No one knows restaurants like food writers, and the USA TODAY Network has dozens across the country.
For the inaugural USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year list, we collaborated to nominate honorees nationwide. The restaurants did not have to be the fanciest, the most well-known, or be led by award-winning chefs. They needed to be the kind of places we recommend to friends and family, or visit to impress out-of-town guests.
We were looking for restaurants that leave you thinking about the food long after you've paid the bill.
The final list includes three restaurants from New Jersey — Heirloom Kitchen in Old Bridge, Al-Basha in Paterson and Sushi by Sea in Ridgefield — but many more deserve to be recognized. If we had a chance to nominate more, here are seven Shore restaurants we would have chosen.
Anjelica's Restaurant, Sea Bright
On a warm summer night at the Jersey Shore, a table in the garden alley alongside Anjelica's is where you want to be.
It is the kind of atmosphere that whisks you away to another place, with stone underfoot, twinkling lights overhead and white tablecloths under your plate. The food is comforting and far from fussy: ravioli with housemade ricotta, veal scallopini, and meatballs with garlic toast.
Anjelica Lena, second-generation owner of the nearly 30-year-old restaurant that bears her name, added something extra a few summers ago: a street food stand selling Italian sandwiches stuffed with things like mortadella and burrata, plus paper cones of fried shrimp, scallops, clams and calamari.
Go: 1070 Ocean Ave., Sea Bright; 732-842-2800, anjelicas.com.
Cardinal Provisions, Asbury Park
Talk about a restaurant with heart.
Laura Brahn and Grace Crossman built their charming breakfast, brunch and lunch spot on busy Bangs Avenue with their own hands, then opened during a snowstorm. They make magic in their 1,400-square-foot space, putting out comforting and beautiful dishes like cacio e pepe scrambled eggs, steak and eggs Benedict, eggplant parmesan pizza bagels, and Crossman's famous cream-filled xuixo pastries.
It's not easy to stand out in one of New Jersey's most well-known dining cities, but Brahn and Crossman continue to do so — and with gratitude.
"We would do anything to keep you feeling well taken care of," they shared on social media for their eighth anniversary in January. "We care about you an absurd amount and know that a huge amount of you care about us too — who could ask for anything more."
Go: 513 Bangs Ave., Asbury Park; 732-898-7194,crdnal.com.
Little Sumo's Sushi, Surf City
Little Sumo's has sat inconspicuously in a Long Beach Island strip mall since 2007.
Specializing in Hawaiian-style sushi and poke, the restaurant serves some of the freshest seafood on the island. Our go-to rolls are named after spots on LBI: The Surf City has spicy blue crab, shrimp tempura, local tuna, cucumber, avocado, spicy mayo and eel sauce; the Barnegat Light is made with marinated tuna, avocado, cucumber, local tuna and scallops.
The poke is to die for, and our vote for best bowl is the Samurai with salmon, spicy mayo, cucumber, inari, masago, avocado and seaweed salad over sushi rice.
Go: 1513 Long Beach Blvd.; 609-494-3223, littlesumoslbi.com.
Mauka Indian Cuisine, Eatontown
With an authentic tandoori oven and a passionate owner from Bombay (Mumbai) who's as sweet as ladoo, you can't go wrong at this Northern Indian restaurant.
The spot, which opened in November 2022, uses the tandoori oven —a clay vessel that reaches 900 degrees — to make tender, fall-off-the-bone meat dishes like chicken chops.
Owner Nadir Gillani also specializes in curries. Laal maas is boneless lamb in Rajasthani chili gravy; milioni tarkari features mixed vegetables like carrots, okra, eggplant and cauliflower cooked with tomatoes, herbs, spices and coconut milk.
If you don't go for the food, go for the hospitality and ambiance. The restaurant features beautiful golden decorations and Indian figurines, elegant sheer drapery, cushioned seating, hanging plants and lamps.
"Food is food, but the way you serve the people and treat them while they're eating, it makes all the difference," Gillani said.
Go: 78 Main St.; 732-876-4765, maukaindiancuisine.com.
Parker's Garage, Beach Haven
Dinner with a view doesn't get much prettier.
Tucked along Barnegat Bay on the barrier island of LBI, Parker's Garage is open air — there are no walls to block the view. Sunlight floods the dining room, which is full of diners from May to September.
Start your meal with Parker's Pearl oysters, harvested across the bay in Rose Cove. Diners love tuna crackers with raw yellowfin, avocado and citrus mayo; a lobster corn dog with smoked tomato mayo; and whole fish, among many other dishes.
Go: 116 Northwest Ave., Beach Haven; 609-492-1066, parkersgaragelbi.com.
Pascale & Sabine, Asbury Park
We dream of this restaurant's decadent food and wine, and when we're craving the chicken liver mousse with brandy and duck fat, nothing compares.
Our favorite parts of this dining experience are the charcuterie, which includes mousse, pork pâté, cured sausage and house-cured duck breast, and fromage boards. The restaurant also boasts a full caviar menu and an extensive offering of wine.
The entrees are so luxurious, it almost feels sinful. Try the moules frites, which are mussels with white wine sauce, shallots, thyme, garlic, fries and baguette for dipping. Another top-seller is the melt-in-your-mouth coq au vin with red wine, mushrooms, pearl onions and pommes puree.
Go: 601 Bangs Ave., Asbury Park; 732-774-3395, pascalandsabine.com.
The Butcher's Block, Long Branch
Securing a reservation at Tom D'Ambrisi's steakhouse, especially for a weekend, can feel like winning the lottery. Diners can't call one in — the restaurant doesn't have a phone — and when a month's worth of online reservations drop, they're gone in a flash.
The trick is to visit for lunch and make a future dinner reservation in person. Dinner starts with a tour of the butcher shop, where diners choose their steak. Aside from the meat, fans like the duck fat potatoes, wood-fired cauliflower, and Captain Crunch-topped Brussels sprouts (an odd combination, but it's a favorite).
The restaurant was special when it opened in 2019 as a butcher shop, dining room, coffee barand market, but a major renovation upped the ante. The Block, as it's called, now has an even bigger butcher shop, a chef's table experience, additional dining and bar space, a wood-burning oven and a liquor license. It is unlike anything around.
Go: 235 West Ave., Long Branch; thebutchersblocknj.com.
Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014.Send restaurant tips to sgriesemer@gannettnj.com,follow on Instagramat Jersey Shore Eatsandsubscribe to our Jersey Shore Eats newsletter.
