Park East, Hazlet

Park East calls itself "the ultimate expression of what a high-end casual restaurant should be," and its delicate balance between refinement and spontaneity seeps into its every crack. Drawing upon a hybrid of contemporary American, delicate Japanese, and old-fashioned bar food, the kitchen might prepare anything from a cheeseburger topped with chipotle-tomato jam and house onion rings to innovative sushi rolls that wrap up strip steak or strawberries. On Sunday mornings, the brunch menu wakes up late-risers and offers sanctuary for vampires who forgot to go to sleep with such delicacies as lobster fried rice, bacon-infused pancakes, and a cheese-stuffed waffle soaked in bourbon syrup. It all happens in a massive dining room that somehow retains an intimate lounge feel, even with a hard-partying sports bar right next door.