1) Most of the folks in this area who used to commute routinely to New York... don't have to any more. Remote work means that several days of the week spending is now here, not there.
2) When you live here, you are withing 100 miles of 1 out of every 10 people who live in the United States. Which means that Amazon, Wayfair, UPS, FedEx and more employ a ton of people, and it's good for an area when there's a lot of employment.
3) Many of the world's pharmaceutical companies have a strong presence in the area. Something about New Jersey being a much better place to do your business than, say, Europe about 100 years ago. And the pandemic didn't exactly harm Big Pharma.
What all of that has done has just poured rocket fuel on local bars and restaurants, and the fun part about New Jersey is that we've always been among the country's most diverse states. Regardless of your political views, I can attest to this fact: when you want to go out and get a meal, monocultures suck. Not a problem here.
So with all of that as prologue, here are the places I tell people to go to eat surprisingly well (currently as of September 2024), with many options, when they get in the car and ask. Rather than make them all take notes while riding. By town:
Princeton -- Cross Culture in the Princeton Shopping Center for Indian is great. So is Mi Espana for Spanish in the same complex, and Lan Ramen on Witherspon and Hulfish in the downtown area. Agrikola (farm to table mix) and Mistral (great drinks and deserts) are also solid options downtown, along with Katharine's (French) and the Witherspoon Grill (steak). For something more local, try Contee's on Witherspoon and Guyot for tomato pie. I'm also a big fan of Eno Terro on Route 27, just north of the area. Princeton has some of our best restaurants, but parking and costs are higher here as well.
Ewing -- Dramatically cheaper and with easier parking, but still collegiate due to the presence of TCNJ, Favorites here include Cafe 72 on Upper Ferry and Bear Tavern for breakfast and lunch, Meatheadz on Business Route 1 for tri-tip cheesesteaks, Mikonos on Scotch Road for Greek, Firkin Tavern and Ajika Ramen for bar food and ramen on Parkway Avenue.
Hamilton -- Jojo's on Quakerbridge for trash pie pizza (it's huge), or Papa's near Route 130 for wildly old school tomato pies, some with brown mustard in the crust. I also love Le Dish on Route 33 for good poke bowls, and El Guajillo, also on Route 33, for authentic Mexican. Killarney's gets crowded, but it's good bar grub. Your dollar goes farther here.
Trenton -- Cheapest place in the area, but can be a bit off-putting for the potholes and extra-curricular activities. Broad Street Diner is reliable, the Rat at Grounds for Sculpture is overpriced but the decor is memorable, and the Smokehouse BBQ place downtown is legit. Try Tir na Nog for traditional Irish, and La Casona on Klockner for Central and South American food.
Bordentown -- I haven't tried enough of these places just yet, because parking is rough and the cops have a very troublesome history, but the Under the Moon Cafe, Old Town Pub and HOB Tavern are all worthwhile. This town is a bit more expensive.
Odds and ends: La Unica in Pennington is basic and adorable Mexican food. Sahara in Skillman is fantastic Middle Eastern food. Roots on Route 1 is fun Chinese, and Seasons 24 is also fine and easy to find, about a mile up the road, also on 1.
Advice: Don't eat franchised food. Try places in ordinary shopping centers and strip malls. Get away from Princeton, especially Monday through Thursday, when the pharma crowds are in town and tables are hard to find. And if you have others you like, add in the comments. I try to find a new place every week, and haven't exhausted the area in two years of trying.
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