From Truffled Turnips To Pho: 5 New Restaurants In North Jersey That Opened In April 2024

NORTH JERSEY, NJ — It's spring, so eat out! Especially if you can sit with some new foods and watch the sunset.

Several restaurants opened in North Jersey in the past few weeks, and they're serving up unique dishes on their spring menus — from truffled turnips to kiwi eclairs. Here are five restaurants that held grand openings in the last few weeks.

87 Sussex, Jersey City

If you want an upscale restaurant but you're tired of the same dishes, chef Brian Walter has a host of new twists at 87 Sussex in Jersey City. The elegant but comfortable and sunlit two-story eatery offers everything from escargot wontons to short ribs with a vegan tagine. Among other unique appetizers and entrees, they're serving up truffled turnip (see photos above) and steak tartare. Located in historic Paulus Hook, the eatery is two blocks from the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Essex stop and a short walk from the Hudson River, so you can stroll by the water after dessert. The eatery held a grand opening celebration this past Friday. See photos above. Want the address? It's in the name.

vPho, Westfield

A new Vietnamese restaurant, vPho, held a grand opening last Monday in the former Mulberry House space at 415 Westfield Ave., Westfield. Mayor Shelley Brindle said vPho is "a terrific addition to Westfield's growing international dining scene." The owners also own Saigon Cafe in Millburn, known for having the "Best Pho in New Jersey" according to Yelp in 2020. besides traditional Vietnamese dishes and twists on pho, vPho offers seafood, chicken, soup, wings, smoothies, coffee, tea, juices, and more. Read all about it here.

Eclairland, Englewood

Eclairland posted signage in downtown Englewood quite a while ago. The bakery/cafe has finally opened, serving up all flavors of frosted eclairs, including banana, caramel, kiwi, and even tahini. They also create cakes, cookies, sandwiches, salads, and coffee, and sell coffee and tea leaves by the pound. "We believe that dessert is more than just a sweet treat," they say, "it's an experience. Come in and savor the flavors of our handcrafted creations.It's located at 53 East Palisade Ave. Find out more here." They do appear to take their work seriously. Read an early story here.

Gotan, Hoboken

Gotan is a small group of spacious restaurants in North Jersey that offer coffee drinks and elaborate sandwiches and salads, and Mediterranean dishes. The new Hoboken location, which opened April 19, has comfy spaces to eat or work on the second floor mezzanine, overlooking more tables below. The restaurant is close to the 9th Street light rail stop in western Hoboken, so it's accessible to Jersey City and, if you're adventurous, Manhattan. The owners also run a smaller store, Yuki Bakery at 720 Monroe St. For now, they're open 9-5, but they will expand their hours soon. See more photos and a story here.

Two New Chick-Fil-A Stores

In case you want to get something simple, two new Chick-Fil-A stores are opening in North Jersey this Thursday, May 2. One store, in Paramus, will rise from the ashes of the landmark Fireplace restaurant on Route 17. Read about it here. The other is located in Parsippany on Route 46. Don't be too chicken to read about them, and their owners, using the links.

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