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We all have our go-to spots for dinner, take-out, and everything in between — but sometimes it’s good to shake things up and try something new and delicious. Venturing away from the familiar can be a good idea because it could very well end up being a new fave. And today we’re talking zesty, comforting, warm, and absolutely delicious Cuban food from Rebecca’s in historic Edgewater, New Jersey. Located just a few miles north of Hoboken, this intimate, cozy restaurant is open for lunch and dinner or for hosting events. Not only does Rebecca’s serve the tastiest, most authentic Cuban dishes, but it’s BYOB — so you can bring your favorite bottles of wine or beverage. Whether you’re dining with friends, family, or your significant other, this one-of-a-kind North Jersey restaurant is worth visiting + can accommodate any of your dining needs. Keep reading for a deeper look into Rebecca’s in Edgewater, NJ and get a peak at what you can expect to find on the menu.

Initially established in 1998, Rebecca’s provides amazing Cuban food with an authentic menu in a warm, comforting ambiance. Since its opening 20 years ago, the restaurant has improved the aesthetics while keeping a consistent menu and preserving the cozy, romantic atmosphere. The owners intend to preserve the restaurant as a local landmark — in a way that the character of the restaurant has remained exactly the same as the initial founder intended. Although they accept walk-ins, we highly recommend making reservations ahead of time, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. Their food is also conveniently available for delivery directly through their website or on DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grub Hub.

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With its impressive layout, Rebecca’s is a venue that can accommodate group celebrations, semi private or private parties, events, and private dining. Inside, you’ll find dramatic long velvet curtains with decor that is super romantic, yet still cozy. From their Main Dining room, to romantic, dim lit rooms, to their cliffside patio, the space is modern, yet charming and feels intimate and tucked-away. Whether you’re hosting a formal evening affair, luncheon, or casual gathering, they offer customized menus for parties with as few as 12 to as large as 55. Plus, if you choose to book an event, you’ll be connected with an event and venue specialist who will work alongside you to ensure every detail is exactly as you imagined. Talk about service.

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Cuban cuisine has been influenced by Spanish, French, African, Arabic, Chinese, and Portuguese cultures. A majority of the dishes are sautéed or slow-cooked over a low flame. Most Cuban cooking relies on a few basic spices, such as garlic, cumin, oregano, and bay laurel leaves. Many dishes use a sofrito as their basis. Meats and poultry are usually marinated in citrus juices, such as lime or sour orange juices, and then roasted over low heat until the meat is tender and literally falling off the bone. Root vegetables such as yuca, malanga, and boniato are common staples to the Cuban diet as well. These vegetables are typically flavored with a marinade, called mojo, which includes hot olive oil, lemon juice, sliced raw onions, garlic, cumin, and a little water. Shared spices and cooking techniques from these different countries result in an incredible blend of ingredients, unique flavors and cultural influences.

See More: Where to Find Latin Food in Essex County

With hundreds of Five Star Ratings online, their menu will not disappoint. Customers (the HG team included) rave about the food, atmosphere and vibe, location, excellent service, friendly staff, and wonderful portions. On their menu, you’ll find an array of Cuban staples and specialties such as arroz con pollo, ropa vieja, picadillo, yuca con mojo, coc congri, ajiaco, lechon, croquetas, pastelitos, medianoche, flan, arroz con leche, cafe cubano, horizo, yucca con mojo, coconut shrimp, Jamaican jerk chicken, guacamole with plantain chips, ostones with shrimp, and many others. Their chef and staff draw from ingredients from the Caribbean, Central and South America — and to keep things fresh they have nightly specials. We’re not drooling, you’re drooling.

You can follow Rebecca’s on Instagram at @rebeccasedgewater and call 201-943-8808 to make a reservation.

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EDGEWATER, N.J. - The bitter cold temperatures across our region led to an uncommon sight in New Jersey - cars still stuck in frozen flood waters after last week's storm.

Residents in Edgewater describe the parking lot as an ice-skating rink, and it's easy to see why. It's a result of water from the Hudson River that came up and over, then froze.

It's not only impacting the parkign lot itself, but some of the cars - which are now stuck.

"I just lost my car," said car owner Leyla Pagano.

"Have you tried getting it out?" CBS2's Elijah Westbrook asked.

"No, you can't. It's not safe," Pagano said.

Pagano was not a happy camper Monday morning after coming to the realization that her blue SUV is most likely totaled from water damage following last week's storm. That water - rather, ice - surrounds Pagano'[s car and others that are now stuck in the parking lot, which sits next to the Comfort Inn just off of River Road.

Chopper 2, flying above, showed how widespread the impacted area was. Among the vehicles impacted is a blue cab from a semi truck.

Witnesses say last week's storm caused water to flood the area by at least a few feet. One man had to be rescued by the fire department on a boat.

"It's been sitting here since the rainstorm. I can only imagine that there's an immense amount of water damage to the inside of the car," Pagano said.

Pagano said she contacted her insurance company, but not much luck has been made available on that front - for now, at least.

"I sent them pictures, and they said unfortunately because of the water having been so high, it reached three quarters of the way up, that it was unsafe, and that the adjuster couldn't come," Pagano said.

Monday, people tried to find the positive in the situation by mimicking what it would look like skating on it.

Despite its proximity to the Comfort Inn hotel, a manager told Westbrook the lot isn't their property. In fact, parking for guests sits immediately in front of the main entrance to the building, which was cleared. The icy lot belongs to a plaza called Edgewater Marketplace. There's no word as yet if the property owners have plans to remove it and help those impacted.

"Just a massive loss," Pagano said.

With temperatures below freezing, it's safe to say that some of those cars may be stuck there for another day or so.

Elijah Westbrook

Elijah Westbrook is an Emmy Award-winning journalist. He joined CBS2 News and CBS News New York in January 2022.

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John Campbell can't help himself.

The owner of The River Palm Terrace in Edgewater, arguably the best steakhouse in North Jersey, if not the Garden State, can't bear it if anything is not working perfectly in his near 40-year-old restaurant.

The music a tad too loud? The dining room temperature a degree too low? The draft beer an iota too warm? The thick, finely marbled, juicy porterhouse not 100% to your liking?

It won't stay that way for long.

"If it's not perfect, I have to fix it," said Campbell, 63, who can be counted on to be at his 130-seat restaurant nearly every day from opening til near-closing. "Every little thing matters."

Which may explain why The River Palm Terrace, unlike just about any restaurant in the region, is packed most every night of the week, make that, most every day and night of the week (the restaurant opens for lunch 11:30 a.m.).

"Every day here is a Saturday night," said Campbell, a father of two who grew up in Englewood Cliffs and today lives in Fort Lee. (He also co-owns the Fair Lawn location; he sold the Mahwah branch a few years ago.)

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Campbell goes out of his way to please his diners. He makes sure the restaurant's burnished wood floors are gleaming clean, the white tablecloths hang smooth and crisp, every valet-parked car is retrieved quickly and that each bathroom stall has fresh toilet paper. And he consistently provides darn good food: prime Black Angus steaks dry-aged in-house; fresh pristine seafood cooked to perfection; steakhouse sides as good as their meaty stars (don't even think of not getting the hash brown potatoes); and sushi that can rival the best sushi in award-winning sushi restaurants.

He learned early on, he said, that success depends on quality.

"It's all about quality," he said. "I take it personally if someone doesn't like their meal."

And if someone wants the seemingly impossible, Campbell will try his utmost to make it happen.

"My motto is, 'Never say no to a customer.'"

He recalls one diner who ordered a bowl of onion soup without ... onions.

"I had to strain the onions," Campbell said. "But I did it. I do not judge. If I can please the hardest customer, then I can please anybody." Adding: "You can't make money off of empty tables."

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Two years after opening the River Palm, he recalls being told by a few customers to jot down the three most important ingredients for success. The customers, regulars at lunch, happened to be waiters at renowned Brooklyn steakhouse Peter Luger.

The ingredients for success? "One: quality. Two: quality. Three: quality," Campbell recalled.

He gets his beef from vaunted meat purveyor Pat LaFrieda, headquartered in North Bergen; his fish from Hunt's Point Market in the Bronx and Peter's Fish Market in Midland Park; and the bread (those not baked in house) from near-century-old Gianella's Bakery in Paterson.

He still does all the food ordering himself. He also chooses the music (Sinatra is a favorite), selects the silverware (he secured the heavy-duty, heavy-weighted knives used at legendary Smith & Wolensky steakhouse after a manger crowed about them), curates the wine (he's no wine connoisseur, he admits, but the River Palm has won Wine Spectator's Wine Award of Excellence year after year), and greets nearly every customer. He knows most: 75%, he estimates, are regulars.

His customers are the people he says he counts on to tell him what's good, what's bad and what he needs to add or change.

"I learn from my customers," he said.

After a customer who had just returned from New Orleans told him he should serve charbroiled oysters, Campbell began offering charbroiled oysters as a special and on request. After a group of regulars "kept after us" about providing roasted pig, Campbell bought a $350 Chinese roasting box, and a 60-pound pig and at 4 a.m. in the kitchen began with his crew the pig roast.

"We've since roasted six or seven; we do it as a lunch special."

And after customers told him he should add sushi to the menu — they'd report witnessing long lines for sushi at Bar Mitzvahs — he hired sushi master Andy Lin, much (at first) to the chagrin of his staff.

"I almost had a revolution," he said.

At a staff meeting a year later, the staff admitted they were wrong. Lin, who like Campbell is a constant presence in the dining room — he loves to chat with sushi lovers — is nearly as popular as the River Palm's steaks.

"Every single table has sushi," Campbell noted, adding: "You've got to take some chances."

Campbell certainly did, when at age 25, he with three partners (only one, Grace Antone, remains) bought a run-down dive bar on River Road and turned it into a swanky 65-seat steakhouse. Campbell would go on to purchase the dry cleaners next door and a house nearby to enlarge both the restaurant and parking lot. Originally there were 14 car slots; today there are 70.

He opened River Palm without ever having dined at restaurants.

"Nervous ignorance is bliss," he said. "I always did things before I should have."

He still doesn't dine out much. Campbell is the opposite of a "foodie." He doesn't eat fish, never tasted foie gras, can't stomach the smell of truffles, hates cilantro and never tried sushi. "I won't even eat the rice."

His family couldn't afford to dine out. His dad was a tax assessor. His mom, a homemaker, sang in the church choir for 50 years. At age15, he began working at The Bicycle Club in Englewood Cliffs. He was hired for one night to help in the parking lot. "I stayed for 10 years."

He worked his way up from washing dishes and cleaning bathrooms to making burgers and waiting tables. He also did a stint as a bartender at The Players Club in Hackensack (no, not the similarly named go-go spot in South Hackensack).

He worked hard to learn everything he could about the business, from how to choose the best steaks to which tomatoes are best to what glassware is best for wines.

"I'm happiest when I'm learning," he said. "I'm still learning."

His customers would say he's earned an advanced degree in hospitality,

Among them is former Englewood Cliffs mayor Joe Parisi.

"The River Palm is the gold standard," Parisi said. "Not only for steakhouses but all restaurants."

Parisi recalled dining at a restaurant in Florida with his wife, when a couple nearby overheard them talking about New Jersey. The couple, eager to tell them about a restaurant they love in the Garden State, interrupted them. "'We go to a great restaurant in North Jersey,'" Parisi recalled them saying. '"It's called the River Palm.'"

Garry Salomon, an Englewood resident and partner at law firm Davis, Saperstein and Salomon, PC, in Teaneck, is a big fan too.

"There are two kinds of restaurants," he said. "There is The River Palm Terrace and then there’s everyone else." He added: "Not only do I think it’s the best restaurant, it’s the best-run business I’ve ever seen."

Salomon said he eats at the River Palm at least once a week; he frequently takes his managers.

"I want them to watch how the place is run," he said. "It's a seminar for my managers."

Paul Leale, a commercial bank officer in Englewood Cliff who resides in Fort Lee, stops in three times a week.

"It's my go-to place," he said. "John does everything right. I've eaten everything there — fish, sushi, steaks lamb chops, burgers, stews. It's all very good, delicious."

Campbell hears that kind of stuff a lot.

"People tell me, 'This restaurant is better than Peter Luger,'" he said. "I hear it, but I don't take it in."

He'd rather you tell him where he may have fallen short.

"Then," he said, "I can fix it."

Esther Davidowitz is the food editor for NorthJersey.com. For more on where to dine and drink, please subscribe today and sign up for our North Jersey Eats newsletter.

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When two local moms had trouble finding a place where kids could play + learn while the parents relaxed, they decided to create one — and the response from local parents to The Village has shown that other parents are looking for the same thing. This month, the duo is expanding their reach with The Village Sports, a sports, health + wellness center for children, located at 254 Old River Road in Edgewater. Keep reading for everything we know about the opening of The Village Sports, coming to Edgewater this month.

The mission at The Village Sports is to present children and parents with an opportunity to develop a love for an active + healthy lifestyle at an early age. Sports-based classes will include soccer, basketball, dance, yoga, taekwondo, and movement classes for the littlest participants.The Village provides the opportunity for parents and children to experience different sports at an early age so families can stay active and have fun at the same time.

Fostering community is a key component of The Village Sports — which is why the organization plans to highlight local providers who specialize in children’s health to offer weekly sessions on nutrition and wellness + health informational tools.

The heart of the mission of The Village Sports is to give parents and children a safe space to explore, play, and bond — all while living a healthier, happier lifestyle. Stay tuned for the release of the new drop-in sports schedule.

The Village is a supportive and nurturing Early Childhood Learning Center and Play Cafe that provides parents with a comforting Montessori-styled space where they can bond with their little ones while enjoying La Colombe Coffee Beverages and light bites. With a focus on early development, The Learning Center at The Village provides several development-focused classes for children up to six years old.

“As a mother and a former educator with a double masters in Special Education + seven years of experience in the public school system, my goal is to provide our littles with an individualized learning experience that ensures that they develop a love for learning at their open pace,” Dana, co-owner at The Village told Hoboken Girl. “I spend countless hours perfecting our curriculum, training our teachers, and ensuring The Village has all the resources necessary for our littles to learn and grow every day.”

The Village is made up of highly qualified teachers, instructors, baristas, and event coordinators. The entire team goes above and beyond to make sure every experience at The Village is seamless. Parents can choose from a variety of classes including academic-focused Pre-K, Mini + Me Storytime, crafts, and sensory-based play on weekends, as well as summer camps. The Village also hosts birthday parties and private events.

A few local parents shared their thoughts and experiences with The Village.

“My daughter had the best time during a private playdate at The Village. The other moms and I also loved that the kiddos were happy with safe, fun, and beautiful toys to play with while we enjoyed our coffee,” local mom Kerri said. “The play area is large enough for several children with different interactive areas and the seating area for parents is comfortable. Overall we had a pleasant experience, our toddlers loved it.”

In addition to play time and classes, The Village can also host private events from birthdays to graduations giving families a kid-friendly location to share special memories.

“I had a private event for my five-year-old daughter’s baptism at The Village. She had a blast playing with her friends. It’s very modern, clean, and aesthetically pleasing inside. They did an amazing job decorating! I had never hosted a baptism party so I was a little nervous of how everything would turn out. Management and the staff were very helpful and hands on the whole time,” local parent Christine shared. “My favorite part is that the parents can be as involved as they’d like. They can also sit down to relax while their children play and enjoy the party.”

More than anything, The Village gives children a place to play, learn, and grow while parents have the chance to relax or work, knowing their children are having a great time.

The Village Sports is located at 254 Old River Road in Edgewater. You can call 800-552-4429 or email [email protected] with questions.

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Skylight Real Estate Partners, in a joint venture with PCCP, acquired Riello, a 226- unit apartment building in Edgewater, for $130 million, according to a Monday announcement from the New York-based firm.

The deal marks Skylight’s second acquisition in Edgewater, and its second joint venture with PCCP. JLL Capital Markets represented Skylight and PCCP, as well as the seller, Barings.

Institutional investors advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management provided a $112 million acquisition loan that will allow the joint venture to execute its business plan.

“We are continuing to assemble an attractive portfolio of value-add, multifamily properties in our core markets,” said Andrew Miller, founding partner at Skylight Real Estate Partners. “With our longstanding relationships with partners like PCCP, and our current development pipeline, we believe we are well-positioned for continued growth and expansion in 2022.”

Located at 99 George Road, the 20-story building consists of one-, two- and three-bedroom units with generous layouts and ample space averaging 1,200 square feet per unit. Other features include granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors, open-concept kitchens and walk-in closets. The building also features amenities such as an outdoor swimming pool, a 24-hour fitness center, sauna and steam room, covered garage parking, children’s playroom, business center, bike storage, pet run and barbecue area.

“We are pleased to expand our relationship with Skylight Real Estate Partners through the acquisition of Riello,” said Brian Haber of PCCP. “This deal reflects our continued confidence in the Edgewater area, which remains a strong market with increasing demand.”

The building overlooks the Hudson River and offers residents panoramic views of the New York City skyline. Located less than 2 miles from the NY Waterway and 3 miles from the George Washington Bridge and Lincoln Tunnel, residents have convenient access to New York City, and nearby access to surrounding freeways.

The JLL Capital Markets Investment Sales and Advisory team representing the seller and buyer was led by Jose Cruz, Michael Oliver, J.B. Bruno, Steve Simonelli, Kevin O’Hearn and Mark Belenky. Additionally, Michael Klein, Matthew Pizzolato, Gerard Quinn and Jake Moore led the JLL Capital Markets Debt Advisory team representing the buyer with their acquisition financing.

“We were excited to be a part of this one and help the Skylight Real Estate Partners and PCCP team continue to expand their portfolio in this area,” Pizzolato said. “This deal received tremendous interest from the lending community given the institutional sponsorship and their knowledge and proven track record to execute on this asset type in this submarket.”

Skylight Real Estate Partners acquired a 100-unit mixed-use building in Edgewater in November.