Tag Archives: Princeton

Holiday, Scene & Heard

Where To Spend National Pie Day in New Jersey

What’s your favorite part of the pie, the crust or the sweet center? At The Pie Store in Montclair, New Jersey they embrace every inch of these circular delights! Doubling the crust and tripling the fruity or creamy center that will make your taste buds dance. This authentic English styled market offers you the chance to indulge in traditional English styled double crusted apple, blackberry and cranberry pies. Trying to lay off the sugar? No need to feel left out! They also have an entire menu dedicated to mouth watering, freshly made savory pies filled with potato, cheese, chicken and mushroom.


Calling all carb lovers! The Greek mother-ship of everything sweet, savory and delicious has landed right here in Hoboken, New Jersey. Within the first few steps of walking through the GFG Bakery and Cafe modern styled glass doors you will be welcomed with the warm smell of baked goods and introduced to the land of Greek treats. Their Mediterranean pie exceeds maximum satisfaction as the creamy feta and airy crust melts in your mouth. Take a daily trip to Greece and start your day off right with a sweet Greek treat or savory snack. Can’t choose between sweet or savory? Try their Honey Cheese pie, the perfect combination of delicious and addicting.

Did you say you loved pie and all things scrumptious? Because we do! Mara’s Cafe and Bakery has been serving Denville and its surrounding areas for over 30 years now and has yet to disappoint. Their extensive line of baked goods includes brownies, bars, biscotti, homemade cookies, cannolis, cupcakes and of course pies! Mara’s Cafe and Bakery accommodates all, whether you want just a little treat for yourself or are looking to host a party for your friends and family. Searching for a new way to end the work week? Pick yourself up sweet treat at Mara’s Bakery!

 
Mr.Tod’s Pie Factory, originally seen on Shark Tank in 2009, can now be found in the heart of Englewood, New Jersey. Mr.Tod, was formerly famous for being one of Shark Tank’s many successes and since then has maximized his palette and has created his own version of pies, cobblers and even cheesecake! If you are looking for a four inch or ten inch pie Mr. Tod is able to accommodate you. His menu gives you the abstract in the ordinary, starting with his popularly known sweet potato pie, going on to his freshly made buttermilk coconut pie and finishing off with his own interpretation of pecan and chocolate pecan pie. Can’t choose? Buy a box of his four inch samplers!

Sweet, Sweet, LilliPies! LilliPies started from the ground up, going from selling their baked goods at local Princeton farmers markets to now being a complete commercial kitchen and eatery right in the neck of the Princeton Center Mall. This up and coming business has created a home for all of those who are looking for a little piece of sweetness to start their day. Their January themed menu is currently hosting three pies, all with a Southern twist. Their Bourbon Pecan pie is filled with a buttery honey, pecan custard and topped off with roasted pecans. Their NJ Apple pie is baked to perfection, centered with Jersey apples and finished off with their streusel crumble. And of course, we can’t forget the Chocolate Chess pie, made with farm fresh eggs and E. Guittard chocolate. Did I mention they serve breakfast all day?


The struggle of finding a guilt free, allergy friendly treat is a thing of the past. No more DIY, three ingredient baking for you! Squirrel & The Bee Grainless Bake Shop in Short Hills has it all! Every baked good is made with love and care, minus the preservatives, grains, dairy, refined sugar and gluten. Their locally sourced produce really creates the “farm to table” feel. Their menu is endless, giving you the options of pies, brownies, grainless granola, muffins, bread and even dairy free, homemade ice creams! Squirrel & The Bee passion for clean eating doesn’t stop there. They also offer a healthy, traditional approach to breakfast and lunch. Serving up grainless waffles, eggs, smoothies and acai bowls for breakfast and soups, grainless sandwiches and salads for lunch.

Garden State Living

Binge-Worthy Jersey: Spend National Popcorn Day Streaming a Jersey Marathon

Cold, winter weather is on the way, and Hip New Jersey sees a lot of binge watching in the forecast as well. So, in honor of National Popcorn Day, fill up a tub of popcorn and celebrate with some of the New Jersey based films and shows we found currently streaming!

Chasing Amy

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Streaming on: Netflix, Hoopla

No list about New Jersey and films could ever be complete without Kevin Smith. While several of his films are available for streaming (and some notoriously are not) our pick is Chasing Amy, filmed almost entirely in Red Bank, NJ and Asbury Park. There are many easily recognizable locations, including Jack’s Music Shoppe, which still stands and is neighbors with Smith’s own comic shop.

Plot: Holden and Banky are comic book artists and best friends. But their relationship and sanity are tested when Holden falls for Alyssa, also a comic book artist who is also a lesbian.

 

American Gangster

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Streaming on: Netflix

While many of the scenes take place in New Jersey were actually filmed in New York, the morgue scene was filmed at the NJ Army National Guard Armory in Morristown, New Jersey.

Plot: Based on the true story of Richie Roberts, an outcast New York City cop charged with bringing down Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas.

 

Beautiful Mind

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Streaming on: Amazon Prime

Another biographical film, starring Russel Crowe – this time filming at many locations in New Jersey,  such as Princeton University, Paulus Hook (Jersey City), the Center for Molecular Medicine in BelleVille, Fairleigh Dickinson in Madison and Prudential Hall in Newark.

Plot: John Nash, a brilliant but asocial mathematician, accepts secret work in cryptography, but instead finds himself on a painful and harrowing journey of self-discovery.

 

Cinderella Man

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Streaming on: Showtime

If you have a New Jersey-based biographical film, clearly Russel Crowe is the go-to leading man. While the movie itself was filmed in Ontario, Canada, boxer James Braddock has deep ties to New Jersey. His nicknames included the Bulldog of Bergen and the Pride of New Jersey. He is buried in Tenafly, New Jersey and James J. Braddock North Hudson County Park in North Bergen, New Jersey is named in his honor .

Plot: During the Great Depression, underdog James Braddock, a washed-up boxer desperate to support his family stages a comeback, becoming a symbol of hope for the nation.

 

The Wrestler

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Streaming on: Starz

Filmed almost exclusively in New Jersey, some of the more recognizable spots in this drama are the Stiletto Club in Carlstadt, Dover Ballroom in Dover, and Frenchy’s Bar & Grill in Roselle Park. Other filming locations include Asbury Park, Linden, Rahway, and Bayonne.

Plot: Retired wrestler, Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson deals with the difficulty of leaving behind his beloved wrestling career and attempts to make real connections with the world outside the arena.

 

Sopranos

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Streaming on: HBO GO, HBO NOW, and Amazon Prime

After six seasons, its hard to imagine an area of New Jersey untouched by the series. Some of the more well-known spots include Satin Dolls gentleman’s club in Lodi, Irvine-Cozzarelli Memorial Home in Belleville, Pizzaland in North Arlington and the Soprano’s home in North Caldwell.

Plot: Tony Soprano, a New Jersey-based  Italian-American mobster tries to balance his family life with his role as the leader of a criminal organization.

 

Boardwalk Empire

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Streaming on: HBO GO, HBO NOW, and Amazon Prime

While the show was filmed primarily in New York and some of the locations are fictional, the titular Boardwalk is that of Atlantic City and the politics are real. This change of scenery is largely because of the modernization of Atlantic City and surrounding areas, although they were tempted to use Asbury Park for a while.

Plot: In Prohibition-era New Jersey, politicians play both sides of the law, working with mobsters and gangsters to profit from bootlegging in the area.

cupcake
Dining, Garden State Living, Scene & Heard

Happy #CupcakeDay!

Hey #HipNJ cupcake lovers! Today is #CupcakeDay, so let’s take a look at 5 of the best cupcake shops in the Garden State!

1. Crowley’s Cupcakes, Madison

This bakery offers a wide range of tasty treats—cakes, cookies, specialty breads, cinnamon rolls, brownies, and of course, cupcakes! Here’s just a few of their flavors—Mint Brownie, Pink Lemonade, Nutella, M&M Candy, and Cafe Mocha. Sounds tasty!

2. House of Cupcakes, Princeton, East Brunswick, Clifton

The name of this bakery says it all as they feature an eclectic mix of cupcakes. With flavors such as Boston Creme, Banana Cream Pie, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Strawberry Daiquiri, and Pina Colada, you really can’t go wrong here!

3. Blue Sheep Bake Shop, Somerville

This Central Jersey bake shop is home to many kinds of desserts including specialty cakes and cupcakes, macarons, sugar cookies, cake pops and more. Here’s a few of their cupcake flavors: Death by Chocolate, Peanut Butter Cup, Birthday Cake, Toasted Coconut, and Chocolate Covered Strawberry. Yum!

4. Ava’s Cupcakes, Rockaway

Ava’s Cupcakes produces their cupcakes using seasonally-sourced ingredients. Known for more exotic cupcakes, they offer flavors such as Beer & Pretzels, Blueberry Cheesecake, Cinnamon Pumpkin, Pink Champagne and Strawberry, and Key Lime Pie. This is a great place to test out some very uniquely flavored cupcakes!

5. Baking Grace, Hawthorne

This bakery claims “life is too short for cheap desserts” and we couldn’t agree more. Home to an awesome selection of cupcakes and cakes, Baking Grace only prepares their desserts with fresh ingredients and in small batches to assure you excellent quality. Some of their cupcake flavors include German Chocolate, Oreo, and Red Velvet, Bavarian Creme, and Orange Cheesecake. Wow!

Satisfy your sweet tooth this #CupcakeDay with any one of these fine bakeries!