20 NJ Restaurants Earn 2022 Wine Spectator Awards: See Which Ones
2 New Jersey establishments have also earned the coveted ‘Grand Award,’ which only 97 restaurants worldwide have received.
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While metro areas like New York City and high-profile wine-growing regions like Napa tend to get all the attention, oenophiles shouldn’t knock New Jersey.
Wine Spectator unveiled the 2022 Restaurant Awards winners, which honor the world’s best restaurants for wines. This year’s awards program recognized 3,169 dining destinations from all 50 states and in more than 70 countries worldwide.
In New Jersey, 20 restaurants earned recognition. Since 1981, the Restaurant Awards have had three distinct levels: The “Award of Excellence,” the “Best of Award of Excellence” and the “Grand Award.”
Only 97 restaurants around the world have received the coveted Grand Award. That includes two in the Garden State: Restaurant Latour (1 Wild Turkey Way, Hamburg), which made the list in 2006, and The Pluckemin Inn (359 Route 206 S, Bedminster), which earned the accolade in 2011.
Then there’s the Award of Excellence, given to restaurants that carefully choose their wine lists to have 100 or more selections, containing both quality and diverse wines, according to the magazine. There were 1,782 Award of Excellence winners this year.
The Best of Award of Excellence is given to restaurants that “go the extra mile,” with lists of 350 or more selections from top producers, with a wide variety of regions and vintage depths. These restaurants might also carefully design the presentations of the list, train their staff to assist diners with the list and have curated wine dinners, according to Wine Spectator. Worldwide, 1,290 restaurants received the Best of Award of Excellence award.
Here are New Jersey’s 2022 winners:
Best of Award of Excellence
Elements (66 Witherspoon St., Princeton)
- wine strengths: France, California
- cuisine: American, Asian
Stage Left Steak (5 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick)
- wine strengths: Italy, California, France, Germany, Portugal
- cuisine: American, steakhouse
Catherine Lombardi (3 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick)
- wine strengths: Italy, California, France, Germany, Portugal
- cuisine: Italian
The Frog and the Peach (29 Dennis Ave., New Brunswick)
- wine strengths: California, France, Italy, Spain, Oregon
- cuisine: American
Undici Taverna Rustica (11 W. River Rd., Rumson)
- wine strengths: Tuscany, Piedmont, Italy
- cuisine: Italian
The Capital Grille (2000 Route 38, Cherry Hill)
- wine strengths: California, France
- cuisine: seafood, steakhouse
Caffe Aldo Lamberti (2011 Route 70 W)
- wine strengths: California, Tuscany, Piedmont, Italy, Bordeaux, France
- cuisine: Italian, seafood
Award of Excellence
- 618 (618 Park Ave., Freehold)
- Metropolitan Café (8 E. Main St., Freehold)
- Seasons 52 (3535 Route 1, Princeton)
- Pagano’s Uva Restaurant and Wine Bar (800 Main St., Bradley Beach)
- Witherspoon Grill (57 Witherspoon St., Princeton)
- Perch (The Peacock Inn, 20 Bayard Ln., Princeton)
- Birravino (183 Riverside Ave., Red Bank)
- Rooney’s Oceanfront Restaurant (100 Ocean Ave. N, Long Branch)
- Café Madison (33 Lafayette Rd., Riverside)
- Red Horse by David Burke (26 Ridge Rd., Rumson)
- The Chophouse (4 Lakeview Dr. S, Gibbsboro)
- Seasons 52 (217 Lafayette Rd., Edison)
- Seasons 52 (2000 Route 38, Cherry Hill)
Find more info on all 2022 Restaurant Award Winners from Wine Spectator.