Spring 2023 Issue

ON THE COVER: Asparagus. Photograph by Guy Ambrosino

Through my work with Edible Jersey, I have the pleasure of talking with a variety of people in the food world on an ongoing basis. Chefs, restaurateurs, PR representatives, winemakers, farmers, food artisans, and market managers are just a few of the many people I speak with throughout any given week.

Many of these people are small-business owners and entrepreneurs and, as such, they often carry unusually high stress. By their nature, they are creators, activists, and advocates. They’re people who want to create a better world and better opportunities for themselves and their community through food. By necessity, they are also bill collectors and budget managers who need to worry about everything from who’s setting up the tables to making sure the Verizon bill gets paid.

And I think a lot of them are exhausted.

Three years ago this spring, Covid turned our world upside down. From my view, Stage 1 was, literally, surviving the virus. Stage 2 was surviving the pandemic’s ongoing repercussions—business and personal. Those first two stages brought a certain type of we’ll-get-through-this adrenaline rush. We charged forward, survived, and now...Well, here we are.

Over the past few months, I’ve heard from a surprising number of people who have decided to throw in the proverbial towel. They’ve had a chance to look at life from both sides now (thank you, Joni Mitchell), and concluded it’s time for them to make a change.

At first, I found this very disconcerting. Some of these are people I have known, admired, and enjoyed working with for years. Besides, who wants to see a favorite restaurant close or beloved shopkeeper retire? But, after taking a beat, I realize that this is exactly what needs to happen next. This is where we need to be. We’re in a time of (tremendous) transition, and with each ending comes a new beginning.

We’re excited for Marilyn Schlossbach (page 46) and Jonathan and Nina White (page 12). We’re excited to see the new businesses and culinary talent shaking up Montclair’s food scene (page 38). We’re watching businesses that started during the pandemic hit their stride (page 34) and, in the past few weeks alone, a new bakery, a new pretzel shop, and a new restaurant have opened within two miles of my door.

Wine writer Lenn Thompson notes at the start of his article on page 54 that “New Jersey feels like it’s on the verge of something big—of taking the next step.” He’s referring to the wine industry, of course, but I’m sensing that, too. New Jersey’s food and drink community is on the verge of something big.

Those who have helped bring our local food community to this point—and, in many ways, carried us through the storm of the past few years—have also paved the way to our future. Thanks, in an odd way, to the pandemic, New Jerseyans appreciate our local food and drink community and treasure our small-but-mighty “downtown” uniqueness (page 65) more than ever.

Let’s all go out of our way this spring—the season of transition—to embrace the “rookie” and veteran businesses who vibrantly flavor our communities while they also donate to our kid’s soccer team, deliver meals to our local food kitchens, and try their darndest to run a successful business. In good times and in bad, we simply cannot live our life without them.

Sincerely,
Nancy Painter, Editor & Publisher

SUBSCRIBE

to Edible Jersey and have copies delivered right to your door. Visit ediblejersey.com to purchase a subscription for yourself or as a gift for a friend. To subscribe by mail, send a check [$24 for one year or $40 for two years] to PO Box 279, Maplewood, NJ 07040. Be a part of the story on local food and drink.

SPRING 2023 FEATURES