The 10 best things we ate in North Jersey in 2025, ranked

I'm a food writer. I treat that title like it's my job. Which it is.

On a weekly basis, I scour every pocket of North Jersey in search of dishes hiding under the radar. Then, at the end of the year, I look back on those culinary standouts and compile them into an ultimate countdown of the region's most awesome eats.

Now, as we stand on the precipice of 2026, I reveal the latest version of that carefully-researched list to you.

After trying over 400 restaurants in 12 months, these are the 10 best things I ate in North Jersey in 2025, ranked.

10. Chilean Sea Bass, Mykos Estiatorio

The Chilean Sea Bass at Mykos Estiatorio.

Chilean sea bass oscillates between being the best fish on the menu at a fine dining hot spot and the worst food on the menu at a banquet hall wedding.

Leaner than competing seafoods (salmon has thick fat striations, unagi is greasy and luxurious), a good presentation on the unforgiving protein needs to boast a salty, crispy crust (I'm not talking skin — I'm talking that irresistible pan sear) and some sort of indulgent sauce pairing.

This summer, while checking out the recently-opened Greek restaurant Mykos, the second spot owned by Verana chef Giuseppe Agostino, I met a version that had both.

Golden brown on the outside, yet melt-in-your-mouth tender on the inside, Agostino's filet was flawlessly cooked. Paired with a caper and ouzo butter, it had all the richness necessary to lock in the launching spot on this list.

9. Fluffy Pancakes, The Corner

A plate of pancakes from The Corner in Montclair.

Pancakes are one of the oldest foods in existence — evidence of them dates back to the Stone Age. A simple combination of flour and liquid ingredients, the trace of one was discovered in an ancient iceman's stomach, and the recipe of many was uncovered in written records from 600 B.C. Greece.

It took all those years from the first flapjack to today, however, for the brunch staple to reach perfection; as The Corner in Montclair has officially designed a fluffy, secret recipe version that cannot be improved upon.

Light, airy circles of dough decadence (infused with berries and smothered with warm vanilla syrup), the Montclair icons are faultless, and a major win for the 21st century.

8. Biddy O’Malley Burger, Biddy O'Malley's

The Biddy O’Malley Burger at Biddy O'Malley's.

Fried Brussels sprouts with harissa aioli, elevated flatbreads under truffle ricotta, pan-seared scallops alongside potatoes two ways — everything served at the upscale pub is elegant and refined (while still being comforting and approachable).

I will make a firm claim, though, that one dish is better than the rest.

Imagine heaps of caramelized onions, thick slices of gruyère, smoky pancetta and greasy Malbec butter melting over an eight-ounce patty of tender-cooked meat.

Regulars know what dish I'm talking about.

But, if you haven't been, the described masterpiece is the Biddy O'Malley Burger — and, if my reference to it in an earlier newsletter wasn't enough, this end-of-the-year accolade is the push you need to finally try it.

7. 'Famous' Peanut Butter Pie, Anello Peanut Butter Pies

A slice of Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie from Anello Peanut Butter Pies.

Can a straightforward Oreo crust topped with smooth peanut butter cream and dreamy chocolate ganache beat out thousands of other local bites for a place amongst the region's top 10 gastronomic stars?

Can a dessert layered with chocolate chips, and finished with swirls of peanut butter sauce, really take down tartares, crudos and filet mignons on the local culinary hierarchy?

Baker Alissa Napoletano proves all of those things are possible; as her media-famous Peanut Butter Pie — from its crumbled cookie bottom to its melty top — was impressive enough to score a comfy placement on my year-end list.

6. Adjaruli Khachapuri, Sihana Bistro

The upscale new spot serves traditional Georgian classics alongside some modern, Mediterranean-inspired fusion creations. On my first visit, I sampled dishes like khinkali (Georgian soup dumplings) and creamy garlic chicken with roasted potatoes, all while the team walked me through particularities that made their nation's food special.

No eats were quite as distinct and delicious, however, as the Adjaruli Khachapuri.

A boat-shaped bread featuring a cheese-stuffed crust, acts as a bowl around a tangy egg yolk and cheese fondue. The dish — shareable, a bonus — was as mouthwateringly decadent as food comes.

When I twirled my fork deep into its hot, cheesy center — and stretched the filling to the sky — I quickly understood why the meal earned the title of the country's national dish.

5. Trottole, Bar Mutz

Trottole with short rib at Bar Mutz.

Any time chef Robbie Felice and team cook something with beef, it soars. The Wagyu Ramen at pastaRAMEN is a cold-weather showstopper, while the Hanger Steak at Viaggio is a garlic potato-accompanied crowd pleaser. One of the team's more recent meaty creations, though, puts both of those beloved dishes to shame (though the ramen was still a close contender for a spot on this list).

Simply titled Trottole (after the spiraled pasta it's made with), the Bar Mutz entrée showcases house-made pasta swirls drowning in short rib ragu and draped with shaved Belper Knolle cheese. Creamy mozzarella sauce lies underneath the scoop of noodles, and tastes incredible as it gets stuck in the twists and twirls of every al dente piece.

With rich and umami flavor, the highly sought-after meal launches my top five.

4. The Senatore Steak, Senatore Sandwiches

The Senatore Steak from Senatore Sandwiches.

My mind was blown in June when I discovered the tastiest cheesesteaks in Jersey were hiding in the lakefront sandwich shop of a part-time millennial mechanic. Thinking I was on an Instagram video shoot to announce the opening of a new Sussex County lunch spot, I didn't expect to stumble upon dishes bordering edible magic.

Hoagie wizard Nick Senatore, however, proved that hands which repair cars can also work to create a hot, sloppy sub rivaling anything you'd find — miles away — in Philly.

And, to this day, I remember what it felt like to take my first bite.

Loaded with poblano peppers, dripping with grilled onions and oozing with yellow American, the unassuming masterpiece was somewhere between a jalapeño popper and the most high-end variation of Philadelphia's finest.

3. White Truffle Toro, Sushi by Sea

A piece of otoro nigiri with dehydrated white truffle at Sushi by Sea.

Sushi by Sea is no stranger to my eats-of-the-year article, as Ridgefield's hush-hush, referral-only omakase spot has often taken top placements on my power rankings.

This calendar cycle, then, the Michelin-quality Japanese spot returns with a vengeance, earning a rightful podium finish amongst Jersey's fiercest competitors.

Whereas the restaurant's first accolade came for the entirety of its 17-course omakase, though, 2025's nod comes from one, singular bite:

The Otoro.

A two-inch long nigiri boasting a lightly-seared piece of fatty tuna garnished with dehydrated white truffle, the third-to-last plate on chef Cris's never-ending tasting menu is silky, buttery and truly divine.

2. Garlic 'Not,' Corner Slice

Two Garlic 'Nots' at Corner Slice.

I was last July years old when I figured out that a piece of bread — granted, a piece of bread with garlic butter and pecorino that's baked and then tossed with more garlic and pecorino — could be the runner-up to my death row meal.

Seriously.

This thing was that good.

1. Chicken Parm Stracciatella, Casano's Pizza Parlor

The Chicken Parm Stracciatella at Casano's Pizza Parlor.

If you would've told me a decade ago that I would grow up to be a food writer, and that the best dish I ate one year would be chicken parm, I would have no problem believing the first half of that statement.

What I would not have understood, though, is that chicken parm — in 2025 — would undergo a renaissance. Versions of the dish featuring spice, heavy cream, burrata and more would rise, and soggy tomato variations would surrender their menu-topping titles to those new-world successors.

A massive, juicy piece of meat rolled in panko breadcrumbs and topped with house-made cheese and vodka sauce (both made with imported Italian cream), the Rutherford dish is an example of food evolution that shows the confines of culinary "authenticity" are meant to be challenged.

And that Jersey, with its potato-topped hot dogs and thin-crust bar pies, is the perfect place to push those borders.

Kara VanDooijeweert is a food writer for NorthJersey.com and The Record. If you can't find her in Jersey's best restaurants, she's probably off running a race course in the mountains. Catch her on Instagram: @karanicolev & @northjerseyeats, and sign up for her North Jersey Eats newsletter.