Restaurants in Somerset

During the day, Trattoria Bel Paese cuts a humble figure with its deli area bursting with grilled panini, fresh salads, and Italian hero sandwiches. By night, though, chefs draw a curtain around the glass counter and, according to Teresa Politano of the Star-Ledger, this "unassuming little Clark Kent of a restaurant" sheds its eyeglasses to fight villainous hunger with a menu of authentic Sicilian and Italian specialties. Heaping portions of pastas with sweet red sauce and veal with cream sauce perch atop the floral tablecloths with gluten-free and organic ingredients substituted in by request. Platters of hot chicken parmigiana and fresh black mussels with marinara also zoom to special events or impromptu reenactments of special events under the supervision of Trattoria Bel Paese's catering team.

For some, the test of a good burger is how juicy its center remains after coming off the grill. For others, satisfaction correlates with the number of condiments the bun can hold. When Bella was a child, her test was simple: if the burger was good, it would make her hum a little song. At least that's the story Bella's father tells.

Today, the team at Bella’s Burger Shack aims to inspire that same musical urge in its patrons. The cooks primarily do so with grade-A, never-frozen Bella burgers, served on Martin's potato bread beside steaming sides of hand-cut fries. Signature bacon-wrapped and deep-fried dogs also whet customers' humming whistles, aptly washed down with Wild Bill’s Olde Fashioned soda, always free of high-fructose corn syrup, or a creamy Bella milk shake.

The sizzling of Cajun batter-fried shrimp mingles with the sweet twang of acoustic guitars and smoky jazz vocals. This distinct bouquet of sounds and smells is the essence of The Crossroads, a venue that describes itself as an amalgamation of classic Cajun and American stylings: “[It's] as if NY and N'awlins had a baby and moved to the suburbs.” Patrons can sate their appetites with a menu of soul and Cajun fare escorted by a choice of libations, including more than 40 martinis. Nightly musical guests have included local and national acts spanning the genres of jazz, bluegrass, and classic-rock cover bands. Nightly events and specials keep energy high. Every Tuesday, guests pay no cover charges and can climb onstage with their finely tuned instruments or an array of water-filled pint glasses for the open Jazz Jam with the house’s trio of musicians.

Its location across the street from the Middlesex County Courthouse flavors the atmosphere at Mike's Courtside Sports Bar & Grill, which blends judicial trappings such as wall-mounted gavels with sports memorabilia autographed by local athletes including Derek Jeter. The servers' T-shirts proclaim, "You've been served" as waiters and waitresses sling plates of rib-eye burgers, 12-inch personal pizzas, and other satisfying comfort grub. Two bars—one on each floor—serve up six rotating draft beers and more than 30 bottled brews as sports fans watch games on 1 of 13 MLB-package-equipped HDTVs. Mike's Courtside Sports Bar & Grill also features year-round outdoor seating and hosts Friday and Saturday night performances by live DJs and holograms of dead DJs.

Bella Pizza’s gourmet pizzas—made with a secret sauce and housemade dough—helped the Italian eatery earn a Hillsborough Patch Readers’ Choice award this year. Along with signature pizzas, such as the cheesesteak and buffalo calamari, the chefs also create made-from-scratch calzones, sandwiches, subs, and submarines—actual submarines. They also whip up oven-baked pastas and dinners such as chicken parmigiana. Bella Pizza’s owner, Akhtar Farzaie, has demonstrated his commitment to the community by supporting a local 7-year-old boy who organized an impressive coat drive.

Since 1967, the Mandreucci Family has lured in diners with the scent of bubbly margherita pizzas, sopressata sandwiches on semolina bread, and chicken, sausage, and shrimp mingling with rich sauces on plates of pasta. Tan brick and colorful murals of wholesome Italian ingredients surround families and couples as they twirl linguini around their fork tines or munch on slices of vodka-penne pizza, a specialty pizza topped with vodka sauce and diced ham. During catered events, guests can avoid eye contact with an old lab partner by preoccupying themselves with fresh fruits, antipasti, penne pomodoro, lasagna, and veal.