Restaurants in Rutherford

Flavorful, internationally inspired raw food often draws celebs such as Alicia Silverstone and Liv Tyler to this East Village eatery, according to Time Out New York. But Quintessence has plenty to offer beyond star-spotting. Chefs lovingly construct each dish on the menu from organic fruit, vegetables, and grains never heated above 118 degrees. The staff piles raw pizzas with toppings such as spiced nuts, kalamata olives, and avocado, and craft raw pastas from yellow squash. The brunch menu incorporates sprouted-kamut bread and sweet yam crepes to recreate breakfast staples from benedicts to bagels. All desserts are nondairy and sugar-free, including the house-made ice crème and the pecan pie on a crush of soaked almonds, walnuts, and dates.

Cradled by weathered brick walls and naturally lit by floor-to-ceiling windows, 88 Orchard slings a new selection of locally produced coffees, teas, and baked goods each week. After 5 p.m., the bistro goes undercover by donning a cape of fine wines and a mask of artisanal cheeses to accompany small plates and charcuterie in public without provoking gossip from more traditional bistros. Guests enter beneath a round turret into a corner storefront filled with classic New York charm, from its pressed-tin ceilings to its rough-hewn wooden tables. Free local delivery whisks pastries from Ceci Cela and sandwiches set on crusts from Balthazar Bakery and Amy's Bread throughout the neighborhood. On Tuesday night, an open mic beckons acoustic troubadours to sing for their suppers, though it forbids them to whine for their wine.

Firenze Ristorante unveils the virtues of a Tuscan village, from its vast selection of wines to the rustic, exposed-brick decor that accompanies each visit. Opened in 1981, Firenze beckons Upper East Side bellies through its doors daily for brunch, lunch, and dinner, capping off meals with complimentary limoncello or grappa that effectively trick tongues into thinking they’re in Italy. As waiters deliver still-steaming dishes of pasta and steak, diners chat at white-clothed tables flickering beneath a candle’s glow. Uniquely shaped mirrors adorn the walls and accent the restaurant’s dark wooden pillars, which brandish racks of wine and shriek a little bit every time they get a glimpse of their reflection.

Students often give their favorite teacher apples. Melissa Chmelar, however, gave hers homemade syrups and jams. That’s because Melissa's mother frequently took the family on syrup-making excursions, teaching them how to tap trees and boil sap into homemade batches that could compliment country-style spreads. Today, Melissa carries on her mother’s DIY attitude and passion for handcrafted foods as an adult. She even sells her own syrups and jams through the online shop portion of her culinary operation, Spoon.

Melissa doesn’t just sell her food, though—she also caters it throughout the city. With an arsenal of homemade goodies, organic produce grown in upstate New York, and local meat and seafood, she crafts delicious smorgasbords for dinner gatherings, cocktail parties, and special events. Along with baking muffins and breads, she rustles up upscale dishes such as pan-seared salmon with parsley pesto, earning herself coverage in a slew of major publications, including the New York Times, People Magazine, and Metro New York.

Melissa uses the same farm-fresh ingredients at Tbsp, the storefront portion of Spoon. There, she serves visiting patrons everything from from-scratch soups to grass-fed beef burgers flavored with house seasonings. For dessert, Melissa bakes and serves house-made chocolate chip cookies in skillets, topping them off with scoops of vanilla ice cream.

Sushi Yawa combines traditional Japanese dishes with Western tastes to create its menu of sushi, teriyaki dishes, and pan-fried noodles. Imported sake, Japanese beer, and local wines wash down a variety of special rolls, which tuck innovative ingredients, such as mango, blue paradise shrimp, and jalapeño, into protective seaweed casings. Convenient online ordering and pickup or delivery let diners enjoy the pan-Asian treats in the comfort of their homes or in the attics of their neighbors' homes. Guests staying in-house can sidle up to the smooth wood sushi bar or take seats in the candlelit dining area.

Brazil Brazil Restaurant spirits diners away from the helter-skelter streets of New York City into a space rife with french doors, exposed brick, and blond hardwood. Its back patio—a white-trellised three-seasons room and kind of solarium—surrounds guests with lush flora and wrought-iron furniture that exudes the feeling of the tropics, with the scents of grilling seafood wafting over the secluded tables.

This spot is one of the best places to relax in the city, with the New York Times even lauding the patio as a “romantic retreat” and “an ideal place to escape the city’s rapid pace.” Chefs plate flavorful Brazilian dishes such as wine-marinated shrimp or pan-seared red snapper in mango sauce with sides of yucca and fried bananas. Late in the evenings, a Brazilian band starts serenading guests lounging in the bar’s cushy sofa chairs, creating a festive atmosphere. Located next to a host of Broadway theaters, the bistro is a great pre-show spot for on-the-go eaters.