Editor's Notebook: Newark Restaurant Week

My one recommendation is Casa Vasca, which is Basque, a hidden-away family favorite (though there is a debate here on Chowhound as to whether the food is Basque, or French or Spanish). We kept it simple—paella and sangria—but everything around us looked interesting.

South Orange Patch editor Cotton Delo, who lived in Brazil for a year a while back and has obviously spent some time in the Ironbound, has more details:

"There are 31 participating restaurants, and some offer prix fixe menus while others give discounts on food ranging from 10 to 20 percent. Many are in the Ironbound, including Sagres Bar & Grill (44 Prospect St.), which is right off Ferry Street near Penn Station, has outdoor seating and a jukebox, and is generally a lot more casual than you might expect to find in some of the starchier Spanish and Portuguese restaurants in the neighborhood. Food genre is Portuguese, but many of the waitstaff are Brazilian, and they make delicious caipirinhas. It's a better spot for dates than it is for families.

"One of my other Ironbound favorites is Mompou, a Spanish tapas and wine bar on Ferry Street with a beautiful exposed brick interior. I really recommend their chorizo, but they used to sometimes keep the music up way too loud. (I haven't been there in over a year, so maybe things have changed.) Another good one is Adega Grill, also on Ferry Street, with more formal decor that's supposed to be inspired by vineyards and winemaking. Food is Spanish and Portuguese, and if you like paella (or paelha, as it's written, in Portuguese, on the menu), you should try theirs.

"I don't know much about the downtown Newark restaurant scene, but I can recommend 27 Mix, which serves international cuisine and is fairly inconspicuous in its Halsey Street location but roomy and inviting once you get inside. There's also a nice-sized backyard dining area."