The Record

Bergenfield 's Diverse, Delicious Downtown

Monday, March 23, 2009
By ELISA UNG, RESTAURANT REVIEWER
Twin Boro News

Michael Karas / Staff Photographer

The slogan for downtown Bergenfield these days is "A Mall in a Mile."

At Tommy Fox's Public House, beer and conversation both flow smoothly in the mellow atmosphere. Try the pot pie or fish and chips.

A mall? Not exactly.

What Washington Avenue and the surrounding streets in this diverse town have going for them is something rarely found in malls — an eclectic mix of independently owned restaurants, food stands and ethnic grocery stores that offer an array of food adventures. Whether it's halo-halo or vanilla gelato, burgers or taquitos, fresh lumpia or a different kind of quesadilla, you're likely to find something to try, and often, at surprisingly low prices.

It was hard to know where to start.

Jollibee Oriental Food Mart, 5:30 p.m.

Stroll the aisles of this Filipino grocery store and you'll find a delectable selection of snacks you may have never known existed. Tapioca cookies? Banana brittle? We had to try both.

The gluten-free tapioca cookies ($2.79) would be good choices for those with celiac disease, and the banana brittle ($1.49) tasted of burnt sugar. However, we did discover a new obsession — a packet of sweet dried mangoes ($2.09), imported from the Philippines . 48 E. Main St. ; 201-439-1242.

Green Farm, 5:45 p.m.

We like to make maduros — sautéed sweet plantains — at home, but hate the process of purchasing the plantains and impatiently waiting for them to ripen enough so the dish is properly sweet and caramelized. So we were delighted to find single ripe — almost completely black — plantains for sale (59 cents each) at Green Farm, a diverse grocery store in the heart of Washington Avenue.

We also picked up some tomatillos (99 cents a pound) for chili and some guava jelly ($2.19) for a nice toast alternative to strawberry jam. 46 S. Washington Ave. ; 201-244-8880.

Tommy Fox's Public House, 6 p.m.

This popular Irish pub had a mellow, laid-back vibe, and the friendliest bartender ever introduced himself as Jim and made us feel welcome. ESPN was the television choice for the evening and the conversation flowed as easily as the beer.

It was a perfect place to catch up over a beer, but next time, we're planning to make time to grab a table and stick around for pot pie or fish and chips. 32 S. Washington Ave. ; 201-384-0900; tommyfoxs.com.

Wuzz Up Café, 6:45 p.m.

Serving all kinds of Asian dishes, this BYO feels almost like a serene cafeteria during the day; live music on Friday and Saturday nights turn it into a lively hangout. Eat as much or as little as you like; there's a good selection of beef, chicken, pork, fish, vegetable and rice and noodle dishes, not to mention halo-halo and other fun Filipino desserts.

We ordered a very sweet mango juice and a cooling buko (coconut) juice, both $2, and an assortment of house-made snacks — a heaping plate of crispy, pork-filled Shanghai rolls ($4.95), some tiny, delicate shrimp shumai ($3.95) and the star, fresh lumpiang sariwa ($3.95), sautéed vegetables and chicken in a delicate eggy crepe wrapper known as lumpia. This alone could have been a filling, cheap meal; instead, it became a tasty lunch for the next day as we scurried down to the other side of Washington Avenue . 8 Bedford Ave. ; 201-384-8888.

La Batalla, 7:45 p.m.

This tiny Mexican spot isn't much to look at, but dishes out some very satisfying Mexican cuisine at very reasonable prices. For $9.95, you get a huge platter that includes a taco, tamale and enchilada (try the enchiladas verdes), while $14.95 gets you camarones Mexican style, six jumbo shrimp perfectly sautéed in butter with tomatoes, onions and peppers.

Owner Santiago Huerta didn't mind when we lingered forever in front of his fun drink selection (we finally picked out tamarind soda and guava juice) and he sent us home with some extra salsa. 83 N. Washington Ave. ; 201-385-0303.

Armando's, 8:45 p.m.

Salvadoran and American food is served here in a pretty blue-toned room. We found " America 's Next Top Model" playing on a television in the back and sweet staff who didn't mind that we just wanted dessert.

We had our eyes on the Salvadoran quesadilla, which is not the usual tortilla filled with melted cheese, but rather a soft sweet bread made with cheese, eggs and Salvadoran cream sprinkled lightly with sesame seeds, for a delectable sweet-salty-tangy taste.

A mere $1.25 bought us a huge wedge, and for $5 you can get the entire round bread (enough for a family). We were equally entranced by the "empanadas de platano con leche," three fat, breaded and fried nuggets of mashed plantains oozing with creamy custard ($5).

At prices lower than some ice cream stands, it was a sweet way to end an evening of new surprises. 96 S. Washington Ave. ; 201-439-1900.

E-mail: ung@northjersey.com