The ‘Stuffle’ — stuffed waffle — was the best thing we ate this week Food
Happy 2024, North Jersey!
If you read my newsletter two weeks ago, you know I was still deciding on my New Year’s resolution. Well, I’ve got it: I am going to be better about brushing my teeth.
Now, that doesn’t imply I don’t already brush them, it’s just that I brush them wrong. Allow me to explain.
Given my profession, I have the opportunity — each night — to indulge in the best eats the state has to offer. That means, around 11 p.m., I have the irresistible flavor of top tier desserts (think crème brûlée cream puffs, or chocolate ganache cake) on my tongue.
And those sweets? Taste a lot better than spearmint.
So, generally, I’ll go brush them — but then I’ll go back for more dessert.
Because, if I can fall asleep with the vision of Jersey’s finest sugar plums in my head, or a pasty tube of Colgate, I’m going with the treats.
Anyways, here are the best things I ate this week.
Crispy Spicy Shrooms, Fat Choy
These are vegetables, but are they really vegetables?
Battered, deep-fried and coated in sweet and spicy caramel sauce, these Crispy Shrooms are vegetables that kids would have no problem eating.
In other words, they’re vegetables in concept, but not in practice.
Featuring a blend of crispy hon shimeji and oyster mushrooms in a sticky, savory marinade, this dish is chef Justin Lee’s vegan play on spicy Mongolian beef. Closer to a TGI Friday’s appetizer than a nutrient-packed crop, you’ll probably end up eating them like popcorn — especially due to their bite-size shape.
Go: 52 E Palisade Ave., Englewood; 201-408-4581, fatchoyworld.com.
The ‘Stuffleufugus’ Stuffed Waffle, Bogota Press Cafe
PSA: Stuffed waffles exist (and they’re in New Jersey).
Found at the Bogota Press Cafe — a charming brunch destination boasting some of the most unique coffee creations in Bergen County — each one features a variety of breakfast-y toppings inside of a hot, cooked-to-order Belgian waffle.
Upon my visit to the spot, I tasted a few different “Stuffles,” including a sugar-topped chocolate and strawberry one. The best of the bunch, however, was the Stuffleufugus.
Loaded with sausage, eggs, cheese and bacon (and served with a pipette of pure maple syrup), the decadent brunch dish was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and perfectly struck the balance between sweet and salty.
If the McGriddle were actually good, I bet it’d taste something like this.
Go: 1000 W Fort Lee Rd. Suite C, Bogota; 201-678-1405, bogotapresscafe.com.
Chicken Sandwich, Embark Smoked Meats
I was crushed when Boonton-favorite Thai Ping closed its doors a few months ago (really; I even wrote it a eulogy), but, when I heard the space would resurrect as a barbecue restaurant? I quickly forgot my curry puff-blues.
For as long as I’ve lived in North Jersey (but, mind you, I moved in after Kimchi Smoke transitioned to a pop-up/ food truck), the area has been desperate for good burnt ends and brisket — and the new spot, Embark Smoked Meats, definitely delivers. The best thing on the menu, though, isn’t cow or pork at all, but a saucy, crunchy Chicken Sandwich.
I loved everything about this sloppy creation; the richly-flavored breading on the chicken, the tangy house-made honey mustard, the soft potato bun that absorbed the juice of the sous vide(!) fried white meat.
Looking back, the only thing I liked better than the sandwich itself was its incredibly literal name.
Go: 811 Main St., Boonton; 973-9349263, embarksmokedmeats.com.
Homemade Peanut Butter Chocolate Ganache Cheesecake, Charlotte’s Web
Nothing too deep, just one of my favorite cheesecakes in North Jersey.
Homemade at local landmark restaurant Charlotte’s Web by owner Stephanie Stubing, the comforting treat features layers of peanut butter-infused filling and melty chocolate fudge over the thickest graham cracker crust imaginable. Sinfully delicious (and satisfyingly sweet), each creamy bite will remind you of a holiday at Grandma’s.
Go: 39 W Clinton St., Dover; 973-3289387, charlotteswebinn.com.
Paneer Tikka Pizza, LaZeez by Dhaba
There’s a lot of great Indian food in New Jersey, and there’s a lot of great pizza in New Jersey.
But every Indian food pizza-fusion I’ve tried so far? Disappointing. All too often, the curry sauces are too watery, and traditional pizza dough isn’t nearly thick enough to clean up the mess.
LaZeez by Dhaba in Parsippany, however, nails the concept. With hearty curry gravies taking the place of marinara sauce, and crust even spongier than naan, each Desiwala pizza the team serves is delicious. My favorite is the restaurant’s Paneer Tikka pie, because it’s essentially cheese on top of cheese (over a makhani sauce base).
Taking comfort food to an interesting new level, the unique creation tastes like something I assume you’d find in an international Pizza Hut.
Go: 745 Route 46, Parsippany; 973878-0062, lazeeznj.com.
Spinach & Feta Stuffed Cheesy Bread, Domino’s
Somewhere between spanakopita and stuffed crust pizza (without the pizza), this was great.
Picture Domino’s standard cheesy bread — AKA, the only good thing on the restaurant’s menu — but stuffed with spinach and feta.
So, yeah. If you ever get stranded in rural America, order this and you’ll survive.
(Culinarily, at least).
Go: Definitely in your town, probably on your block. Find a location at dominos.com/en/restaurants.
Hungry for more?
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With January in full swing, we’ve got all the hot deets on the new restaurants coming to Jersey in 2024.
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 , and sign up for her North Jersey Eats newsletter .