New Jersey

A coal-blackened crust slides from a century-old oven in Elizabeth. A few counties away, tomato sauce lands on…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 15

A black bird sticker on the bumper can soften even the most aggravating Garden State Parkway encounter. Around…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 15

A French onion pizza arrives beneath a bubbling blanket of Gruyère. A Roman square crackles along the bottom…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 15

A chicken cutlet sandwich at Sapore Ravioli & Cheese does not arrive looking particularly interested in restraint. The…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 14

A stainless-steel vat of corned beef in Newark, a brick pizza oven glowing in Paterson, and a hand-cranked…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 14

A burger lands on the table with melted Irish cheddar, sweet-smoky bacon jam, and enough onions to make…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 14

A gravy-soaked roast beef hero in Hoboken, a cheesesteak folded into a round poppy-seed roll in Camden, and…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 14

By late morning on a Tuesday or Friday, the small counter at Cosmo’s Italian Salumeria can feel like…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 14

A narrow road slips between cranberry bogs, a lighthouse rises beyond the marsh, and the only charge so…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 14

A chicken cutlet disappears beneath bubbling mozzarella and red sauce, the side of ziti could pass for a…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 14

A handwritten farm-stand sign advertising tomatoes can feel like a small miracle after one too many painful supermarket…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 14

Lady Liberty appears before you even reach the water. One moment, you are driving through Jersey City past…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 13

A fork cuts through a syrup-soaked pancake, home fries crackle on the griddle, and a waitress appears with…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 13

At 7 a.m., the loudest thing at the southern tip of Ocean City may be a gull objecting…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 13

A curtain lifts, a torch flashes across a slice of fatty tuna, and one perfect bite lands on…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 13

A five-scoop sundae lands on the table beneath a cloud of whipped cream, its hot fudge sliding toward…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 13

Steam curls off the water while Manhattan fills the horizon from the George Washington Bridge nearly to the…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 13

A ferry horn sounds across New York Harbor, wolves begin howling in the mountains, and a few hours…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 13

A flamethrower-wielding killer once stalked the staircases of a grand Victorian mansion high above Sandy Hook Bay. The…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 12

A bend in a two-lane road reveals a waterfall. Ten miles later, an old mill appears beside a…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 12

Gold figures glow beneath richly painted panels on the third floor of a Newark museum, but this is…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 12

A wooden bench beside a quiet river, an empty trail through the pines, and a parking space that…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 12

A mountain lion watches from the shade, prairie dogs pop up like tiny neighborhood gossips, and somewhere beyond…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 12

A stone gristmill begins turning beside a quiet creek. Roses open behind an estate hidden in a Montclair…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 12

Seven residents, 24 square miles, and enough empty road to make you wonder whether you accidentally crossed into…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 12

A warm basket lands on the table, someone says, “We should probably save room,” and five minutes later…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 12

A plate lands on the table carrying fresh rigatoni, meatballs, spicy sausage, braciole, country-style ribs, ricotta, and enough…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 11

The first wave barely reaches shore before somebody’s Labrador charges into it like an unpaid lifeguard. Ten seconds…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 11

A folding table covered with tarnished silverware might not look promising—until you spot a century-old serving spoon hiding…

By Duncan Edwards · Aug 11