Here are some restaurants where our food editor Rosalie Saferstein has dined recently and recommends that you try:

BRANDL, Belmar (732-280-7501) (www.brandlrestaurant.com) Chef/owner Chris Brandl, a Johnson and Wales graduate, serves innovative American cuisine at this BYO, which we prefer in the winter. Try the crab cakes, cheese tasting, and soufflé of the day. A great deal is the three course prix-fix menu offered Sunday to Thursday for $30, cash only.

CAVALLO’S, Nutley (973-667-1008) Walk through a butcher shop and past a pizza take-out counter to find yourself in a 30-seat family friendly BYO restaurant. Options range from Italian cuisine to USDA prime meat freshly cut in the butcher shop. We love the linguini with vodka sauce.

DREW'S BAYSHORE BISTRO, Keyport (www.bayshorebistro.com) If you are craving Gulf Coast and Low Country cuisines check out this casual eatery where Chef/owner Andrew Araneo creates some lip smackin’ fare. Try the spicy gumbo, crawfish etouffee, or jambalaya. Pecan pie is a perfect finale. BYO.

HUNAN COTTAGE, Fairfield (973-808-8328) Ask for the Chinese menu geared for the Asian palate at this BYO that specializes in Shanghai cuisine. We always order the soup dumplings. Other must-trys for adventurous eaters are buffalo fish and mixed vegetables wrapped with bean curd skin.

NEXT DOOR, Montclair (973-744-3600) Comfort food is featured for lunch and dinner at this new BYO. Opt for salmon gravlox with cream cheese, avocado and tomato; penne with shelled mussels, white beans and hot Italian peppers; or meatloaf with mashed potatoes.

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Looking for a new place to dine? This week our food editor Rosalie Saferstein tells us about the recently opened Tabor Road Tavern in Parsippany.

Many years ago we stood in line to dine at Restaurant 28 in Montclair. They didn’t take reservations and their chef Bruce Johnson was creating a lot of buzz in culinary circles. Johnson is now is the executive chef at Tabor Road Tavern and reservations are thankfully accepted.

Tabor Road Tavern is the latest restaurant to be added to the Harvest Restaurant Group (www.harvestrestaurants.com ), which owns five other New Jersey eating places: Trap Rock, Ciao, 3 West, Huntley Taverne, and Roots Steakhouse — quite an impressive list.

We found some typical tavern fare on the menu such as crispy calamari salad, burger with fries, and Asian BBQ baby back ribs — as  well as some “Let’s try these” like mini monkfish tacos, grilled jumbo shrimp with creamy grits, and seared breast of duck with cauliflower and goat cheese gratin.

If you are unsure what to order try the “Tavern Plate Sampler,” which includes Maryland crab cakes, tuna tartar, and vegetable spring roll with assorted sauces. There is an extensive wine list with wines by the glass starting at $7.50. Beer lovers can opt for the brews crafted at Trap Rock Brewery.

Dessert? Of course! We chose the cookie platter consisting of walnut and chocolate cookies and cherry and pistachio biscotti, a perfect meal closer with coffee or loose tea that is freshly brewed at the table.

The towering barn-like ceiling, brick fireplace that soars to the roof, open kitchen, inviting bar, and friendly well informed staff all make Tabor Road Tavern a welcome addition to the New Jersey dining scene.

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It really was nine o’clock on a Saturday when the regular crowd shuffled in. We were at the new Piano’s Bar and Grill, (www.pianosbarandgrill.com) in Bloomfield for an evening of drink, food and song.

Two dueling piano men, Steven Lowenthall and Ron Reagen, played to a friendly ambience. People ranging from their 20s to, uhm, older middle age, sang along to standards from several eras and of different genres. Broadway tunes like “I Feel Pretty,” the doo-wop classic “Tears on my Pillow,” Ringo Starr’s 1970s hit “You’re 16 (You're Beautiful and You're Mine).”

It wasn’t just a crowd sing-along. Silvia Santos walked up to the mic and wowed the room with her powerful rendition of “At Last,” made famous by legendary blues singer Etta James. She said her experience comes from singing in a gospel choir. Her voice is so brassy, her onstage presence so self-possessed, that we are sure Simon Cowell would love her on American Idol.

Another one with Idol potential was Dave Smyly, who almost, he says, signed a recording contract when he had a rock band in South Florida a couple of years ago. At Piano’s Bar Saturday, he made Billy Joel’s worn-out “Love you Just the Way you Are” sound fresh again. 

You can watch highlights of evening by watching Mark Brodie’s video on NJ My Way.
 
Piano’s Bar and Grill is owned by Rick Hathaway, who last summer decided to convert the saloon he has owned since the 1970s into an old fashioned piano bar. He proceeded little by little, and last weekend was the grand opening.

Chris Budinich, the bar’s manager, has set up a weekly schedule featuring dueling pianos, dueling guitars, comedians, improv, and performances from the Broad Street Playhouse theater company. Since we are in the digital 21st century, there will also be karaoke nights for
sing-alongs.

We don’t have to be good singers to enjoy Piano’s Bar and Grill. We just have to be, as the best known Piano Man once said, in the mood for a melody.

Our food editor Rosalie Saferstein recently had a memorable dinner at the newly opened Stone House at Stirling Ridge (www.stirlingridgeevents.com), in Warren. Here’s her report.

How could we not dine at a restaurant that serves a modern version of the Yodel (that frosted, cream-filled, chocolate cousin of a Twinkie), and has a chef’s table?

We jumped at the opportunity to attend a dinner at this exquisite restaurant/catering hall, set on 10 acres. A wood-burning fireplace, skylights, custom chandeliers, lots of stone walls, and countless white chunky candles create a seductive mood. The jaw dropper, though, is a two-story steel and glass tower that holds 1,400 wine bottles, and a floating wine room over the kitchen that is also made of glass and houses 2,500 bottles.

We sat adjacent to the kitchen, at a massive oak and steel table, in a glass-enclosed private dining space from where we watched executive chef Jerry Villa and his staff prepare our meal. Patrons can reserve this room, which seats 8 to 16 guests.

Our eight-course tasting dinner with wine consisted of: baby iceberg with prosciutto and blue cheese; venison carpaccio; strozzapreti with veal ragu; sea bass with bok choy and mei fun noodles; herb-seared tuna; braised short ribs with hoisin; and pepper-crusted sirloin. Thankfully, portions were small. Certified sommelier Yasir Chaudhry presented each wine, and we were partial to the 2006 Coldstream Hills Yarra Valley Pinot Noir, served with the pasta. An interesting twist was a pairing of sake with the bass.

A scrumptious dessert plate (see photo) contained a three-nut tart, a bananas foster “wrap,” house-made ice creams, chocolate bread pudding, fudge sorbet, and a truffle. Alas, we must return to Stone House soon as we were not served the Yodel.

Stone House at Stirling Ridge is at 50 Stirling Avenue, Warren (908-754-0082).

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