Gyro Express is a small, immaculately clean take-out joint with a straight-forward menu: chicken or lamb gyros, or felafel, which you can have prepared as a salad platter or a sandwich. You can also get Samosas (which aren’t homemade, but are quite good despite that), and baklava pastry for dessert.
Sabor Latino is a friendly Dominican dive located on the eastern fringes of the ‘Burg. I’m not at all familiar with Dominican food, but judging from the menu, it tends more towards stews and soups than the grilled items I associate with Guatemalan cooking; or the various, creative packaging (tacos, burritos, tostadas, etc.) that characterizes Mexican cuisine. That said, it’s all here: as its menu points out in Spanish, it “also serves the cuisine of Guatemala and Costa Rica” and Mexican items show up on the menu under the piquant heading of “International Dishes” .
Little more than a stone’s throw from the Princeton Junction train station, asianbistro was one of the original Asian fusion restaurants in this area, and still one of the best. My sushi-eating friends claim that the bistro serves up some of the best sushi in Mercer County, and the Korean and Japanese cooking, in particular, are quite good.
Owner Lavalle Williams runs the Downtown Deli with an eye to detail. He’s there almost all the time. The women behind the counter make up a nice sandwich from fresh, high quality cold cuts. Service is fast, even at peak lunch rush. Prices aren’t particularly cheap, but they’re not unreasonable for the quality
Dedicated Hidden Trenton readers have known for years about our enthusiasm for Papa’s Tomato Pies, a Chambersburg icon that recently joined the Italian flight to the suburbs (you can now find them in Robbinsville, NJ). But…much like the branches of the famed DeLorenzo’s Tomato Pie family, Dom (great-grandson of the original Papas founder) has finally founded his own independent branch of Papa’s Tomato Pies. And he’s picked a most unusual location–inside the cafe and food court of a Risoldi’s supermarket.
The modest shop is run by Abdul, an Afghan native who has had restaurants in Pennsylvania for the last 30 years. He previously operated his Jahan across the street, in what is now a tobacco shop, he later moved to Langhorne, and now he’s back. It’s a clean but very casual place, and in my visits they’ve seemed to cater to a reasonably large take-out crowd. There are a handful of stools by the window and maybe 6 small tables that seat 3-4. In the back, underneath a giant TV that is on too often and too loud is a traditional floor rug and pillows. You order at the counter, but if you’re eating in, Abdul or one of his relatives will bring out your meal for you and bus the table appropriately. Sure, the plates have chips in them and the atmosphere couldn’t be more casual. But once you take a bite, you won’t care.
La Parrilla (grill, in Spanish), is one of the City’s newest Guatemalan restaurants, the city’s most vibrant (and increasingly most competitive) segment. Located in what used to be a tomato pie restaurant, La Parrilla emphasizes grilled meats and seafood.
It’s only a thirty minute drive from Trenton to this tiny vegetarian restaurant in Bucks County, PA. The decor is unimpressive, but the place is packed (on a recent Saturday we were unable to get a reservation until 8:45pm). Why? This joint has some of the best vegetarian food in the greater Philadelphia and Trenton areas. This is hearty, rib-sticking vegetarian cuisine, and it’s absolutely worth the trip.
The pupusas are outstanding. They come in 3 varieties: Cheese, cheese and black beans, or cheese and pork. The first two are vegetarian, the last obviously not. In particular, the black bean filling is superb, and the pupusas arrive with nary a glimmer of excess oil on their perfectly grilled exteriors.
Superb BBQ is to be had here. The full fat variety evokes a deep, atavistic yearning for more. Fatty are the ribs, pulled pork, and brisket that make up much of the menu. But the Chicken is nearly as flavorful and more or less guilt-free.
The Mill Hill basement is a scene, perhaps one of the most exciting scenes in Trenton. If you’re into independent music and grunge bands, and are Gen Y or younger, you should definitely check it out.
Don’t let the name fool you, La Chapinita offers a full Guatemalan menu. Order off the menu to get wonderful, fresh-cooked food at incredibly reasonable prices. Located where Papas Tomato Pies used to call home.
Roti comes from Trinidad: the cuisine of residents of South Asian descent. It refers to the bread, yes, but also the curried meal that comes with it (and often stuffed inside like a giant burrito).
There aren’t many places in Trenton where you can get good food late. The Buzz is basically a bar, and stays open until 2 AM. It’s owned by a middle aged Polish couple, who are at the bar every night. She keeps the kitchen open for the “full menu” at least until 10 just about every night. If the joint is hopping, it might be a lot later. And then they have a “late night menu” that’s good at least until 1 AM.
According to the Urban Dictionary, the term Hoagie is Philly slang for a sub sandwich. Italian men who lived on Hog Island (an island intersecting the Delaware and Schuylkyl Rivers) packed lunches made from large loaves of bread filled with meats — known as “hoggies.” Sometime by the end of WWII, the word transformed into … Continue reading Hog(ie) Wild→
Gennaro’s is a nicely turned out pizzeria and Italian restaurant in a newish strip mall where Nottingham Way and Rt. 33 converge in Hamilton Square (about 7.5 miles from Trenton). If for some reason you find yourself there, seeking sustenance amidst the soul-numbing suburban sprawl, by all means stop in for a pie. It’s really quite good. Nice, thin, crisp crust. Tomato “sauce”. Good quality cheese and toppings.
Opposite the Mercer County Court House(s) on the 200 Block of S. Broad, LexiLu serves a brisk trade of lawyers, clerks, guards, and jurors from the courthouse, plus a smattering of Mill Hill residents and others passing through.
La Villa is a nondescript pizza restaurant in Morrisville, just over the bridge from Trenton. In addition to conventional pizza and a host of Italian cooking, La Villa features a “Chambersburg Style Tomato Pie”. And darned if it isn’t.
Mariachi Grill (not to be confused with El Mariachi) serves Tres Leches, a fabulous dessert made from sponge cake and traditionally three different kinds of milk: whole, condensed, and evaporated (plus a whipped cream topping). It’s the best I’ve ever had. And I love Tres Leches. For me, there’s no more to be said.
The Hummingbird is a Jamaican restaurant downtown in the Warren Street revival area. And just as any decent Italian eatery in the ‘Burg used to have a photo of Frank Sinatra on the wall, the Hummingbird celebrates Bob Marley with a large poster in the dining room. Something of Marley’s spirit seems to inhabit the place, which has great food and a pleasant atmosphere.
El Chapin is a new Guatemalan restaurant at the corner of Cass and Lamberton Streets, within spitting distance of Waterfront Park. The specialty of the house is charcoal grilled rotisserie chicken, and it’s really, really, really good.
Five Guys serves an outstanding burger and fries. The fact that it’s a chain, and in Ewing, made me hesitate to add it to “Hidden Trenton”. Then, I ate my first sample. The burgers and fries are that good. I consider Five Guys a non-chain, chain (harkening to Watergate’s non-denial, denial): it’s thriving because the food is really good (if in this case, not good for you), not just fast or convenient.
With so much great tomato pie in Trenton, why does Dominick’s deserve a place on Hidden Trenton? A few reasons. First, the pies are genuinely good, made with fresh ingredients. While the tomato pie doesn’t quite match the sublime heights of Papa’s or DeLorenzo’s, it’s darn good. Second, it’s open when those other places aren’t. Want a pie for a Tuesday lunch? You’re out of luck with either of the classic Trenton establishments, which are basically open only for dinner.
Mastoris is one of those places that doesn’t seem possible when you first go there. First of all, it’s impossibly huge… the website claims they serve up to 2,800 people per day, and certainly the facility is large enough. Second, when you sit down, your waitress will bring you a plate piled high with two loaves of sweet bread, one each of cinnamon and cheese. Don’t eat too much bread, though, since the portions on your order, when it arrives, will be huge.
Prices are incredibly reasonable. The food, including the tacos, tostadas, and several of the meat platters is very good. Note, this is a dive. Clean, friendly, but still a dive. English skills of your server are likely to not exist, so if you don’t speak Spanish (like me), be prepared to puzzle out the menu on your own, and order via sign language.
Let’s see….suprisingly good and varied Italian food. BYOB. Reasonably priced. It seems in our household, we end up going out to Villa Rosa as often as anyplace in the area.
Hong Kong Restaurant, located where Hamilton and S. Clinton intersect is probably the best, true Chinese take-out in town. This is a family-run restaurant, with an extensive menu cooked in front of you while you wait.
Everyone has a yearning for simple, cheap Chinese food from time to time, and you don’t want to have to drive to get it. In a town where there are some truly dreadful take out Chinese joints….listing a few that are pretty good is a useful service. Kam Buffet is a post millenium buffet joint, with a large dining room and a huge array of steam tables. The food is good, and management takes better care to keep it fresh and turning over quickly than many establishments of this type.
From the outside, Lucy’s looks like many other downtown Trenton lunch joints. But the food isn’t what you’d expect. Lucy’s appeals to the alternative eating crowd. There are always has a bunch of specials…for example the other day salmon burgers were on the menu. You get a choice of grilled vegetables with most sandwiches or wraps, where you can select from a lovely platter of freshly parboiled veggies ready to be grilled to order, including broccoli, onions, carrots, zucchini, peppers, and more. Of course, you don’t HAVE to go veggie. You can get a pretty mean cheese steak with all the grease and none of the greens, if that’s what you want.
“It’s Nutts” is immediately adjacent to Washington Crossing State Park, and on the way to Baldpate Mountain. If you’re headed there, it’s a great place to pick up a well prepared, moderately priced meal (in an area that’s not known for bargains).
Galicja is a pleasant, typical local bar with an eclectic clientèle that happens to serve draft pints of Pilsner Urquell, a really good Czech beer, for less than the price of domestic beer at most local bars. On Friday evenings, free with the purchase of a beer, the owner puts out an incredible buffet of home made food.
Mi Tierra is another of the many outstanding Guatemalan restaurants in the City of Trenton, serving its burgeoning Latino population. Mi Tierra stands apart because: 1) the food is well prepared, a notch better than typical and 2) the decor is better than most. While not fancy by any means, it’s a pleasant place to eat, and the service is friendly.
Arctic is a great place to buy ice cream if you’re stocking up for a party. The smallest container is a half gallon ($5), or you can get the 3 gallon tub ($24.64). It comes in (count ’em) 45 flavors (though not all flavors are available year round).
Water Ice is a Philly confection: a slush (like a slurpee) made from water, sugar, and flavorings. In Rita’s case, the flavorings are generally fruit (my favorites: mango, wild-cherry, and lemon) with chunks of fruit mixed-in. Rita’s is a chain started in a suburb of Philly in 1984, that has been aggressively expanding in the mid-Atlantic states with some 400 stores.
From the outside, Henry’s looks like an old-school luncheonette, which went out of fashion in the early 1960’s. However, peer through the window, and you see something’s up with the large, modern cooking area, and nicely stocked shelves. Then you realize all the packages have Polish labels, and you remember that you’re at the very epicenter of the Polish section of Trenton: European Bakery is next door, Cosmo Food Market is across the street, and Rozmaryn Restaurant is around the corner.
Chiarello’s delivers greater-Trenton’s iconic hoagie sandwich (submarine to those of you from northern NJ; hero, if you’re from NYC; grinder if from Boston).
OK, so your teenage son arrives home on Sunday around 11:30 PM. He’s been out all day, never ate dinner, and is starving. Where do you go with him? Easy, Pat’s.
The food is classic eastern European fare with an emphasis on meat, potatoes, and cabbage, although chicken, fish, and a variety of vegetable dishes are also on the menu. Potato pancakes to die for. Portions are ample. Prices are reasonable.
A very good Guatemalan joint on Olden, and one of the oldest. Always inexpensive, it’s now one of the cheapest. The archetypal Trenton dive is worth visiting if you’re nearby.