I hope no one minds my jumping on this board since I am in NC. I was born and raised in Morris county NJ. Did most of my growing up at the Village Green in Budd Lake. One set of my grandparents are in Hackettstown, the others in the Lafayette (though there address is actually Augusta, go figure) I have aunts, uncles, and cousins in Lake Hopatcong and Lake Mowhawk.

I moved to NC in 1985 when I graduated from Mt. Olive High School. I tried moving back to NJ about 3 years later but man the cost of living up there bout killed me. I still come home to visit everyone and was in fact up there just this past weekend. I had a terrible time over coming cravings for real pizza, hard rolls with butter, real italian food, and who can forget the bagels and smear!! I've written down the places to get food or to go out to eat that were suggested on here for my next trip up there (should be in july)so I wont be so easily tempted to cheat. Any way, I just wanted to say Hi to everyone from my home state..... I really do miss living up there...all the trees, streams, rocks.... just something about home that makes me look back to NJ with fondness. NJ does get a bad rap sometimes..sometimes its deserved lol. I wish people could see NJ the way I did growing up. I miss all the farms....sigh

The very best LC place to eat in NJ is Fernandes restaurant in Newark. It is a semi-upscale Portuguese restaurant in a semi-bad area (with valet parking) that serves a Rodizio. Rodizio is a feast of meat that you can literally sit there and eat all night until you are full. I usually last about 3 servings and then drop. They have a great salad bar, too with marinated eggplant (In olive oil) and zucchini. http://www.fernandessteakhouse.com/

Thanks NKA! I will certainly check them out the next trip home.