a day ago
This brand new Bergen cheesesteak was the best thing we ate this week
My pride has been all over the map this week.
On the one hand, I was riding high when I took second out of 511 competitors in my division at the New York City Hyrox race on Saturday (shoutout to any of you who also ran!).
Just 24 hours prior, though, one of our summer interns approached during the season's annual onboarding and asked, "So, do here? Or are you an intern?"
I glanced down at my outfit of sweatpants, Ultraboosts and a cut-off barbecue t-shirt.
Peering back at the kid, I thought, "Girl. Look at you, and look at me.
I must have a 4.9 GPA if you think I have the job security to show up to my first day at a major news outlet wearing my middle school gym uniform."
Anyways, I promise I work here.
And — since I do — I have the authority to tell you this:
From Bergen to Essex, here are the three best things I ate in North Jersey this week.
Two powerhouse local food purveyors joined forces this week as chef Nick Wright bought a bunch of fresh pasta from Mike's Pasta Shoppe, covered it in spicy calabrian chili cream sauce and threw it on the specials menu at his popular Italian joint Frank Anthony's.
Showcasing a prosciutto, ricotta and honey filling, the made-from-scratch pasta purses came in the shape of agnolotti, and boasted a unique — yet delicious — sweetness. Paired with Wright's spicy cream, the dish tasted like a deconstructed hot honey (the heat coming from the sauce, the honey from the aforementioned) enrobing delicate, al dente noodle shells.
Topped with extra prosciutto for salt and crunch, each bite was rich, textured and balanced. Though the particular marriage of flavors in the meal is typically reserved for fried chicken or Southern-style biscuits (not ravioli derivatives), it worked intriguingly well in the presentation.
Go: 667 Bloomfield Ave., Verona; 973-239-1303,
He. Did. It. Again. (Clap emoji).
In yet another effort to make the best version of an iconic Northeastern dish (following his masterclass of a chicken parm, and a stellar take on a New Haven tomato pie), Casano's Pizza Parlor owner/chef Dave Ligas absolutely nailed his first attempt at a Philly cheesesteak. Choosing to smother the thing in house-made Cooper Sharp American cheez whiz, the multi-talented pizzaiolo created one of the sloppiest, most irresistible versions of the sandwich I've tried to date.
Aiding to its drip factor was perfectly-cooked meat and a pile of caramelized onions, both of which released their salty, umami juices into the fresh baguette Ligas opted to serve them on.
Order one — with a side of hand-stretched Mozzarella Wedges, of course — and be blown away by a tiny Jersey restaurant that could easily hold its own in Manhattan.
Go: 8 Highland Cross, Rutherford;
Ok, so last week I wrote (and Instagram posted) about the new M&M's Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich, and how it was a total summer showstopper.
Unfortunately, however, I forgot about how much influence I have over the eaters of the area, and ended up selling it out in every ShopRite in North Jersey.
Oops.
So, this week, I was forced to branch out and try a different variety of ice cream sandwich; of which I selected the FatBoy Caramel Cookie.
Featuring two soft-baked shortbread cookies around a scoop of salted caramel ice cream, crushed cashews and a gooey caramel core, it was leagues above the M&M's treat I tried last Wednesday.
Oh, wait — NO IT WASN'T.
It sucked, and you definitely shouldn't buy it (especially if you shop at the Parsippany ShopRite).
Go: Get them from the South Jersey, please and thanks;
Want more on this week's latest food news? Check out some of my (and others') best articles at
And, to the dude that asked me where to find a good country fried steak in New Jersey:
The Windlass is currently running a country fried steak *sandwich* special (slathered in white gravy), so grab your pals and head to the waterside hotspot ASAP.
Kara VanDooijeweert is a food writer for and The Record. If you can't find her in Jersey's best restaurants, she's probably off running a race course in the mountains. Catch her on Instagram: @karanicolev & @northjerseyeats, and sign up for her North Jersey Eats newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Bergen NJ cheesesteak was best thing we ate this week
