Food Crawl: Teaneck

When it comes to food, it’s easy to get in a rut, frequenting the same takeout places and neighborhood joints. But with so many communities in North Jersey, each with its own set of classics and interesting new restaurants or markets, it’s a shame to let a neighboring town go unexplored. So here, in our first series of “food crawls,” we take you through some (though certainly not all) culinary points of interest in Teaneck’s main shopping district, Cedar Lane, which has fed and entertained diners for a century.

PICKLE LICIOUS  

384 Cedar Lane, 201-833-0100, picklelicious.com

This family business has been serving up pickles, olives, relishes, tapenades, dips, sauces, olive oils and sweets for more than two decades at local farmers' markets and food events, and its barrel-filled shop has been on this end of Cedar Lane for six years (it was previously located at the intersection of River Road and Cedar Lane). Members of Teaneck’s religious Jewish community (there are close to 20 synagogues in the town, as well as private Jewish schools) make up a big portion of sales, as all products are certified kosher by the Rabbinical Council of Bergen County. But you don't have to be Jewish to love a good sour or half-sour pickle. And lovers of all things snacks and dips can not only appreciate the dozen varieties of pickles, but  house-made hummus and olive tapenades. On a recent trip, a visitor from Israel made sure to stop by, while another declared that there are “no better pickles in America than here.” You can sample the dozens of pickles, marinated vegetables and spreads and decide for yourself.

BISCHOFF’S CONFECTIONERY

468 Cedar Lane, 201-836-0333

You don't have to live in Teaneck to have heard of Bischoff's. This is an ice cream institution that has scooped ice cream into cones and sundae dishes since the 1930s.  The shop today boasts 40 flavors of frozen creaminess, from the classics - chocolate, vanilla, strawberry - to coffee cookie crush, peach, pistachio, chocolate fudge brownie or mint cookie crush. Enjoy in a sugar cone with rainbow sprinkles on the swinging stools or - no time? - take a pint home. You can also grab shakes, elaborate ice cream sundaes and ice cream cakes, as well as lunch in the back banquettes. Oh yes, and if all that ice cream and cake doesn't satisfy your sweet tooth, there's almost every kind of candy in the shop as well as chocolate-covered everything. The shop’s sweets and ice creams, plus its proximity to the movie theater on Cedar Lane, have  made it a popular stop for more than eight decades. FYI: Bischoff's doesn't take credit cards, nor does it have an official website.

VEGGIE HEAVEN

473 Cedar Lane, 201-836-0887, veggieheaventeaneck.com

For vegetarians and vegans, or families trying to broker peace among carnivores and plant-based eaters, enter Veggie Heaven. The Chinese-style restaurant is totally vegetarian and vegan, and has been so for years. But don't expect just heaps of greens on your plate (though you can get that if that's what you want), Veggie Heaven uses grains and soy and other heart-healthy products to make faux “beef,” “chicken,” “duck,” and “salmon" dishes, so you can kind of enjoy classic Chinese food like Kung Pao or sesame "chicken." For dessert? Black sesame sorbet and a slice of house-made cake. Or, if you're feeling super virtuous, a fruit smoothie.  

SAL & PIMIENTA COLOMBIAN RESTAURANT

477 Cedar Lane, 201-357-4897, salpimientacolombian.com

Teaneck is known for -- and proud of -- its diversity. So it should come as no surprise that its restaurants and food shops are diverse too. This tiny, colorful Colombian restaurant, which opened in 2015, serves traditional Colombian foods, including arepas, empanadas and carne asada, but also interesting Colombian breakfast dishes like eggs and cornflakes (huevos con arepitas) or refried beans with rice and eggs (calentado con huevos). It is BYOB.

ANNAPURNA INDIAN GROCERY

561 Cedar Lane, 201-692-0332, aryabhavannj.com

If you’re a curious or creative cook looking to try your hand at from-scratch Indian dishes, Annapurna Indian Grocery sells spices, rices, Indian vegetables and lentils you probably won’t find in a regular grocery store. Started in 2003, the business says it sprung up to meet demand for Indian families in the community (The 2010 census identified Asian Indians as one of the fastest-growing groups in North Jersey, growing from one in 85 people in 1990 to one in 39 at the time of the census.). Get ready-to-eat Indian meals and snacks, too, such as samosas and banana chips. If you’d rather take a look for curiosity’s sake and let someone else do the cooking, they also own the Indian restaurant, Arya Bhavan, next door.
 

SAPPHIRE THAI FOOD EXPRESS

445 Cedar Lane, 201-928-0770, sapphirethai.com

It may be tempting to order takeout and enjoy noodle and curry dishes at home, but this little hole in the wall offers a cozy environment for the 30 or so diners that can fit in its space. Sapphire offers classics diners expect at Thai restaurants like pad Thai, but also some more unique options such as mango fried rice and Thai fried chicken. Need more convincing? The Record rated the spot 2.5 stars out of 4 in a 2014 review.

BUTTERFLAKE BAKERY

448 Cedar Lane, 201-836-3516, butterflake.com

Like Bischoff’s, Butterflake is another longstanding institution. Since the 1940s, the kosher bakery (which is also a totally nut-free facility) has served up Jewish classics such as rye bread, challah and rugelach, plus cakes, cookies and custom-made birthday cakes. Want something a little more updated? Owner Richard Heisler says they’ve also been trying to keep the menu fresh with items such as churros, pretzel breads and caramel apple pies to combat the tough competition that supermarkets pose. Know someone who would love Old World-style Jewish baked goods? Butterflake also ships worldwide.
 

MORTGAGE APPLE CAKES

740 Chestnut Ave., 201-371-3121, maccakes.com

What’s in a cake? Well, quite an inspirational story if you’re shopping at Angela Logan’s Mortgage Apple Cakes, located in a small storefront just off of Cedar Lane. In 2009, Logan, a single mother of three, was faced with foreclosure. To save her home, she baked hundreds of her apple cakes, sold them to friends and family, and people who heard her story through The Record and other media outlets. Now, she sells at the Teaneck shop and at local markets, where shoppers can buy the classic apple cake with its rich cream cheese frosting, an apple rum upside down cake, an apple pound cake with white chocolate drizzle, a caramel apple cake and regular and mini apple cupcakes. Indulge in a slice or two while you watch the UP television movie made about Logan’s story. 

BV TUSCANY

368 Cedar Lane, 201-287-0404, bvtuscany.com

If it's been a while since you've dined at BV Tuscany, the modern Italian restaurant tucked away near the part of Cedar Lane that intersects with Palisade Avenue, you might be in for a surprise. Owner and Montenegro native Benny Balidemaj, who was a manager at Mario Batali’s Babbo, has commissioned an Italian designer to redesign the space -  with new textured wall and ceiling panels to help mitigate noise in the dining room and wine racks displaying some choice bottles. The place looks elegant - with white tablecloths, chandeliers and, almost always, Balidemaj greeting customers and cooking at his station right in the center of the 8-year-old restaurant. Watch him fillet a fish or flambé dessert. Better still, order the fettuccine with mushrooms, the oven-baked branzino and the stawberry zabaglione, and wash it all down with a nice glass or two of wine.

Where are some of your favorite places to eat on Cedar Lane? Where else in North Jersey deserves a food crawl? Let us know!