Eating Their Way Across South Jersey

John Howard-Fusco believes South Jersey “always gets the short end of the stick.” So he and wife Lisa decided to do something about it.

Last year, John and Lisa—who live in the Ocean County town of Forked River—started a South Jersey food blog. Their goal was to carve out a niche on the Internet as they let people know about the good things happening in South Jersey.

“Philly people make fun of us. New Yorkers make fun of us. North Jersey folk make fun of us,” says John. “Heck, even I used to badmouth South Jersey back when we were 20-somethings living in North Jersey.”

John and Lisa moved back to South Jersey five years ago. It was a revelation. “The more we looked around and talked to people, the more we realized what big changes were going on down here,” says Lisa. “I tried telling my friends in North Jersey about it, but they joked that they didn’t believe us. Most media—including blogs—equated NJ food with North Jersey. It was obvious there was a niche to be filled, so we decided, why not us?”

And so their blog was born. The title is a mouthful: John and Lisa are Eating in South Jersey.

So, what South Jersey dining experiences have they enjoyed lately? “Knife and Fork in Atlantic City was the most flawless meal I’ve had in a while, but Izakaya was the most exciting,” says Lisa. “Blue on Long Beach Island comes to mind, but we’re losing the chef to the Philadelphia scene, grrrr. Also, I’m pretty excited about Mud City crab cakes coming to our town soon. Mud City Crab House in Manahawkin is an awesome casual seafood place, and it will be nice to have it nearby for takeout.”

Adds John: “Sea Salt in Stone Harbor is my favorite ‘newer’ place that we have tried since we started the blog, though they’ve been around for a few years.  I also really like Izakaya at the Borgata in Atlantic City.”

You can follow John and Lisa’s musings at johnandlisaareeatinginsj.blogspot.com.

Tags: Stone Harbor | Atlantic City | Manahawkin | South Jersey | Long Beach Island | blogs | food | Knife and Fork | Blue | Mud City crab cakes | Sea Salt