Hudson County Jersey's Foodie Paradise

Everyone  thinks of Manhattan as the culinary capital of the world. That may be so in some eyes however there's another foodie paradise just across the Hudson - appropriately in Hudson County. This Garden State county is chock full of interesting and well known eateries. It's a gamut of different tastes and flavors for any one.

New Jersey's most metropolitan area was the subject of an article in today's New York Times Dining section. The  piece, written by former Hudson County resident, Helene Stapinski, explores  the various cities like Jersey City, Hoboken and Union City and the culinary gifts they have to offer. Of course, Hoboken is the best with over three hundred restaurants , thanks to the town being a yuppie paradise.  However the most famous is the Biggie's Clam Bar that feature's the earthy  littleneck clams.It started as a simple pushcart in the 1940s and grew into a restaurant famous for it's clam cakes and those littenecks.There is also the Italian influence there too (after all Hoboken is the birthplace of Frank Sinatra) which is shown in Fiore's Deli, home of the creamiest mozzarella and Piccolo's ,a classic .

Jersey City and Union City also have excellent restaurant and both cities cater to the groups who live there. There are the standard Southern Italian restaurants Puccini's and Laico's. Both have dishes that outshine any  of their counterparts across the river. There is also a big Filipino population and there are some good Filipino restaurants such as the Fiesta Grill. It  features such traditional dishes as chopped milk fish with red onions and chilies. Union City also has very good eateries. One is Mi Banderas, reflecting the town's majority of Central and South Americans,. Here you can get heavenly chicarones, nuggets of fried pork skin and tostones, plantains stuffed with tiny shrimp.It's also known for its churrasco steak which comes with heaping sides of yuca along with rice and beans. Dessert is lush tres leches cake.

Forget Manhattan. Try the culinary treasures right across the river in Hudson County. There's the new and traditional but all four star worthy.Every restaurant is a true treat.