidowitz even called it the “most outstanding restaurant in the state.” What is a secret, though, is what the fine French spot plans to serve this fall.
Luckily for you local diners, Knott told me that the Inn will be serving venison, lamb loin and halibut — to name a few entree dishes — this autumn. He also revealed that the venison will be accompanied
by sunchoke, apples and huckleberry gastrique, the lamb will be black trumpet mushroom-crusted, and the fish will be drizzled with a spiced red wine sauce.
Go: 2 Barnstable Ct, Saddle River; 201-825-4016, saddleriverinn.com.
Black Magic Bakehouse
Fall is almost synonymous with baking season, so Black Magic Bakehouse owner Deanne Veliky is hard at work prepping some sweet treats to serve this September through November.
Honoring the cinnamon, clove and nutmeg-spiced flavors of the season, Veliky’s already created Dirty Chai Doughnuts, Pumpkin Charcoal Doughnuts and Pumpkin Cheesecake Cinnamon Buns, to name a few. The treat I’m most excited to try, however, is her upcoming caramel-stuffed Apple Fritter.
Go: Black Magic Bakehouse is a cottage kitchen. To order, visit blackmagicbakehouse.com on a Monday or Tuesday. Pick up is Sunday at 66A Park Avenue in Hillsdale.
Common Lot, Millburn
Chef and owner Ehren Ryan of finedine BYOB Common Lot doesn’t just talk the farm-to-table talk, he walks the culinary seasonal walk.
Which is why he can’t be completely sure what his fall menu will feature. However, when it does debut, it will such appetizers as a BBQ Cabbage and Endive Salad with burrata and tahini, as well as Foraged Mushrooms with fresh cheese, grilled onions and malt vinegar sauce. One of the entrées to be served is a Pork Tenderloin with apple ketchup, hazelnut, chorizo and orzo.
Go: 27 Main St, Millburn; 973-4670494, commonlot.com.
Missy’s Main Street Cafe, Rockaway
At some restaurants, fall means butternut squash and cinnamon spice. But at Rockaway’s favorite brunch restaurant? It’s all about Halloween. In fact, the spooky season-loving staff has designed an entire “Halloween Menu” of specials to be run throughout October. Many of the fun dishes make references to pop culture staples of the holiday.
The Monster Smash, for example, features smashed tater tots, bacon, jalapeños, eggs and Jersey Barnfire Garden State Green Sauce. And, returning from last year? The Nightmare on East Main Street — a large, meaty sandwich with steak, eggs, bacon, caramelized onions and homemade garlic aioli on imported sourdough.
And, yes, there will be pumpkin pancakes, too.
Go: 181 E Main Street, Rockaway; 973625-0552, missysmainstreetcafe.com.
Fiorentini, Rutherford
When I asked the team at Fiorentini to send me their fall menu plans, they described their upcoming dishes very vividly. In their words, then, here are a couple entrées that will debut on September 21:
“The NJ Black Seabass,” the team described, “is available in the fall, so we clean, portion and sear it on a crispy skin. Then, in Italy, legumes are always a part of the fall diet, so we choose the Italian butter beans whose creaminess and buttery flavor make the perfect combination with the white fish.”
Another dish will be a Handmade Honeynut Squash Cappelletto because the chefs “can’t wait to use squash.” The honeynut, they said, provides a “sweet and nutty flavor” to the pasta”that makes the perfect combination with its Mostarda di Cremona, amaretto and mascarpone filling.”
Go: 98 Park Avenue, Rutherford; 973721-3404, fiorentinirest.com.
Gioia Mia, Montclair
Last year, Gioia Mia took over the beloved Fascino in Montclair and — ever since — 26-year-old chef Logan Ramirez
has been turning out some incredible dishes. From the early looks of it, his fall menu will be no exception.
Beginning in mid-September, Ramirez will be serving a seasonally-inspired twist on his classic Heritage Pork Chop that includes apple miso, swiss chard, guanciale and a cider glaze. He also plans to do a kobocha squash and stracciatella cheese-filled agnolotti pasta, and a pumpkin risotto with maple whipped mascarpone and ricotta salata. I am going to sample these entrées, amongst others, on September 20, so be sure to follow me at @northjerseyeats to keep up with that journey.
Go: 331 Bloomfield Ave, Montclair; 973-233-0350, gioiamianj.com.
Diane’s Dairy, Towaco
In New Jersey, ice cream isn’t a summer thing — it’s an all year thing. And when autumn hits? Garden State residents go nuts for pumpkin ice cream. Diane’s Dairy, using a 16-percent butterfat mix, makes one of the tastiest versions of the dessert around. Called Pumpkin Patch, the flavor is already available for scooping.
However, the mother-daughter owned spot isn’t just serving one ice cream flavor for the fall. Some of its other limited edition offerings include Strawberry Rhubarb Pie (because pie seems fall enough, even if strawberries aren’t), pumpkin soft serve and more.
Go: 446 Main Rd Suite #8, Towaco; 973-265-4620, facebook.com/DianesDairy.
Blue Steel Pizza Co., Bloomfield
Blue Steel Pizza Co. may be my favorite Jersey restaurant, so I lose my mind every time the team announces new dishes. The trendy spot’s upcoming menu, however, might include some of chef Lawrence Talis’s best creations yet. Here are a few things he has planned.
The restaurant will serve a Lamb Kofta with Greek yogurt, pomegranate, fried brussels sprouts and yuzu kosho mint, which will hit flavor profiles from sweet to savory and umami. Talis also plans to offer a colorful, unconventional Carrot Gnocchi and -- wait for it -- a Duck Confit Pizza. With whipped gorgonzola, shredded mozzarella, caramelized onion, fig jam, pistachio and tender duck all piled on Detroit-style crust, odds are high the pie will be the tastiest the restaurant has ever made.
Go: 285 Glenwood Ave, Bloomfield; 973-678-1873, bluesteelpizzaco.com.
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 , join our NorthJerseyEats Facebook group , and sign up for her North Jersey Eats newsletter .