Local Voices
2 Maplewood Restaurants Ranked Among State's Best For 2015
See which two local eateries were nominated for their superb eats.

Here’s one of the worst-kept secrets in Maplewood… Lorena’s and have Verjus some amazing food.
New Jersey Monthly released its annual list of the 25 Best Restaurants in the state, naming Lorena’s on Maplewood Avenue and Verjus on Springfield Avenue as two of the Garden State’s finest.
See New Jersey Magazine’s full list of ranking restaurants here.
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According to New Jersey Monthly:
“Two things are often said about Lorena’s: The food is extravagantly good, and the prices are high. There’s no disputing the first. The second is a little more complicated.”
Find out what's happening in Maplewoodfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- Read what Lorena’s chef-owner Humberto Campos, Jr. has to say about Thanksgiving and the restaurant business
The publication had this to say about Verjus:
“Charles Tutino, a one-time Federal Reserve economist who became a consummate French chef, and his wife, Jane Witkin, the consummate open-hearted hostess, are busy breathing new life into their 14-year-old restaurant, building on the better-than-you-thought-it-could taste French classics it is known for.”
- See related article: French Classics Reinvented at Verjus
- Read about why Verjus’ owner is an example of American free enterprise
The 2015 nomination isn’t the first critical acclaim for either restaurant. Both restaurants were also named among New Jersey Monthly’s Best Restaurants for 2013.
Pictured above: Lorena’s chef and owner Humberto Campos holds his son, Liam, on a quiet afternoon in 2013.
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