We welcomed, and bid goodbye, to these Central Jersey restaurants this year

Although Central Jersey was sad to lose some of its favorite eateries this year — including several that have been area landmarks for decades — 2023 was far kinder to the local restaurant scene than tumultuous years like 2020 and 2021.

This year, foodies welcomed an array of delectable restaurants, including a sourdough bread bakery with a cult following; the region's first revolving sushi bar; the second local spot owned by celebrity chef David Burke; and a Mexican restaurant with the most tequilas in the country.

Here's what restaurants we welcomed this year, and which ones we'll miss.

Opened restaurants

Artichoke Basille's Pizza, which originally opened in the East Village in 2008 and is known for its signature artichoke pizza, opened its third New Jersey location in August. 104 Easton Ave., New Brunswick; 973-315-1546, artichokepizza.com/location/new-brunswick.

Aura Coffee, a European-style coffee shop owned by a Kosovo native, at the Citizen Linden apartment complex in September. 307 W. Elizabeth Ave., Linden; auracoffee.net.

Bread & Culture, a sourdough bakery with a cult following, opened in Flemington in a 2,000-square-foot space where customers can see into the preparation area where loaves and pastries come out of the oven. 123 Main St., Flemington; breadandculture.com.

Delicias de Lore, an authentic Costa Rican restaurant, opened at the former home of Castillo Fresh Seafood in February. The 15-seat eatery is decked out with Costa Rican coffee bags, flags and the national bird, and offers dishes such as gallo pinto and casado. 9 E. Somerset St., Raritan; 908-526-4566, instagram.com/deliciasdelorenj/.

Dulce Bakery & Café, an eclectic, art-inspired cafe known for its Vietnamese and Hispanic coffee and baked goods, opened in February with a menu of everything from homemade tres leches to pancake puffs to chicken noodle soup. 196 W. Main St., Somerville; 908-393-1088, dulcebakeryncafe.com.

German Doner Kebab, a fast-casual restaurant featuring kebabs with Halal meats, opened its second New Jersey location in October. 125 E. Broad St., Westfield; 908-228-3980, germandonerkebab.com.

Golden Crust, a Jamaican franchise with items like jerk chicken, curried chicken and goat, and meat and vegetable patties, opened at the former White Castle in November. 1335-41 South Ave,, Plainfield; 908-312-9030, goldenkrust.com.

Il Forno a Legna, a wood-fired pizzeria, joined the robust Raritan Italian food scene when it opened in October. 53 W. Somerset St., Raritan; 908-393-1808, ilfornoalegnanj.com.

Dinner with a 'wow': Kura Sushi in Edison combines revolving dining with prizes, high-tech additions

Kura Sushi, a Japan-based revolving sushi bar chain with nearly 45 U.S. locations, opened its first Central Jersey restaurant in February, marking the first revolving sushi bar in the region. It features a full bar, a robot server, and prizes for the number of sushi pieces consumed. 1781 Route 27 Suite 101, Edison; 732-426-0550, kurasushi.com/locations/edison-nj.

Meximodo, a modern Mexican restaurant with a rose tunnel and a Guinness World Record-breaking collection of 1,000 tequilas, opened at the Metuchen Town Plaza in November. 5 Pearl St., Metuchen; meximodo.com.

Millburn Deli, a 77-year-old deli known for sandwiches like the Godfadda, Gobbler and New Jersey Sloppy Joe, opened its fourth location in March. 144 E. Broad St., Westfield; 908-312-2220, millburndeli.com/location/westfield-nj.

Namkeen, a fast-casual eatery that serves hot chicken fused with Pakistani flavors, opened its second New Jersey location in Metuchen in October in the former “What’s the Scoop” shop. 410 Main St., Metuchen; 201-636-1730, eatnamkeen.com.

Pierre & Michel Authentic French Bakery, a chic French bakery with high-end desserts and pastries, opened its third location in September. 78 W. Main St., Somerville; 908-442-6725, pierreandmichel.com.

Playa Bowls, which offers acai and pitaya bowls topped with fruit and other ingredients at more than 170 locations, opened its first Woodbridge location in May. 97 Main St., Woodbridge; playabowls.com/location/woodbridge.

POURtuga Coffee House, a Portuguese coffee shop that receives its bread and pastries everyday from Teixeira's Bakery in the Ironbound section of Newark, opened in January. 60 Stirling Road, Watchung; 908-760-3007, instagram.com/pourtugacoffeehouse.

Red Horse, a New American rendition of the Rumson location owned by celebrity chef David Burke, opened in the former home of the 116-year-old Bernards Inn in October. 27 Minebrook Road, Bernardsville; 908-766-0002, redhorsebydb.com/restaurant-bernards/.

A legend, re-imagined: Celebrity chef David Burke brings Red Horse restaurant to the old Bernards Inn

Slingin’ Dogs, a quick-service Sabrett hot dog spot at the former home of Epic Cookies, opened in May. 92 W. Main St., Somerville; 908-210-9794, slingindogs.com.

Strickland's Steakhouse, an elegant steakhouse that dry-ages its own steaks, opened in the former Woodbridge National Bank in September. 106 Main St., Woodbridge; 732-510-7913, stricklandssteakhouse.com.

Tap & Bitters, a New Orleans-inspired restaurant and bar, opened at the former Tap Room in the Somerset Hills Hotel in the spring with dishes like jambalaya, Cajun-crusted halibut and gumbo. 200 Liberty Corner Road, Warren; 908-573-2173, tapandbitters.com.

Teriyaki Madness, a fast-casual Asian fusion chain, opened its first Middlesex County location in May with its signature made-to-order teriyaki bowls accompanied with stir-fried vegetables and rice or noodles. It replaced Wingz N Thingz, which closed about two years ago. 1050 Route 9, Old Bridge; 732-313-6043, teriyakimadness.com.

Wholly Cow, a gelato and coffee shop inside a 1,300-square-foot space, opened in August. 1542 Main St., Rahway; 732-669-7925, instagram.com/whollycowgelato.

Wonder, a fast-casual restaurant inspired by the food trucks that delivered chef-made fine dining meals to doors, opened its first New Jersey brick-and-mortar eatery in June. 210 South Ave. W., Westfield; 855-818-5755, wonder.com/food-delivery/westfield-nj.

Closed restaurants

Basilico, an Italian restaurant with an Italian-born chef who made everything from scratch, closed at 46 W Somerset St. in Raritan in September after two years in business. However, a new location will open at the Kingsbridge Shopping Center in Hillsborough.

Fiddleheads, a New American bistro that had been a flagship eatery in Jamesburg for over 30 years, closed on June 18 at 27 E. Railroad Ave. The owners cited "recent challenges" and medical expenses as reasons for closing the BYOB.

Park Place Kosher, a casual spot for kosher shwarma, burgers and fried chicken, closed at 120 Raritan Ave., Highland Park, after 16 years in business.

Stan's Chitch's Café, a landmark family-run pizzeria and bar known for its thin-crust pies, closed in April at 14 Columbus Place, Bound Brook, after 86 years in business.

'It's in the dough, it's love:' Stan's Chitch's Café to serve last pizza after 86 years

Contact: JIntersimone@MyCentralJersey.com

Jenna Intersimone has been a staff member at the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey since 2014, after becoming a blogger-turned-reporter following the creation of her award-winning travel blog. To get unlimited access to her stories about food, drink and fun, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. You can also follow her on Instagram at @seejennaeat and on Twitter at @JIntersimone.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Central Jersey restaurants that opened, closed in 2023