Best of Princeton
Where to dine, imbibe, shop, and explore.
World-class education, including an Ivy League university. Cultural and historical riches. Fantastic shopping and culinary hot spots. Pastoral charm. Serene hiking trails and other wild places.
As evidenced by the following “best of” destinations, Princeton, New Jersey, offers a one-of-a-kind quality of life. Is anyone surprised that so many people have opted to live, work, and play in Princeton and its surrounding communities? We’re not.
Based on the Latin word for “farmer,” Agricola crafts a fantastic farm-to-table menu based on fresh, simple, and seasonal ingredients garnered from local farms and other purveyors. Two standout dishes from a recent meal: the Jersey corn chowder and mushroom flatbread, the latter of which was made with locally harvested mushrooms and eggs. That said, the restaurant’s ability to nourish guests goes far beyond the dishes that make their way to the table. Good news for north-south travelers: Agricola has a second location up the road in Morristown. agricolaeatery.com
Chef Scott Anderson and owner Stephen Distler changed the Princeton culinary scene in 2008, when they breathed life into a restaurant named Elements (stylized as elements, all lowercase). Sixteen years later, Anderson and his team are still serving up a revolutionary culinary experience with “interpretive American” fare at its center. One might describe Elements’ approach as “food as art,” in terms of appearance and taste alike. The five-course tasting menu features ingredients sourced from local farms, butchers, and other purveyors; Anderson has been known to forage for ramps, morels, and other wild edibles. The restaurant has only 28 seats, so reservations are a must. elementsprinceton.com
Fans of horticulture flock to local arboreta. Proponents of art make a beeline to the area’s many fine museums. Grounds for Sculpture in nearby Hamilton scratches both itches, with 40-plus acres of artfully tended gardens dotted with hundreds of sculptures and other works of art. It’s the perfect backdrop for wandering, reflecting, and admiring beautiful things, both natural and manmade. Summer may be nearing its end, but GFS is open year-round and well worth exploring in any season for any reason. groundsforsculpture.org
Readers of mysteries and thrillers will fall in love with The Cloak & Dagger on Nassau Street in historic Jugtown. From Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle to Sue Grafton and Elmore Leonard, The Cloak & Dagger abounds with potential new additions to your TBR pile. Be sure to check out another independent bookshop: Labyrinth Books, also on Nassau Street, which serves the students and faculty of Princeton University, among other readers. Any town with an indie bookstore, let alone two, has its priorities in order. thecloakanddagger.com
There’s certainly nothing wrong with old-school New York-style pizza. For a more elevated slice, however, head to one of Nomad Pizza’s locations in Princeton and Hopewell. We’re particular to the “Arugula,” a lovingly crafted pie with Italian tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, and the peppery bite of its namesake leafy greens. With a name like Nomad, don’t be surprised to see the company’s food trucks—restored REO Speed Wagons, to be precise—out and about, serving up perfectly crisped pies for folks around town. nomadpizzaco.com
Belly up to the bar, so to speak, at historic Hightstown’s Old Hights Brewing Co. for fermented adult libations of every sort: New England IPAs, oatmeal stouts, grisettes, hard seltzers, etc. Open Wednesday through Sunday, the taproom has 16 taps ready to pour. In kinder weather, bend an elbow with friends both new and old in the outdoor beer garden. More good news: Old Hights’ taproom offers its wares in to-go crowlers and growlers for at-home consumption. oldhightsbrewingcompany.com
The district known as Palmer Square is the beating heart of Princeton—a community hub where locals and visitors shop, dine, exercise, and more. It’s home to some of the biggest names in retail and restaurants, among other lifestyle amenities, from Arhaus to ZOË and everything in between. It even has an historic guesthouse, the Nassau Inn, whose roots date back to 1756; the inn’s list of overnight guests includes the likes of Paul Revere and Thomas Paine. palmersquare.com
Philadelphia has more than its share of world-class museums. Princeton has the Princeton University Art Museum, whose history dates back to the 1750s. The museum’s vast collection—115,000 works of art from cultures around the globe, ancient and contemporary—would make some of the world’s finest art museums green with envy. One upcoming exhibition: Helène Aylon: Undercurrent, which will bring together 20 works of varying media from the late American artist’s 50-year career. The museum’s main building, currently closed for construction, is due to reopen in 2025. In the meantime, visit two gallery/activity spaces—Art@Bainbridge and Art on Hulfish—both of which are free and open to the public. artmuseum.princeton.edu
Wandering the aisles of a local record store, either to discover new music or procure a sought-after gem, was once a regular occurrence for previous generations. At Princeton Record Exchange on South Tulane Street, that rite of passage is still a regular habit for residents of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and likely much farther afield. This indie record store has been a music-seeker’s destination for more than 40 years. Its inventory of vinyl, CDs, and DVDs is nothing short of massive. Whether you prefer Samhain, Satchmo, or Stravinsky, you’re likely to find what you’re looking for—as well as some stuff you didn’t realize you needed—here. prex.com
A certain Suburban Life editor was among the many regulars of Nelli Bird Café who despaired when the Ottsville-area vegetarian restaurant closed its doors in 2022. The spirit behind Nelli Bird lives on, however, through its successor: Twin Goats Café in the New Jersey town of Lebanon, north of Princeton. While Twin Goats Café may not be as conveniently located to a certain editor’s home as its predecessor, its casual fare is well worth traveling for. The menu features a rotating lineup of soups, tacos, baked goods, sandwiches, and smoothies, among other goodies, all of the plant-based variety. instagram.com/twingoatscafe
Besides the standouts already mentioned, the following institutions, professionals, and service providers add to Princeton’s notability: The Bridge Academy in Lawrenceville (bridgeacademynj.org), Capital Health (capitalhealth.org), Dr. Radwa Saad and her team at Dent Blanche Dental (dentblanchedental.com), Eminence Medical Aesthetics (eminencema.com), the family of restaurants under the Gretalia Hospitality Group umbrella (getforky.com), Penn Medicine Princeton Health (princetonhcs.org), Princeton Ballet School (arballet.org), Princeton Integrative Health (princetonih.com), and Ristorante LUCCA & Piano Lounge just down the pike in Bordentown (ristorantelucca.com).
Did we miss one of your favorites? If you have a suggestion for a can’t-miss restaurant, shop, cultural icon, or other “must” destination (in Princeton or elsewhere), let us know. Email us at editor@suburbanlifemagazine.com.
Photo: Emilie Benes Brzezinski, “Lintel,” 1993, bronze, 128 in x 117 in x 28 in, Grounds For Sculpture, Gift of The Seward Johnson Atelier, © Artist or Artist’s Estate, photo: David Michael Howarth Photography
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, August 2024.
