NJ restaurants: Where to go for comfort food

What does comfort food mean to you ? The foods that warm us, both inside and out, much come with a story. For me, comfort food is my father ‘s enchilada – they are a distribute of cultivate and a true labor of sleep together. besides my sister ‘s overnight french pledge, which she makes every east wind ; my mother-in-law ‘s syndicate recipe for macintosh and cheese, and my mother ‘s stromboli.

During a college semester abroad, my then-boyfriend, now-husband tucked a foil-wrapped bum of that ham and cheese-stuffed bread into his carry-on and boarded a plane for Heathrow Airport. It was silent warm when he arrived, and after a few months of british cafeteria food, Mom ‘s stromboli never tasted more like home. More: NJ restaurants : 10 don’t-miss dishes that might surprise you sometimes, the most comforting dish is whatever we need at a particular moment. A steaming bowl of soup, a warm cocoa chip cookie, a big slice of lasagna – whatever does the trick. And it does n’t have to be homemade. These 10 restaurant dishes will warm you justly up .

Chicken dumpling soup at Modine, Asbury Park

Savory chicken soup topped with delicate dumplings – comfort food does n’t get much better than this. This dish is a raw addition to a revamped menu at Modine, which serves imaginative, homestyle Southern cuisine ( think ham biscuits with pepper jellify, bum spoon bread, and smoked fried chicken drizzled with hot beloved ). Modine ‘s wimp dumpling soup ( $ 10 ) is a family darling of chef and co-owner Jill Meerpohl. “ The flavor very comes from truly good quality, fresh chicken, ” said Shanti Mignogna, besides a co-owner. The birds come from Fossil Farms in Boonton, Morris County. More: Southern dishes shine at Asbury Park ‘s Modine “ It ‘s a traditional broth with a generous helping of chicken, parsnips, kale, sherry, and of path the buttermilk dumplings made with White Lily flour, ” Mignogna said. Go: 601 Mattison Ave. ; 732-893-5300 ; www.modineasbury.com

Grilled cheese at The Cheese Cave, Red Bank

Does n’t an ooey, gooey grilled cheese sound good right about now ? And if you ‘re going to do it, do it correct. In September, The Cheese Cave, a peculiarity shop propose imported and domestic craftsman cheeses, meats and condiments, was named as one of USA Today ‘s best places for barbecued cheese in the country. When asked which of his “ sandwiCHEESES ” is his favorite, owner Stephen Catania could n’t choose. “ It ‘s just besides hard to pick just one as each of them are created to be uniquely different from each other. ” More: cheese lovers find heaven in Red Bank ‘s Cheese Cave There ‘s the four-cheese thaw, with Asiago, provolone, Gouda, cheddar and roasted red tomatoes on sourdough boodle ; a sandwich of Brie, Gouda, apple butter and caramelize onions on sourdough ; one with Gruyere, Camembert, ham and cornichons ; and even grilled macintosh and cheese with tomato-basil confit ( $ 5.95 to $ 9.95 ). Go: 14 Monmouth St. ; 732-842-0796 ; hypertext transfer protocol : //thecheesecave.com More: 10 of Red Bank ‘s newest restaurants, sweetness shops

Warm sticky toffee cake at 618, Freehold Borough 

Warm. Sticky. Toffee. Cake. This is the epitome of consolation food, no ? This dessert, which has been on the menu since 618 Restaurant opened two years ago, is Executive Chef Christopher Dutka ‘s interpretation of the quintessential british dessert, sticky brittle pudding. It is decadent, for indisputable : A warmly, rich, damp patty with caramel sauce, buttered pecans and whipped mascarpone ( $ 11 ). Looking back: 618 Restaurant brings newfangled season to Freehold “ People freak out about it, ” Executive Chef Christopher Dutka said with a smile. “ Everyone who gets it says it ‘s amazing – it ‘s pantry, the brown university carbohydrate, a little salty. They order it and they love it. ” Go: 618 Park Ave. ; 732-577-0001 ; hypertext transfer protocol : //618nj.com
Almost anything at Macona BBQ, Collingswood

Stuffed rigatoni at Fusaro Pizza, Stafford

Pasta, in any form, makes for perfect consolation food. Stuffing rigatoni with ricotta tall mallow and topping it off with vodka sauce makes for perfect anytime food. other options – and there are plenty – include stuff shells, kernel and cheese lasagna, and ravioli parmesan ( $ 11.95 to $ 13.95 ) ; blimp, pepperoni, and broccoli-stuffed breads ( $ 9.95 to $ 10.95 ), and pan pizza topped with everything from ravioli and macintosh and cheese to deep-dish Chicago pie. Fusaro besides makes a stuff pizza ( dough on the bottom and the peak ) filled with pepperoni, meatball, overact, salami, cappicola, mozzarella and ricotta ( $ 24.95 ). Go : 31 North Main St. in the Manahawkin section of Stafford ; 609-978-3888 ; hypertext transfer protocol : /fusaronj.com

“I Love Thanksgiving” sandwich at Taylor Sam’s, Brick and Red Bank

The menu at Scott and Dawn Spivak ‘s breakfast and lunch restaurants is packed with scratch-made, homestyle dishes, which means plenty of choices for comfort food. honestly, it ‘s hard to choose just one ( Meatloaf with brown mushroom boom ! Buttermilk fried chicken with hot maple sauce on a hesitate ! ) But if your Turkey Day leftovers are long gone and you ‘re distillery craving those homelike flavors, this sandwich will hit the spot. It has been on the menu since the Brick restaurant opened five years ago, Dawn Spivak said. The Red Bank location followed in 2016. The “ I Love Thanksgiving ” sandwich is made with house-roasted joker, cranberry mayonnaise, sage farce and gravy on grilled sourdough ( around $ 10 ). More: At ‘s all about comfort food at Taylor Sam ‘s in Brick and Red Bank Go:  1563 Route 88 in Brick and 20 Broad St. in Red Bank ; 732-458-7267 or 732-383-5541 ; hypertext transfer protocol : //taylorsams.com

Red Hen Burger at The Red Hen, Swedesboro

The Red Hen, the more casual slope of Tavro 13 in historic Swedesboro, is a haven. Everything about it is cozy, from the miniskirt cosmopolitan memory at the entrance to the Colonial building to the bolshevik banquettes and hen décor. You could say that it was hygge before most of us knew what hygge was. More: The Red Hen is cozy and fooling in Swedesboro

If you ’ re a trade beer winnow – or a fan of a commodity cocktail – then settle in and indulge in a Red Hen hamburger. The eponymous hamburger ( $ 13 ), an Angus gripe patty, arrives topped with beer cheese sauce, a electrocute egg and thick strips of bacon. Burgers aren ’ t your thing ? There ’ randomness batch of other comfort food on the Red Hen menu including quick pretzels, gravy fries, chicken and waffles and much more. Go: 1301 Kings Highway ; 856-467-3058 ; theredhen.biz

Matzoh ball soup at Kibitz Room, Cherry Hill 

First of all, how can you not love a put with the web site www.greatpastrami.com ? The Kibitz Room is a delicatessen, and you can get that pastrami piled high on a sandwich. You can besides take the Kibitz Room Challenge : “ In 55 minutes or less, one person has to eat one G.B.M.F., one holy order of potato salad, one order of coleslaw and one of each pickle. The stallion meal has to be eaten by one person. If this it done, it is release, and you get your name on our wall of shame. If one person can not finish it, take it family or call a few friends to help and there is a 75 dollar consign. ’ ’ More: Love chicken & waffles ? New Jersey restaurants that serve this trendy dish A G.B.M.F. is a massive pile-on of pastrami, joker, knock beef, brisket and corned gripe with russian dressing, coleslaw, swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion intend for at least four individual folks with large appetites, so & mldr good fortune with all that. It may be ease food going in, but if you take the challenge, we ’ re thinking possibly not so comfortable belated on & mldr meanwhile, when it ’ s cold outside and the weather calls for soup, you can ’ thymine go wrong with Kibitz Room ’ sulfur homemade matzo ball soup. The delicatessen besides serves tons of other comfort foods : blintzes, kugel, potato pancakes, knish, Reubens and hot, open-faced sandwiches. Don ’ thyroxine forget the pickles ! Go: 100 Springdale Road ; 856-428-7878 ; visit www.greatpastrami.com

Almost anything at Macona BBQ, Collingswood

Collingswood lost some comfort food mainstays this year. When IndeBlue closed its only New Jersey location, it cut off a front-runner korma issue occupation. ( The restaurant is still located in Philadelphia, and the korma is inactive worth the travel ! ) We besides said adieu to the delectable rye bread and bagels from Amber Grain. More: Macona BBQ is smokin ’ in Collingswood But the arrival of Hearthside, Porch & Proper and Macona have taken an already covetous dining scenery up several notches. At Macona, the menu changes daily, with seasonal worker fare and according to the creative whims of chef/owner Corey Ruess, who works his charming in a giant smoker out back. The comfort foods are batch & mldr mashed potatoes, macintosh ‘ n ’ cheese, coleslaw, deviled eggs and some of the best corn whiskey boodle you ’ ll determine anywhere. If you ’ ra golden, you ’ ll arrive while Ruess is perfecting his poutine, Canada ‘s favorite comfort food. Go: 577 Haddon Ave. ; 856-858-8719 ; www.instagram.com/macona.bbq

The BYO Mac ‘n’ Cheese at Braddock’s Tavern, Medford

Don ’ thymine know about you, but when we seek out winter comfort food, we besides seek out fireplaces. And that ’ s not constantly easy to find, but find it you will at Braddock ’ mho Tavern in Medford. This Main Street favorite is a historic hostel with fine dining options, but it besides serves the mightiest macintosh ‘ n ’ cheese this side of the Rancocas. More: 11 alone New Jersey coffee bean houses worth exploring Yes, we know. There ’ south fortune of good macintosh out there. But even when Braddock ’ s offers its macintosh ‘ n ’ cheese to mac ‘ n ’ cheese events, where it stands up to lots of early mighty macintosh, it still gets raves. The regular macintosh ‘ n ’ tall mallow is $ 13, but why stop there when you can have it your direction ? BYO Mac ( we ’ re not sure why it ’ s not DIY Mac & mldr ) offers add-ons such as light rib, cayenne, grilled chicken, duck confit, gratifying peas, pork abdomen, broccoli, bacon, andouille blimp or lobster, from between $ 3 and $ 13 extra. Braddock ’ randomness is precisely down the street from Medford ’ s two craft breweries, so that ’ s another rationality to visit this cute downtown in rural Burlington County. You ’ ll besides find crocks of steaming french onion soup, crab cakes, meat loaf, chicken and waffles and more comforting faves. Go : 39 S. Main St. ; 609-654-1604 ; braddocks.com

The ribs at Corinne’s Place, Camden

Soul Food is comfort food, through and through, and this Camden culinary treasure serves some of the best you will find. Owner Corinne Bradley-Powers has some culinary superpowers, and her regulars swear by her smother chicken and pork barrel chops, meat loaf, salmon croquettes, candied yams, mac ‘ n ’ tall mallow, collards and all the other Southern-inspired dishes on the generous menu. More: New Jersey cracks down on events hosted by microbreweries But it ’ sulfur hard to pay a visit and skip the barbeque beef rib ( $ 13 ). South Jersey is lucky to have Corinne ’ south Place, equally well as nearby Miss Nancy ’ mho and Aunt Berta ’ sulfur Kitchen, in Merchantville and Oaklyn respectively, for ease food a ’ enough.

Go: 1254 Haddon Ave. ; 856-541-4894 ; hypertext transfer protocol : //www.facebook.com/corrinesplace Tammy Paolino, Courier-Post, contributed to this report .