NEW MILFORD -- Brothers Lou and Chris Denis opened the Garden Café on Henley Avenue, nestled behind their successful flower shop and liquor store back in 2006. Since then, their goal has been making it a gathering place for patrons, friends and family. Chris said, “It’s here where friends become family.” The Garden Café has a beautiful garden and patio where customers come to sit and relax. I think that food always tastes better when dining al fresco. This cozy café is open for breakfast and lunch with choices that include sandwiches, omelets, baked goods, and paninis like their famed Lou-da-…

Bufflalo’s Chicken Shack, located on Hackensack Street in Wood Ridge directly across the street from the high school, has been serving up the best wings and BBQ in town for that last year and half. Chef and owners Darrin and Tiffany Miles started their first restaurant venture after Darrin perfected his mother’s special BBQ sauce recipe. Noticing a lack of good wings and BBQ in the area the Miles’, who hail from Clifton, took a chance and opened their full service, BYOB chicken shack in Wood Ridge. The Miles’ have enjoyed an early success due to their amazing food. Their signature item, the …

Certified International chef W.A. Stephenson owns Stephen’s Chalet, and “Chef Steve” has brought a “world” (intended pun) of culinary wealth to Hawthorne. Stephenson, who is Caribbean but was educated in England, has worked there but also in France, Italy and Germany. Knowledgeable in American, French, German, Jamaican, Italian and Spanish cuisines, he has also worked in various Essex and Hudson County restaurants. Stephenson’s signature entrees are broiled Chilean sea bass, served over baby bok choy with fresh root ginger, coriander and hoisin scallion sauce; grilled breast of Long Island …

For a restaurant that opened without fanfare in late April, St. Eve’s appears to be doing just fine, the phone ringing off the wall in late morning with people seeking dinner reservations.   Steve and Judi Christianson, who lost their lease at the Citrus Grille in Airmont, N.Y., waited 14 months to get into their space on Maple Avenue in a new building near the Ho-Ho-Kus-Ridgewood border. The building is owned by a couple who used to dine at Citrus Grille and invited the Christiansons to “come on down” when they found out they had to move.   “We were originally looking for a place with a …

Pompilio’s Pizzeria & Restaurant in Westwood offers a culinary trifecta. Owner John Sambogna bustles back and forth from pizzeria to restaurant serving as John-of-all-trades; his son-in-law, Johnny, helps out with management, while Sambogna’s daughter, Blair, serves as the restaurant’s in-house pastry chef extraordinaire. Together they help make Pompilio’s a go-to destination when local families want a friendly, economical dining option with a diverse menu that’s sure to offer something for everyone. A recent extension to the existing original pizzeria business, the family restaurant offers …

If you’re searching for a party spot, family get together location, or just an overall fun dining experience that’s affordable, there's an ideal place right off the Garden State Parkway and Route 80. Family-run and casual, Carucci’s Restaurant & Pub has always been the popular spot in Saddle Brook for great Italian cuisine and pub favorites. Whether you're seated in the bar area with big screen televisions and pinball machines, or a spacious dining room with front and side window views, gracious service and equally great food are yours. Lunch and dinner is served at Carucci’s, and there is a …

Hani Ghobrial and his brother Sam are go-getters in the “clean” restaurant realm. When you first enter Mangiamo! Pizza & Restaurant, you notice the cleanliness, a Ghobrial staple. “The first 10 points is cleanliness,” claims Hani. “Once people first walk in, before ordering food, and asking ‘Do you guys do parties?’ or ‘Do you deliver?’ the place gives you the feeling. We spent a lot of money to put the place together. We’re not a franchise; we're little guys.” The Ghobrials own three Bergen County eateries, and their latest, as of June 10, 2010 is Mangiamo. “Really nice, very nice,” said …

Did you know that 200 Main Street in New Milford  was built back in the late 1800s? This stagecoach stop offered rooms and meals for 25 cents. During the years that followed, this quaint historical site has been home to many eateries. Main Street Grille and Tavern opened in the fall of 2010 serving up their famous sliced steak and thin crust pizza. Owner Tim Kalavrouziotis is not a newcomer to the restaurant business. Twenty five years ago, his family owned and operated Lido’s II at this same historical site. Today, Tim has partnered with Chef Damian Bonilla to make Main Street Grille and …

Santorini Taverna is a relative newcomer to the Fort Lee area, having opened scarcely two years ago, but its combination of authentic, interesting food and warm, attentive service should make it a favorite in the future. During its short run I've already heard tell of people walking across the George Washington Bridge from Washington Heights to eat here. I first came to Santorini Taverna when the weather was warmer and found its owner entertaining outside on the restaurant's porch. Though I was there just to take a couple of photos and survey the place, Angelo sat me down and served me some …

Andreas Ristorante Italiano, tucked away in a strip mall in Waldwick, has been called one of Bergen County’s best kept dining secrets. But judging by the couples and families  streaming in on a Friday night, a lot of people know the secret. “We don’t advertise,” owner Ben Mansueto admits. “My dad named the restaurant after himself and opened in one store front in 1984. The response was overwhelming and we took over the store next door six months later.” Mansueto describes himself as a third generation chef, crediting his late grandmother Anna, who immigrated from Sicily, with starting the …

Maria’s Kitchen brings a little bit of Mom’s cooking to Hasbrouck Heights. Owners Maria and John Dingertopadre have been serving up homemade goodness in a casual counter-style atmosphere for nearly a year with their grand opening occurring during the 2010 Hasbrouck Heights street fair.  There really is no occasion when Maria’s is not appropriate. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner and offering plenty of  casual seating, Maria’s has established itself as a local favorite. Breakfast begins at 5 a.m. daily but the entire menu is always available. Fresh cold cuts, homemade deli salads, and hot …

How many times do we drive down River Road in Hackensack, pass Harley’s Irish Pub and say, “I have to try that place!” Well I did and might I add this is the place for wonderful traditional Irish food and imported lagers. Patrick Harley, owner of Harley’s Irish Pub which opened in 1977, does more than cook fantastic Irish standards. For the past 15 years Harley has been giving back to the community. He closes his restaurant to the public every Thanksgiving and invites the homeless to dine with him. They leave with a warm meal in their stomach and a coat and blanket to take with them.  Harley’…

With all the standard appeal of other pizzerias apparent from the outside it's not until you taste a few items from their unique menu that you can appreciate what makes Francesca Pizza stand out from many other Italian restaurants. Brothers Salvatore and Gino Reina opened Francesca Brick Oven Pizza & Pasta in 2008. Their pizza pies, rolls and pasta dishes brim with fresh ingredients and the prices are right for families looking for a great meal. The Margherita pizza, the slice that their employees call their "most popular," is a thin slice with crushed tomatoes, mozzarella, pecorino romano …

Have you ever tried authentic Turkish food? Well, let me tell you, New Milford has a great place for a quiet lunch, a classy "bring your own bottle dinner" or a large party accommodating up to 80 guests. Toros Restaurant is located at the intersection of Henley and River roads. Owner Huseyin Bayram has more than 20 years in the restaurant business and takes pride in all three of his locations--Paterson, which opened in 1972, the Clifton restaurant which has been serving up Mediterranean cuisine for more than nine years and this adventure in dining that has come to New Milford. Toros …

This week I went to get my usual, the sirloin steak sandwich with caramelized onions au jus at New Milford Deli and Catering. This is not your average deli. It has been voted one of the Best Delis in New Jersey, according to the Better Business Bureau. Proud owner Alex Garibian and I sat down together, while I sampled the homemade lobster bisque soup. By the way, it was fantastic. Garibian and his sister, Ellen Kazanjan, have been cooking their homemade delicacies, a blend of Mediterranean, Eastern European and American cuisines since 1996 right here in the Brookchester Shopping Center. Along…