Restaurants in Plainfield

At South Fin Grill, the ocean breeze mingles with a menu of upscale seafood and steakhouse dishes praised by New York magazine. Amid what critic Ethan Wolff describes as a "priceless" ocean view, servers roll out lobster, crab, swordfish, and salmon incarnated as pasta, soup, and sushi dishes. The "turf" portion of the menu showcases grilled new york sirloin, filet mignon, and barbecued pork, but the focus once again turns seaside at a raw bar that features clams and oysters kept fresh by pearl-shaped breath mints.

Beams of purple, blue, and yellow lighting hover above the interior dining tables, each blanketed with a white tablecloth and centered with a flickering candle. Outside, the ocean deck's sea-blue umbrellas shelter views of the boardwalk, ocean, and seagull beach volleyball tourneys. The restaurant bolsters its elegantly plated cuisine with occasional entertainment acts, which have included DJs and ballroom dancing lessons.

Restaurateur Tim McLoone has left his mark all over the culinary maps of New Jersey and Maryland with his numerous gourmet grills, which distinguish themselves from one another with unique menus and ambiances that hew to the same level of upscale elegance. Most of Tim’s restaurants set a lovely spread for Sunday brunch with made-to-order omelets, waffles, and a carving station with plump, tender hams. The network of eateries regularly lures hungry passersby during the evening with the aroma of grilled steaks and seafood, and a winning lotto ticket attached to a fishing line. Select locations are also visited by nightly entertainment. The decor at each dining hall is inspired by its surroundings: naval themes prevail at the coastal locations in National Harbor, Sea Bright, and Long Branch, while McLoone’s racing-themed restaurants are located within the off-track facilities in Fords and Bayonne.

At The Original Primo Pizza & Grill, chefs whirl handmade dough and whole, peeled tomatoes into a variety of thin-crust pizzas. While the menu includes classic standbys such as the hawaiian pizza, customers can also create their own perfect pies from toppings such as garlic, mushrooms, pepperoni, and sausage. What really shines through, however, is the restaurant’s large selection of specialty pies: buffalo-chicken pizza is topped with chicken and zesty buffalo sauce; Nutella pizza with brown and powdered sugar; and the American-style pizza gets topped with steak, peppers, onions, american cheese, and a pervasive dislike of the metric system.

While pizza dominates the menu, diners can also explore traditional Italian entrees, including dinner specialties such as chicken scampi, veal milanese, and spaghetti with clam sauce.

Mexican Post posts a classic menu of quesadillas, nachos, and burritos. Complimentary chips and salsa begin meals by blowing tiny tortilla trumpets, heralding the quesadilla fiesta of cheese, homemade salsa, and a choice of veggies, tofu, or chicken ($6.45). Diners can chomp down on two custom-stuffed tacos ($4.95) or devour an edible tortilla bowl brimming with taco salad ($6.95). Bottles of Mexican soda cool down mouths with flavors such as mango, guava, and strawberry ($2.50), and churros ($1.50) are sure to remind jaded taste buds why they're in the business.

Mediterranea’s cuisine pulls influences from all around the Mediterranean Sea, integrating village traditions from Spain to Syria. The restaurant is owned by the Homsi family, who emigrated from Syria in 1987. Their roots shine through in baba ghanouj, spicy shrimp arrabbiatta, half-roasted chickens, and kebabs. While making kebabs, chefs marinate morsels of filet mignon, lamb, or chicken before grilling them and serving them with a yogurt garlic dip.

The Homsi brothers decorated the space with custom-made furniture from Damascus and illuminated it with delicate beaded chandeliers from Turkey. Colorful artwork adorns the walls, coordinating with the cream and gold hues that dominate each chair or pillow-strewn bench. In the hookah lounge or on the patio, patrons lounge on cushy couches, exhaling sweet blooms of hookah smoke and sipping from BYOB bottles of wine.

A local business for more than 22 years, Alan’s Avenue Delicatessen and Caterers’ freshly sliced deli sandwiches continue to entice the palates of locals and of prestigious patrons such as Tony Bennett, Roger Daltrey, and Rosie O’Donnell. Owner Alan Bispo captains a skilled staff of sandwich smiths as it carves honey-smoked turkey, baked virginia ham, and hot pastrami into heroes, club sandwiches, and sloppy joes. Each served with a smile, fresh pasta salads, deli meats, and cheeses line the glass display case of the cheerful downtown delicatessen, where diners order before feasting upon the culinary treasures on tabletops inside or outside the shop. Special occasions, such as birthdays, meetings, or retired-circus-performer reunions call for bites from Alan’s extensive catering menu of continental breakfast items, fresh sandwiches up to 6 feet long, and hot entrees.: