The Michelin Guide, the biggest name in fine dining, recently announced a new round of New York restaurants that had earned coveted Michelin stars. And again, New Jersey was left off the prestigious list.
This means there are still no New Jersey restaurants with Michelin stars. Zero, zilch.
Why do we care so much what a tire company has to say about food? That’s a conversation for another day. But as our snooty neighbors across the Hudson River are once again earning more culinary acclaim (New York City touts more than 70 restaurants with Michelin stars), we’re wondering why the heck the Garden State is getting snubbed so hard.
New Jersey restaurants are amazing. Don’t believe us? Just ask the New York food media, who are constantly making the trip out east to shower our restaurants with kind words. We don’t need some fancy French dining guide to tell us how good our food is, but we’re here to tell them.
Here are 11 New Jersey restaurants worthy of Michelin stars, ordered alphabetically by town.
Heirloom at The St. Laurent, Asbury Park
Is it too soon to crown Heirloom at The St. Laurent, which opened in the former Hotel Tides this past summer? Absolutely not. “Top Chef” star and James Beard award nominee David Viana was turning heads at Heirloom Kitchen in Old Bridge for years. The Jersey Shore outpost offers the same level of elite cuisine along with a phenomenal beverage program in a tasteful and airy dining room. Their menu is seasonally ever-changing, but the habit-forming duck will always be on the menu. Don’t think, just order it.
Chef Vola’s, Atlantic City
Between glitzy casino offerings and local legends, Atlantic City is overloaded with excellent eats. Yet no table may be harder to get in town than Chef Vola’s, the 101-year-old Italian restaurant set in the basement of a former boarding house, which won a James Beard Foundation America’s Classics award in 2011. Known for massive portions (like any self-respecting New Jersey Italian restaurant), their veal parmesan and banana cream pie are unbelievable and worthy of national recognition.
Corinne’s Place, Camden
Corinne’s Place was named a James Beard American Classic in 2022, but the soul food joint has a been a South Jersey institution for decades. Corinne Bradley-Powers opened the restaurant in 1989, and Cajun-spiced turkey wings, black-eyed peas and sweet potato pie were specifically mentioned in the James Beard Award citation. Bradley-Powers bought a shell of a building for $4,000 in 1987 and two years later had turned it into the 15-table Corinne’s Place. Now it’s a New Jersey culinary landmark.
Zeppoli, Collingswood
Easily the Philly burbs’ most acclaimed Italian joint, Zeppoli is a true force. The small but mighty eatery was named the No. 8 Italian restaurant in New Jersey and its rigatoni alla disgraziata the No. 8 Italian dish in New Jersey by NJ.com. Chef and owner Joey Baldino is a three-time James Beard award semifinalist. It’s only a matter of time until he wins one.
Razza Pizza Artigianale, Jersey City
If there is a betting favorite to be first in New Jersey to make the vaunted Michelin Guide, it’s likely Dan Richer’s perpetually acclaimed Jersey City pizzeria. The New York Times named it the best pizza in New York. Italian website 50TopPizza named it the No. 27 pizza in the world. And NJ.com named it the best restaurant in Jersey City’s highly competitive dining scene. It’s not just elite pizza, it’s an elite dining experience.
Steve and Cookie’s, Margate
A revered seafood restaurant in Margate that previously has been listed as one of the best restaurants in the United States, Steve and Cookie’s was a 2022 semifinalist for the the James Beard Outstanding Hospitality award. The honor is bestowed upon a “restaurant that demonstrates consistent and excellent hospitality and service to its dining community, while also making efforts to provide a sustainable work culture.”
Canal House Station, Milford
Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer are doing something special out in western New Jersey. The chefs, who were James Beard Award nominees in 2022, write about home cooking — their cookbook, “Canal House Cooks Every Day,” was the 2013 James Beard Award winner for General Cooking. Canal House Station is a hyper-seasonal restaurant that has closed for the the winter, but reopens in April for Easter dinner.
Hobby’s Delicatessen, Newark
After a two-year pastrami hiatus in which New Jersey’s most beloved Jewish deli underwent major renovations, Hobby’s finally reopened this summer. A throwback to a bygone era, the Brummer family is serving up the same incredible Jewish soul food that has made the deli absolutely irreplaceable. Katz’s in Manhattan gets all the hype, but Hobby’s is better. One bite of that salty, succulent pastrami and you’ll be convinced.
Viaggio Ristorante, Wayne
Acclaimed chef and 2020 James Beard Award nominee Robbie Felice, has turned his attention to Pasta Ramen in Montclair — one of the most anticipated new restaurants of 2023. But that anticipation is because of his incredibly popular Italian restaurant in Wayne. One of the most acclaimed young chefs in America, he has cooked across the country and throughout Europe. That experience is on display at Viaggio.
Kim’s Sushi, West Orange
There are plenty of amazing sushi restaurants that look fancier or more impressive than Kim’s. The unassuming building isn’t part of a strip mall, but it’s right next to one. But once you sit down, you’ll be treated to truly outstanding sushi and it’s so affordable you’ll feel like you’re stealing. Don’t order too much, though, as nearly every visit to Kim’s features a complimentary piece of sushi. It was named one of the top 100 places to eat in the United States in 2021 by Yelp for a reason.
The Ryland Inn, Whitehouse Station
An equestrian estate. A coveted wedding venue. A James Beard-award winning restaurant. There may be no better special occasion restaurant in New Jersey than The Ryland Inn. The gorgeous pastoral setting and pristine dining rooms are enough to warrant a trip, the steak frites and foie gras seal the fine-dining deal.
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Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com and followed on Twitter at @J_Schneider and on Instagram at @JeremyIsHungryAgain.
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