Openings Hef’s Hut, Vernon Hef’s Hut, the bar and grill at the Great Gorge Golf Club, recently reopened with a revamped interior and menu. The eatery–which is open to anyone, not just golfers—offers both indoor and outdoor seating, and boasts a wide view of Vernon Valley. New menu dishes include mini-Philly cheesesteaks, Texas lollipop bites (smoked bratwurst bites wrapped in bacon), and mini-quarry steak samples. The specialty cocktail menu has also been updated. 414 County Road 517 vPho, Westfield vPho is the second culinary endeavor by the team behind Saigon Cafe in Millburn. The new Vietn ..read more

Visitors to the East Greenwich Township home of the Rev. Dr. Robert W. Ralph don’t have to worry about finding a place to sit. The longtime baseball fan, historian and collector has taken his interest in the sport to another level, with more than 250 seats from 45 major and minor league ballparks displayed throughout his home. With seats from classic fields, such as the original Yankee Stadium and Ebbets Field, to current stadiums, including Oriole Park at Camden Yards and Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, the residence serves as a journey through the past of the national pastime. That beco ..read more

When Evelyn Penza was 31, she didn’t know what to do next. Her marriage had crumbled, and her ex was gone. She had two grade-school sons, a full-time teaching job and early-morning work at her family’s farm in Hammonton. “I was apprehensive,” says Penza. “This was 1972 in a small town. Divorce was rare. I had to protect my boys from any disapproval.” But she comes from a long line of accomplished, powerful women. Her mother, Jessie, was especially formidable. She was a fantastic cook and baker. Her specialty was pies made from fruit from their family farm: apple, peach and blueberry. She’d se ..read more

The largest topiary producer in New Jersey and one of the best-known decorative topiary purveyors in the United States, Atlock Farm grows specimens ranging in height from 8 to 80 inches. The place is a plant-lover’s paradise. Classic topiaries—hand-pruned shrubbery grown in individual pots—have been mainstays of design for centuries, achieving cult status among interior designers and home-decor enthusiasts. “If you look at design magazines from 30 years ago and even 60 years ago, you’ll see topiaries featured in beautiful spaces. It’s a horticultural art that will remain forever,” says Ken Se ..read more

Walt Whitman, one of America’s most important literary figures, spent the final 19 years of his life as an esteemed resident of Camden. The internationally acclaimed poet of the body and soul famously and unashamedly declared, “I celebrate myself,” and, “I am an acme of things accomplished.” This month, the people of New Jersey will celebrate him. Whitman’s 205th birthday (he was born on May 31, 1819) is being observed with festivities at two Camden County venues directly associated with his South Jersey residency: Laurel Springs is sponsoring WaltFest on May 18, and the Walt Whitman House on ..read more

It won the 2018 Tony Award for Best Play and is considered the eighth story in the beloved Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. This month, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will be staged for the first time in a U.S. school, at Hoboken High School. Hoboken was chosen after an extensive search by the play’s license holders, landing the prize because of its robust theater program. The district employs three full-time theater educators, which is a rarity, says Danielle Miller, director of the Hoboken production. The district’s theater program is unique for another reason: Students from kinderga ..read more

Bridget Cutler had just given birth to her first child in 2011 when she read an article about a mother forced to put her baby up for adoption because she couldn’t afford the child’s care. The story moved Cutler, who had more than enough, so she began collecting donations of baby essentials in her Hoboken community. Cutler’s future co-founder Megan Deaton, who had infant twins, began bringing products to Cutler. Soon, the two moms were working together. Every month they’d alert families in need, who would flock to Cutler’s garage to collect free supplies. Moms Helping Moms was born. The organi ..read more

There’s a new café in Montclair, but the draw isn’t the food or beverages; people come for the cats. The feline-friendly gathering place, called Catfé Montclair, joins a trend begun in Tokyo in 1998 that has since spread internationally; there are three other cat cafés in New Jersey. While self-serve coffee is available, and there are occasional yoga, guided-meditation and sound-bath sessions, the café’s simple aim is to be a place where people and cats can relax together. “It’s a great way for people to interact with cats and learn about them,” says owner Tara Ford. “We believe in the therap ..read more

There's a new wood-fired pizza spot in New Jersey, and it’s inside an old train caboose, just a few feet away from an old train station turned distillery. Home Slice Pizza, in Mount Holly, Burlington County, cooks fresh, wood-fired pizza pies in the caboose, just big enough for a kitchen and staff. A small window for ordering and picking up is in the middle of the caboose, just up a metal ramp. The pizzeria was established in 2021 as a mobile pizza oven, where the team would regularly serve pizza at local festivals, breweries, shopping outlets and private events. Home Slice set up its first b ..read more

Into anything witchy or weird? Well, about 10 to 15 times a year, you can spend the night wandering Lunar Faire, a mystical night market that travels throughout the Garden State between spring and fall. “This is a place where anyone can be who they are, and it's cool,” says co-founder Kelly Dagila. “People in this world just want to be accepted as they are, and I want other people to be in a place where we can all feel that together.” [caption id="attachment_334272" width="778"]Lunar Faire has something for all ages. Photo: Mattie Cameron Rosen[/caption] At Lunar Faire events, large, outdoor ..read more