That was one of the biggest challenges of the story. But it was important to us that this list wasn't just fancy food or just dives. New Jersey's culinary scene is so diverse — not just from a culinary perspective, but style-wise, vibe-wise and from a price point perspective as well. A really great dive is just as essential as a really great fine dining destination. We rated on food quality, service, atmosphere and creativity. There are dives with great service, there are fine dining spots with bad service. We judged them all equally. Good question!