Jenn Hall

Edible Philly: Farm for the City – A Season-Long Dialogue on Food Security

July 3, 2018 by jennhallwrites

In a compact garden space in the Fairhill section of North Philadelphia, conversation echoed early on a spring Saturday. Inside, young plants were being united with soil, fresh green juxtaposing dark compost. Tending them were gardeners whose own youthful laughter was punctuated by exchanges in Spanish. How far apart should the tomatoes be planted? Do you water the plant or the dirt? It was the beginning of the season for the Youth Advocate Program, part of an international organization that […]

Categories: food, justice, sustainability

Gannett / Courier-Post: Champion Pitmaster’s Lip-Smacking Barbecue is Inspired by Father’s Legacy

June 15, 2018 by jennhallwrites

Sometimes honoring a legacy means blazing a trail. For pitmaster Alyson (Aly) Lupinetti of Mount Laurel-based Butch’s Smack Your Lips BBQ, said trail scorches straight through the Rock, Ribs & Ridges festival in Augusta. Held annually at the Sussex County Fairgrounds, it pairs mountain views and country jams with a ‘cue competition that draws entrants from as far off as Ohio and Florida. In 2017, she and her crew landed the coveted honor in the juried competition after two successive runner’s-up […]

Categories: food

Time Out: The 15 Best Hotels in New Jersey

June 15, 2018 by jennhallwrites

In this compact yet wildly diverse state, indecisive travelers can bring their most varied vacation fantasies to life with a multitude of things to do. Mountain-top adventure trips? Check. Lounge-by-the-sea days? Double check. From urban jaunts with rooftop bars to Instagram-worthy beach haunts, New Jersey packs it all in—and its best hotels have a strong sense of place. Read more… Published June 6, 2018

Categories: travel

Time Out: 15 Best Beaches in New Jersey for a Sun-Kissed Vacation

June 15, 2018 by jennhallwrites

In some places, beach towns all run together. Sky. Water. Sand. Check. Not so at the Jersey Shore. From retro swimming spots dotted with hotels, bars and restaurants to hidden beaches tucked just out of sight, the state’s best swimming destinations are big on personality and great things to do, kind of like Jersey itself. The coastal scene has legit beach cred. Case in point: The very first boardwalk in the United States graced Atlantic City’s oceanfront way back in […]

Categories: travel

Time Out: 26 Best Things to Do in New Jersey

May 20, 2018 by jennhallwrites

Here’s the thing about New Jersey. Within an hour’s drive from your hotel, you can find yourself just about anywhere. The state’s huge—and dare we say, underrated—cities are home to fabulous restaurants and vibrant art scenes. Deep forests with twisting trails make the outside world disappear. There’s the beach, which ranges from deserted island to laid-back urbane by the mile. Then, the world-class museums and heritage sites that tell the state’s story while maintaining a modern heartbeat. When you tire of one […]

Categories: travel

Time Out: 15 Best Restaurants in New Jersey

May 20, 2018 by jennhallwrites

You can tell a lot about New Jersey by the polarity of its nicknames. The Garden State. Dirty Jerz. But want to know a little secret? Both are a badge of pride. Locals know that this densely packed state has a ton of great things to do, not least of which is gorging on amazing food. Sure, New York and Philly are in Jersey’s backyard, and locals are happy to take advantage of that. But there’s no need to cross […]

Categories: food, travel

NPR: On East Coast Oyster Farms, ‘Women Are Rising Up From The Bay In A Big Way’

May 16, 2018 by jennhallwrites

As sunrise paints the lower Delaware Bay’s intertidal zone, the mudflats take on a metallic shimmer near Cape May, N.J. As visual poetry, it’s arresting. But the tide is out — and the clock is ticking. The receding water has revealed Sweet Amalia Oysters, so oyster farmer Lisa Calvo and her team get to work. The team hoists plastic mesh bags from rebar racks. They sort the bivalves, shells clinking in rhythm. Only when you draw close to the wader-clad […]

Categories: food, sustainability

Inside Jersey: The Inspiration / Made in Jersey – Arnge Designs

May 16, 2018 by jennhallwrites

When one’s mind is tuned to color and lines, all the world is a muse. Such is the case for art director-turned-pattern master Mike Dawson, who finds inspiration everywhere — from the industrial designs of Christopher Dresser to the vibrant hues of ’60s-era “Star Trek” episodes. “When I was a kid, it was ‘Lost in Space,’ ‘Space: 1999’ and all of those really bold, graphic TV shows,” Dawson says. “It was all mod and futurism on TV. That’s what I was […]

Categories: design

Edible Jersey: A Taste of Newark

May 5, 2018 by jennhallwrites

Newark’s Four Corners, where Market and Broad Streets meet, was dubbed the busiest intersection in the world in the late 1920s. It’s still a city nerve center, especially on weekdays when sirens and traffic and voices create a distinctly urban song. “It is like walking into a time-warp of what New York must have looked like in the ’70s, small businesses and street vendors selling anything you can think of,” says Newark transplant Julie Godfrey. Walk a mile in any […]

Categories: food, travel

Edible Jersey: Within the Ironbound

May 5, 2018 by jennhallwrites

It would take many hungry days to do justice to the Ironbound, home to Newark’s Iberian community and a ten-minute walk from the Prudential Center. Important to note is the wealth of worthy spots off of Ferry Street. Throughout the neighborhood, you’ll find Brazilian bars, Portuguese grocers and lively crowds who maintain connections to their roots. Read more… Published in the Early Summer 2018 issue

Categories: food, travel

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