Benedicion opened in late 2019 and delivers superb pupusa in the authentic Salvadoran style. Lightly oiled, perfectly grilled. Served with the traditional, home-made curtido (a pickled salad made from cabbage, onions, chopped up jalapenos, and cilantro), and salsa roja (mildly spiced, tomato based sauce).
Mostly a take-out joint, Guate Rico Deli’s food is all home made, absolutely fresh, and expertly prepared. Compared to other Guatemalan restaurants in town, the cooking uses fat and salt with a lighter touch, making it a place where you can eat often.
(Covid Update Dec 2021 – in business) Lady and the Shallot serves a limited but well-conceived menu of exclusively vegan, gluten-free, and tree-nut-free food. Execution is great, but not transcendent. Vegetarian or vegetarian-leaning eaters will be completely happy here, especially if they are gluten-sensitive or nut-allergic or lactose intolerant. Non-vegetarians will enjoy the fresh-made food … Continue reading Plant Power
Surprisingly ambitious food in Ewing, delivered at a fair price. Great desserts. Bargain for lunch. Reservations recommended
If you’re looking for a bar with food (as opposed to food) you may fall in love with Casa Blanca. It’s one of the most Anglo-friendly bars in town, newly renovated, with a diverse crowd and good, reasonably priced food.
Ever heard of an Arepa? Or a Cachapa? Neither had I. But Trenton’s only Venezuelan restaurant serves up these national specialties, along with a superb Latino-fusion menu.
Tikal offers an American fusion menu: center of gravity is Guatemalan, but look for other Latino cuisines as well as Italian American standards. Full bar. Gorgeous new renovation. Friendly service.
(Covid Update Dec 2021 – in business) Reggie Hallett, founder and head chef, is a man with a mission: “I am a firm believer that you should be able to have the option of great food while enjoying friends at a great local bar”. There’s plenty to suggest that he’s onto something: even on a … Continue reading Bar-B-Que Bar
Updated December 2021 Chencha y Chole (“C y C”) opened in June of 2015 in a distinctive, triangular shaped storefront at the intersection of Cass and S. Broad. It has survived COVID and remains one of our favorites in town, with superb, homemade Mexican specialties. (Thanks to our friends at Roebling Lofts for sponsoring this … Continue reading Mountain out of a Mole de Pollo
To many, tomato pie is Trenton’s signature dish (sorry, Pork Roll fans). A thin, crisp crust, light cheese and crushed tomato. Deceptively difficult to make well. Transcendent when successful. Since some of the famous tomato pie establishments left town, we’ve been looking for a worthy successor in town. We’re excited to be able to report we’ve found one: Jerry’s on the 700 block of S. Broad. The owner, Luis, apprenticed at Papa’s and Two Brothers before taking over Jerry’s. Make sure you order your tomato pie directly from him.
Bamboo Grill serves up, to my palate, the best West Indian food in town. And that’s saying something in Trenton, which has seen several good West Indian restaurants pop up in recent years.
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” .
The Battle Tour will require some adaptation during the COVID emergency, as a few of the recommended stops are in closed parks. For example, while you won’t be allowed to wander the Washington Crossing Park, or the Princeton Battlefield Park as suggested, but you can certainly stop and park your car for a few minutes … Continue reading The Battle Stops Here
