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By Joel Levin
New Brunswick grows up to become a real restaurant town
The New Jersey Turnpike, State Route 18, US Route 1, I-85 and a NJTransit main line train station bracket New Brunswick. George Washington slept there and Rutgers University was founded as Old Queens in 1766. Of course, our ancestors in the Garden State had to eat, but they cannot have imagined how many dining choices would have been available to them in 2009.
The dining scene in New Brunswick is lively and the streets are friendly. To dine very nicely and soak in some tasteful interior decor, go no further than the elegant Stage Left and Catherine Lombardi on Theater Row. Directly across the street is the brand new Christopher’s in a supersized dramatic space in the Heldrich Hotel. Within a few blocks are eateries ranging from the venerable choice of The Frog and the Peach and Harvest Moon Brewery to an assortment of authentic Mexican restaurants patronized by Mexican-Americans, hospital employees, and Rutgers students.
Our favorite Mexican is Noa Noa on French Street where our third-grade Spanish yielded portions so huge that we had to depart with leftovers. The prices are so low, you will order too many items. And if your timing is right, a Mariachi trio will interrupt the blaring jukebox.
On New Street, two blocks from Noa Noa and even lower-priced, is Taqueria El Poblano, hard-to-find but a fixture for six years. This clean hole-in-the-wall serves smiles along with authentic Mex-Amer entrees. Forget the menu and order anything within reason and watch it being assembled in the open “kitchen,” a cramped space behind the bar. It’s BYO, with a beer store providentially sited a minute away.
A bit further away is La Costena on Suydam Street, with the impact of two TVs and a thumpety-thump jukebox unexpectedly softened by the luxury of genuine burl tables and comfortable chairs. Notwithstanding its loud neon signs beckoning from a barren location on a nondescript street, La Costena has much to brag about, from the usual enchiladas and tamales to the surprising bistecca.
The first bite of Oaxacan-style steak will convince you that you’re in a remote Mexican ex-pat outpost and not in a steakhouse. Almost as dry and pounded thin as jerky, its intense concentrated sweet taste will make the diner rethink beef.
On George Street, around the corner from Theater Row, is another Mexican, the Fiesta, with a smaller menu and no atmosphere. You can’t eat atmosphere, but you can slurp down a terrific sopa de camarones that can feed two and is priced for one.
Across the street from the Fiesta is Mekong Vietnamese, which specializes in tasty noodle dishes, harsh lighting, and hard chairs (but worth every cent of the low prices). Vegans very welcome.
Also on George Street is Makeda Ethiopian, the only place in the state besides Montclair and South Orange to try spicy Abyssinian stews. It’s beautifully decorated, has matching upscale pricing, and gets crowded.
Close by on Church Street is Steakhouse 85, intriguing because even during the recession, reservations are impossible. We’ll try again. Cheek by jowl is Panico’s, and across the street is the junior version where brick-oven pizzas are the specialty. A huge pie with the works is $10. Right, not a typo. And a bottle of Sam Adams is $2.75. The low tariff makes up for the fact that the ’za will never be confused with Brooklyn’s best.
A few minutes’ stroll from the intersection of George and Livingston Streets will unveil an interesting and tasty selection of restaurants from low-rent through luxe. We discovered our favorites just through serendipity and have never been disappointed. Arrive early because parking can be dicey.
© July 2009 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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