Central Jersey
Despite what you may have heard, there is, in fact, a Central New Jersey. While the actual delineation is up for interpretation, you can pretty much assume you’ve entered the region when hear the words “hoagie” and “sub” used interchangeably for a certain type of sandwich and your radio tunes to both NYC and Philly stations.
Some suggest that Central Jersey starts roughly at Exit 9 on the Turnpike and runs south to Trenton and east to Routes 1 and 9. (There is indeed some truth to the Jersey joke “What exit do you live at?”) Others have argued the region encompasses what’s between Rutgers University (farther north) and Princeton, from the Delaware River to just shy of the Atlantic. But definitely NOT all the way to the ocean, because that is, without a doubt, the Jersey Shore, and its own thing (see our separate section). Whatever the actual border is, just trust us—it exists!
Central Jersey is home to the Six Flags Great Adventure amusement park and some of the best farms befitting the Garden State. Hammonton, the “blueberry capital of the world,” and the western edge of the Pine Barrens fall within the region. And some of the state’s greatest culinary contributions have originated from Central Jersey. Trenton’s tomato pie has a strong loyal following, but despite its early origins (1910), it’s seldom found outside Mercer County. Perhaps the most underappreciated regional breakfast meat of all time is from this region: Pork roll—wait, is it Taylor ham? No, it’s pork roll (the debate is real, and the answer is Taylor ham)—was invented in Trenton and has pleased New Jerseyans for well over a century. And Edison, on the northern edge of this region, has some of the best Indian food in the Northeast.
Blink and you may miss it, but if you have some time to stick around, check out some of Central Jersey’s best foods.—Introduction by Adam Horvath (Foodigenous)
Despite what you may have heard, there is, in fact, a Central New Jersey. While the actual delineation is up for interpretation, you can pretty much assume you’ve entered the region when hear the words “hoagie” and “sub” used interchangeably for a certain type of sandwich and your radio tunes to both NYC and Philly stations.
Some suggest that Central Jersey starts roughly at Exit 9…
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Find local foods in Central Jersey .
Jersey Shore
First things first: The Jersey Shore is not (the TV show) Jersey Shore. The former is the first developed coastline in the United States, encompassing about 130 miles in New Jersey from Sandy Hook in the north to Cape May in the south; the latter is a drama-courting MTV reality show depicting a small slice of the demographic that joins the hordes of families, surfers, beach bums, and other perfectly normal people who go “down the Shore” each summer. Even in the context of Seaside Heights, the town in which the show is set, you can easily avoid that crowd if you wish.
But you shouldn’t avoid the other Jersey Shore for any reason at all. For many, it’s a close-to-home summer getaway, an accessible and trustworthy slice of Americana with icons to spare: nice beaches with some of the cleanest water in the mid-Atlantic region; family-friendly boardwalks and mini-golf; historic eateries and rock ’n’ roll bars; great fishing, surfing, windsurfing, and even skydiving. And then there’s the omnipresent crashing sea, the abundant fresh seafood and the smell of salt in the air when you face east, mingling with the heady, less organic but just-as-quintessential scents of fried zeppole dough and hot pizza.
Maybe we’re slightly biased: One-half of EYW hails from the Jersey Shore. But what’s more fun than a summer weekend at the beach, with free rein to bodysurf, grill clams, and eat funnel cake to your heart’s content? We focus a lot on boardwalk foods here, since they’re such fixtures along the Shore—the big boardwalks are in Keansburg, Asbury Park, Point Pleasant Beach, Seaside, Atlantic City, Ocean City, and Wildwood—but also on fresh local fish, shellfish, and that Jersey favorite, the salty pork roll.
Click below to find the most iconic dishes of the Jersey Shore.
First things first: The Jersey Shore is not (the TV show) Jersey Shore. The former is the first developed coastline in the United States, encompassing about 130 miles in New Jersey from Sandy Hook in the north to Cape May in the south; the latter is a drama-courting MTV reality show depicting a small slice of the demographic that joins the hordes of families, surfers, beach bums, and other perfectly normal people…
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Find local foods in Jersey Shore.
North Jersey
The Garden State sometimes gets an undeserved bad rap—and North Jersey in particular. Sure, there might be a permanent stink when passing Exit 15 on the NJ Turnpike, but you can’t judge a state from its industry-lined highways (or a drive to its biggest airport). The truth is the state has plenty of beautiful natural spaces, and New Jerseyans are much more than what you see on TV (don't miss our Jersey Shore section!). Perhaps the best way to summarize the state would be to borrow the old Latin saying “sed parva fordi”: small but mighty. Despite being tiny in geographic stature, New Jersey makes up for it with an abundance of personality and a profusion of culture.
You are never more than two hours from the ocean (aka “the Shore”), or three hours from skiing the Kittatinny Mountains. An imaginary divide separates the state into two distinct halves—North Jersey and South Jersey, each with their own subtle differences. While there’s no definitive barrier, the division starts about halfway down the Garden State Parkway, when the Wawas begin to outnumber the QuickCheks on the convenience-store front and the state’s professional sports allegiances switch from New York to Philly.
North Jersey is the edgier of the two halves, with small cities like Hoboken and Jersey City acting like the sixth and seventh boroughs of New York City. Over the years, large immigrant populations have settled throughout North Jersey, bringing along food traditions and shaping the culinary landscape. For example, New Jersey has the largest Hindu population by percentage of any other state, and towns like Edison and Parsippany offer some of the best Indian food in the country. Union City is affectionately called “Havana on the Hudson,” the result of a mass exodus from post-revolution Cuba in the 1960s. Waves of Portuguese and Brazilians have settled in the Ironbound neighborhood of Newark over the past 50 years, making it a gastronomic gem for traditional Portuguese cuisine.
In addition to the many ethnic options, North Jersey is the diner capital of the world and has several micro indigenous foods, like chicken Savoy and the sloppy Joe (no, the other one), which both have their origins in the northern part of the state. And the area's hot dog game is second to none, with regional styles like the Texas weiner, the Italian hot dog, and the Ripper being birthed here.
This snapshot guide will explore some of North Jersey’s best regional foods, culinary gems, and amazing restaurants worthy of your time. Let’s dig on in. —Introduction by Adam Horvath (Foodigenous)
The Garden State sometimes gets an undeserved bad rap—and North Jersey in particular. Sure, there might be a permanent stink when passing Exit 15 on the NJ Turnpike, but you can’t judge a state from its industry-lined highways (or a drive to its biggest airport). The truth is the state has plenty of beautiful natural spaces, and New Jerseyans are much more than what you see on TV (don't miss our…
Read more
Find local foods in North Jersey.
Despite what you may have heard, there is, in fact, a Central New Jersey. While the actual delineation is up for interpretation, you can pretty much assume you’ve entered the region when hear the words “hoagie” and “sub” used interchangeably for a certain type of sandwich and your radio tunes to both NYC and Philly stations. Some suggest that Central Jersey starts roughly at Exit 9… Read more
