Lita

In a strip mall in Aberdeen, New Jersey lives an unassuming James Beard-recognized restaurant. Inspired by his mother and grandmother's recipes, executive chef and "Top Chef" alum David Viana opened Lita, a modern Iberian restaurant serving Portuguese-leaning dishes, like rissóis de camarão, paella, and braised chicken with saffron spaghetti. On the charcoal grill, chefs fire up pork shoulder, whole fish, chicken, and more. Thanks to the restaurant's unique hybrid work model, all chefs rotate into the role of servers every week to get a chance to interact directly with customers and understand the full hospitality experience.