Like everyone else, we have our standby spots for a local dinner, burger at lunch and even a chicken parm hero. That doesn’t mean some new places can’t get some mind share when it comes to food that we’re thinking about. We counted over 100 new openings this year, so here are a few dishes from NEW places that we really enjoyed and may (or may not) have gone back for a few times… and don’t hate if you disagree — let us know what new dishes you liked this year in the comments.

California Burrito at Diego’s Taco Shop / Oradell – San Diego-style Mexican found it’s way to Bergen County this year via Diego’s. Sticking with that city’s tradition, Diego’s scraps the beans and rice and replaces it with fried potatoes (though they use tater tots instead of San Diego’s traditional French fries) to go along with their marinated steak, cheese, pico and their creamy “American” guac. Website

Coconut Kold Brew at Koffeewagon Roasters / Hasbrouck Heights – Fads aside, we love cold brew. And Koffeewagon stepped it up this year by adding one infused with real coconut and super refreshing. Is it summer yet? Website

Everything Biscuits at American Cut Bar Grill / Englewood Cliffs – Carbs. We love them. And one of the best examples is the bread service (free!) at the Marc Forgione sorta-steakhouse concept. It pairs perfectly with the side of vegetable cream cheese butter they serve with it. Website

Ko-Ko Chips at Ko-Ko Chicken / Fort Lee – The Korean fried chicken shop focuses on fresh and these chips certainly are. Crafted from one whole potato, they are fried to order then drizzled with their homemade honey butter glaze/sauce.Website

Malai Kofta at Namaste / Edgewater – The Himalayan-region restaurant (cuisines from India, Nepal, Tibet and Burma) opened quietly along River Road back in late March/early April. Almost everything we’ve tried on the menu has been quite tasty, but the Kofta – a croquette made of potato and paneer (cheese) that’s tossed in some sort of delicious tomato/cashew sauce – is a hit.

[photo source: Ko-Ko Chicken]