2022_09_New_Jersey_Monthly

EAT + DRINK
Casual dining
that won’t break
the bank.
tody of his three sons when they were
young. He recalls toting Tony in a carrier
strapped to his chest as he served customers
their coffee. “Poor kid,” he jokes.
“He should disown me.” The boys grew up
hanging out at the diner and eventually
working there, washing dishes, cooking
and looking out for their dad.
Tony, 22 this month, graduated from
Harvard this year—his acceptance to the
school is an emotional high point in both
documentaries—and started a job at a private
capital company in Boston. Dimitri,
20, studies at the Culinary Institute of
America in Hyde Park, New York. Michael,
18 this month, works alongside his
father at the diner and will attend Rider
University in Lawrenceville this fall.
While Diakakis’s story had remained
relatively out of the spotlight until recently,
the Bendix has long garnered recognition
far beyond the Garden State as
an icon of Americana. The diner appears
in such films as Jersey Girls (1992), Boys
on the Side (1995) and The Many Saints of
Newark (2021), and in commercials starring
Ray Charles and Michael J. Fox. “For
a while there, the Bendix Diner may have
been the most famous diner on American
TV,” Peter Genovese wrote in a 2019
NJ.com ranking of Jersey’s 30 greatest
old-school diners.
Jerry Seinfeld stopped by with comedian
Barry Marder in a 2012 episode
of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
Jack Antonoff ’s Bergenfield-born band,
Bleachers, shot the video for their 2021
single, “Stop Making This Hurt,” in the
Bendix, turning band members loose to
dance on the tabletops.
Diakakis works seven days a week
at the diner, which he refers to in Scalia’s
documentary as “Cheers with food.”
Paired with the promise of a good meal, he
says, it’s “kind of a homey, perfect place.”
Diakakis encounters all walks of
life—“from truck drivers to people who
fly gazillionaires all around the planet... to
a family coming in for some hearty breakfast
on the weekend.”
He adds: “Every day that I’m here
should be some sort of learning experience.”
It may be for the customers, as well.
“I’m sorry to say this,” Diakakis says, “but
when this place is busy, I love showing off.
I can feel the eyes on me: ‘How the eff is he
doing this blind?’”
n o r t h
ALBERTO’S
RESTAURANT &
PIZZERIA
› Belleville
STYLE The decor and some of
the fare speak to the owners’
native Argentina: tango on the
speakers, soccer on the TV,
murals of Buenos Aires, and
pictures of late Argentine soccer
great Diego Maradona.
THE SCOOP Alberto Guido
and Marcela Paturzo opened
the restaurant 11 years ago after
moving to New Jersey from
Buenos Aires.
THE MENU Lunch staples
include chicken parm panini
and the super combo hot
sandwich (pastrami, roast
beef, corned beef and cheese).
For pizza, the Alby’s special
(onions, peppers, mushrooms,
pepperoni, sausage) is hearty.
For something different, try
the faina slice (a crêpe made
from chickpea flour). For
dinner, entrées include pasta,
chicken and veal preparations.
Don’t overlook the Argentinian
empanadas or the classic
Argentinian ensalada rusa. The
Milanesa Napolitana (breaded
chicken) and bife con papas
fritas y huevos fritos (steak
with fries and fried egg) are
iconic Argentinian meals, with
mondongo, tripe in red sauce,
for the more adventurous. Parrillada
mixta, mixed barbecue,
is a staple in Argentina, and the
chorizo sandwich is Buenos
Aires street food. The steak
salads are a chance to try the
famous Argentinian beef.
HEADS UP Ask for caramel
in your churro (Latin take on
doughnuts). —Lucas Boyce
482 Washington Avenue
973-447-1397
Lunch and dinner, Mon-Sat
PRICE $$ BYO
c e n t r a l
prices (most entrées) $ under $15 $$ $15-$25 $$$ over $25
ALTERNATE
ENDING BEER CO.
› Aberdeen
STYLE This nostalgic brewery
with full kitchen features a cinematic
theme, in keeping with
its past as a movie theater. Film
references enliven the menu,
and movie posters are adapted
to promote Alternate Ending’s
brews. Some tables include
theater-style seats.
THE SCOOP A giant screen
plays classic flicks, and movie
nights are held regularly. Trivia
nights typically focus on beloved
movies and TV shows.
THE MENU You’ll find burgers,
cheesesteaks and pulled pork,
but also falafel, chicken salad
sandwiches and deep-dish
sourdough pan pizzas. The pies
include the Grandma Style, the
Detroit Style, and the Big Kahuna,
with pineapple. Smaller
dishes (in the Previews section)
include pretzels, fries and
wings. There are salads, vegan
options and desserts.
True to its name, Alternate
Ending offers an extensive
tap list: IPAs, lagers, pilsners,
stouts, ales and more. (4-ounce
tasters are $3.) Looking for
something refreshing and light?
Try Hanzo, a citrusy green-tea
lager with a 2.6% ABV.
HEADS UP Alternate Ending
is 10 minutes from Holmdel’s
PNC Bank Arts Center, making
it the perfect place to grab a
bite and a brew before a concert.
—Gary Phillips
1057 Route 34
732-612-8422
alternateendingbeerco.com
Lunch and dinner, Wed-Mon
PRICE $$
s o u t h
BLUE CLAW CRAB
EATERY
› Burlington
STYLE Casual seafood
house with tables covered in
brown paper. The sea-blue
color scheme harmonizes with
prints of crabs on the walls.
THE SCOOP The Blue Claw,
opened in 1961, is all about
blue crabs in both hard
and soft shell. Hard-shell
king crabs can run up to 15
pounds. Snow crabs are the
king’s smaller cousin. Dungeness
crabs run up to 4 pounds
each, their meat quite sweet.
Softshells are blues that have
molted. Crabs sourced daily.
Indoor and outdoor tent
seatingis available.
THE MENU Buffalo garlic
scallops and New England
clam chowder make tasty
starters. Snow crab parts are
available as an all-you-caneat
entrée with fries or hush
puppies. This signature draw
is served cold or steamed,
plain or seasoned with J &
O crab seasoning, Norm’s
seasoning, the house garlic
seasoning or any combination
of sauces.
Generously portioned
seafood feasts include crabs,
clams, corn and two sides.
Also consider tacos topped
with chipotle, aioli, cabbage
or house-made salsa.
HEADS UP Wings are served
with sauces such as mild,
Buffalo, Buffalo garlic, stoner
(spicy/tangy) , BBQ or garlicpepper
Parmesan.
—Cle Weaver
4494 Route 130 North
609-387-3700
crabeatery.com
Lunch and dinner, daily
PRICE $ $ BYO
PHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY OF COCKBURN’S/SYMINGTON FAMILY ESTATES
124 SEPTEMBER 2022 NJMONTHLY.COM