Foodie Things to Do This Weekend and Beyond

Event details are subject to change without notice. Please confirm directly before heading out!

THIS WEEKEND:

June 14: Crystal Springs Resort is the home for the 2014 NJ Beer & Food Festival. Saturday kicks off with a golf tournament and beer tasting, followed by a ‘Kick the Keg’ footgolf tournament.  The night concludes with a Beer & BBQ Festival held on the 9th hole of Cascades Golf Course. Reservations for all events can be made on the resort’s website or by calling 855-977-6473 x3Crystal Springs Resort, 1 Wild Turkey Way, Hamburg.

June 14: Come join funny ‘foodist’ Bill Wurtzel at the Fairway Market in Woodland Park from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Create funny food art with Wurtzel at his food-art workshop, using healthy ingredients from Fairway. Reserve tickets online or at customer service in the store. Fairway Market, 1510 US 46 West, Woodland Park.

June 15: Dads: get hungry for the UPSTAIRS & Villalobos collaboration! Check out the Father’s Day brunch menu at www.villalobosnj.com for all the food chefs Adam and Chris are cooking from 12 to 5 p.m. The event will be hosted by UPSTAIRS. Call 973-744-4144 to book a table. UPSTAIRS, 608 Valley Road, Upper Montclair.

June 15: The inaugural Asbury Park Crab Boil kicks off at 6:00 p.m. at Langosta Lounge on the Asbury Park Boardwalk. Four courses will be presented along with a selection of wine and beer, all to raise funds and support for the Asbury Park Film Initiative (APFI) “On the Beach” summer movie series. Tickets to the boil are $50, with $40 from every ticket to be donated to APFI. To confirm reservations, call 732-455-3275. Langosta Lounge, 1000 Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park.

June 15: The Fourth Annual Fairway’s Firefighter Food Face-Off is ready to begin at the Fairway Market parking lot at Fashion Center Mall in Paramus. A barbecue competition between the Park Ridge, Paramus, Ridgewood and Hackensack fire departments starts at noon in front of a panel of judges including Jersey Bites’ own Terry Krongold. Music, food samples, and plenty of giveaways are also available at the event. Fairway Market30 East Ridgewood Ave, Paramus. 

June 15 to 20: Wildwood Restaurant Week returns with participating restaurants offering four-course dinners for $30. Sponsored by the Wildwood Tourism Committee, more than 25 local restaurants throughout Wildwood are scheduled to participate.

June 16: Chef Luke Palladino presents Fiori di Zucca, a must-try dish that will be available at Luke Palladino Seasonal Cooking. The dish, which features squash from Dan Graiff Farm, is stuffed with sweet corn, ricotta, mozzarella, and parmigiano reggiano. Guests receive a complimentary order of the dish that evening, along with a free glass of Prosecco. Call 609-926-3030 for reservations and more information. 199 New Road, Central Square, Linwood.

June 16 to 21: Head down (or up) to the latest Ocean City Restaurant Week. Organized by the Ocean City Restaurant Association, the event features nearly 50 restaurants participating, with prix-fixe meals.

June 16: Escape Montclair is ready for a kitchen takeover by acclaimed Greek chef and cookbook author Peter Minakis for the evening. Chef Bryan Gregg welcomes Minaki into his kitchen for a five-course Escape to Greece dinner. Cost is $68 per person and seating is limited. Reservations can be made at 973-744-0712. Escape Montclair345 Bloomfield Ave, Montclair.

Saturdays through November 1: Morgan Farm and Museum hosts Cedar Grove’s weekly organic farm stand. Specializing in organically grown vegetables and local honey, the farm stand is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday until November 1. The Morgan Museum will also be open for tours during this time. Morgan Farm and Museum, 903 Pompton Avenue, Cedar Grove.

AND BEYOND:

June 19: Cabot Community Tour —a group of bicyclists traveling from Jacksonville, FL, to New York City—will stop at the Griggstown Farm Store for lunch. The group raises funds along their journey, particularly for Anchor House, a shelter for runaway and abused teens in Trenton. Show support by joining them from 11:00 a.m. to 1 p.m., or by making a purchase. Ten percent of all proceeds for the entire day will be given to the cause. Contact andy@greenway.org for more details. Griggstown Farm Store, 484 Bunker Hill Road, Princeton.

June 21 and 22: Take a one-stop tour of South Jersey wineries at the Washington Lake Park Wine Festival in Sewell. Local eats will be available as well to enjoy with your vino. The festival will take place from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on both days, and the cost is $20 per person ($15 if purchased in advance). 626 Hurffville Cross Keys Road, Sewell. 

June 21 and 22: Tuckerton Seaport holds its annual Baymen’s Seafood & Music Festival, bringing the noise and the nosh. The festival will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and the cost is $8 or free for members of the Seaport. Ever wanted to learn how to shuck clams? Now’s your chance! 120 W. Main Street, Tuckerton.

seasideposter3_29June 21: Hot Rods and Food Trucks! Hundreds of cars, music, prizes, vendors, and fun for the whole family. Free admission for spectators. Plus an extreme Food Truck Showdown—come hungry and leave satisfied! Bay Boulevard and Grant Avenue, Seaside Heights.

June 28: The Brigantine Beach Green Team and the city of Brigantine host a weekly farmers market that starts on June 28 and runs Saturdays until August 16, from 8:30 a.m.to noon. More than 30 local vendors will be supplying to the market. Haneman Park, 15th St & Revere Boulevard, Brigantine.

June 28: Do you enjoy Jersey beer? Do you like battleships? Enjoy both at the annual Garden State Brewers Festival, on board the Battleship New Jersey in Camden. More than 20 breweries will be there for you to sample from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets for the event are $45 per person ($55 for VIP tickets). 100 Clinton Street, Camden.

June 28: FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood, the home of the BlueClaws, is bringing back the BrewFest at the Ballpark. Two sessions will be held: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the gate, per session. For an extra $20, you can have access to the buffet (new this year!). Order by phone at 732-901-7000, or in person at the BlueClaws Box Office. FirstEnergy Park, 2 Stadium Way, Lakewood.

June 28: Island Heights is the place for Summer Brew 2014, hosted by the Island Heights Volunteer Fire Company #1. For one price ($30 in advance and $35 at the door), guests can sample beers as well as partake in some BBQ, clams, and more. The event begins at 5 p.m. 15 Lake Avenue, Island Heights. 

July 11, 18, 25: On three Fridays in July at 6:30 p.m., Haddonfield’s In The Kitchen Cooking School welcomes chef Natalie Stone for hands-on cooking classes. July 11 features the menu from Stone’s appearance on Rocco’s Dinner Party on the Bravo Network. The July 18 class offers Italian holiday favorites and more cooking classics are featured on July 25. The cost is $75 per class. Call 609-206-4511 to register. 10 Mechanic Street, Haddonfield.

July 16: Chef Robert Bennett demonstrates his favorite cool desserts including gelato and sorbet, chillers and fruit soup at Classic Cake in Cherry Hill. The event is $10 per person and also includes a complimentary beverage. Guests can sign up in store, by phone at 856-751-5448, or at info@classiccake.com. Classic Cake, 480 Evesham Road, Cherry Hill.

July 20 to 25: Collingswood’s Farm Fresh Restaurant Week starts on July 20 and will feature several of area restaurants including: Tortilla PressNunzio’s Ristorante, and more. Restaurants will include discounted specials on their most popular dishes. Check online for more information.

August 16: The EARTH Center’s Garden Field Day takes place at Davidson’s Mill Pond Park  in South Brunswick. A variety of events are scheduled to take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. including garden tours, live music, samples of local produce from Middlesex County farmers, and a Backyard Garden Contest where guests are welcome to bring their biggest tomato, pumpkin or pepper. Davidson’s Mill Pond Park, 42 Riva Avenue, South Brunswick, 732-398-5262.

Sweet Escape

August 24: Sweet tooth, anyone? Kean University is the place to be for the NJ Confection & Dessert Tasting Expo. From 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., enjoy workshops for all ages along with sweet samplings and goodies that will be for sale. A Sweet Demonstration Stage will feature baking demonstrations from award-winning bakers and sweet entrepreneurs. General admission tickets are $35 and VIP tickets are available for $65. Contact info@NJDessertTastingExpo.com for more details. Kean Universirty, 1000 Morris Avenue, Union.