Food & Wine editors shout out the 11 best food cities in the US. From Jersey City to Bozeman, these cities are ushering in a new era of impeccable food.
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When most people look for an exciting food city booming with options in the Northeast, they tend to think of New York City. However, mere minutes away by train is NYC's secret "sixth borough": Jersey City. Packed with vibrant food businesses, Jersey City isn't just a spot to drink in the breathtaking view of the skyline across the river—though it certainly is that, too—it's a food city where culture and community keep diners coming back.
Jersey City's huge Asian and Indian population makes up a quarter of its residents (one of the highest percentages in the country), and the food scene showcases a medley of delicious cuisines. First-generation Filipino American families go grocery shopping for bags of warm, fluffy pandesal—a common bread roll in the Philippines—or mocha-flavored cake layered with caramel from the
Philippine Bread House and stock up on ensaymada, a rich brioche pastry layered with cheese and butter, at
Red Ribbon Bakeshop. The hub of the South Asian community, Newark Avenue, is dotted with Indian and Pakistani restaurants. You can't go wrong here, but one local favorite is
Rasoi, a 25-year-old restaurant known for its rich and spicy Punjabi fare. Also on this eat street is the
Freetown Road Project, a restaurant from hometown hero chef Claude Lewis. The
Chopped champion ties his Antiguan and West Indian roots to his hometown through dishes that range from curry chicken, a luscious stew served with hot, fresh, flaky roti, to dense slabs of mango bread drizzled with mango jam that comes with whipped cayenne cream cheese for spreading.
CREDIT: ERIK BERNSTEIN
Italian cuisine also has deep roots here, and the city's new generation of pizza and pasta restaurants alone are worth a special visit. There's Dan Richer, a New Jersey native and James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef semifinalist, who skipped his college graduation to travel to Italy to learn how to make better pizza. At his restaurant,
Razza, he tops crisp, fermented rounds of dough with fresh toppings sourced from local farms—the Garden State Margherita, for example, is sauced with crushed New Jersey heirloom tomatoes and oozes with fresh, milky buffalo mozzarella from Sussex County. For some of the best pasta this side of Liguria, make a reservation at
Pasta dal Cuore , a pasta shop owned by Elena Cartagena, who makes fresh pasta every morning.
CREDIT: FRANKIE
This city does a great job of satisfying sweet tooths, too. You can get a box of mixed cookies in flavors like cinnamon whiskey crackle from the excellent
Bang Cookies or a rich banana pudding from Filipino-owned dessert shop
Baonanas. Chase either with a coffee from
Clo Coffee Co., a pandemic-born business that is trying to change the conversation around quality, sustainable coffee. When you're ready for cocktail hour, grab a seat at the bar at
Frankie, an Australian-inspired spot, to sip on one of their house cocktails or a pour from their selection of natural wines from Europe and Australia. And when it's time to go home, grab a souvenir bottle of whiskey or gin from local favorite
Corgi Spirits.
—Lauren Musni