I know what you’re thinking: this girl needs a manicure if she’s gonna be doing Reels. Nah —you’re not thinking that because you are MANY things, but you are not basic. You have better things to concern yourself with, like eating fresh & tasty lobster tacos on a cold day in February in the Trader Joe’s parking lot. I mean, talk about variables that make zero sense on paper but feel real right in your bones.  This is Cousin’s Maine Lobster Truck (@cousinsmainelobster), which has decided to make its home at Trader Joe’s parking lot in Millburn every Monday. It ain’t the Shore, but it’s convenient. I did not go for their lobster roll, because I’m covering the best one this side of Maine next week (stay tuned!) but instead dove into their delicious lobster tacos, which they keep super simple, with fresh chunks of Maine lobster tail, bright pico de gallo, shaved cabbage and a cilantro lime sauce. Honestly, the only thing that could have been fresher were the flour tortillas - a minor detail when stuffed with all the other goods. ‘Til next week, #jerseyfoodtour #njeats #njfood #northjerseyeats #millburneats #njfood #njfoodtrucks

In honor of #nationalpizzaday I’m reloading one of my early reels. 🍕post below: As I remind my boys: there are a million styles of pizza, and each of them deserves a spot in your heart. Friday night, we got after some Roman-style square slices, and Massa Roman Square Pizza & Italian Specialties (@massarsp) in Scotch Plains is one hell of an introduction. So, about this particular Roman-style sheet pizza (al taglio): Massa allows a 72-hour fermentation for the dough to rise, and accordingly they stop making pizza when the daily batch is done. This well-rested dough is made with non-GMO (unbleached) flour imported from Italy, and the ingredients that grace the top (San Marzano tomatoes and Fior di Latte mozzarella) are similarly well-sourced.   Of course, you can have all the right ingredients and still not put it together right, but Italian-born owner, Marco Massaro, is a whiz. The crust is light, airy, a little chewy, a little crispy - and the sauce — tangy, a hint salty, and added as a judicious smear rather than in sweet, gloopy dollops — was so, so good. I was super partial to the Amatriciana slice, laced with pecorino, pancetta (so cured it tasted like guanciale) and black pepper. I can see why Peter Genovese named it one of the top things you need to eat in NJ in 2020. They let you order here by the slice too (heaven by the slice!). Anyway, go go go. There’s a lot of love in this pizza, and I’m so happy to share it. As the owner Marco put it: “I don’t like to make the Instagram. Only the pizza – I just love to make the pizza.” #jerseyfoodtour #njeats #njfood #njfoodie #njrestaurants #njeatsmag #scotchplainsnj #scotchplains #scotchplainsfood

Friday was my birthday, and despite temps plummeting into the single digits and an arctic wind piercing my southern bones, my boys insisted we go out to celebrate. Who is @jerseyfoodtour to argue with such stellar logic? I wasn’t in the mood for fancy. I wanted to pull on jeans and tuck into a great cheeseburger by a fire. Maybe knock back a cold Shandy. I got all this and more when I wandered into New Park Tavern in Jersey City. Standing out front of 575 W Side Ave, you’re gonna need a bit of faith. There is no sign on the door, and New Park Tavern looks closed. This isn’t a cute, hipstery dive, but rather an authentic neighborhood Irish dive, replete with working jukebox, card games, a fire, a tiny kitchen, and a friendly vibe. Memorabilia lines the walls, and the history is palpable. It’s divey, but homey: the bar lined with regulars, and friends gathered at tables. My kids found a deck of cards, and a Guinness Book of World Records from 1991. In the corner, a woman was setting up for what looked like a 30-something birthday party with a cake. Kevin greeted us, told us to grab the table by the fire (“it’s warmer”), poured our beers, cooked our burgers, and showed me the tiny kitchen space. He’s worked there for 32 years as his second job. There are no menus, or at least Kevin didn’t give us any, just offered the legendary burger or their take on a Reuben, piled high with paper-thin corned beef, melted Swiss and Russian. Both came with fries and were delicious - not the best burger I’ve ever had in NJ, but very, very good. 8 ounces, cooked slow and easy on a flat-top griddle that’s owned it’s spot for 45 years. Washed down with a perfectly pulled ice cold Blue Moon Shandy, it really made for a perfect reprieve from the cold. This is the kind of spot that really encapsulates how mood affects food, and how space can warm the taste buds as tenderly as the heart. Got a favorite Tavern burger where part of the love comes from the space itself? Let me know below. ‘Til next time…#JerseyFoodTour #njeats #njfood #njfoodie #northjerseyeats #jerseyeats #njpizza #foodporn #foodie #njfoodblogger #newjersey #jerseycity #jerseycityeats #njburgerspot

New Park Tavern | Jersey City, NJ It’s cooooolllld, New Jersey. We’re warming up with a great burger, a cold Shandy and a fire. Volume up for now & full post to follow. #jerseyfoodtour #njeats #njfoodie #njfood #jerseycity #jerseycityeats #njburger

College kids know their food a lot better than food snobs would have you believe. They’re just often zero’ed in on handheld snacky things like wings, tacos or hoagies - all things you know from this food tour I 100% believe deserve their own spotlight. So, let’s talk college hoagies of the first order. Hoagie Haven (@hoagiehaven) is a straight-up Princeton institution, and if you haven’t tried one you might cynically chalk these foot-long’s popularity up to their excellent booze-mop-to-low-cost ratio, but nah - these are fine, fine hoagies (incidentally, it’s taken me forever to commit to saying “hoagies” as we call these “subs” down south). Anyway, my pal Laurie told me about them a few years ago, but because that name may be completely irrelevant to you, I will also note that they’re one of Jon Stewart’s favorites. And let me tell you, Laurie and Jon are NOT wrong here. These puppies are good. Like, real good. Like, they claim to sell 300-to-500-of-them-a-day good. Featured above is my kids favorite: the chicken parm sub, which you can pile with extras but my kids just take with salt and pepper. I’ve done a turkey and bacon club, piled high with fixings, and the shrimp po boy. Each one, each time, the sandwich is excellent. And I think that’s because the real star of this show is the Italian People’s Bakery (@italianpeoplesbakery) bread, which is some of the best hoagie bread I’ve ever had. As you can tell from the pics, it’s just a tiny takeout spot, you punch your order into the computer, and we usually grab a bench outside and dig in. #JerseyFoodTour #njeats #njfood #njfoodie #princeton #princetoneats #princetonfood #princetonnj #newjerseyfood