DINE AMERICANA
By Sally Deering
Photos by Georgi Richardson
Mat Kopec opened his first restaurant when he was still in his 20s; he bought it on Craigslist and turned it into White Star on Brunswick Street. That was two restaurants ago. Today, Kopec runs three eateries, White Star on Brunswick, White Star Warren St and his new place, Mathews Food & Drink on the corner of Bay & Grove – all three in Jersey City.
Mat (short for Mateusz) Kopec designed Mathews’ menu with Chef Jon Mecca and Chef Mike Kedala, formerly of One if by Land, Two if by Sea in Manhattan. The three decided to serve All American cuisine at Mathews that Kopec describes as, sophisticated, but presented in a casual style.
Meet the new Madame Claude Bis just a few steps off Newark Avenue and down a small stairway where a red curtain beckons hungry city dwellers. Madame Claude Bis’s basement bistro casts low lighting and warm wooden tables and chairs that create a warm and friendly atmosphere. Where Madame Claude’s Café seated 32, the Bis (named for how Paris streets are numbered and not “bistroâ€) seats 80. The Bis also has a wine list and cocktails, unlike the Café’s BYOB policy. And on Tuesday and Thursday nights at 7:30 pm, Gustafsson transforms from restaurateur to balladeer when he and his band, Manouche Bag take to the stage to play gypsy jazz a la legendary Jhengo Reinhardt. The songs are in French and Gustafsson writes most of the band’s repertoire.
At La Isla Uptown, its more of a fine-dining experience compared to the luncheonette feeling of La Isla downtown, says wine director and general manager Andres Montoya. The uptown restaurant is huge and open with seating for one-hundred in the dining room, at the bar, and in the front of the restaurant that features a counter and stools for those who want to dine and dash. The floor-to-ceiling glass walls, marble floor tiles, and the ceiling fans in dark brown wood make a visitor feel as if they stepped inside a Havana bistro. Along with the beautiful décor, La Isla Uptown has a liquor license which means great wine, beer and Mojitos, Montoya says. 
Cellar 335 is the newest addition to Jersey City’s downtown restaurant and bar scene, a cool new eatery designed in urban industrial décor and with a kitschy “let’s have fun†vibe. A darkly-lit Tiki bar stands out in the dark mysteriousness of the bar area as soon as you step in from outside. The bar flanks the left side of the bistro with roomy space between barstools and lots of space for standing and mingling. To the right, there’s an enclosed dining room – the type where you make an entrance – that offers dark wood tables, a muted red background and overhanging lights that slide on wires above, so the lighting can change in an instant. 
Foodies, get out your napkins! A motorcade of Food Trucks are heading to Exchange Place in Downtown Jersey City and they’re hauling meatballs, crab cakes, lobster rolls, deep-fried hot dogs, cheesecake, cupcakes and so much more. It’s a foodie feast on wheels
Food trucks and live bands are just part of the extravaganza. There will be crafts, refreshments, activities for the kids and community partners sharing what they do for the local community.
Ground Connection is considered a modern day coffee shop offering small batch specialty coffee, full leaf and herbal teas, cold-brewed coffees and teas on tap. Sandwiches, sides, soups, pizzas and baked goods are prepared daily.
The best place in the northeast for seafood is New England, right? They even named a chowder in honor of its seafood niche.
