Mulch Ado About Something
Artists making a splash in NJ, hot goss, local chef recipes & more
Well hello there! We’ve got a lot to get to, so let’s get to it.
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ICYMI — Weehawken Map & Guides
The map above was printed as 16 X 24 inch posters by Weehawken Township, and distributed at the recent inauguration. It is a variation on a map that can be found in the center of the printed Weehawken 2026 Business Guide.
What is the Business Guide? It’s the first business guide Weehawken has produced in 20 years, and it’s a beautiful 64-page magazine that includes key town info, local history, all businesses, maps, and more, in Spanish and English. Want your copy? Call the town and ask for one.
The guides were produced by Big Noyes in partnership with Weehawken. The guide also has a companion website at weehawken.biz.
Massive shout out to the Weehawken buffs who stepped up to help with the local history, specifically Donna Macina, Al Berg, and Lauren Sherman.
Fun fact: The maps were drawn by a young artist named Calder Robinson, whose work was recently featured on an exclusive Jordan’s release.
NoHu’s Most Depressing Parking Lot Improves (Slightly)!
The Walgreens on Park Avenue in Union City is a regular stop for us. And the people who work there are great. The thing that isn’t great, is the parking lot. We hate being neg, but the parking spaces are too small, and for years the it has been ringed with naught but crooked signs, rat poison boxes, and debris. To deal with how horrible it was, we’d tell ourselves it was an art installation called “Where Hope Goes To Die.” Here’s what it looked like last month:
But lo and behold, after years of annoyance at this eyesore on the UC side, and some whining to the manager (yes, really) we noticed someone went and put down — mulch!
Hey, it’s not nothing. So yay we say, yay for Walgreens parking lot improving. And perhaps there might be a shrubbery someday? A gal can dream.
Protip: we rec they go to the Exxon Tiger Mart outside the Lincoln Tunnel and talk to their landscapers. This humble gas station / convenience store excels at parking lot beautification and sports a ring of trees, bushes that bloom, grasses, and more.
Great Minds Think Alike?
In our last issue, we wrote about the rich history of NJ film and got a filmmaker and professor to comment on it. Four days later, Gothamist published a piece about NJ’s film history and talked to Kevin Smith. We are just glad ours came out first so we can consider ourselves on-trend trailblazers.
🤘ROCKFISH Set To Rock Film Fests
We are fascinated by the Meadowlands… the beautiful sometimes trash-strewn wetlands we skate over on the highways, like when passing by MetLife stadium and the American Dream mall.
That’s why we were excited when we saw ROCKFISH, an animated short film by NJ native Astrid McGraw that follows the story of a young boy craving to flee the chaos of suburban teen party culture. Set across the highways and marshes of New Jersey, ROCKFISH offers a glimpse of suburban culture, an exploration of the New Jersey meadowlands, and tells a coming of age story that uses science as a platform to dive into fantasy.
The film is less than 5 minutes long, but took a year and a half to complete. ROCKFISH has already been awarded 2D BFA Best Story from Pratt’s Department of Digital Arts and is now being submitted to film festivals. We asked creator McGraw to tell us more about the film’s development.
“I knew I wanted the film to be about adolescence and growth. And I knew I wanted it to be about the Meadowlands, but I didn't know what species I could best sort of draw those parallels between. I went back to the Meadowlands Center — I had gone there on a field trip as a kid — and they taught me about the blue crab and the American eel, and eventually we came to the striped bass. We had some very long conversations about their life cycle, and I just felt that the striped bass was the one that was most aligned to the type of story that I wanted to tell, in that its adolescence is spent in this smaller more muddled space in the estuary and it naturally begins to crave the salt that then guides it to a more open future.”
Fun fact, one of the voices in the film is two-time Oscar nominated animator Bill Plympton. McGraw currently works as manager at his Plymptoons Studio. Watch the trailer below and follow McGraw on Instagram to learn of upcoming screenings.
🔥 Yes, Chef!
New feature alert: Weehawken Gazeats will be showcasing recipes from the best in NoHu. We have some exciting guests lined up, but if you know a fabulous NJ chef who’d want to be featured, be in touch!
Lorraine Wuillamey, pictured, is the chef/owner of Lorraine’s Table, a catering and gourmet meal delivery service based in Weehawken, NJ. She is also the producer of her periodic Supper Clubs, 5-course events which always sell out. Lorraine is legit: she attended the Culinary Institute of America and received the Shifflin Award for Culinary Excellence upon graduating. From there, she worked at the River Café and other restaurants in New York and New Jersey before forming her own business. And if you missed it, we wrote about Lorraine’s Table vs. other food delivery services that are not local here in March 2025. So here we go:
Basic Herb Oil: Summer In A Bottle
By Lorraine’s Table
Yield: About 1 cup
Ingredients
2 cups packed fresh herbs (basil, parsley, cilantro, chives, dill, or a combination)
1 cup neutral oil (canola, sunflower, or light olive oil)
½ teaspoon kosher salt (optional)
Method
Remove thick stems. Wash and dry the herbs.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and prepare an ice bath.
Blanch the herbs for 10–15 seconds, then immediately transfer them to the ice bath.
Squeeze out excess water and pat the herbs completely dry.
Blend the herbs, oil, and optional salt on high for 2–3 minutes until smooth.
Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. If you don’t mind see specks of the herb, this step is not necessary.
Transfer to a clean bottle or jar and refrigerate.
Storage: Refrigerate and use within 2 weeks.
Add Ins/Flavor Enhancers
Smashed Garlic Clove, Red Pepper Flakes, Lemon or Lime Zest, Sliced Jalapeno, Grainy Mustard
Uses
Crostini & Bruschetta, Finishing oil for pasta, Finishing oil for fish, meat or roasted vegetables
Drizzle on cheese or mix into soft cheeses like ricotta or cream cheese.
Note: We asked Lorraine why you need to blanch it first, and she said it’s about softening the cell walls and setting the color. Cool!
🍟 Does Hoboken Have A Same-ification Problem?
A recent Grand Army Gazette alerted us to the Same-ification debate: basically, when does the proliferation of mini-chain restaurants start to destroy the character of a neighborhood? 7th Street Burger is one of the ones cited, and there’s one in Hoboken. Apollo Bagels is name checked, and Hoboken got one in late 2025. Pura Vida is mentioned, and yep, there’s one coming to Washington Street in Hoboken. Apparently more than 5 mini-chains is the kiss of death. But thing is, some of these mini-chains are really nice… and it’s a “problem” many Hudson County towns wouldn’t mind having. Plus we really dig the mini-chains that were forged in NJ, and are firmly rooted here, specifically thinking of Alfalfa, Alessio’s, and ChocOPain.
That said, there’s no doubt Hoboken is rocking more and more sameness: there’s fast casual chains Honeygrow, Shake Shack, sweetgreen, Chipotle, Panera, Bluestone Lane… and Hoboken has sprouted private equity chains like Wonder, Qdoba, and Jersey Mike’s (which was formerly Fran’s Italian Deli until 2018 and their tuna sub was magical). The question: Is Hoboken, a foodie destination, starting to look like an airport food court? Let us know what you think.
Update after publish: More chain reactions… Atomic Wings and OddFellows are coming to Hoboken: patch.com/new-jersey/hoboken/oddfellows-ice-cream-atomic-wings-restaurants-open-hoboken-see-when
Coffee And All That Jazz
There’s a new jazz club in Guttenberg, NJ that opened at the end of June. It’s called Fat Swami’s and it features jazz, cocktails, and light bites. It’s a small but beautiful space that has vintage jazz posters and some swank decor. We appreciated the groovy carpets, nice bathrooms, and a well-appointed bar outside the lounge/performance area. Shows range from $25-$35 and this includes a free drink — as long as the drink is $10 or under. Basically all the beer, wine, and non-alcoholic drinks are included. The venue is available for private events and you can stay updated on their shows by following them on instagram here: fatswamisjazzbarlounge.
Speaking of new, on Park Ave in Union City, we noticed a coffee shop and bakery in the works. Now that their awning is up, we’re psyched for another indie coffee spot. So for those keeping score, that’s three new coffee spots in Union City in less than a year. See: our article on Beni Coffee and a small item about The Alchemist’s Table.
In Brief: Jobs, Internships & Much More
📺 July 1, Montclair State University officially took over operations of NJ PBS and there are lots of jobs just getting posted as they are “hiring staff, setting up systems, and preparing new programming.” Reporters, editors, anchors and more… see all openings here.
👩🏻💻 The Syndicate is a 25-year-old marketing agency specializing in comedy, music and events, and is based in Weehawken, NJ. They are currently taking applications for their fall internships. You can be hybrid or fully remote, but you need to be a student who can receive college credit for it. Unpaid, but there’s a small travel stipend for those who go in-person. Application here and tell ‘em the Weehawken Gazette sent ya.
🚣 The 10th Anniversary Hudson River Cup will feature teams paddling from Hoboken to the Statue of Liberty and back in and on all kinds of floating things, and it looks very cool. It’s not for beginners, but you can still register here until the end of July.
🎤🎶✨ Karaoke August 7th 8p at the Weehawken Elks will feature special guest Constant Listener: Jim Testa who will talk — just a bit, you still get to sing your guts out — about some of the best bands to come out of New Jersey, and he’ll talk about how the whole ding dong record industry started here. No cover, cash-only bar so bring that green paper and pocket jingle. 💵 🪙
🕵🏻♀️ Today in Yeesh: Farther south than our usual beat, a young Republican aide in Ocean County, NJ found zip tied and slashed with the words “TRUMP WHORE” on her body, allegedly slashed herself. The story is bird-coming-out-of-a-clock nuts, and it’s worth a read. Story: A shocking political hoax went viral. The N.J. woman behind it lived a double life. [Brianna Kudisch for NJ.com]
🚗 Way the hell outside our range, is cool news about a quarry in upstate NY about to open as a swimming hole. Road trip anyone? Giant swimming hole in spring-fed quarry opening in Kingston this weekend [Roger Hannigan Gilson for Times Union]
Ciao 4 Now
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Susie
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FYI The photo at the top of the newsletter was taken near 79th street in North Bergen, and yes it’s real!
Loved it! Glad I’m finally able to upgrade to paid
Ha. Thanks Barb. Point of fact the excavation was paused… and resumed… but sure, maybe some of the mulch was our doing? Mulch babes activate!