These are the best restaurants for wine in Central NJ, says Wine Spectator
If you're a wine lover, it's once again time to plan your stops for a summer wine destination list.
Wine Spectator released the winners of its 2022 Restaurant Awards, which honor the world’s best restaurants for wine. This year’s awards program recognizes 3,169 dining destinations from all 50 states in the U.S. and more than 70 countries.
The Restaurant Awards began in 1981 and there are three levels: the Award of Excellence, the Best of Award of Excellence and the Grand Award, with 1,782; 1,290; and 97 winners this year in each respective category.
The Grand Award Winner from Central Jersey was The Pluckemin Inn, a county-inn restaurant serving imaginative, upscale American fare in a vintage setting.
The region also brought home five Best of Award of Excellence awards, with several restaurants from New Brunswick: The Frog and the Peach, a gourmet American restaurant offering creative seasonal cuisine, fine wines and a coveted garden room; Catherine Lombardi, an upscale Italian restaurant with a homey fare, a cozy red interior, lively bar and fireplace; and Stage Left Steak, a steakhouse and bar that offers locally-sourced, seasonal fare with food and cocktails made from scratch.
The other two winners were Water & Wine Ristorante-Taverna, a large upscale venue on Lake Watchung featuring an Italian and American menu and lake views and La Griglia Seafood Grill & Wine Bar, a white-tablecloth Italian restaurant with seafood-centric fare, including raw bar options.
Central Jersey brought home three Awards of Excellence, with two restaurants from Edison – Deccan Spice, a modern, chic take on Indian fare, with an emphasis on a unique wine list and an uplifting drink menu; and Seasons 52, a New American restaurant featuring a rotating menu of seasonal dishes alongside international wines in an upscale setting. The third winner was another Seasons 52 location in Bridgewater.
“I want to congratulate all 3,169 restaurants that earned one of Wine Spectator’s three awards for their devotion to all things wine,” said Marvin R. Shanken, editor and publisher of Wine Spectator. “These awards not only guide our readers to dining establishments with impressive wine lists and outstanding service, but also serve to honor restaurants for their achievements and commitment to maintaining pristine cellars.”
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2022 Restaurant Awards Winners
Award of Excellence
Since 2021: Deccan Spice, 153 Wood Ave., Edison, 732-902-2888, http://www.deccanspice.com/
Since 2016: Seasons 52, 410 Commons Way, Bridgewater 908-203-9952, http://www.seasons52.com/
Since 2014: Seasons 52, 217 Lafayette Road, Edison 732-632-1852, http://www.seasons52.com/
Best of Award of Excellence
Since 2016: The Frog and the Peach, 29 Dennis St., New Brunswick, 732- 846-3216, https://frogandpeach.com/
Since 2006: Catherine Lombardi, 3 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, 732-296-9643, http://www.catherinelombardi.com
Since 2006: Water & Wine Ristorante-Taverna, 141 Stirling Road, Watchung, 908-755-9344, http://www.visitwaterandwine.com/
Since 2004: La Griglia Seafood Grill & Wine Bar, 740 Kenilworth Blvd., Kenilworth, 908-241-0034, https://lagriglia.com/
Since 2001: Stage Left Steak, 5 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, 732-828-4444, https://www.stageleft.com/
Grand Award Winner
Since 2011: The Pluckemin Inn, 359 Route 206 S., Bedminster, 908-658-9292, http://www.pluckemininn.com
For more information go to Restaurants.WineSpectator.com, where all winners can be searched by location and sorted by attributes including name, proximity, award level, cuisine and pricing.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Wine Spectator announces Central NJ winners of 2022 Restaurant Awards
