Never heard of a “gastropub?”

The term is foodie language for a pub with very good food, originating in Britain and later popularized in New York City by the Spotted Pig.

It might seem contradictory to put gourmet fare into a British-style pub, where culinary ambition never extended much beyond the venerable bangers and mash. But to Bradley and Laurie Boyle of Byram, it seems like a great idea.

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The husband and wife team recently opened Salt Gastropub in their Sussex County hometown, to provide discerning diners with serious food in a casual atmosphere. The Boyles overhauled a local bar on busy Route 206 to create this inventive mingling of downtown chic and biker hip.

The Boyles, former owners of the acclaimed Bula in Newton, wanted to design a casual place where families were welcome, but with a menu to match the vast array of wines and beers they stock behind the bar.

We liked the hanger steak with cracked mustard smashed potatoes, the goat cheese croquettes, and organic locally grown green beans. Young waiters and waitresses in black tee shirts tried hard to please. The prices are reasonable; more than tavern fare but less than fancy eateries.

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The Boyles claim to have the first gastropub in northern New Jersey, but our search turned up at least one other that claimed to be: Egan and Sons in Montclair. We’re certain there are more — in fact you probably have a favorite neighborhood tavern that qualifies… sort of.

But like many things in life, it is the label that makes a difference. “Gastropub” has a certain je ne sais quoi… and it definitely raises the bar.

Here are some seafood markets/restaurants our food editor Rosalie Saferstein has found where you can have a casual fish dinner or purchase fish to cook at home.

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AT THE MARKET, NUTLEY www.atthemarketonline.com Eat there or buy your favorite fish and learn how to cook it at Saturday morning classes in this newly opened establishment. We’re partial to the simply grilled Mediterranean style with three-grain pilaf and roasted vegetables or the Caribbean with mango and black bean salsa. An early bird three-course dinner is $12.95. Side dishes are also available for take-out. BYO

CALDWELL SEAFOOD MARKET & CAFÉ, CALDWELL (973-226-2031) We love the red or white clam chowder, garlic shrimp, or halibut prepared any way. The fish is brought in daily from the Fulton Fish Market. BYO

KLEIN’S FISH MARKET, BELMAR www.kleinsfish.com Park your boat, sit on the dock, and dine on anything from sushi to fish stews. Family owned and operated since 1929, this Shore institution opens daily at 8 a.m. and has a wide selection of fish to purchase. Check out the early bird cocktail or dinner menu.

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THE LOBSTER HOUSE, CAPE MAY www.thelobsterhouse.com A restaurant, raw bar, take- out, fish market, gift shop, and a view of the harbor where you watch the boats unload their catch. The fish market will pack your purchase in ice for traveling.

MARINOS SEAFOOD MARKET & RESTAURANT, CRANFORD (908-276-1333) This busy market serves lunch and dinner and fish so fresh it will bite you. Try any of the seafood platters or the combo with haddock, shrimp, and scallops. They come with tossed salad (we love the homemade blue cheese dressing), coleslaw, choice of linguine, vegetable, fries, or baked potato. BYO

Where do you go for seafood? E-mail Rosie at foodbytes@yahoo.com

If you still haven’t made your plans for Easter Sunday, consider a brunch down the Shore. More great restaurants are putting an emphasis on brunch, and we came up with some offerings to satisfy your appetite and help you celebrate in style.

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We spent a lazy Sunday not long ago at Rooney’s Oceanfront Restaurant (www.rooneysocean.com), where going to brunch is like attending a wedding. Their buffet stretches the length of the room. This Sunday they’re layering in a pasta station and adding a custom salad. The meal starts at 10 a.m. and you can see the ocean from every spot in the place. Adults $29, kids $15. 

Our friends at David Burke Fromagerie in Rumson (www.fromagerierestaurant.com)
are serving up Easter brunch beginning at 10 a.m…$35 for three very creative courses.

Further south, Plantation Restaurant on LBI (www.plantationrestaurant.com) is offering spiced macadamia and buckwheat pancakes, and rum roasted bananas. Or try the brioche French toast and the house ham with maple Dijon sauce. Service starts at noon.

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One of the best known resort breakfasts in the state is at the Mad Batter in Cape May (www.madbatter.com). They start serving at 8 a.m., and our insider recommends the Belgium waffles made with vanilla batter. No reservations taken, but call a half hour ahead if your party is larger than five.

Venturing a little inland up Rt. 9 we found a surprisingly satisfying Easter Brunch menu at the Sand Barrens Golf Club in Swainton (www.sandbarrensgolf.com). You don’t need to be a member to eat here, although you’ll need a $10 membership card to drink alcohol. Grownups pay $19.95, kids $10.95.

Reservations at these eateries were still available when we checked last night, but most said the later seatings were filling up fast. Call soon or you may find yourself cooking by default — and brunch is one meal that always tastes better away from home.

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They are a meal, or a snack, and they come with dozens of different fillings. Raul’s Empanadas Town(63 Morris Street, Morristown 973-285-5555)  is proof that you can build a restaurant around one dish — if you do it really well. And Raul does it really well.

“Empanada” comes from the Spanish word empanar, which means to wrap or coat with bread. They are originally from Spain and spread throughout Latin America. Most countries have their own versions.  And now Morristown has a lot of those — plus Raul’s own creations.

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The empanada that the little restaurant serves is a crunchy, perfectly prepared stuffed pastry made from corn meal or bread dough, deep fried or baked, and filled with everything from steaming hot beef and chicken, to hummus and vegetables.  There is the “five cheeses” empanada, the Cuban (like a Cuban sandwich: with ham, pork, and melted cheese) the Puerto Rican (rice, the pigeon peas called gandules, and ham) and even the Hawaiian (ham, cheese, and pineapple).

You can start your day at Raul’s with breakfast empanadas like scrambled eggs, cheese, and ham, or eggs and chorizo, plus a multitude of sausages. For dessert — you guessed it — more empanadas! Chocolate, caramel, fruit fillings, guava and cheese.  There are more than sixty different empanadas to choose from. Plenty of sauces are available to make them tastier.

We’re not alone in raving about Raul’s. The tri-state’s foodie websites chat about the place. So do the folks that spill out of the singles bars like George and Martha’s down the street, because Raul’s is open until 3 a.m. Tucked away next to a Dunkin Doughnuts,  this unassuming eatery features a few tables and some stools against the wall where you find the name of each Apostle — a guarantee that the food is good for the soul.

 Prices start at $1.50. Yes, this is cheap eats, and its fast food, but it’s also a  meal you’ll remember.

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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.

Know of any new restaurants that Rosie should try? E-mail Rosalie at foodbytes@hotmail.com.

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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).

Send e-mail to Rosalie at foodbytes@hotmail.com.

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The most popular restaurants fill up early, so it is not too soon to make your reservations. This week our food editor Rosie Saferstein tells you about some great places where you can ring in the New Year.

CELEBRATE WITH THE ARTS:  You can dine, then attend First Night performances (www.firstnight.com) being held throughout New Jersey. In Montclair Fascino (www.fascinorestaurant.com) will have two seatings while Church Street Kitchen (www.churchstreetkitchen.com) will be serving dinner and a midnight brunch after the “First Night” fireworks. Both BYO.

WE ALL LOVE ITALIAN FOOD: Il Michelangelo Ristorante, Boonton (www.ilmichelangelo.com), will offer a five-course dinner on New Year’s Eve. Entrée choices are chicken Positano, filet mignon al Barolo, stuffed pork loin, and sea bass scaloppini. Seatings at 3, 6 and 9 p.m.

STAY THE NIGHT Eat, drink, and ride the elevator to your room at these restaurants where you can sleep over:

The Bernards Inn, Bernardsville (www.bernardsinn.com), is celebrating its 100th birthday. Enjoy a four-course dinner, a bottle of Champagne, chocolates, and other surprises in the elegant accommodations.

At Christopher’s Restaurant, Heldrich Hotel, New Brunswick (www.theheldrich.com), the New Year’s package includes dinner for two, party favors, a luxurious guestroom, Champagne.

A seven-course tasting menu with champagne can precede your stay at Copeland, The Westin Governor Morris, Morristown (www.copelandrestaurant.com). Also: breakfast for two plus early check-in and late check-out.

HIT THE BOARDWALK: Work up an appetite before dining in Victorian Cape May. Try the Washington Inn (www.washingtoninn.com), Mad Batter (www.madbatter.com), or Union Park Dining Room (www.unionparkdiningroom.com).

BRING THE FAMILY: At 4 p.m. a Kids’ Kazoo Parade followed by cookies and hot chocolate will start the New Year’s festivities at The Pop Shop, Collingswood (www.thepopshopusa.com).

Watch for Rosie’s Table Hopping column at www.njmonthly.com and e-mail suggestions to her at foodbytes@hotmail.com.