As someone who pretty much grew up in NJ (the first nine years of my life were spent in New York) and has seen most of the state, I can say that my favorite spot is the Princeton area, where I happily reside. Life is just a bit slower here. People value education, travel, the arts and a great cafe. The restaurant scene is stellar, with excellent farm-to-table options popping up all throughout the area. I also love that I can drive to a number of farms on almost any given day and pick fresh, local, organic produce that will end up on our dinner plate that evening.
Just west of Princeton is a beautiful historic town known as Hopewell. The laid-back vibe I find in Princeton is doubled here in this quaint town. Two of my favorite places to eat are also here. One being Nomad Pizza, which I swear is almost identical to the famous Roberta’s in Brooklyn and Brick Farm, an indoor artisan food market of sorts.
Brick Farm hosts much of the produce and humanely raised meat produced on its sister location, Double Brook Farm (a working farm). Visitors will also find a variety of artisan food products, local produce from Double Brook farm, a juice bar, a bakery, a butcher, a hot food counter and a coffee bar run by Rojo, a local roaster and two-location cafe chain serving up small batch, fair trade organic coffee.
When the weather warms, outdoor seating is available — the perfect option to enjoy some artisan ice cream on a summer evening.
Brick Farm is open Tuesday- Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
