The best thing we ate this week came from this local Grandma's table

I hate when people talk about "Grandma's cooking."

I hate when they recall gorgeous quiche Lorraines, buttery pound cakes and thick-cut French toast sprinkled with cinnamon.

I hate the way they remember each comforting spoonful of some crockpot stew, or remark on how a bite of her decadent creations always felt like a warm hug.

I hate these things because every time I go to my Grandma's house we eat a colorful casserole of raw kale, thick Italian sausage, chunky mashed potatoes and a layer of yellow American cheese. Its English name translates to something that sounds like "booty call" (I'm not kidding), and it's about as egregious as meals come.

Oh, I also have another Grandma, but she only eats at Ruth's Chris Steak House.

(Except for one time we had to eat at home because there was a hurricane, so she gave me a freezer bag of peas and a pound of Kilwins fudge).

So, this week — eager to experience that "home-cooked with love" phenomenon that everyone raves about — I adopted a grandma.

Her name is Doris, and the meal she prepared for me was everything I expected and more.

Including the hand-crafted main course of that dinner, here are the four best things I ate in North Jersey this week.

Brioche Ube French Toast, Better Days

Fresh-baked brioche, ripe fruit and a condensed milk drizzle come together in a dish that — I can only assume — tastes as comforting as a breakfast prepared by grandma. Featuring a rich topping of ube-infused cream cheese, though, this Better Days menu staple is as much of an ode to the 21st century as it is a nod to tradition.

And that intersection, of course, is irresistible.

With each bite, the sweet milk icing and tangy cream cheese melt into the soft French toast sticks like frosting on a cinnamon roll (both flavor-wise and texturally). The ube, which — on paper — doesn't sound like it should work, gives the whipped cheese a firmness that allows it to stay swirled (rather than melt against the heat of the bread) and allows for a dish as photogenic and modern as it is classic and tasty.

Go: 143 Newark Ave., Jersey City; 646-420-7203, betterdaysjc.com.

Tempura Brussels Sprouts, JINYA Ramen Bar

Tempura shrimp, tempura squid, tempura Oreos — if it's battered and fried in a Japanese restaurant? I'm all about it.

Despite my affinity for anything hot and crispy, however, I do get particularly excited when vegetables are tempura-d (it's a verb now, go with it). It was only logical, then, that I order the Tempura Brussels Sprouts at JINYA, Totowa's trendy new ramen bar.

When the golden brown sprouts arrived at my table in a little wooden box, I noted the way they carried a luxurious white truffle scent. As soon as I ate one, that aroma translated into a delicious umami taste, and I devoured the rest like a bag of kettle-cooked potato chips.

Go: 465 Route 46, Totowa; 973-459-4660, jinyaramenbar.com.

Lobster Sliders, Neighborhood Favorites

So, about me loving hot, crispy foods: case in point.

At Neighborhood Favorites, a hole-in-the-wall seafood and slider shack in Newark, my go-to order is the Crispy Lobster Sliders, which — from their house-fried meat to warm, drippy "butter sauce" — hit every mark on my dinner must-haves list.

To start, each miniature sandwich is loaded with an entire lobster tail, seasoned and fried to perfection. Multiple sauces (a marinade for flavor and a creamy orange mayo for richness) smother that protein, and completely drench the potato buns around them.

The sloppy sammies also boast lettuce and cheese, the latter of which takes every juicy bite to the next level.

Go: 283 Clinton Ave., Newark; 862-900-8511, neighborhoodfavorites.com.

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie, Grandma Doris's House

Nostalgia comes in droves in dishes as comforting as chicken pot pie, so I couldn't have been more excited when the vintage staple was the main course of the dinner Doris chose to serve me. Flaky, buttery and loaded with a creamy filling reminiscent of a slow-cooked soup, the meal tastes like Christmas on a plate; simultaneously satiating us while making an ordinary night feel like a special occasion.

Doris's version, which was prepared in the size of a casserole, did precisely that.

Accompanied by a side salad, breadsticks and an indulgent dessert of salted caramel cookie bars, the share-size entrée was the crowning jewel of a meal that could've came from a family movie (or a McCormick spice commercial). It was even topped with a folded, little phyllo dough bow, which reminded me that the opportunity to dine with family — whether blood-related or chosen — is as much a gift as any Michelin-starred tasting menu.

Go: not telling, because Doris won't be able to keep up with demand. Lol.

Hungry for more?

Want more on this week's latest food news? Check out some of my best articles at NorthJersey.com/food.

And, as for next week? Send me some DMs of your grandma's best cooking; @northjerseyeats.

Vicarious living (through cozy tables) is my new favorite pastime.

Kara VanDooijeweert is a food writer for NorthJersey.com and The Record. If you can't find her in Jersey's best restaurants, she's probably off running a race course in the mountains. Catch her on Instagram: @karanicolev & @northjerseyeats, and sign up for her North Jersey Eats newsletter.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: The best thing we ate this week came from this local Grandma's table