NORTH JERSEY EATS

Pics from Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul's visit to Bottle King & more

Rebecca King
NorthJersey.com
Tacos are front and center at new XO Taco & Bar in Dumont

Hi, friends!

I hope everyone has enjoyed this beautiful weather over the past couple of days (though today is a bit drizzly). Last Thursday I made the hour-long trek over to Ironbound Farm in Asbury for its Rampfeast dinner. It was so worth it! The food was delicious — five courses (plus appetizers and cocktail pairings) all made with ramps foraged around the farm.

A visit to Ironbound is a wonderful little escape. Rampfeast is over, but you can go to ironboundhardcider.com to learn about the upcoming dinner series.

One more thing before we get to our openings: if you haven't downloaded the NorthJersey.com app yet, what are you waiting for? The app will send you news alerts relevant to you and make finding up-to-date dining news a lot simpler. Click here to download.

Openings

XO Taco & Bar, Dumont 

A refreshing drink at newly opened XO Taco & Bar in Dumont

Benny Rivero, owner of Casual Habana Restaurant in Hackensack and New Milford, has opened a non-traditional Mexican taco bar in Dumont called XO Taco & Bar. Expect plenty of tacos (including birria!) and dishes like sisig, the Filipino national dish of sizzling pork belly, and the yardbird, a Southern inspiration that features fried chicken glazed in a hot honey sauce with Mexican spices.  

XO has a full 15-seat bar serving tequila as well as mezcal drinks. Among the more unusual drinks is a chipotle mezcal paloma. $$ 20 E. Madison Ave., Dumont; 201-385-2689, xotacoandbar.com.

New restaurants:A low-cal grill bar, global kitchen and a cool gastropub: New restaurants to try now

The Franklin, Secaucus

The Franklin offers brunch — and dinner — every day of the week. The Secaucus location is the second for this Italian restaurant; the first is in Jersey City.

The restaurant is known for its eggs Benedicts, French toast and huevos rancheros at brunch. As for dinner, popular dishes include octopus in a brown butter with smashed garlic; The Franklin Burger with burrata on a brioche bun; and pasta (made in-house) with lamb ragu. The two most popular desserts are the banana foster and tiramisu. $$. 780 5th St., Secaucus; 201-777-1188, thefranklinsc.com.

Tojo's Restaurant, Ho-Ho-Kus

One of the dishes at Tojo's Restaurant in Ho-Ho-Kus

Japanese restaurant Tojo's only has four entrees on the menu so far. Those entrees include shio ramen made with a pork and chicken broth cooked for 72 hours and housemade shio truffle sauce; shoyu whiskey ramen topped with pork belly, nori and egg; chicken donburi, chicken fried rice with Japanese-style omelette; and beef curry with rice. Appetizers include tofu buns, edamame and pork buns. $$ 5 N. Franklin Turnpike, Ho-Ho-Kus; 551-210-3584, tojokitchen.com.

More new:Gold-flecked ramen, vegan donuts, kosher Peruvian and more: 6 new restaurants in North Jersey

News bites

"Breaking Bad" stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul greeting fans and signing bottles of the new mezcal Dos Hombres at a Bottle King store in Glen Rock, NJ on May 17, 2022. Hundreds of fans, some from as far away as Boston, came to see the actors. (Photo/Christopher Sadowski)

Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul of "Breaking Bad" fame stopped by the Glen Rock Bottle King on Tuesday to promote their mezcal brand, Dos Hombres.

Take a look:'Breaking Bad' stars Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul visit Glen Rock Bottle King

After a mere four months, Klaus Kronsteiner has left Luna Stella, a spacious 200-seat restaurant in Maplewood. The sous chef is now heading the kitchen, said general manager Adam Greer.

Luna Stella:After a mere 4 months, chef Klaus Kronsteiner is no longer at Luna Stella in Maplewood

Pictured is Jaleesa "Jay" Mason, co-owner of Mo & Jay Pastry. She recently competed in Food Network's Spring Baking Championship.

Jaleesa Mason, a professional baker who co-owns, with her husband, Mohamad Al-Kassem, Mo & Jay Pastry in Little Falls, won Food Network's Spring Baking Championship, which came with a $25,000 prize.

Jaleesa Mason:From Spanish Harlem to Food Network champion: NJ pastry chef wins baking show

Nicholas Gatti, one of New Jersey's most revered chefs, who worked for 19 years at the Alpine Country Club, bringing it ahead-of-its-time haute cuisine, needs a new kidney. His kidneys, wrecked by diabetes, have lost 90% of their function. Gatti is diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease.

Basically in prison waiting for a kidney:Pioneering chef Nicholas Gatti is housebound

Retired chef Nicholas Gatti is suffering from kidney failure and has to connect himself to a dialysis machine each night for ten hours as well as at least one hour a day. Gatti is photographed in the room he sleeps in separate from his wife as the machine makes too much noise.

Subscribers were treated to a roundup of the iconic ice cream shops that are now open for business. Places like Conrad's and Van Dyk's are back selling ice cream for the season.

For subscribers:Iconic ice cream shops in North Jersey that are now open for the season

That's it from me! Until we meet again, here's where to find more dining news:

NorthJersey.com | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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