You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Grain House Restaurant Long before I moved to Basking Ridge, Sunday brunch at the Olde Mill Inn, with the historic Grain House Restaurant on the same property, was a treat I looked forward to whether living in nearby Morris County, or further away. It certainly was worth a trip on special occasions, or just as a chance to get together with a special group of …

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Riverside Grill Overview: Somewhere in the mists of time, the typical burger joint gave way to fast-food, processed, mystery meat patties and a vision of sameness. Riverside Grill owners John and Alyse Prudente are here to remedy that. Their Hillsborough restaurant, which opened three years ago in Manville but moved to Hillsborough in November, specializes in …

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Country Squire Restaurant Overview: Diner-style restaurants are ubiquitous in New Jersey—we're actually kind of famous for them—and it's no secret why. In our diverse neck of the woods, only a diner offers the kind of menu diversity a group is likely to want—there's something there for every palate and craving. Unfortunately, you might not want to take mom to some…

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Maria's Pizza Overview: Maria's Pizza is very new, having only been opened a few months ago by Raritan resident Sam Abozid, who in his 32 years in the restaurant business has previously had several other branches of the restaurant in Middlesex, New Brunswick and another area of Raritan. Named after Abozid's wife, the restaurant is small, with only a few tables, …

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Narenj Persian Grill in Basking Ridge Heading out to Narenj Persian Grill for dinner on a Friday night, as I have often done, always feels like a bit of an escape from the everyday. It isn't only that there is a break from the workweek, but also that the menu and atmosphere are different from any other restaurant I can think of in northern Somerset County. Manager…

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Pheasant’s Landing Restaurant Overview: Pheasant’s Landing specializes in American and Continental fare, with a focus on German and German-inspired food. With both a sit-down restaurant and an underground pub—the pub features live music on weekends—the restaurant allows for both sit-down meals and casual drinks. It also has an outdoor beer garden during warmer …

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Aikou Asian Cuisine Overview: Thanks to an early introduction to Chinese cuisine, I've long had a fondness for Asian restaurants. Now that Chinese restuarants are nearly ubitquitous, I'm thankful to see a growing trend of restuarants making the experience a bit more ... upscale. Montgomery's Ya-Ya Noodles may have been a Somerset County innovator in this regard, …

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Yutaka Hibachi Steakhouse Overview: Yutaka is one of the bigger sushi restaurants on Main Street in Somerville, and one of the only ones on that stretch that offers hibachi as well. It's a big restaurant, with the hibachi toward the back, and the sushi tables in the front—comfortable place, good food, nice options. Décor: The restaurant has dark lighting, and is …

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Yummy Grill-Mexican Grill Yes, it is possible to get a Mexican meal in Basking Ridge for under $10. There's just a little bit of a cultural twist, perhaps appropriate for the area. The restaurant, while separate from the Yummy Grill next door, is connected to the Asian eatery, and the jointly operated restaurant has some unusual touches. When you go up to order …

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Petrock’s Bar and Grille Overview: Opening in 1961, Petrock’s Bar and Grille is among Hillsborough’s oldest restaurants—if it’s not the oldest restaurant in town, period. Located on Amwell Road, it combines tasty food with variety and value, in an atmosphere reminsicent of the neighborhood pub. Décor: Petrock’s definitely concentrates on the “bar” part of its …

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Uproot Restaurant Overview: When the occasion calls for a special meal—perhaps an important business client is in town, or you're ready to "pop" the question—it's not the time to skimp. You'll want a place that is tastefully decorated, serving food that's a step above other restuarants. In this area, that's a pretty high bar: we're close enough to Manhattan that …

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Dominick's Pizza Shoppes Overview: Dominick's Pizza Shoppes is a small restaurant in the Somerset Shopping Center, just off the Somerville Circle in Bridgewater. Nestled in a corner of the center, it offers a variety of pizzas, Italian dishes, cheesesteaks, salads and subs, all perfect for eating in or bringing home to the family. Décor: The decor of the …

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Lee’s Sushi Overview: Located on Route 206 South in Hillsborough, Lee’s Sushi offers a break from the typical strip mall offerings of pizza, Chinese and more pizza and Chinese. It’s the second sushi restaurant in town, and offers a slew of traditional rolls and newer creations. Those who aren’t a fan of fish are in luck as well, since the restaurant offers …

Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. While the last thing you might want to think about on Thanksgiving at dinnertime is another meal out, we're looking ahead to some options for a bite out during the next few days at restaurants where you won't necessarily have to stuff yourself with a heavy meal. Our highlighted restaurant is 'Fresh,' at the Highlands Village Center off Allen Road in The Hills section of Basking Ridge. Fresh is one of New Jersey's few certified "Green Restaurant Association" eateries. The semi-organic health-…

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Brush's Deli When you walk in and peer behind the dessert-laden counter near the coffee and register at Brush's Deli, you'll see a few vintage photos. There's an old sepia-toned photo of the building as it looked in the 1880s, back then a business even before the Brush brothers opened a grocery store at the location around 1945. A framed picture shows the exterior…

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Espo's Overview: Espo's, in Raritan, is not what you would expect in a location you wouldn't expect. Off the beaten path, about a block away from the Raritan train station, it looks like a regular house from the outside. But inside, the food is tasty with a very family-style environment, reminiscent of sitting at your dining room table and enjoying a nice pasta …

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Mannion’s Irish Pub & Restaurant Overview: The 11-year-old Mannion’s is Somerset County’s St. Pat’s Day fixture, as one of the only traditional Irish pubs that’s central to the county. With a countdown to St. Patrick’s Day inside the pub and on its website, Mannion’s specialty is both American food and Irish favorites. While reservations are recommended for St. …

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Mockingbird Café The Mockingbird Café occupies such a pretty dining space, and is on such a picturesque corner in Basking Ridge—especially when the leaves are green or turning color in Fall—that it's an ideal location for a cafe or small restaurant.Nevertheless, there were a series of cafés, restaurants and a bakery in that spot before the Mockingbird Café moved …

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Mansuetos Seafood Overview: For many years, Mansuetos Seafood shop was a landmark in Watchung. Located off Route 22, in a shopping center straddled by Somerset Street that felt cramped, brothers John and Dan Ramella, owners of the shop, moved the business to Warren in May—much to the delight of local fans. The new location features all of the offerings you're …

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Loukas Diner Overview: Loukas Diner is your standard everyday diner in menu, but it stands out in decoration. From a menu designed as a newspaper with each page featuring tidbits, news and facts from the 1950s and 1960s, to the themed dishes that are named after legends, the restaurant is visually appealing and the food tastes good. Décor: The diner is decked out …