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Nunn earns Ultimate Chef title, defeating last year's winner

The final round of Chef Central's Ultimate Chef Bergen County pitted a classically trained French chef against a self-taught Italian chef who cooks from the heart. And for one day, the classics won.

Christine Nunn, chef-owner of Picnic Caterers, a popular lunch spot in Emerson, defeated last year's winner, Joe Cerniglia of Campania Restaurant in Fair Lawn, in the second annual competition. The decision from the four judges was unanimous.

Journalism on the move: Day 5

The Record newsroom, pre-dawn. Photo by Lisa Crouch.

Saturday will officially be my last day in Hackensack, as I pack up the kitchen. Last one out, please turn out the lights.

The first week -- a partial week, anyway -- in our new newsroom in Woodland Park is over. I think we're all a little hungrier. Hackensack this is not. We're adjacent to a park, not a downtown rich in ethnic food.

Here are some first impressions from what we found close to our new home:

Ultimate Chef final Saturday

The final round of Chef Central's Ultimate Chef Bergen County competition will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Last year's winner, Joe Cerniglia, chef-owner of Campania Restaurant in Fair Lawn will face off against Christine Nunn, chef-owner of Picnic Caterers in Emerson, who defeated Carmine Spinazzola of South City Grill and Joe Macri of Hennessy Tavern in Northvale.

Smitty's temporarily closed

Smiity's Smokehouse & BBQ Joint in Lyndhurst is temporarily closed after a burst pipe in the apartment upstairs caused water damage to the ground floor restaurant.

Owner Andrew Grett expects to reopen next week after repairs.

Nicola's opens new spot Monday

Nicola's Ristorante will open its new location in the Totowa Village shopping center Monday, its owner said today. The new 100-seat restaurant will replace the one that has been on Goffle Road in Hawthorne for 15 years (and in West Paterson before that), but will have the same classic Italian menu and servers.

Nicola's is at 650 Union Blvd., Totowa; 973-653-3636; nicolasristorante.net. The Hawthorne restaurant will stay open through Saturday.

Today in North Jersey dining

Here are the highlights from today's Better Living section:

Elisa gives 2 1/2 stars to Akai Lounge in Englewood (pictured)..

Jeffrey Page eats out on $50 at the Barnyard & Carriage Housein Totowa.

Sakura 46 closed

Sakura 46, a Japanese and sushi restaurant on Route 46 west in South Hackensack, has closed.

The building is under renovation, but the restaurant's phone number has been disconnected. Last year, the business and liquor license had been for sale for $230,000.

Bahama Breeze open in Wayne

Bahama Breeze, a Caribbean-themed chain restaurant, has opened outside the Wayne Towne Center, near the new Olive Garden and TGI Friday's restaurants. The menu has a lot of dishes accented with coconut and jerk seasoning, such as Jamaica-grilled chicken wings and coconut shrimp. It's the second Bahama Breeze in New Jersey; another is in Cherry Hill.

Bahama Breeze is at 101 Route 23, Wayne, at the Wayne Towne Center; 973-237-0412; bahamabreeze.com.

Journalism on the move: Day 4

The view from The Record newsroom in Hackensack, with the U.S.S. Ling and the Manhattan skyline. Photo by Lisa Crouch.

I arrived at The Record on July 30, 2000, 10 days after the birth of my daughter. I worked the second shift, arriving at 3 or 4 p.m. and leaving around 11 or midnight. The Hackensack dining scene, for all I knew, was Portrero Grill a block and a half away, which always gave me sour cream and guacamole on my Burrito Colorado takeout order, even though I asked for it to be left off.

It wasn't until I became the newspaper's food editor, in June 2006, that I learned how much I'd been missing in this great little city. When the newsroom began its move to Woodland Park on Monday, I knew that the food is what I'd be missing most.

Taste of Madison on March 11

The Taste of Madison will be held March 11 at the Ferguson Recreation Center at Farleigh Dickinson University in Madison. VIPs will be admitted at 6 p.m.; general admission begins at 7.

Twenty restaurants will be featured, and there will be 200 wines from 60 winemakers for sampling.