the artisans of chester - d1jxr8mzr163g2.cloudfront.net · the menu splits its influence among...

10/30/17, 8:50 AMThe Artisans of Chester | Edible Jersey

of 11http://ediblejersey.ediblecommunities.com/shop/artisans-chester

Road Trip

The Artisans of ChesterBY NANCY DEPALMA / PHOTOGRAPHY BY THOMAS ROBERT CLARK | AUGUST 31, 2017

clockwise from top left: Sunflower maze at Alstede Farms; Sally Lunn’s serves tea and scones; Allsmiles at Taylor’s Ice Cream Parlor; Hayrides and more at Alstede Farms; Owner Steve Jonesshowing off at Black River Candy ShoppeA country town relishes its distinct reputation“Friends don’t let friends shop at chains.”

The sentence is scrawled on a sign perched at the entrance to one of historic Chester’s winsomeshops, but it might as well function as an unofficial motto. Walk along Main Street and you’ll find anumber of shops peddling everything from handmade jewelry and crafts to homemade doggietreats.

Nestled in Morris County, Chester is a unique country destination just an hour’s drive from NYC,says Kathy Barbieri, president of the Historic Chester Business Association. “A visit here is anexperience.”

Chester may be a small town, but three artisan food shops have received national acclaim. BlackRiver Candy Shoppe was named by Food Network Magazine as the #1 candy store in NewJersey. Take one step inside this garage-cum-country barn a few steps behind Main Street andyou’ll see why. The shop has more than 900 types of candy, with some sold by the pound, as well as200 types of candy bars. You’ll find current trends, but the real treat is discovering an old favoriteyou haven’t seen in decades. Think old-fashioned gummy fruit slices, candy cigarettes, rock candyswizzle sticks and hard-to-find Pez, for instance.

“There is nothing quite like this store around,” says the owner, Steve Jones. “We’ve been here 18years and sadly have seen five or six candy stores come and go.” One reason for the shop’ssustainability is its loyal customers. “We have customers from all over, regulars that make the tripjust to see us,” says Jones. Black River Candy Shoppe doesn’t have an online shop but will ship



candy throughout the United States.

If you are a fan of “Cupcake Wars,” don’t miss The Sweet Spot Bake Shoppe. This shop tookhome top prize on an episode of the show in 2012; the cupcakes and cookies are worth the splurge.

Chocolate lovers will want to head over to J. Emanuel Chocolatier. Here, they’ve been craftingdelicately delicious truffles, barks, caramels and toffee crunch for 20 years. Owner MichaelCanzano, the third owner of the store, makes all of the items in-house. A former IT professional,Canzano wanted a change of pace and took over J. Emanuel almost six years ago. After the shop’swine truffles won the highly coveted Sofi award at the Fancy Food Show a decade ago, everyonefrom the Wall Street Journal and CNN to Wine Enthusiast came knocking. The wine trufflesremain one of the shop’s top sellers.

“Chocolate is a great conduit for flavors to come through,” says Canzano. After a family vacation toHarry Potter World at Universal Studios, he returned to make a butter beer truffle. From bananasplit to Italian coffee, his truffles are infused with a variety of flavors. Sold by the piece or in ¼, ½and full pound boxes, the hardest part is often deciding which ones to taste.

Two of Chester’s restaurants encourage tourists to linger. The historic Publick House Tavern &Inn is a Main Street icon. Built in 1810, the brick building, once a stagecoach, is listed on theNational Historic Registry. The menu splits its influence among Italian-American dishes, wood-fired pizzas, and pub-style food. Upstairs, 10 suites welcome guests to spend the night and enjoythe town just a little bit longer.

If a spot of tea is calling your name, you can sip on Darjeeling and nibble a scone at Sally Lunn’sTea Shoppe & Restaurant. This very English tea room has been in Chester for 18 years andinvites guests to enjoy more than just delicate baked goods. Entrées include Tiddly Oggie (a properpastry), Cornish pastie and cottage and cockney pies, among other items. Of course, cucumbersandwiches are also on the menu.



from top to bottom: The Cider Mill at Hacklebarney Farms; Sweet SpotBake Shoppe’s Red Velvet, Strawberry Limeade and Rocky Road cupcakes;

The iconic Publick House Tavern & Inn

FarmsChester is well known for its year-round events, including a car show and holiday festivities, butfall is a perfect time to visit. “We have two award-winning craft shows: our Fall Craft Show(September 9 & 10) and a Harvest Celebration (October 14 & 15),” says Barbieri. Harvest is anappropriate word, as Chester is home to a number of farms with different activities. Stony HillFarms is just a short drive from Main Street with two locations—a greenhouse and flower shop anda farm market with pick-your-own apples and pumpkins.

“Our farm is known for our awesome corn maze,” says Dale Davis, who along with his wife ownsStony Hill Farm. “People come from all over—even out from New York City—to do our mazeevery year.” This year, Stony Hill Farm has partnered with Turtle-back Zoo’s sea turtle recoveryprogram to raise money and awareness for the program. Not only will a portion of the admissionfee support the program, but this year’s maze will be shaped like a giant sea turtle. The maze runsfrom Labor Day to mid-November.

Alstede Farms features pony rides and a petting zoo for the kids, as well as pick-your-own fruitsand vegetables. Stop in the Farm Store to pick up produce, fresh baked goods or shelf-stableproducts from NJ artisans such as First Field. Alstede Farms is also known for its seasonalhomemade ice cream, so don’t leave without a scoop of pumpkin pie. On the weekends, HistoricChester Courtesy Coach shuttles visitors between Main Street and Alstede Farms.



Fifth-generation farmer Karen Collins runs Hacklebarney Farm, a cider mill and bakery knownfor its scrumptious cider-flavored treats. The light-as-air cider donuts are a big hit. “We’re famousfor our harvest pies, a blend of apples, plums, pears and blueberries,” Collins says. Hacklebarneyopens its bakery for the season on Labor Day and runs through Thanksgiving. “We’ll do 700 piesfor Thanksgiving,” adds Collins. Families come for the fall-themed activities, which include a cornmaze, but the food encourages them to stay. “We are only a half-mile from Hacklebarney StatePark’s hiking trails, so we get a lot of people who stop in for a snack,” she explains. With fresh ciderstraight from the press, sweet corn picking well into October, and breads, cookies and pies, thereare plenty of choices. Also popular are the farm’s hot dogs. “We cook our hot dogs in apple cider,and we make homemade sauerkraut with apples and cider,” says Collins.

Beauty abounds year round in ChesterShopping

While online shopping certainly offers convenience, nothing replaces the art of browsing in person.“People like the old-fashioned downtown shopping district, something that is sadly disappearing inNew Jersey,” says Susan Nagel-Rees, owner of Winky’s Pet Boutique. “I think they come here toshop because nine times out of 10, you’re dealing with the owner who selected and knows theproducts,” she adds. Customers visit Winky’s for its collection of dog and cat accessories, coats andsweaters and all-natural treats.

As a town resident, Monica Naselli isn’t new to Chester, but her store is only two years old. “Ialways wanted a store right here on Main Street, and I finally found the right space,” she says.Naselli is a designer/artist who sees beauty in old furnishings, transforming them from dusty todazzling with some paint and a keen eye. Her store, Dainty Dandelion, spotlights her reworkedfurniture finds, as well as architectural and industrial details, but Naselli is more proud of thecollection of American-made products she carries. She has everything from bottle openers madefrom spent bullets (“Those are made by a veteran who I found on Shark Tank.”) to a jewelry linecreated to help fund college scholarships for deserving students.



Next door to Dainty Dandelion is The Olive & The Stone, owned by John and Lori Tumminello.While vacationing in Lake George, the couple wandered into a shop selling olive oil and vinegarand were quickly hooked. They left their corporate jobs behind and opened The Olive & The Stone,where they sell more than 50 products with a focus on high quality olive oil and vinegar. “Weimport and source all our oils and vinegars from all over the world, but we bottle everything here inthe store,” explains John. “We only bottle about a week’s worth of product at a time, so you knowour oils and vinegars haven’t been sitting on a shelf forever.” Don’t let the encyclopedic array ofinfusions overwhelm you, as the shop encourages sampling. “We want you to try everything.” Theproducts are all natural with no preservatives or additives. “Once you taste our oils and vinegarsand you taste the difference, you won’t go back.”

A view inside a few of J. Emanuel’s spectacular truffles— Cappuccino, Banana Split, and Mud SlideThe Ant and The Grasshopper features items from more than 70 artists and tinkerers. Fromhandcrafted wooden Garden State cutting boards (crafted by a local 18-year-old) to baby gifts, thestore features a well-curated collection of gifts. “It’s like Etsy, only in a store,” says owner KatherineHermes, who opened the shop in late spring of this year.

Chester Crafts & Collectibles, owned by HCBA President Kathy Barbieri, has been open for 25years and has 50 booths showcasing everything from hand-knit baby clothes and jewelry tohandmade holiday decorations. “We offer an extraordinary collection of fine quality items by over50 national artists and also have a wide selection of antiques from different styles and periods. Wealso offer personalized one-of-a-kind gifts,” she adds.



FARMS Alstede Farms 1 Alstede Farms Ln.908.879.7189alstedefarms.com

Hacklebarney Farm 104 State Park Rd.908.879.6593hacklebarneyfarm.com

Stony Hill Farms15 North Rd.908.879.2908stonyhillfarms.com

http://alstedefarms.com/

http://hacklebarneyfarm.com/

http://stonyhillfarms.com/



SHOPS The Ant and The Grasshopper 87 Main St.908.888.2633

Chester Crafts & Collectibles 26 Main St.908.879.2900

Dainty Dandelion 58 Main St.908.888.2501daintydandelion.com

The Olive & The Stone 58 Main St.908.455.1131theoliveandthestone.com

Winky’s Pet Boutique 92 Main St.908.955.4211winkyspetboutique.com

Dean’s Natural Food Market 270 US-206908.888.2256

http://daintydandelion.com/

http://theoliveandthestone.com/

http://winkyspetboutique.com/



deansnaturalfoodmarket.com

TREATS Black River Candy Shoppe 44 Main St.908.879.1233blackrivercandyshoppe.com

J. Emanuel Chocolatier 461B Main St.908.955.759 jemanuel.com

The Sweet Spot Bake Shoppe57 Main St.908.879.3869sweetspotbakeshoppe.com

Taylor’s Ice Cream Parlor 18 Main St.908.879.5363

http://deansnaturalfoodmarket.com/

http://blackrivercandyshoppe.com/

http://jemanuel.com/

http://sweetspotbakeshoppe.com/



RESTAURANTS Fresco Mexican 137 Main St #2908.888.2325frescomexican.com

The Publick House Tavern & Inn111 Main St.908.879.6878chesterpublickhouse.com

Redwoods Grill459 Main St908.879.7909redwoodsgrillandbar.com

Sally Lunn’s Tea Shoppe & Restaurant 15 Perry St.908.879.7731sallylunns.com

Article from Edible Jersey at http://ediblejersey.ediblecommunities.com/shop/artisans-chester

Article from Edible Jersey at http://ediblejersey.ediblecommunities.com/shop/artisans-chesterCopyright ©2017 Edible Jersey. All rights reserved

http://frescomexican.com/

http://chesterpublickhouse.com/

http://redwoodsgrillandbar.com/

http://sallylunns.com/

the artisans of chester - d1jxr8mzr163g2.cloudfront.net · the menu splits its influence among...

Documents