5 New Restaurants To Try That Opened In North Jersey Last Month

NORTH JERSEY — The temperatures are dropping and snow may be on the way (see the forecast here), so why not duck into a new North Jersey restaurant and warm up with food and drink?

Here's a roundup of five restaurants that opened in North Jersey last month, covered by Patch.

Rizes Greek Taverna

Somerset resident Dimitri Manioudakis had dreamed of opening a restaurant since he was young. Early in November, he opened Rizes Greek Taverna in Hillsborough. With a decade of restaurant management experience under his belt, he'll now serve Greek fare in the former location of Cafe Basillico. The restaurant is located at 378 S. Branch Road. Read more about it here.

Stormy Cafe

Two new restaurants opened in Jersey City on the same Saturday in November. After a long wait, customers were able to enjoy the new Stormy Cafe on West Side Avenue. "Stormy Café offers a healthy, halal breakfast, lunch, specialty coffee, and refreshing drinks in a cozy, welcoming atmosphere," says its website. Meanwhile, Barrio Barista, an espresso bar, opened up on Sip Avenue (appropriately). Read more about Stormy Cafe and Barrio Barista here.

Taste Of The Caribbean

A new Caribbean restaurant opened on Nov. 10 in downtown Newark. Taste of the Caribbean Restaurant & Catering, founded by entrepreneur and
chef Chanice Fish, features authentic Caribbean dishes from jerk chicken to sweet plantains. It's located at 4 Branford Place, Newark. Read more about it here.

Italiana By Zod

Renowned chef and rock guitarist Zod Arifai, who owned the now-closed Next Door and Blu restaurants in Montclair, is making a foray into Italian cooking with his new venue, Italiana by Zod. The restaurant serves up lunch and dinner at 558 Bloomfield Ave. Read more about Zod and his newest eatery here.

Casano's Pizza Parlor

This one isn't technically new, but they did just celebrate a one-year anniversary and hosted a unique collaboration in early November. Casano's Pizza Parlor is one of several great new businesses revitalizing downtown Rutherford. Casano's is a cozy, friendly spot with the decor of the 1950s; yet, it takes risks. On Nov. 3, the eatery invited customers to try a collaboration with the renowned PastaRAMEN in Montclair. Ever had a Japanese corn cacio e pepe pizza, or a pancetta clam pie? Chef Robbie Felice of PastaRAMEN and chef Dave Ligas of Casano's joined forces to create exciting blends of Japanese and Italian flavors. Casano's is located at 8 Highland Cross in Rutherford, and PastaRAMEN is at 6 S Fullerton Ave., Montclair, if you want to check them out or watch for upcoming events.

Aji Asian Cuisine

Aji Restaurant in Secaucus closed over the summer, but was set to reopen on Nov. 24, reported Patch. Find out more about the Asian eatery here.

Got A Restaurant We Should Write About?

Do you know of a restaurant opening or closing in North Jersey? By all means, tell Patch so we can write about it. Email details here.