Taylor's Ham

where food and music and Taylor Swift collide

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essexcounty

  • Finding the *perfect* croissant

    Read time: About 10 minutes Croissants can be a thing of beauty. Even in New Jersey, which is decidedly not France. We’re limited to the butter, water, and flour we can get around these parts. And yet, what I’ve found through my travels in and around South Orange and Maplewood (SOMA) is that a lot… Read more

  • Barn Bird Kitchen

    Read time: About 6 minutes Good vibes only.  That’s the best way to describe the experience at Barn Bird Kitchen, which recently opened in Maplewood Village. When we walked in for lunch, the owner – who is also the restaurant chef – warmly greeted us in his baritone: “Welcome to Barn Bird Kitchen,” a smooth… Read more

  • Taino’s Kitchen Downtown

    An unsung benefit of having jury duty in Essex County is getting to visit the county seat, which is New Jersey’s largest city: Newark. The courthouse and broader Essex County operations headquarters are just peripheral from the bustling downtown, marked by many colleges and universities and further down Market Street, a ton of shops and… Read more