New Jersey

A hot dog eaten beside the ocean plays by different rules. The bun may be tilted dangerously toward…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 28

The George Washington Bridge is still visible overhead when the road suddenly ducks beneath a wall of ancient-looking…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 27

A plate at Famous Sgt. Bob BBQ & Grill can look like two completely different dinners happily collided.…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 27

A Cold War missile site sits within earshot of crashing waves. A five-story observation deck rises above the…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 27

The first hint that 15 Fox Place is not playing by normal restaurant rules comes before you even…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 27

The first bite is rarely graceful. A crisp corner breaks off, steam escapes through the opening, and a…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 27

The smell hits first. Not one smell, either — the whole August fairground mix of sizzling sausage, warm…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 27

The little string of lights outside OB-CO’s tells you everything you need to know. When the bulbs are…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 27

The wooden camp sign does not need fog machines, actors, or a fake thunderclap to do its job.…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 26

At the Bellmawr Goodwill Outlet, fifty dollars can buy roughly twenty-five pounds of clothing, linens, books, and assorted…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 26

A shy Siamese kitten named Violet probably had no idea she was walking into New Jersey cat history.…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 26

At 9 a.m., you could be sipping coffee beside Princeton’s stone archways; by lunch, you might be watching…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 26

A cannonball mark inside an old Gloucester County house has a funny way of shutting down small talk.…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 26

A sandwich wrapped in white paper lands on the counter with enough weight to make you reconsider your…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 26

A $14 plate of cheesesteak egg rolls can tell you a lot about a place. At Flying Pig…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 26

At the top of New Jersey, a 220-foot monument rises above a ridge with three-state views. Farther south,…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 26

A half-dozen Wellfleet oysters, an espresso martini shot, and a premium cigar are not exactly the trio most…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 25

The first clue that you have arrived at a sunflower farm is usually not the flowers. It is…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 25

The first clue is usually the color. Not a subtle color, either — the kind of red tomato,…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 25

The first clue is usually the bread basket. It lands warm, disappears faster than anyone planned, and suddenly…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 25

The first clue that Alstede Farms is not a quick “grab a pint and go” kind of stop…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 25

A three-bedroom home for less than the price of some luxury SUVs sounds like a listing typo in…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 25

On Watchung Avenue in Upper Montclair, the giveaway is not a Union Jack waving from the roof or…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 25

A family pulls into a Shore town with three beach chairs, a cooler, two boogie boards, and exactly…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 25

The last thing Lower Forge gives you is convenience, and honestly, that is the whole charm. Somewhere deep…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 24

A Jersey City rowhouse with no conventional menu. A Pine Barrens hot dog stand that closes when the…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 24

By 8 a.m. on July 16 in Hammonton, the first boom has already rolled across town. Not thunder.…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 24

One minute, you are sharing appetizers and pretending not to notice who ordered the stronger cocktail. The next,…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 24

A bubblegum-pink storefront, a lip-shaped loveseat, and shelves full of aliens, pirates, witches, hockey players, dukes, monsters, and…

By Duncan Edwards · Jul 24