New Jersey

The best seafood meals in New Jersey don’t always come with white tablecloths, valet parking, or a wine…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 20

A pig in a tiny racing bib can stop a crowd faster than a boardwalk fireworks finale at…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 20

A perfect summer Italian dinner in New Jersey rarely announces itself with ocean views or white-tablecloth drama. Sometimes…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 20

By 10 a.m. on a warm Saturday, the line for beach passes in Asbury Park can already feel…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 20

The best New Jersey hot dog orders usually arrive without ceremony: a paper plate, a soft bun, maybe…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 20

The first clue is the smell. Before you start overthinking the menu, before you wonder whether a burger…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 20

By the time the first shell cracks open over the water, the whole state seems to pick a…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 19

The first clue is the parking lot. Cars slide in from Route 17 with that very New Jersey…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 19

The best burger math in New Jersey happens on a paper tray: a griddled patty, a soft bun,…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 19

A hot dog hanging past the bun does not usually need a backstory, but at Max’s Bar &…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 19

There is a very specific kind of joy in walking into a buffet with no plan except “start…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 19

A rack of Eagles hoodies, a pile of old hand tools, a tray of still-warm soft pretzels, and…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 19

A forkful of garlicky escargot in Somerset, a sizzling skewer of picanha in Cliffside Park, a pan of…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 19

The first clue that Road House Deli is not your average Jersey lunch stop is not the smell…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 19

The best crab meals in New Jersey do not always start with white tablecloths or quiet dining rooms.…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 18

A shopping bag from Nike is swinging from one wrist, a Cinnabon box is balanced in the other…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 18

There is a very specific kind of joy that comes from eating lobster out of a split-top bun…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 18

The water gives itself away before the trail does. You hear it somewhere below the trees, rushing over…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 18

There’s a moment on the quieter edges of the Jersey Shore when the soundtrack changes. The boardwalk games…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 18

The red neon outside Tony’s Baltimore Grill does not whisper. It glows like it has seen things: late…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 18

A mine tunnel in Sussex County goes dark, someone flips on ultraviolet lights, and suddenly the rock walls…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 18

At around 6:20 on a good race night in East Rutherford, the Meadowlands starts doing that very Jersey…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 18

At 59th Street in Ocean City, the soundtrack changes fast. One minute, you’re still close enough to remember…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 17

The best burger trips in New Jersey rarely begin with white tablecloths or a reservation confirmation. They start…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 17

The box lid is where the fun starts. At Mama Buntz’s Donut Company in Sewell, the names of…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 17

The moment a server sets down a dish that looks more like a tiny edible landscape than dinner,…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 17

The glow from State Line Diner’s sign hits a little differently after dark, especially when you’re rolling along…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 17

The steam table tells on you. You walk in promising yourself one sensible plate, then the rice is…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 17

The first clue is the smoke. Not the dramatic, pitmaster-in-a-parking-lot kind, but the quiet kind that sneaks into…

By Duncan Edwards · Jun 17