Some of New Jersey's most interesting food experiences are where you'd least expect them

Some of New Jersey’s most interesting restaurants can be found in unexpected places.

While some are not exactly “hidden,’’ these culinary destinations offer a quirky surprise for first-time guests who find themselves dining on a farm, in an office building, at a florist or even a boatyard.

If you’re looking to expand your dining horizons, check out these six hard-to-spot locations for a satisfying meal and a good story to tell your friends later.

Cafe Flora, Cherry Hill

Many of us fantasize about embarking on a new career, perhaps starting our own business. But few of us would have the confidence to take on two new career paths simultaneously.

Yet that’s what Christian Rattell and Jason Hind did last fall. The Cherry Hill couple purchased Café Flora in October. The business is both a creperie café and a floral shop.

Rattell and Hind have never owned a restaurant or trained as florists. But that didn’t stop them from accepting the responsibility for the business, first launched as Jacqueline's Flowers and Gifts more than 25 years ago. They bought the floral business and Café Flora, which is at the front of the shop, from longtime owners Olga and Val Bakhrakh. A decade ago, those owners had transformed the storefront into a creperie, preserving the floral business in back.

Hind, a nurse with Capital Health in Hopewell, grew up in Cherry Hill but never knew Café Flora was there, Rattell said recently as the couple settled at a bistro table in the café and recalled their decision to go into business. “It is crazy that it is both a crepe café and a florist and it was almost too good to be true,’’ said Rattell, whose career has included stints in event planning and catering, as well as drug counseling.

Mother’s Day, a huge holiday for both flowers and brunch, tested their resolve. “We jumped into the fire for sure,’’ said Hind, who adds the owners are grateful for family and friends who were enlisted to help meet the demand.

“It’s crazy, but it’s good crazy,’’ Rattell confided. “It’s a lot of balancing and we also have a son (Noah, 7), and a house. … We are open seven days a week, so we don’t get a break. But we love it.’’

For months, they apprenticed at their own business, learning floral design from former owners and remaining staff.

Rattell says he had done some informal flower arranging during his time working at Auletto Caterers in West Deptford. “They had a little floral room in the basement, and we would kind of repurpose flowers for buffets and things. It was relaxing, and I couldn’t wait to go down there.’’

Since Café Flora has a solid reputation, they’ve kept changes to a minimum, adding seasonal crepe specials, such as a Caramelized Pear Crepe in winter and a Lemon Drop Crepe this summer, which features drizzled lemon juice, fresh berries and powdered sugar. Hind prepares homemade soups in colder months, and they’ve also added fresh fruit smoothies.

Café Flora sticks to a European theme, also offering panini, Belgian waffles, salads, omelets and bagels.

The most popular crepe is Banana-Strawberry Nutella, and the new owners welcome guests to come up with their own creations. They also hope to work with other businesses, like Giambri’s Quality Sweets in Clementon, which supplies the café with chocolate-­­covered pretzels.

And, of course, says Hind, “There are always fresh flowers on all the tables.’’

Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.

Find it: 100 Springdale Road, Cherry Hill. Call (856) 354-1133 or visit www.cafefloracherryhill.com

Ai Sushi (formerly Shumi), Somerville

Shumi has raving reviews from the New York Times, nominations from the Garden State Culinary Arts Awards and long lists of screaming praise on Facebook, Yelp, Google and TripAdvisor. But if you spotted the eatery, now known as Ai Sushi under new ownership, from its side street and oddly situated next to an insurance agency and a consignment shop inside an office building in Somerville, you sure wouldn’t know it.

Once you’re actually able to find Ai Sushi, you might start to understand what all of the hype is about thanks to their refined decor, and you definitely will understand after you taste what sushi is supposed to taste like. Don’t you dare order a California roll – try high-end sashimi such as monkfish liver and spicy clam, Spanish mackerel and squid leg.

The real spotlight here is the Omakase, which translates to “I will leave it up to you” in Japanese. Of course, the chef knows best – order this option for a chef-curated tasting menu featuring seasonal sushi and sashimi for $60-$80 per person.

Find it: 30 S. Doughty Ave #4, Somerville; Call (908) 526-8596 or visit aisushisomerville.com

Ninety Acres, Peapack

Farm-to-table may now be a buzzword for most modern eateries in the state, but Ninety Acres, located on 500-acre Somerset County park Natirar that was once owned by a former king of Morocco, is actually on a farm.

Visitors will find the restaurant nestled inside the park after a mile-long stretch of road from Peapack Road, a drive surrounded by greenery and fresh air. Encircled by a 12-acre farm that sources the restaurant’s organic vegetables, herbs, berries, lamb, pork and egg-laying chickens, the elegant eatery has been attracting foodies since it opened in 2009.

For a true farm-to-table experience, order the Bring Me Food option for $105 or $165 with a wine pairing, where you’ll be seated near the restaurant’s open kitchen and served a menu featuring ever revolving seasonal ingredients and have an open conversation about the techniques and ingredients of preparation.

Find it: 2 Main St, Peapack. Call (908) 901-9500 or visit natirar.com

Café Archetypus, Edgewater

Ever eaten in a … cave?

It might not be an authentic prehistoric cave, but this wacky café in Bergen County made to look like a cave is a hidden surprise of a different sort.

It’s dark. It’s romantic. It’s different. Which is why there’s almost always a wait to get a seat inside the cave, though you can usually get seated in the front of the restaurant. But take our advice and wait for a cave seat in the back.

And while there’s food to be had, what fans rave about is the dessert, especially the huge over-the-top sundaes.

Find it: 266 Old River Road, Edgewater; 201-941-0609 www.archetypus.com

Dredge Harbor Dockside Café, Delran

It’s a boatyard. It’s a breakfast joint. It’s a boatyard. It’s a breakfast joint.

It’s a boatyard AND a breakfast joint that also offers lunch and dinner.

If you are in South Jersey and can’t get to the shore, the family-owned Dockside Café offers the next best thing, with a chance to eat a no-frills breakfast while watching boats sail by and seabirds take flight. Watch carefully for the Dredge Harbor sign, because the café is located down a long drive and is hidden from view by Dredge Harbor storage buildings.

Dredge Harbor is an active boatyard, and kids will enjoy watching the big forklift as it lowers motorboats into water from dry storage. It’s an Instagrammer's dream, with wildlife, boats headed for the Delaware River and Bay, and sunsets if you time it right.

Families will enjoy the reasonable prices and simple but hearty menu, with everything from chipped beef on toast to a Little Fisherman’s special of a hotcake or French toast, eggs, bacon and sausage. For something different, try the corn fritter bites.

It gets busy at brunch time, but if you score an outdoor table it's nice to linger and pretend you’re on vacation while you sip your coffee.

Find it: 67 St. Mihiel Drive, Delran. Call (856) 764-6900 or dredgeharbor.com/shopcontent.asp?type=DredgeHarborCafe

Hot Dog Caboose, Midland Park

And bringing up the rear ...

There's a reason caboose is in the name of this 20-year-old hot dog joint in Bergen County: It's housed in a real, red, century-plus-old caboose. It's adorable. North Haledon resident Carol Laube said she took what was once a caboose, cut a hole in it, put in a rail and voila: Hot Dog Caboose. It sits right by a freight line.

Speaking of sitting: you can't — in the caboose. There are, however, a few round picnic tables nearby. So wear sunscreen and sunglasses if you aren't planning to take your dog home — or, more likely, demolish it in your car. And, forget Texas wieners; the dogs are all-beef Sabrett's and "dirty-water," that is boiled (not grilled or deep-fried).

You have a lot of choices: from a Chubb's Dog with spicy fries and cheese to a spuds dog with smashed potatoes, shredded cheddar and bacon bits to a Taco Dog with crushed corn chips, chili and jalapenos.

And if you’re a kid, you’ll get a gummy bear in the shape of a hot dog to take home.

Find it: 211 Greenwood Ave., Midland Park. Call (201) 444-2531 or hotdogcaboose.com