Need proof that 2016 was a good year? Go eat out.

In the mood for a delectable stuffed pizza tonight, or would you rather dine on a tender piece of filet mignon enveloped in a blue cheese Béarnaise?  Oh, you’re craving a buttery lobster roll. No problem. You can find those dishes and many more — buttermilk-marinated fried chicken, meatloaf layered with ham and cheese, steamed spinach dumplings, to name (and salivate over) just a few — in the diverse restaurants in and around North Jersey that The Record has found to be among the best this year.

Indeed, 2016 has been one heck of a year. Eleven restaurants that this newspaper reviewed in 2016 have received at least three out of four stars. The following are excerpts from The Record’s reviews.

See who else made it on the list with Viaggio here.