Keg & Kitchen, recently reinvented by owner Kevin Meeker from the vino-centric Cork to the hop-happy craft-food restaurant, is a tasty example of sustainable business in Westmont, NJ. The town is nestled between two dry meccas, Haddonfield and Collingswood, and is ripe for a brewpub to fill the gourmet hole.
According to Keg and Kitchen’s Rose Mohr, the concept of a “craft kitchen” had been in the works for some time but the instigator to get moving was where they saw dining trends heading.
“With the economy the way it is, people weren’t looking for fine dining. They wanted something more casual and that’s where the craft experience came in,” says Mohr.
Keg & Kitchen cut the portions and prices to make meals more accessible and concentrated on bringing a new beer experience to Haddon Ave. The restaurant has 120 beers, including a sizable canned collection of micro-brews. The canned movement has gained momentum as smaller producers push their product out and consumers get past the stigma to the advantages – faster chilling beer and less chance of oxygen and light taking the fun out of a cold one!
The space itself got a face-lift highlighted by reclaimed materials of the previous concept as well as light fixtures (see if you can tell which pieces are reincarnated plumbing pieces?) and wall panels from other businesses. The literal centerpiece of Keg & Kitchen’s transformation, a long communal table taking up the center portion of the main dining room, is a sliver cut from a fallen tree in the Lancaster area. As part of their ongoing green practices, Mohr mentioned with their focus on fresh ingredients there isn’t much in the way of food or packaging waste from the kitchen to dispose of. coming from the kitchen to dispose of.
Looking ahead, Keg & Kitchen is developing the concept of a beer garden on site. Once the spatial figuration and local ordinances are worked out, area residents will be able to enjoy craft brews and chews in a new outdoor space on the Ave. Meanwhile, Mohr invites patrons and new visitors to enjoy a beer and brunch pairing under the collaboration of general manager Tim Lyons and Chef Ean Flannigan like “The Hangover Cure”‘s beer-battered soft-boiled egg, try a new beer for Wednesday $2 cans or celebrate a Phillies win (or hey! loss) on Tuesday Phila-Day highlighting Philadelphia brewers and traditional foods.
Colleen Wood, regional editor for Camden County, maintains her blog jerzEATS.com by making food discoveries and retrying old haunts in and around New Jersey. She loves a good deal and learning how to make restaurant dishes at home. After spending her college years up at Boston University earning her journalism degree, Colleen returned to our great state as a marketing assistant by day and dance teacher and restaurant enthusiast by night! A foodie by birth, Colleen credits her mother for her love of good food and talent in the kitchen, and hopes they’ll one day get to open a bake shop!
Belmar Seafood Festival, Friday – Sunday, June 8th – 10th. This three day seafood extravaganza features over 45 of the area’s finest restaurants and food vendors. From traditional steamed lobster to more exotic alligator sausage, you’ll find it at the festival. Live entertainment, a wine and beer garden, crafters and vendors and children’s activities make this one of the top food festivals in the nation. Free admission, food prices vary. 
Farm-to-Fork Fundraiser, Saturday, June 9th from 5pm-10:30pm. Brady Life Camp in Pottersville, NJ. There will be a farm fresh meal catered, live entertainment, 50/50 and live and silent auctions. Proceeds go towards America’s Grow-a-Row’s mission to positively impact as many lives as possible through a volunteer effort of planting, picking, rescuing, and delivering free fresh produce. For more information and to be a sponsor, please visit: 
Rock, Ribs, and Ridges Festival, Saturday & Sunday, June 9th & 10th. Hidden Valley Club, Vernon, NJ. A two-day celebration of great music, finger-lickin’ barbeque and good times. Lunch, dinner and live music. Great barbeque all day. 
Blueberry Festival, Saturday, June 23rd from 10am-4pm. Celebrate all things BLUEBERRY at the 29th Annual Whitesbog Blueberry Festival. Great family fun. Enjoy blueberry picking, live country music, exhibits & demonstrations, lectures & tours, great food and an array of children’s activities. Enjoy the famous pie eating contest. Whites Bogs Road, Browns Mills, NJ. 609-893-4646
On Sunday, May 27 at Monmouth Park Racetrack, several hardened veterans of the food truck industry battled it out to become the winner of the first annual Jersey Shore Food Truck Wars.
Dellano’s Food Service (Long Valley, NJ) walked away with the Absolute Classic Award for its sausage, onion, and pepper sandwich while Gozen Yogurt (Philly) won Most Seductive Sweet. Lil Dan’s also from Philadelphia took the Dazzling Presentation prize with their Pauly sandwich pictured above; slow roasted pork piled with roasted peppers and broccoli rabe and finished off with two eggs, sunny side up.
Other entries included The Taco Truck from Jersey City, Aroy-D (Thai) from Montclair, Rickshaw Dumplings from NYC, and Home by the Range, also from Jersey City. More traditional food truck items included the tried and true hot dog, supplied by the well-known Max’s Famous Hot Dogs of Long Branch, and Pudgy’s Street Food from Raritan.
With any new endeavor there are always some kinks to work out but the first installment of the Jersey Shore Food Truck Wars was a good start. I overheard a few aspiring food truck entrepreneurs expressing interest in competing next year, so here are some words of advice to the 2012 winners, sharpen your knives there just might be some new competition in 2013.
We all know the old adage, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” Well, for one chick it meant forgoing the lemons in favor of some crock-pot chocolate! This is where the story of 2 Chicks and Chocolate began. Known as “Chick 1” Elyssia Wassung tells the story of how her Mom, “Chick 2,” got into a car accident when Elyssia was just a young girl. In order to make a living, her mother starting making chocolate in a crock-pot and sending her out to sell it in their Queens neighborhood. After an unfortunate robbery, the business was ended. Fast forward several years, Elyssia decided to leave her corporate profession and continue on with her mother’s tradition of making chocolate (just “hipper”). With the help of Master Chocolatier, Patrick Coston, a Food Network Challenge Judge, and Lead Chocolatier, Stephanie Vazquezthat, 2 Chicks with Chocolate was born.
Although they have been wholesaling and retailing their chocolate products for awhile, the Chicks now have their very first store located in South River. Their grand opening event was where my husband and I were able to sample and see just how sweet the 2 Chicks are!
We were then drawn to their beautifully displayed wine collection chocolates. Although pricier than most other items, they offer customers a chance to try something very unique and would be a great gift for the wine-lover in your life.
For the longest time, I’ve felt like Passaic County was the poor, misunderstood stepchild of the food world. No King’s, nary a Whole Foods, not a Wegman’s within 30 miles of here. Sure we’ve got your basic food stores, and yes, we’ve been surviving (barely) just fine, thank you. But come June 6th, we’re getting a 
If you can take your eyes off the fabulous fruits and veggies for a minute, take a glance upward at the artwork gracing the walls all around the store. These beautiful paintings are all done free hand by Fairway’s artist in residence. The attention to detail is astounding.
Now we come to the meat department. Dan proudly tells us that Fairway ages its own prime beef 21 days in-house, this gives it more flavor and tenderness. All the meat is hand selected and custom-cut on-site. They also offer choice beef, by way of breed-specific Hereford. American and Australian lamb will be in the meat cases, along with Dubreton pork, and a wide selection of Kosher meats.
All the Fairway stores roast their own coffees, and this one is no different. They will offer 68 coffees so you’re sure to find the perfect one to go with that morning bagel. Did I mention they were real water bagels? I may have.
Crawfish Fest, Friday – Sunday, June 1st-3rd. A three-day Louisiana and New Orleans style music, food and camping festival. Sussex County Fairgrounds, Augusta, NJ. Enjoy fresh Boiled Louisiana Crawfish trucked in alive, Crawfish Bread, Shrimp Creole, Crawfish Bread, Crawfish Pie, Alligator Sausage, Crawfish Po-boys, Jambalaya, Southern Fried Chicken and the other great dishes on our Menu. for 10.00 or less per dish. Lots of live entertainment as well. 
Garden State Beer Expo, Saturday, June 2nd. Two sessions: 12pm-3:30pm & 5:30pm-9pm. Come sample some of the best brews available in the great Garden State at the PNC Bank Arts Center. Tickets are available online or at Spirits Unlimited locations. 
fun children’s activities in a beautiful country setting. For more information, click here.
Jersey Shore Wine Festival, Saturday & Sunday, June 2nd & 3rd from 12pm-5pm. The BlueClaws host the annual wine fest at FirstEnergy Park. Sample a variety of award-winning wines from throughout New Jersey. Enjoy live musical entertainment throughout both days, crafters, vendors, and food, plus a play area for the kids. For more information, 
Cape May Restaurant Week, From June 3rd-June 10th. Known for its variety of fine dining experiences, from casual sit-down to formal dining, Cape May, NJ will showcase its best restaurants for the eight-day event, with restaurants offering fixed prices that make our culinary adventure both affordable and tempting. For more information, 
An Evening with George Taber, Friday, June 8th from 6pm-9:30pm. Unionville Vineyards. Tickets are $15 per guest and advance purchase of tickets is strongly recommended. George Taber is a wine expert and world famous author of the novel “Judgment of Paris”, the book in which the movie “Bottle Shock” was based on. George will make a presentation about his first hand experience at the 1976 wine competition in France and offer a special wine tasting presentation with acclaimed winemaker Cameron Stark where they will make comparisons of wines grown in different wine regions around the world. For more information about this event, and for tickets, click here.
New Jersey Irish Festival, Sunday, June 10th. Join us for live entertainment on two different stages, Pipe & Drum Band Competition, Catholic Mass, Food Vendors, Craft Vendors, Irish Step Dancing, Family Activities, 50/50 Raffle and a full day of live Thoroughbred racing. 
After serving as an International Olympic Committee fine dining consultant at the past five Olympic Games, Bernardsville’s Chef Scott Cutaneo (above, left) has been named the official chef for USA Wrestling and he’s already well on his way to helping the team prepare for success at the 2012 Olympic Games.
To say that Martie Mollenhauer is passionate about the Uptown Pitman Farm Market is an understatement. The retired educator admits that she is not the type of person to sit on the sidelines, so when Martie started buying her produce at the Market last year, it was inevitable that she would get involved.
How is the community involved in running the market?
