Summer 2021 Issue
Food + Community
ROAD TRIP
Food & Design Create a Delicious Combination in Summit, New Jersey
Every summer, my family and I would drive up from Monmouth County to my cousin Franny’s home in Summit, meet up with two dozen relatives and spend an enjoyable afternoon watching the kids splash around an inflatable pool, while eating oversized shrimp and steaks under a white canvas tent. The barbecues that Franny and her husband hosted for our extended family allowed us to get familiar with this charming northern New Jersey town.
Curious to learn more about Summit’s food culture and wanting an opportunity to spend more time with Franny, I recently asked for an insider’s perspective and tour. She graciously agreed and we met at the Summit Diner, one of the oldest diners in New Jersey. Before my cheese omelet hit the table, I knew this vibrant city held so much more for me than an annual barbecue.
“This community is well put together,” Franny says, running off a list of amenities that include a world-class arboretum and an engaging library. The 6.1-square-mile town wedged between routes 78 and 24 has much to offer. A well-maintained park system. A revolving display of public art sculptures. Live theaters. A thriving downtown with a smattering of spray-painted murals. Just 20 miles from Manhattan and with an enviable public school system, it’s no wonder Summit is often considered one of the best places to live in New Jersey.
Editor’s Note: All featured locations open and operating according to Covid-19 guidelines as of press time.
Bottom Left: Summit Diner, Alba; Right: Great House–Bonny Neiman
9am
Time for Breakfast
The original Summit Diner railcar building opened in 1928 and was replaced with the existing railcar structure in 1939, according to owner Jim Greberis. His father-in-law bought the diner in 1964, and now Jim and his wife, Michele, run this local landmark. He started working there right after high school. “I’ve served three generations of customers,” he says with a laugh.
Above the grill is a letter-board menu with limited offerings—a necessity for cooks who need to keep things moving fast for antsy commuters headed to the train station across the street. Jim Greberis said his diner is renowned for its pork roll, egg and cheese sandwich—a Jersey diner classic. But if you prefer a plain old plate of scrambled eggs, don’t pass up a side of fresh Virginia ham, carved off the bone, or Jim’s famous corned beef hash to turn that dish into a magnificent meal. This place, with its original blackand- white marble counter, mahogany walls, and slender wooden spring doors, is more than a diner. It’s a step back in time, a relic for future generations to appreciate.
Other local favorites include The Committed Pig, opened in 2012, known for its killer red velvet waffles, and the Broadway Diner, which has a solid reputation for serving the perfect pancake. The Peppercorn Diner and Summit Greek Grill are also popular and safe spots to enjoy a hearty breakfast.
10am
Street Shopping
After breakfast, I spent some time alone checking out the stores in this energetic downtown. Summit has become a destination for interior design—it even has its own Instagram handle at @ SummitDesignDistrict—but you can also find high-end apparel, artisan crafts, fine jewelry, toys, and specialty food and wine shops. The shopping district—roughly bounded by Springfield, Summit, and Waldron avenues and the Village Green—is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
As I walked around town in a light drizzle, I intentionally raised my eyes every few storefronts to study the brick facades. The dates etched in stone from the last two centuries give a sense of the city’s history.
Bonny Neiman, a longtime antiques dealer, opened one of the largest privately owned home furnishing stores here about six years ago. Her focus evolved to include contemporary and artisan furnishings, home decor, and gifts.
“We share our love of beautiful things to create a stylish home for our customers,” she says. Her store, Great House—Bonny Neiman, has an eclectic, hip vibe with staged vignettes of glam, industrial, mid-century, and urban. “It doesn’t have to match, but it blends beautifully.”
Walking in and out of so many upscale retail stores was an exercise in self-control. I had to show the most restraint in Alba, a contemporary women’s clothing boutique; John Hyatt, which features traditional men’s sportswear; and Murray & Finn, which has a fine selection of children’s clothing and accessories. (The sturdy wooden toys and knit rompers for my little nieces had me reaching for my wallet.)
MONDO Marketplace, a small retail space in front of Marigolds Café, which specializes in salad and other healthy choices, was perhaps my toughest challenge. Its shelves display pottery, jewelry, and a wide range of gift items, many crafted by local artisans.
Sustainable Haus Mercantile is a new entry on Summit’s shopping scene. After launching her sustainability-focused concept at local farmers’ markets the past few years, owner Janette Spiezio opened her Broad Street location in February 2020. The zero-waste refill shop offers package-free home goods and products made from upcycled textiles along with a wide array of nontoxic home products and solutions. After a survival pivot in year one with mask sales, all of which she personally sewed, Spiezio is looking forward to helping customers create greener and healthier homes post pandemic.
Speaking of upcycling, The Collective, a consignment boutique with a curated collection of designer fashions, was stocked with cool clothing, edgy pumps, leather purses, and bold jewelry. I longed to restyle myself like an ‘80s rock star but, thankfully, the staff helps the fashion-challenged pull off a polished look.
My last stop was the Peanut Gallery, which features mid-century modern and contemporary art. I was impressed to see Hunt Slonem’s iconic bunnies framed on an entire wall and Chris Riggs’s graffiti art. The mid-century art included John Von Wicht’s abstract expressionism (oil on paper) and Berlin-based Peter Keil’s faces and flowers (oil on canvas).
Summit’s shopping scene will step up aother notch in June with the opening of Patricia & Paul, a gourmet and gift shop known for its line of artisanal fine olive oils and balsamics. When owners Patricia and Paul Hanigan, who opened their first shop in Westfield in 2013, decided to open a second location, Summit was the obvious choice. “Paul and I just love everything about Summit,” says Patricia, “from the residents to the amazing restaurants to all the culture it offers along with the beautiful walkable downtown. We just knew this is where we wanted to be.
LOCALS KNOW THEY DON’T HAVE TO LEAVE TOWN TO GET AN EXCELLENT MEAL AND CHOICES ABOUND WITHIN A FEW-BLOCK RADIUS.
Left: Sustainable Haus Mercantile; Right: Marigolds Café at MONDO Marketplace
11:30am
Coffee Break
I hooked up with Franny again at Boxwood Coffee Roasters to stop for a quick caffeine pick-me-up before continuing the tour. She ordered the chai tea latte while I indulged in a mocha latte with steamed oat milk. (We’ll be back for open mic night held on the last Friday of every month when it resumes post-Covid.)
Refreshed and relaxed from this chill coffeehouse experience, we took a drive past the stately Victorian, Colonial, and Tudor homes along Oak Ridge Avenue. Many of the manicured properties along this winding road have views of Manhattan and sell well over the million dollar mark, according to a local real estate agency.
As we drove around town, Franny pointed out various public art sculptures, stained glass windows on a bus stop, and a colorful plexi-glass house-like structure outside City Hall. The Silver Sentinel by sculptor Douwe Blumberg, a leafy metal tree planted on the edge of Broad Street, is a permanent fixture to welcome visitors at this gateway from the Route 24 entrance, and was designed to pay homage to a city of trees.
Many of the art projects happen under the auspices of Summit Public Art, a volunteer-run nonprofit group that has installed more than 65 mostly temporary works of art since its inception in 2002. The sculptures “add a level of beautification to the city,” says Ellen de Havilland, board member for Summit Public Art. “They make people think a little deeper.” As of press time, there are over a dozen works in public spaces around town. The group’s website, summitpublicart.com, lists their exact locations.
Top Left: Mazemen (Brothless) Noodle Bowl at Ani Ramen (photo courtesy of Ani Ramen House); Top Right: Brownie Points Bakery; Bottom: Reeves-Reed Arboretum.
12:30pm
Time for Lunch
Summit has no shortage of good places to eat. Zappia’s Delicatessen is a great choice for an eggplant parm sandwich or an Italian sub (try “The Zap”), or Piattino for a meatball slider. With my family joining us for lunch, Tito’s Burritos and Wings, who opened the first of their five NJ locations here in 2005, would usually be the obvious choice, but we decided on the ultra hip Ani Ramen House.
Ani is a growing chain well known for its interpretation of traditional Japanese ramen using craft noodles from the famed Sun Noodle Co. of Bergen County. The restaurant’s aesthetic, with a black-and-white cityscape on one wall and anime figures over Japanese newsprint on another, is coherent with their vision of placing you in a high-energy ramen house in Toyko.
Ani Ramen’s signature soup broth consists of pork bones and other ingredients boiled for 10 to 12 hours. This dish is served with braised pork belly and shoulder, and is topped with fresh green vegetables, mushrooms, finely sliced scallion, and aromatic oils. Ramen is traditionally made with pork bone broth, but this restaurant also offers chicken and vegan options as well as a brothless bowl with braised pork, seasoned eggs, pickled vegetables, spinach, and scallions.
Start out with small bites like their outstanding shrimp bao buns with spicy miso mayo and crispy gyoza served with a chili-soy dipping sauce and you’ll leave as happy as we did.
2pm
Afternoon Delight
A jam-packed day in Summit wouldn’t be complete without an afternoon sweet and a trip to the local arboretum. Brownie Points Bakery started selling Bob Conway’s scratch baking at the Summit Farmers’ Market (see sidebar) 16 years ago. Conway and co-owner Peter Lloyd built up a following selling “duffins,” a confectionary concoction with that looks like a muffin but tastes like a doughnut. The pair moved into a storefront three years later but still participates in the farmers’ market, where they sell out of hundreds of duffins every Sunday. Their double-crust, hand rolled pies—made from locally grown, seasonal fruits—are also strong sellers.
Another bakery worth the trip is Natale’s Summit Bakery. A Summit institution since 1938, it’s known for its Philly Fluff cake, a slightly tangy cream-cheese confection that resembles an angel food cake dusted with powdered sugar.’’’
The Reeves-Reed Arboretum, a former country estate on 13.5 acres of lush greenery, is a beloved historic site in this well-preserved town. It’s a wonderful place to explore display gardens and art exhibitions and hike woodland trails. (How else are you going to burn off all those pastries?)
Locals know they don’t have to leave town to get an excellent meal and choices abound within a few-block radius. The Office Tavern Grill has a good reputation for American comfort food with a modern twist. Winberie’s Restaurant and Bar, housed in the historic Summit Opera House (built 1893), offers a friendly, relaxed vibe along with an enticing menu and craft brews while Roots Steakhouse, part of the highly respected Harvest Restaurants group, is the go-to place for prime beef and well-crafted cocktails.
Summit House, on the opposite corner of Springfield and Maple from Roots, offers a thoughtful approach to New American cuisine and has a stellar reputation for its commitment to hyper-local and seasonal foods. Griggstown Farm’s poultry and River Bend Farm’s Angus beef are staples on this ever-changing menu.
Left: At Summit House: Crispy Octopus, Griggstown Farm Chicken, and Agnolotti with Smoked Ricotta; Right: Roots Steakhouse
6pm
Dinner & Drinks
“What you find in the farmers’ markets is what you’ll find at Summit House this time of year,” says Dylan Baker, a managing partner. Baker and his wife, Melissa, opened the restaurant with Tyler Reeder and his wife, Sarah, four years ago to rave reviews. Roots and the Summit House were two of the many establishments that benefited when the town closed off a portion of Maple Street last summer to allow for outdoor dining during the pandemic. The move proved so popular that the outdoor dining set-up will continue this summer and fall. With its mix of table seating and hightop tables, the lively space will also welcome customers of BarBacoa, the new Mexican smokehouse and taqueria opened on Maple earlier this year by the Summit House’s owners.
Additional town favorites for those in search of a wonderful meal include Fiorino Ristorante, which boasts northern Italian fare and an impressive wine room, and Fin Raw Bar, a rustic BYO that specializes in wood-grilled whole fish and oysters.
To take care of BYO needs or to replenish your home wine rack, The Wine List of Summit’s impressive wine selection is complemented by friendly, knowledgeable staff. If you’re a craft brew afficionado, you’ll also want to stop in to the new Bull N Bear Brewery located a few doors away on Springfield Avenue. After delays in finalizing construction and permits due to the panemic, founder/owner Will Dodge’s establishment is fully open this Summer with eight handcrafted beers on tap and an outdoor patio.
The Huntley Taverne, located a mile from the center of town and another member of the Harvest Restaurants group, offers a luxurious craftsman atmosphere with its high ceilings, exposed wood beams, wide wrap-around porch, and cozy fireplaces. The most popular dishes here are the plum-glazed pork chop with braised red cabbage and whipped potatoes and the pan-seared salmon with roasted butternut squash purée and sautéed kale in a lemon rosemary butter sauce. Best to wash that down with a Smoked Manhattan cocktail, I’m told.
—with contributions from Kathleen Mahon and Nancy Painter
SUNDAY STOP: SUMMIT FARMERS MARKET
Now in its 26th season and considered one of the town’s special gems, the Summit Farmers’ Market attracts roughly 4,000 visitors each week. Three dozen vendors sell everything from Argentinean empanadas to Korean barbecue. Of course, there are locally grown fruits and vegetables, meat, jams, honey, pickles, cheeses, and many other foods that are all sourced in the state. Considered one of the best community farmers’ markets in NJ by afficionados, the market has a loyal customer base for good reason, according to long-time vendor Brad Finkel of Hoboken Farms.
“The Summit Farmers’ Market is the perfect example of a community asset that not only serves its constituents by supplying locally produced fruit, vegetables, bread, and cheese but also, as designed, allows for a community meeting space that brings people together in a safe and nurturing manner.”
Summit Farmers Market
Sundays, 8am-1pm, April 18 — Nov. 21, 2001
Woodland and DeForest Ave., Park & Shop Lot #1
summitdowntown.org
Stay the Weekend
The Grand Summit Hotel
Why drive home now when there’s still more to explore? Summit is home to several theater troupes, along with a dance company and visual arts center. Stay the night at The Grand Summit Hotel, a boutique hotel built in 1868, or one of two quaint bed and breakfasts, the Turkey Hill Inn and the DeBary Inn. If you’re staying the weekend, make sure to hit the Farmers’ Market [see sidebar] before you head home.
I’ll be sure to bring a Brownie Points’ blueberry pie to my cousin’s summer barbecue this summer. But something tells me I’ll be back before then. Franny and I and this city have a lot more to explore.
FOOD & DRINK
1 Ani Ramen House
427 Springfield Ave.
908.679.8157
aniramen.com/summit
2 BarBacoa
10 Maple St.
908.273.6006
barbacoanj.com
3 Boxwood Coffee Roasters
17 Beechwood Rd.
908.219.4076
boxwoodcoffee.com
4 Broadway Diner
55 River Road
908.273.4353
broadwaydinersummit.com
5 Brownie Points Bakery
3 Beechwood Rd.
908.464.2253
6 Bull N Bear Brewery
425 Springfield Ave.
908.219.4255
bullnbearbrewery.com
7 The Committed Pig
339 Springfield Ave.
908.277.6222
thecommittedpig.com
8 Fin Raw Bar
37 Maple St.
908.277.1414
finsummitnj.com
9 Fiorino Ristorante
38 Maple St.
908.277.1900
fiorino.com
10 Huntley Taverne
3 Morris Ave.
908.273.3166
thehuntleytaverne.com
11 Marigolds Café
426 Springfield Ave.
908.500.2035
marigoldssummit.com
12 Natale’s Summit Bakery
185 Broad St.
908.277.2074
natalesbakery.bakesmart.com
13 The Office Tavern Grill
61 Union Place
908.522.0550
officetaverngrill.com
14 Patricia & Paul
Artisans of Fine Oil and Balsamics
310 Springfield Ave.
908.868.0259
patriciaandpaul.com
15 Peppercorn Diner
381 Springfield Ave.
908.277.2323
peppercorndiner.com
16 Piattino
67 Union Place
908.219.4801
piattinonj.com/summit
17 Roots Steakhouse
401 Springfield Ave.
908.273.0027
rootssteakhouse.com/summit
18 Summit Diner
1 Union Place
908.277.3256
19 Summit Farmers’ Market
Park & Shop Lot #1 at the corner of DeForest Avenue & Woodland Avenue
Sunday, 8am—1pm, April 18 — Nov. 21
summitdowntown.org/events/farmersmarket
20 Summit Greek Grill
90 Summit Ave.
908.277.6418
summitgreekgrill.com
21 Summit House
395 Springfield Ave.
908.273.6000
summithousenj.com
22 Tito’s Burritos and Wings
356 Springfield Ave.
908.277.3710
titosburritos.com/location/titos-summit
23 The Wine List of Summit
417 Springfield Ave.
908.277.6565
winelistsummit.com
24 Winberie’s
2 Kent Place
908.277.4224
summit.winberies.com
25 Zappia’s Delicatessen
33 Union Place
908.273.9600
zappias.net
SHOPPING & ATTRACTIONS
26 Alba
380 Springfield Ave.
908.679.8599
albaboutique.com
27 The Collective
31 Maple St.
908.376.9277
thecollectivenj.com
28 Great House—Bonny Neiman
12 Beechwood Rd.
908.522.8900
bonnyneiman.com
29 John Hyatt
334 Springfield Ave.
908.522.8790
johnhyattclothing.com
30 MONDO Marketplace
426 Springfield Ave.
mondosummit.com
31 Murray & Finn
46 Maple St.
908.522.4513
murrayandfinn.com
32 Peanut Gallery
338 Springfield Ave.
973.570.3991
peanutgallerynj.com
33 Reeves-Reed Arboretum
165 Hobart Ave.
908.273.8787
reeves-reedarboretum.org
34 Sustainable Haus Mercantile
221 Broad St.
908.273.4494
sustainablehaus.com
35 Summit Park Line
summitparkline.org
36 Summit Public Art
summitpublicart.com
WHERE TO STAY
37 DeBary Inn
265 Springfield Ave
908.277.0005
thedebaryinn.com
38 The Grand Summit Hotel
570 Springfield Ave.
908.273.3000
grandsummit.com
39 Turkey Hill Inn
73 Beechwood Rd.
908.522.9699
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