Porter is an Gastropub in Port Imperial, Weehawken, that I had on my list for a while, thanks to one of my colleagues who raved about this place that opened in the Winter of 2020. There, Chefs Christopher Lim and Tara Glick crafted a modern American menu that caters to a wide range of diners, vegetarian and non vegetarian, made in the open kitchen. Accessible from the NY Waterway Port Imperial Ferry Terminal and the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, this is both a restaurant and a bakery and cafe called Porter Provisions.

I have to mention the bakery that is on the right side, because their cinnamon roll is simply stunning: I was never a huge fan of it, but after trying theirs for brunch, I changed my mind, although it is now setting the bar pretty high. Freshly made, with the right amount of cinnamon not to totally overpower the whole thing, it is topped with a delicious icing that is not too sweet and oozing from top to bottom.

Other baked goods include their biscuit that is great with butter, or their focaccia bread that we dipped in olive oil.

Interestingly, they have pizza on their menu, made in a wood fire oven acquired in Naples, that you can see on the photo above. Who would have thought that we would get a great pizza there? Not me. I thought that it would just be an addition to the menu to have a broader offering. I was wrong! Made with a dough resting for three days, it is the perfect Neapolitan pizza: floppy in the center, puffed up on the outside with a nice char and topped with a nice tomato sauce, the Margherita pizza with mushrooms (an topping we added) can easily compete with many places.

For brunch, they have a fried chicken sandwich that is just ok, the balance between the brioche and the chicken being off, in favor of the bun. too bad, because the chicken was pretty good, crispy and moist. I was surprised that it did not come with anything and so we ordered some fries that were also ok, not as crispy as I like them. I wish they had their Roman potatoes for brunch: these potatoes are amazing! Skin on, crispy, they are drizzled with pecorino cheese.

Chicken sandwich at Porter in Port Imperial, NJ

Vegetarian options are a bit limited, if not for the pizza and sides. So, Jodi ended up with their shaved vegetable salad.

Shaved vegetable salad at Porter in Port Imperial, NJ

On my side, I recommend the grilled Spanish octopus that was tender and had a nice char, as well as their duck, served with black lentils, baby turnips, and carrot-ginger. That duck is amazing: perfectly cooked, its skin is deliciously crispy.

Before talking about desserts, I should mention their drinks. First, I was quite glad to see that they were proposing mocktails right off the bat and their San Bitter Spritz (made with blood orange) was a refreshing idea. Even more refreshing and surprising is their frozen Negroni: who would have thought about making it frozen, like a margarita? And they also have a good wine list otherwise. So I tried their Pinot Noir “XL” 2019 from Maison Noir, Oregon, the bold flavor pairing perfectly with the strong taste of the duck.

Lat was dessert. We tried the “Banana, Pudding, Cake”, in three words. Well, it was like a deconstructed banana pudding cake with the three layers from the name: a banana pudding, a vanilla cake mousse encased in a crunchy layer made with nuts (the cake). This dessert was sublime: balanced, not too sweet and delicious, served with a butterscotch sauce.

So, overall, the food at Porter was delicious, although a bit pricey. The menu there is exciting and if it was not for the cinnamon roll, I would prefer the dinner over the brunch. Too bad that they do not serve that cinnamon roll in the evening!

Enjoy (I did)!

If you like this post, the photos or the blog, please feel free to share it or post a comment. Merci!

Porter - 1100 Ave at Port Imperial, Weehawken, NJ 07086

I Just Want To Eat!