We’ve all been there. You sit down at the table at one of your favorite restaurants, begin to peruse the menu and find yourself stuck on what to order because there are just too many enticing entrées demanding your attention. To help ease the burden, we visited some of our favorite restaurants in the area to find 21 dishes that stand out from the crowd. Whether you’re looking for a perfectly cooked steak, scintillating seafood, plates of pasta or otherwise, these superb selections just further showcase South Jersey’s varied and impressive dining scene.
BEEF WELLINGTON at June BYOB in Collingswood
A classic dish that exudes elegance, a 6-ounce filet is coated with mushroom duxelles, topped with spinach, wrapped in puff pastry and baked until golden brown. It arrives to the table with pommes purée, watercress and a robust bordelaise sauce.
OYSTER MUSHROOM CUTLET at Gass & Main in Haddonfield
Chef Dane DeMarco, a James Beard semifinalist in 2024, continues to dazzle diners with creative dishes like this panko-crusted mushroom “cutlet” blanketed with a Dijon mustard sauce and chives, and served over Yukon gold mashed potatoes and grilled broccolini.
STUFFED PRIME PORK CHOP at Anthony’s Creative Cuisine in Haddon Heights
This hearty prime chop is filled with spinach and buttery Manchego cheese, coated in a brandy demi-glace and plated along a sausage and sun-dried tomato risotto.
SEAFOOD CIOPPINO at Caffe Aldo Lamberti in Cherry Hill
Light, fresh and full of flavor, this seafood dish features a medley of scallops, jumbo shrimp, mussels and cockles bathing in a luxurious lobster broth along with spaghetti strands of squash and zucchini.
SWORD FISH STEAK at Verona in Haddonfield
This dish first fell onto our radar in 2023 and it’s been a favorite ever since. The meaty fish is well-complemented with a white wine garlic sauce and thoughtful additions of pine nuts, cherry tomato, raisins and olives.
CAPELLI D’ANGELO PESTO SICILIANO CON POMODORO at ITA 101 in Medford
Chef Kevin Maher spent time learning the art of cooking under a Sicilian chef and that inspiration is on full display with this plate of angel hair tossed with his own sun-dried tomato and almond pesto, and topped with roasted pine nuts.
SALMON ALLORA at Allora in Marlton
This namesake menu offering showcases a porcini-crusted salmon filet which is pan seared and layered with a homemade fig preserve before being rested atop a bed of spinach and creamy risotto.
VEAL COSTA SMERALDA at Ristorante Fieni’s in Voorhees
Tender veal (or chicken if preferred) is thinly sliced and sautéed with shiitake mushrooms and jumbo lump crab meat in a rich lobster sauce, tantalizing the taste buds with every forkful.
PAPARADELLE A MODO MIO at Limoncello in Washington Township
Talk about a plate of comfort food: thick, wide ribbons of fresh pasta and earthy mushrooms are lovingly lathered in a creamy short rib ragu.
SWEET POTATO RAVIOLI at Nunzio in Collingswood
These homemade pasta pockets get a bit of a twist with sweet potato filling, a cinnamon-amaretto glace, touches of crème fraiche, fried sage and crumbles of pecans.
MIXED GRILL FOR ONE at Le Beirut in Collingswood
From the wonderfully spiced kafta and lovely lamb chop to the shish kebab and shish taouk, this plate has a little bit of everything. Accompanying onion, tomato and jalapeño have also been blistered on the grill and are nestled along roasted potatoes for good measure.
CHILEAN SEA BASS at Wanda in Haddonfield
Steps away from downtown Haddonfield’s main drag is where you’ll find this mouthwatering sea bass served over rice and elevated with a miso-ginger emulsion, not to mention choy sum and shoestring strips of crispy purple potatoes.
RICOTTA CHEESE GNOCCHI at Giumarello’s in Westmont
You can find homemade gnocchi on lots of area menus, but this version filled with ricotta cheese and tossed in a meat sauce for an added dimension are a cut above the rest.
SEAFOOD DELIGHT at Akira in Moorestown
Many come to Akira for the dynamite sushi, but this entrée should not be overlooked. Lobster and crab tempura harmonize with shrimp, scallops, mussels and vegetables in a Japanese white wine sauce.
CRISPY CHICKEN TERRACOTTA at Toscana in Cherry Hill
A semi-boneless half chicken is seasoned with fragrant herbs and spices before it’s roasted under a terracotta brick to lock in its tender, juicy flavor before being plated with mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus.
CHICKEN PICCATA at Scarpinato’s in Washington Township
Thinly sliced cutlets are lightly battered in egg and sautéed in a beef demi-glace, garnished with sun-dried tomatoes and a little lemon to help wake up the dish. Go with the staff recommendation and add some shrimp to the plate, you won’t be disappointed.
PAPOUTSAKIA at Estia in Marlton
One of our go-to orders, this Greek specialty is comprised of roasted eggplant placed atop a savory roasted tomato sauce and outfitted with skewered grilled vegetables and grated feta cheese.
SEAFOOD CANNELLONI at Carlucci’s Waterfront in Mount Laurel
An alluring blend of chopped shrimp, crab meat, herbs and bread crumbs make up the fantastic filling scooped into these rolled sheets pasta which are cloaked in a brandy cream sauce with a touch of marinara and crowned with baby shrimp for added indulgence.
CHICKEN DUO at Randall’s Restaurant in Cherry Hill
Head to The Legacy Club’s signature restaurant to sample chicken two ways—skin-on French chicken breast and chicken tortellini co-starring alongside roasted heirloom carrots and an intoxicating brandy cream sauce.
VEAL BELLADONNA at Illiano Cucina Mediterranea in Medford
There’s lots to love about this main course where the veal is dipped in egg and melded with shallots, mushrooms, artichokes and capers in a vibrant white wine and lemon sauce.
TOMAHAWK FOR TWO at The ChopHouse in Gibbsboro
This double-cut, bone-in ribeye is dry aged for at least 28 days inside the restaurant’s temperature controlled locker before it is cooked to perfection in the open kitchen, hit with finishing salt and sliced for the table.
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Published and copyrighted in South Jersey Magazine, Volume 21, Issue 11 (February 2025)
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