Eating in South Jersey is Better Than They Thought

Eating in South Jersey isn't what Forked River residents John and Lisa Howard-Fusco expected.

The blog they launched in 2008 grew out of their surprise at finding great food in South Jersey when they moved from North Jersey to be closer to their families. The couple never expected their hobby to catch the attention of The New York Times and New Jersey Monthly, but Eating in South Jersey has.

More importantly, the blog has become popular with local readers, many of whom look to the site to find out what's going on in the South Jersey food scene.

"People read us. Let me tell you, we were pretty surprised," said Lisa.

"A lot of the New Jersey media doesn't give South Jersey its due at all," she said. "We would go to all these wonderful places, but they wouldn't stay open because nobody knew about them."

We're not food critics; we're food enthusiasts is the tag-line on the site.

"A food critic will go five, six times...It's a lot more painstaking," said Lisa." We just like to give our opinion. You might disagree. In fact we like that. We like opening up the dialogue. That's the best thing about blogs. It's not one way communication," she said.

Although Lisa has a background in publishing, the blog was John's idea.

"One of the main reasons I started the blog was to give Lisa a platform to do some creative writing," said John, but Lisa was pregnant with their second child and food was frequently the last thing on her mind, he said. So he did a lot of the early writing himself.

"Food had become a shared passion for the two of us...The blog is not only, for us, finding our love for South Jersey again, but also the voice of discovery," said John.

Early on he looked at other local blogs and found that the ones he appreciated most tried to be a resource for readers. He started listing upcoming food events and cooking classes on the site. In light of the economic downturn, he recently added a list of local food banks.

"The satisfaction I get is when people appreciate the things that we write or find things that we put on the blog helpful," said John. 

"I have an idea for marketing, but also for journalistic protocol," said Lisa."We try to be accountable for what we say and do," she said.

Asked to describe South Jersey's cuisine, Lisa said a "farm to fork" ethic runs through a diverse cuisine.

"In South Jersey, they've been doing that for years," she said.

"All of them do it, but they're not telling you. You go to a local restaurant, especially in the summer and it's just cheaper to get nearby Jersey tomatoes or lettuce. I think that's the best thing. It doesn't have to be the trend. It's what they've always done simply because it's good, it's local, and it's inexpensive," said Lisa.

The ethnic explosion in the Toms River area is the biggest surprise, she said.

"I grew up there, and believe me, ethnic used to mean Italian or Chinese take out. Now you've got El Familiar, which is Colombian. In Brick, there's Super Pollo, which is Peruvian. They do a rotisserie chicken, but they do so much more," said Lisa.

John mentioned two Manahawkin Mexican restaurants as standouts: El Jose and El Senor Frog. 

"[El Jose] is a little gas station, with a couple that is cooking this amazing Mexican food that you either sit at this counter or take out. Those are the places I love. I love finding those places," said Lisa.

The Howard-Fuscos aren't making a living yet from Eating in South Jersey, but they hope to. They've changed the format from blog to web magazine and produce an e-newsletter with added features. 

"We're also in negotiations for a local radio show," said Lisa. It will be an extension of Eating in South Jersey and will cover the local food scene, she said.

"We pour our heart and soul into this. I really think there's something here, especially because you look at what's going on with print. Traditionally this is how people get their news about festivals. Unfortunately that's what's getting cut. The need doesn't go away," said Lisa. 

The spring and summer festival seasons will keep them busy, she said.

"I know we'll be back at the food and wine festival in Atlantic City in July. We're really excited because last year we were able to get some amazing interviews and get into some places that normally we wouldn't." said Lisa. 

You can find the Howard-Fusco's food opinions not only at Eating in South Jersey, but also at Jersey Bites, where they occasionally write guest posts. Lisa will also be reporting on the Toms River ethnic food scene in an upcoming print edition of Edible Jersey.