Mr. Local History loves Jersey food and history. Check out posts over the years highlighting history, sandwiches, burgers, interactive maps, and the history of Jersey food.
Views: 13,289 Larison’s Turkey Farm was more than just a restaurant; it was a cherished New Jersey landmark steeped in tradition. Established in 1945 on the grounds of a working turkey farm dating back to 1868, Larison’s embodied the warmth… Read More »New Life? Larison’s Turkey Farm in Chester, New Jersey
Views: 24,668 UPDATE: After decades of sitting in a pile of rubble behind Warren’s DPW, the iconic and sole surviving Egg-O-Mat has been restored and dedicated to the residents of Warren Township, New Jersey. The Egg-O-Mat, a beloved and unique… Read More »SAVED – Epstein Farm’s EggOmat in Warren Township, New Jersey
Views: 2,002 Does the hot dog (not the Italian one) get a place in New Jersey’s Historic Foodie Wooden Collectible series?What about Rutt’s Hut, or any other of a handful of iconic hot dog eateries? The Mr. Local History Project… Read More »Does Another Jersey Hot Dog Icon Deserve a Historic Collectible? VOTE
Views: 105,408 Maybe we’re taking this too seriously, but we’ve been searching for bakeries serving New Jersey’s best crumb cake. If you’re not a fan of the cake, you might want to leave now because we’re really going to get… Read More »Best Crumb Cake in New Jersey – Discuss Now
Views: 43,591 Who doesn’t remember driving the car and ending up at the famed orange roof of the famed Howard Johnson motor lodge or restaurant. From Weirs Beach, New Hampshire to Daytona Beach Florida, all the way out to Anaheim,… Read More »Remembering Howard Johnson’s
Views: 14,530 Distilling Revival across New Jersey and a Renaissance New Jersey has a deep history of distilling spirits that goes back to colonial times. The Somerset Hills is an area in central New Jersey’s Somerset County, comprising six similar… Read More »New Jersey Hills are Alive with Distilling History
Views: 16,511 Four limited edition wooden keepsakes to honor New Jersey’s historic icons honoring the state’s most famous eateries that have served Jersey for almost 100 years. Congratulations to our iconic New Jersey Diner keepsake, West Orange’s Jimmy Buff’s Italian… Read More »Honoring Four Historic New Jersey Eateries Cat’s Meow Collectibles
Views: 21,595 2026 Suggestions? Drop Us a Note We dare to compare! Bedminster, Bernardsville, Basking Ridge, Far Hills, Peapack/Gladstone, also known as The Somerset Hills. It’s time for a real discussion about where to get the best things, based on… Read More »The Besties – The Best of the Best in Basking Ridge, Bernardsville, Bedminster in Northern Somerset County
Views: 6,613 Some ask, “Why am I seeing an article about food on a history website?” History often reveals itself in unexpected places. As I sat in a new food court in Toronto, Canada, I realized that this concept was… Read More »The Food Hall – Modernizing the Food Court Concept
Views: 2,662 UPDATE:We have NOT Agreed on a Date yet – Sign Up to receive an update when we have details The Mr. Local History Project is sponsoring the first-ever “Crumb Cake Burger Flat Top Challenge,” which will introduce Jersey’s best-rated… Read More »Crumbcake Burger – Jersey’s B&W Crumb Cake Meets a Krug’s Burger
Views: 3,932 The Far Hills Inn along Route 31 (Now Route 202) was in Bridgewater, not Far Hills, and not Somerville. While researching the history of Far Hills, New Jersey, we found this former treasure, the Far Hills Inn. While… Read More »The Far Hills Inn – Remembering Dining Elegance
Views: 25,881 UPDATE:December 24, 2025 The 78-year-old Bendix Diner in Bergen County is going to be saved, the new owner said/ It’s just going to be moved in order to be restored. Peter Meskouris, who bought the iconic diner last… Read More »Jersey’s Bendix Diner Story Blows Your Mind – It’s Being SAVED!
Views: 4,336 Mr. Local History Researchers have yet to find a contract, a photo, or a map showcasing what some claim was the “Diner of the Future” at the 1939 World’s Fair. Nothing on the walls, nothing digital. And we’re… Read More »White Mana & Burger Claims at the 1939 World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows, New York
Views: 11,891 The term “dive bar” originated in the United States in the 1880s and was initially used as a derogatory term. It referred to drinking establishments often located in basements or below street level, where patrons would “dive” down into the… Read More »There’s a lot of History in These 100+ Jersey Dive Bars
Views: 7,512 People keep asking us why a non-profit is dedicated to researching New Jersey history and building food maps. The short answer is that history has what we call threads. We start researching one thing, which leads to another.… Read More »Finding New Jersey’s Giant Pizzas
