Recently in New Jersey Category

It's nearly an hour from NYC, but if you know where to look, you'll find places to wine and dine that seem less New Jersey and more big city. The Sheraton Edison Hotel Raritan Center is located just a few minutes from New Brunswick, home to Rutgers University and some seriously impressive places to eat and drink.

You'll want to start with dinner at the French-style The Frog and The Peach, but be sure to make a very important stop before getting to your table as the bar whips up some serious cocktails. The changing menu features creative selections like the Venetian (Haymans Old Tom Gin, Luxardo Maraschino, Aperol, and lemon and grapefruit juices) and a pomegranate cosmo made with lemon vodka. For teetotalers and teens, there's also a tasty menu of mocktails. But don't linger too long - this is one dinner you don't want to miss. Request a table in the bright and appealing garden room. Everything "from the bread to the ice cream" is prepared fresh. Order a la carte or opt for the three-course "frugal farmer" or five-course wine tasting prix fixe menus, where you'll find dishes like seared offshore Jersey sea scallops with sesame peanut noodle sushi and picked vegetable salad.

From there you'll want to cap off the evening at Daryl Wine Bar, which has a wine list that's heavy on biodynamic, organic and sustainable options. You'll find 60+ by-the-glass options...available in two-, four-, or six-ounce pours.

Cap off your foodie weekend with all-you-can-eat brunch at Old Man Rafferty's - and this is one buffet you'll want to save room for: You'll find everything from shrimp cocktail and crab legs to omelet stations, French toast, pasta salads, cheese platters, and a cake-laden dessert table. But save some room for a slice of the Vesuvius, an insanely rich brownie cake layered with caramel, cheesecake, chocolate ganache, and mousse.

You don't have to spend big bucks to experience dishes by many big name chefs these days. Around the world, many chefs are branching out from their white tablecloth digs with more casual places. How does a gourmet sandwich sound?

It's tough to score a table at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, but at Bobby's Burger Palace you're guaranteed a seat — and to receive your burger, fries and shake within just a few minutes of sitting down. Sure it verges on fast food, but when it's this good, that's not necessarily a bad thing. There's a location (one of just four) a few minutes from the Sheraton Eatontown in New Jersey.

Reservations at Donald Link's Herbsaint and Cochon are hard to come by 'round Mardi Gras, but just around the corner at Butcher, you can order up a tasty muffaletta filled with house-made meats, some sides and a bottle of wine to either eat there or take back to the Sheraton New Orleans a couple blocks away.

The trend even pops up in Paris, where chef Guy Martin of the two-Michelin-starred Le Grand Véfour has opened a sandwich shop, Miyou, in the 8ème arrondissement of Paris as well as in Charles De Gaulle Airport Terminal 2. The airport location is just beyond security from the Sheraton Paris Airport Hotel & Conference Centre, which means you can grab a gourmet lunch on your way from hotel to flight.

New Brunswick, New Jersey has developed a strong and vibrant street food culture thanks to the students at Rutgers University. "Grease Trucks" line College Avenue to feed hungry students at breakfast, lunch, dinner and especially late at night and after football games. While all sorts of food is served, from burgers to fallafel, the most famous dishes are the "fat" sandwiches.

The Fat Cat originated the trend. It's two hamburger patties, cheese, fries, ketchup, mayo, lettuce, tomato and onion on a French roll. After the Fat Cat came all sorts of permutations: the Fat Moon, the Fat Elvis, and many more, including some more controversially named ones. The Fat Cat remained king of the grease trucks until the fateful day Darrell W. Butler convinced a truck to make a sandwich with chicken fingers, fried mozzarella sticks, fries and marinara sauce — and thus the Fat Darrell was born. It's now the best seller up and down the street.

I don't have a personal favorite — most trucks serve the most popular fat sandwiches along with a couple variations of their own — but RU Hungry is a popular option. So next time you're staying at the Sheraton Edison Hotel for a visit to Rutgers, make sure to make a stop at the grease trucks for a snack.

Most cities have one or two airports serving them; New York has three. Normally this would mean they have three times the amount of mediocre airport food. Fortunately, there are standouts at each one to save you from devouring another plastic-wrapped sandwich or overpriced fast food in times of need.

In JFK's new Terminal 5, 5ivesteak is your savior. Contemporary in both decor and its style of steaks — think Craftsteak, not Peter Luger — even just the burger is a stand-out. Right next door, Piquillo brings tapas to the terminal; the egg salad sandwich looks pretty good. You might want to check out of Sheraton JFK Airport Hotel a little early just to have dinner before your flight.

At LaGuardia, Figs promises gourmet food despite the airport setting, and it delivers. Opened in 2000 by celebrity chef Todd English, Figs is at its best with its wood-fired pizzas — the fig and prosciutto one being a standout, naturally. Finish with the white chocolate bread pudding before heading to your gate or the Sheraton LaGuardia East.

Don't forget Newark. An outpost of New York's Gallagher's Steakhouse promises prime aged steaks and classic sides in Terminal C, while Vino Volo is a breath of fresh air as far as airport bars go — a well-curated selection of wines at reasonable prices, in an atmosphere that takes the edge off the typical terminal mayhem, which is a small bonus when traveling.

[Image courtesy of Jetblue]