Greetings From the Garden State

Send us Fan Mail Jenny DePaul, founder of Project Kind, invited us out to MetLife Stadium in Rutherford, NJ in conjunction with the New York Giants. We had a great time at the event interacting with some of the people there to support the event and the people it serves, as well as the guests of the event who are experiencing homelessness in Newark. We were joined by several great guests who you ca...

Send us Fan Mail Tim Besecker, co-owner of Twin Elephant Brewing Company in Chatham, New Jersey joins the show. In this episode, Tim shares his background and passion for craft beer, recounting his early experiences that led him to embark on a remarkable brewing journey. Discover the challenges he and his partners faced in establishing their unique brewery and the meaningful connections they'...

Send us Fan Mail Howard Freeman, the mastermind behind the highly anticipated 40th Annual New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning joins the show. Buckle up as Howard and host Mike Ham take you on a journey through the history and highlights of this iconic event. Discover how the festival, which originated in 1983 with 25 balloons, has evolved into the largest summertime balloon music festival in...

Send us Fan Mail Mike Ham explores the rich history and unique qualities of Donkey's Place, a legendary family-owned cheesesteak establishment in Camden, New Jersey. Discover the story behind this iconic restaurant that has been serving mouthwatering cheesesteaks since 1943. From their famous onions to the traditional poppy seed rolls, Donkey's Place offers a one-of-a-kind dining experie...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Mike welcomes guests Joe Makoviecki and James Black from the band Jackson Pines. Join us as we dive into their music, their roots in Jackson, New Jersey, and their recent projects. Episode Highlights: - Joe and James reminisce about their hangout and recording space in Jackson, New Jersey—a lean-to structure that has seen the creation of songs and videos. - The un...

Send us Fan Mail We have an inspiring conversation with Jamie Knott, a talented restaurant owner and culinary visionary, as we dive into Jamie's remarkable life and his profound impact on the culinary industry. Discover the challenges he faced, his love for the culinary arts, and the secrets to his success. Episode Highlights: - Explore Jamie Knott's journey from Baltimore to Nutley, New...

Send us Fan Mail Mike Ham sits down with Reese Van Riper, a talented musician hailing from New Jersey. Join them as they delve into Reese's fascinating background and his unique music style. Reese's upbringing in Fort Lee and Wyckoff, surrounded by a musical family and influenced by the macabre and occult, shaped his songwriting and love for "Jersey swamp rock." Drawing inspira...

Send us Fan Mail The Design Company is all about making cool sh*t. Whether it is assisting with a logo design, merchandise, or a complete brand overhaul, Drew O'Brien and his team are ready to help you feel proud of the things that help create many people's first impressions. While Drew is originally from New York, he is fully entrenched in all things New Jersey and has not only built a...

Send us Fan Mail Mike Turner was born and raised in the projects of Hoboken before it began its renaissance. Coming from that environment, Mike developed a strong work ethic, street smarts, and an interesting relationship with people. Eventually he became a Hoboken firefighter, working his way up to Chief.  A fan of the hit show Survivor from day 1, Mike had an interesting approach to his applicat...

Send us Fan Mail Established in 1997 by the late Russell Berrie, the Russ Berrie Making a Difference Award honors New Jersey residents whose outstanding community service and heroic acts have made a substantial impact on the lives of others. The Russ Berrie Making a Difference Award is a signature program of the Russell Berrie Foundation , which carries out Russ Berrie’s legacy and philanthropy by...

Send us Fan Mail Mike Ham welcomes the charismatic Derynn Paige to the podcast. Derynn, a star in the realm of reality TV, shares her personal experiences and insights from her time on MTV's popular shows, "Double Shot at Love" and "Ex on the Beach," taking us on a captivating journey through her rise to stardom. Derynn starts by reflecting on her roots in the Garden State...

Send us Fan Mail The Funky Fishmonger Mark Drabich started cutting fish at a local seafood market when he was 15 years old. In high school, on his breaks from college, Mark worked at various seafood markets.  Being the first to graduate from college in his family, he eventually got a job at Johnson & Johnson which didn't last long and he wound up opening his own fish market. Since then, t...

Send us Fan Mail Steve Santucci is a local history teacher in Morris County, New Jersey and also is a Revolutionary War reenactor. As part of the 2nd New Jersey regiment, Steve spends his weekends and other significant dates diving into the Revolutionary history in the Garden State, as well as other places in the original 13 colonies. Steve has become an expert in Revolutionary War history and tak...

Send us Fan Mail Cara Di Falco has been a radio, TV and streaming host, reporting in the world’s number one market for over a decade. She combined her talent for storytelling with her passion for food to create the first (and to this day, the only) Emmy-Nominated cooking show on the YouTube platform, “ Cara’s Cucina .”  While working on the show she has had the opportunity to work with everyone fr...

Send us Fan Mail Harvest Drop, a local-farm-to-restaurant purveyor, is the brainchild of Oliver Gubenko, who left Wall Street in New York where he traded securities to work on Main Street in Windsor where he sorts produce, meats, cheese, charcuterie, and more! Oliver and his team work with over 120 farms across the state providing over 2,000 offerings to some of the best restaurants in New Jersey,...

Send us Fan Mail Take the classic harmonic stylings of bands like The Beatles and The Beach Boys, bathe them in the Hudson River and mesh with modern Earworm pop. That's BreakTime! BreakTime champions an upbeat, optimistic pop rock songwriting style with generous vintage touches culminating in a sonic celebration from their studio in your ears.  Founded in 2018 as a standard-issue Jersey cove...

Send us Fan Mail Renee Maskin is a singer-songwriter from the vibrant music city of Asbury Park, NJ. She combines earthy traditional song craft with synthy ambient textures, a sound that’s both familiar and unconventional. Having cut her teeth in bands over the past couple decades, Maskin's solo debut Swimming was recorded in 2020 as a result of the pandemic lockdown. UK's The Rodeo hail...

Send us Fan Mail Mutiny BBQ Company is Coastal New Jersey's craft smokehouse. Its owner Tom Dunphy creates delicious, authentic small batch BBQ in the southern tradition, incorporating flavors and methods of Texas, the Carolinas, Memphis, Kansas City, and Louisiana to create a craft BBQ experience unlike any other. mutinybbq.com @mutinybbq 808 Fifth Ave Asbury Park, NJ Thank you to our sponso...

Send us Fan Mail Jordan Fried is a SAG AFTRA comedian and filmmaker from Warwick, NY currently based in Rutherford, NJ. He studied Digital Media Production and English at Tulane University, where he was a member of “Cat Mafia Comedy”. He’s performed at Rhino Comedy with the troupe “The Mutts”, Eastville Comedy Club, Hell Yes Fest, Binghamton Comedy and Arts Festival, New Orleans Comedy and Arts Fe...

Send us Fan Mail Hailing from Essex County, New Jersey, Young Benny is an up and coming artist with a penchant for writing infectious music and relatable narratives. Inspired by critically acclaimed artists like Kendrick Lamar and Lil Wayne, Young Benny took a plunge into pursuing music full-time about a year ago. Prior to starting his musical journey, Benny was a football player on the verge of m...

Send us Fan Mail Ming Chen entered the world of podcasting in 2007 as one of the architects behind Kevin Smith's SModCast Network. His first responsibilities included all technical aspects of the network as well as the design, maintenance and marketing of SModCast's online presence. As the network grew and more shows were added, Ming was asked to create and co-host podcasts of his own in...

Send us Fan Mail Sandra Zotti's unofficial training as a wine expert began as a child thanks to her parents, two first-generation immigrants from Campania, Italy. Introduced to a biccherino di vino rosso by her parents, Sandra learned at an early age to enjoy half a glass of red wine at the dinner table while listening to Puccini play throughout the house, a family tradition that ignited her...

Send us Fan Mail “Iron” Mike Steadman is the Founder of Ironbound Boxing, overseeing all aspects of its Corporate and Community activities. A three-time National Collegiate Boxing Champion from the United States Naval Academy, Mike also served as a Marine Corps Infantry Officer with deployments to Afghanistan and Japan/Philippines. Mike’s dedication to the community and his corporate partners is a...

Send us Fan Mail After years of writing about entertainment for Billboard , MTV and more, Rashaun Hall decided to turn his focus to spirits and bar culture — as an homage to his late father, a bartender. Mike and Rashaun share some of their favorites spots for cocktails all around the Garden State from dive bars to classy establishments. Thank you to Madame in Jersey City for letting us record in...

Send us Fan Mail Dillon Salva, a.k.a. "Skutty", is a celebrity personal trainer and bodyguard who works with notable clients such as Fetty Wap and Kevin Gates. He is an entrepreneur that has his own training brand, a California-based cannabis company, and is a paid fitness athlete for various health brands. He spent some time in mini-camps and OTA's with the Washington Commanders, A...