![N.J. Food writer Jeremy Schneider explores the best of the state and proves why it’s number one in any ranking N.J. Food writer Jeremy Schneider explores the best of the state and proves why it’s number one in any ranking](https://i2.wp.com/www.nj.com/resizer/v2/CEUPNQPCFBESROPHSMPVXJW624.jpeg?auth=b861d3d1f0388bc8971c9f6fdfbf095923ea04621b48fe1be37ddb2b8b48806d&width=1280&quality=90&w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1)
I love your writing and your wit. It’s always a pleasure to read about food in New Jersey. I loved your article, “What Your Restaurant Order in New Jersey Says About You.” He continues to make my mouth water and smile at the same time. Stay well and keep writing as you do. – David of South River, Star-Ledger subscriber for 40 years
Jeremy Schneider’s worldview as a food and culture writer is simple: one thing we all have in common is that we all like to eat.
It’s hard to argue with that assessment. I don’t like to eat, I love it.
What sparks debate is whether you agree with his assessment of the food he tried and wrote about.
“I get it,” Schneider explains. “I am always giving my opinion, which is just an opinion. “We all have them.” From his Jersey City apartment, he receives many emails from people who disagree with him. He believes food is the great unifier: whether you tell him he’s right or wrong, Schneider eats up the dialogue.
For him, food in New Jersey is more than sustenance. “It is our soul. It’s so essential. It’s very important. It is a feeling of pride. It is our history, it is our culture.”
From heated debates over which pizza is best to the eternal dispute between Taylor ham and pork roll, food is an occupational hazard for Schneider.
She devours reader comments, especially when she gets tips on new places to try or information on foods she should reconsider. For his adventurous palette, he says, there are some better places in the country (heck, the world) to try cuisine from all corners of the planet.
“You name a type of food, we have it here,” he says, “and I’ve written about it.”
He told me he just tried half-cooked skewered chicken from a yakitori truck in Hoboken, a street food found in Japan.
“I was really afraid to eat it, but I’m a food writer and my curiosity won out.”
What you recommend usually ends up in a list. Indian. Sushi. Ramen. Tacos. Whatever, she says.
You may have recently read about New Jersey’s 43 Best Burgers for 2024, which he collaborated with Pete Genovese, the state’s dean of greasy spoons and street restaurants.
Schneider is also our man on the street who tries new fast food fads, “so you don’t have to.”
“Look, I can eat high-end cuisine, but I can also appreciate fast food. And don’t get me started on hot dogs,” she says, telling me it’s on her top 10 list of favorite foods. He mentioned the legendary Rutt’s Hut in Clifton more than once during my interview.
Schneider wants everyone to know he’s a Jersey boy. “I don’t like to say this too loudly, but I was born in New York,” he whispers. His family moved to Montclair when he was 3 years old and he eventually graduated from Montclair High. “That was forever ago,” says Schneider, 34. He attended journalism school at the University of Maryland.
Exudes Jersey style. (Let’s make a t-shirt with that.) “I’m proud to be from New Jersey,” she says, in case there were any doubts. He gets quite philosophical about it:
“After I came back from Maryland, I thought, ‘Oh wow, this is a special place.’ The conversations we are having; the things we take pride in; “Just this Napoleon Complex that we have in New Jersey,” he says, “informs a lot about who we are and what we have: the best pizza, the best bagels, the best beaches, we have the best traffic, the best corrupt politicians.” …”
His parents now live in Cedar Grove, his younger sister moved to Cleveland years ago; They often get calls to compare notes on new foods they’ve tried. Yes, even in her free time, it’s all about food. “I make some really good steaks,” she says. Her favorite television series, “The Bear.”
After reading all his tips on where to eat and how to spend summers on the coast, would you believe he started out as a sportswriter for our high school report?
“I grew up reading The Star-Ledger. Mike Garafolo covering the New York Giants made me want to be a sports journalist. I was very lucky to be able to do that for many years right out of college,” he says. Garafolo, now with NFL Network, left Ledger in 2012.
Schneider was hired by Mountainside-based Dorf Feature Service, which The Star-Ledger used for high school sports coverage. For a few years, he covered Union County basketball teams, fondly remembering championship seasons that included some David-and-Goliath matchups.
“I loved my time in sports, but I feel like I’m even more connected to New Jersey and our readers and the culture now that I do what I do,” Schneider says. He joined NJ Advance Media, which provides content for The Star-Ledger and NJ.com, a decade ago to write general articles. He became a full-time food writer in 2019.
This spring, he returned to Union County, devouring Elizabeth for the last month. The fourth most populous city in the state, she says, is a great example of what New Jersey is all about. A constant flow of new residents – from all over the world, especially Latin America – rubbing shoulders with the old ones.
“It’s very similar to all of New Jersey. “This is a very diverse and rapidly changing area with a smorgasbord of food options,” he says, noting that he has covered Santillo’s pizzeria and Spirito’s Italian resto extensively over the years, but they are now closed. (Al Santillo promises a return early next year.)
“It’s kind of a metaphor for New Jersey in general. “It’s always evolving, changing, always looking different and that makes it exciting.”
And pizza… Be careful if you are willing to debate. You can probably melt your mozzarella with his fiery passion when he talks about Jersey pizza. “You can debate New York or New Jersey pizza, but New Jersey will always win. “I just did a piece on Connecticut pizza and it doesn’t even have a place on the table.”
Like all of our food and culture writers touring the Garden State, Schneider has also become one of the best tour guides in our newsroom. Or is it a “fun” guide?
During our conversation, I felt a genuine and sincere appreciation for the place where we live. You could see that enthusiasm in the Emmy-nominated video series “NJ All Day,” which he and our colleague, videographer Dwayne Uzoaru, produced for a couple of years after the pandemic.
What else is exciting? Ranking New Jersey beaches, a project ongoing for the past four years.
“It’s a very fun task for me,” he says. “I can drive all over the Jersey Shore and see how beautiful it is but also how different it is. “Asbury Park has a completely different vibe than Belmar, which is obviously different than Atlantic City…We are very proud of our beaches here.”
You can bet he’ll tell us what he ate there, too.
Jeremy Schneider would love to know what your favorite food restaurant is and what parts of New Jersey you should visit next. Find him at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com. He is also active on Instagram @jeremyishungryagain and on X (Twitter) @J_Schneider.
Online Newspapers Webinar
Thank you to those of you who attended our tour on how to get the most out of The Star-Ledger online newspaper (eNewsSL.nj.com or via the app).
We will be hosting two more webinars on June 18 and 26 for those looking for guidance on how to register or how to use the online document. We go over how to print games, where to find archives of back issues, and how to take advantage of unpublished content, such as sports stories and special sections.
Register by sending an email to webinar@advancelocal.com with “SLO webinar” in the subject line.
Reminder: To encourage you to see what’s happening inside the digital pages of The Star-Ledger online, you’ll be entered to win a $500 Visa gift card every day you log in from now through June 29.
Enrique Lavín is the editor of online newspapers. Call 732-902-4454 or email him at elavin@njadvancemedia.com
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