The New Jersey Foodhound™

I love tacos. There, I said it. Not to an irrational degree, no obsession - just a healthy love for meat and diced veggies on a corn tortilla. The taco its worth noting, can take many forms - traditional street, California style, breakfast, Korean, Choco, all have their own time, place and merit. I however would like to focus your attention on the first variety - the traditional Mexican street taco. So simple, so satisfying, so easy and cheap - its the perfect lunch, dinner or while were at it, breakfast too! (No judgement here!) With that in mind, I'll clue you in on one of my favorite local spots: Los Compadres in Fort Lee, NJ. The Grub: Los Compadres has a lengthy menu of Mexican classics - tortas, burritos, bowls, nachos and soups and everything I've tried I have truly loved. That said, I highly suggest trying the tacos on your first stop as they reflect the very best they have to offer. You honestly can't go wrong with anything you choose, but I would definitel...

In the past few years, ramen restaurants have exploded in popularity. On both the East and West coast, the delicious noodles have migrated from being a freeze dried college snack to an Instagram worthy comfort food. There are many variations of the simple Japanese noodle dish; thick noodles, thin noodles, soy sauce, salt-based, spicy, black garlic, the list goes on. Toppings almost always include pork, scallions and a boiled egg. Ramen broth should be packed with flavor, the pork should melt in your mouth and the noodles should be springy. Surprisingly, this holy grail combination is tough to come by. Luckily, it can be found every night at Trio Ramen Azuma in Fort Lee, NJ. It is directly across the street from its sister restaurant, Soba Noodle Azuma . A contrasted interior of wood and metal offers a pleasing modern atmosphere. Focusing on the food, the extensive appetizer menu has many classics: edamame, dumplings and chicken skewers. There are also some unique items: marinated...

Are you looking for reasonably priced, high quality sushi? Of course you are. Since were on that topic, I feel like I have the perfect place in mind. Sushi House in Fort Lee is one of the better, and maybe the best sushi place in the area. If somehow that is proven factually incorrect, I will go ahead and default to "its my favorite, now get off my back!" Now, there are places where you could spend a lot more and get a very high quality product, and there are a few places where the opposite is true. So I felt it would be worth it to point out the best of both worlds in Sushi House . The Grub: As you may have guessed, they serve sushi here. Sarcasm aside, it's really good. Sushi House offers the traditional set of  rolls you might find at most sushi bars, as well as a decent-sized list of their specialty rolls and a-la carte sushi. I highly suggest their spider roll with deep fried soft-shell crab, I get it nearly every time I go and its phenomenal. They also make ...

I must have passed this restaurant at least two dozen times before my girlfriend's reminders sparked a trip one hungry evening. Admittedly we should have stopped sooner. ShangHai Restaurant is one of those great little hidden gems - nestled on the quiet portion of an otherwise busy street in Fort Lee, NJ.  Their menu offers a number of fantastic, simple, authentic Chinese dishes that will keep me coming back a few times a month into the foreseeable future. The Grub: You already know that they serve Chinese food, but let me give you a few suggestions for your inaugural trip. First, I would definitely start with their Scallion Pancakes and an order, or perhaps two orders of their soup dumplings. Both are some of the best I have ever had, and I'm counting a number of really good places in Flushing and Manhattan's Chinatown. After that, as an entree I would definitely suggest the Braised Pork Belly or Pan Fried Beef Udon which again represent the pinnacle of what Ch...

Its no secret that I spend a lot of time eating in Fort Lee. Not only because it's a short drive from my house, but also because the food options are diverse and consistently good. Adding to that list is probably my favorite fried chicken joint of all time - Boom Boom Chicken . Give it a try just once and you'll know why I choose it above all others - and I have a feeling you will too. The Grub: What do they offer at Boom Boom Chicken you ask? Well, Korean fried chicken of course, and lots of it! Wings, legs, combos, popcorn chicken, whole fried chicken, you name it they have it. Every last piece is cooked to amazing, crispy-crunchy perfection and (if you choose) slathered with one of their delicious sauces. If you stop in for lunch you can partake in one of their lunch specials, which includes fried chicken (any style) along with a side of rice or fries and a small salad. If you stop by for dinner, they still offer a combo option but you have to pay $2 mor...

I was introduced to bubble tea shortly after moving back to the Tri-State area by my girlfriend, a self-proclaimed connoisseur of the beverage, and now I can easily say it is one of my favorite things. Ice cold fruit flavored teas with tapioca balls or fruity jelly pieces offer a great play on taste and texture - perfect for the summer time. While there are many places that offer bubble tea, one of the best in the Fort Lee area happens to be Q Tea Tapas on Main St. Get yourself one, then take a relaxing stroll downtown and decide what you want for dinner! The Grub: Q Tea offers a pretty large variety of fruit teas, milk teas, slushies and other desert-like drinks along with a good selection of boba and jelly to accompany them. Kumquat lemon, blueberry, peach, grapefruit black tea and strawberry lemonade are just a handful of great selections among their fruit teas; paired with mango star jelly, strawberry popping boba or the traditional tapioca bubble, anyway you...

For the uninitiated, ramen noodle soup may be one of the greatest food inventions ever devised by man. Those familiar with ramen are well aware of this fact. If you are in search of a complexly flavored, multi-textured, deeply satisfying meal then a big bowl of ramen noodle soup is just what the doctor ordered. Also looking for value? Want house made noodles? Then your search is over my friend, join me at Menya Sandaime . The Grub: Ramen is the feature dish here and you will find little else on the menu. I have made a point to try every variety and honestly, I like them all - but I do have my favorites. Typically when I'm in the mood, my first choice is a bowl of miso ramen, but at Menya my suggestion would be to skip over the typical choices and go strait for the black ramen; a steaming hot bowl of black-bonito infused tonkotsu broth with all the trimmings. The smokey, complex bonito flavor combined with the light, delicate tonkotsu broth is truly a beauty to ...

One night shortly after we moved to the area, my girlfriend and I were in the mood to try some soba noodles. While there were, as luck would have it, a number of establishments offering these tasty noodles, we happened to pick this lovely little spot and never looked back. I can truly say it is one of my favorites in Fort Lee. The Grub: The menu here is large and ever changing - to be honest they have multiple. If you've never been here before this may seem a bit daunting but, take your time and look over everything. They have an appetizer menu, a soba menu, a udon menu, a seasonal menu and a specials menu - and maybe a few more that I forgot. Since I have been going here for the better part of 3 years I have tried a lot of their food and can say with confidence its nearly all good. Meals always start off with green tea or water and a little box of fried noodles. I typically order an addictive cucumber appetizer or salted cabbage, while my girlfriend goes for th...

I’d be lying if I said I came upon this place by chance. While watching an episode of the late, great, Anthony Bourdain’s show No Reservations , I was clued into its existence, and now I consider my life forever changed. How could that be you ask? Well let’s just say that proper drive-in fare has lead me to forgo the American fast-food chain forever. The help is surly, the food is piping hot and the drinks are cold – exactly what I’ve come to expect and love from an NJ institution. The Grub: The menu here isn’t big and it doesn’t have to be. Burgers, fries and the oh-so-famous ripper hot dog are the main attractions here. The burgers are the small utility burgers that remind me of some of the best moments in my childhood, and I’m always sure to order one with fried onions. Fries are crispy and perfect each and every time I go, which is good because if nothing else I’m a stickler for consistency. Last but not least the rippers – deep fried hot dogs – the absolute...