Greetings From the Garden State

Send us Fan Mail Tucked away in downtown Asbury Park sits Amici Gelato & Caffe. Not only does the owner, Joe Castore, create delicious gelato, pastries, cookies, cakes and more every day, his story is one of the best comeback stories we've had the opportunity to share on the podcast. Listen in to Joe's story and next time you're down in Asbury Park, make sure you stop in! @amici...

Send us Fan Mail Chef David Viana is one of the most accomplished chefs in the state of New Jersey. While his resume speaks for itself, the road has not always been easy. We traveled to Asbury Park, NJ to visit with him at Heirloom Kitchen at the St. Laurent. Chef David takes us through his background in food, being accepted to law school and deciding to be a chef instead (much to the dismay of hi...

Send us Fan Mail Do you like cheese? Probably a stupid question, who doesn't? But have you ever had farmstead sheep's milk cheese imported directly from a family farm in Italy? We traveled to Clifton, NJ to visit with Tina Marcelli of Marcelli Formaggi to talk about her family's business of importing cheeses, pastas, olive oils, and more from a village and region of Italy that her f...

Send us Fan Mail For our 50th episode we traveled to Woodland Park, NJ to visit with Tiffany "Tattooz" Perez, owner of Ink Gallery Tattoo Studio. Tiffany shares how she got into tattooing, her experiences appearing on various tattooing television shows, opening up her new studio, and personal health obstacles she's had to overcome. Her story is one of the most inspiring ones we have...

Send us Fan Mail We visit Steve Bauer, owner of Ghost Hawk Brewing Company in Clifton, NJ. Mike and Steve try several beers while learning about Steve's background, difficulties he has faced in life, and how he's overcome those. We also learn the meaning behind the name "Ghost Hawk" which is more than just a cool name, it has significant meaning to Steve and his story makes you...

Send us Fan Mail Mike travels to Far Hills to visit with a former guest Karianne Anthes and her husband, Bill Anthes, a former Green Beret. K and Bill own Between the Ears, a program to help build both mental and physical strength so you can live a life that matters to you.  Btwn The Ears: 27 US-202, Far Hills, NJ  https://btwntheears.com/ @btwntheearsfitness @btwntheears Thank you to our sponsors...

Send us Fan Mail Marisa Sweeney, owner of Be Well Integrated Health Services, joins the show to tell us about all the offerings  Be Well provides. Whether it's yoga classes, dietician services, psychologists, and more, Be Well is designed to be a one stop shop to get you feeling your best.  Marisa also runs the New Jersey VegFest in Atlantic City, Asbury Park and the Meadowlands.  Be Well: 16...

Send us Fan Mail Former Olympian and local resident Priscilla Frederick-Loomis tours Mike around Wildwood stopping in at some of her favorite spots! The stops include: Mudhen Brewing Company @mudhenbrew Owen's Pub @owenspub The Surfing Pig @thesurfingpig The Neighborhood Grille  @theneighborhoodgrillenw The CM Collective @the.cm.collective priscillaloomis.com Thank you to our sponsors: Albert...

Send us Fan Mail There a few ice cream shops in New Jersey that are consistently recognized as some of the best in New Jersey and Milk Sugar Love in Jersey City routinely appears on that list. The owner, Emma Taylor, takes us through her background and how she started making ice cream, her ice cream cart and eventually opening up her first ice cream shop. Milk Sugar Love: https://www.milksugarlove...

Send us Fan Mail Since 1957, Wild West City has been the premier Western theme park on the east coast. It is actually the only western theme park left on the east coast. Frank and Katie Benson, third generation owners of Wild West City, discuss all the things that go into running this theme park in the Garden State! Wild West City: http://wildwestcity.com/ @wildwestcitynj Thank you to our sponsors...

Send us Fan Mail Hoboken resident Alexandra Lakhman was crowned Miss New Jersey USA on April 3, 2022. She competed in six Miss New Jersey USA pageants before taking home the crown. We discuss what the competition entails, the process of preparing both mentally and physically for the pageant, and what life is like as Miss NJ USA.  We also discuss causes close to her heart. Her brother, Joe Lakhman,...

Send us Fan Mail The Somerset Patriots, the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees organization, invited us to come out and participate in their first "Podcast Night" on July 24th, 2022. We were lucky enough to record with members of the Patriots organization, including the legendary Sparky Lyle, a 1977 Cy Young Award Winner with the Yankees, and the first manager in Patriots history...

Send us Fan Mail Priscilla Frederick-Loomis competed in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for Antigua & Barbuda in the high jump. After the 2016 games she began preparing and training for the 2020 games, which were eventually postponed due to the pandemic. Despite suffering a setback, Priscilla pushed herself to the limits to qualify, but ultimately fell short due to things beyo...

Send us Fan Mail Shanghai Jazz has been a staple of the Madison, NJ community since 1995 and in that time was recognized as one of the top-100 jazz clubs in the world! Eventually Tom Donohoe purchased the restaurant from the original owners and has managed to maintain the reputation of the restaurant, but also add his own flair to the menu. Segment 1 Tom takes us through his background working aro...

Send us Fan Mail Bella Rococo at Emilia's in Garwood, NJ is a beauty salon with deep Italian family roots. The owner, Stefanie Savino, opened the business in 2019 and has not only survived the last few years, but has thrived due to the support of both her immediate family members, as well as her team who she also considers family.  Segment 1 Stefanie details her background in the beauty indus...

Send us Fan Mail South Street Yoga & Nutrition in Morristown, NJ and its owner, Debbie Weinstein, have not only built a strong yoga community but are also strong supporters of the town and other local businesses. With great yogis, engaged students, and a dedicated owner, South Street Yoga & Nutrition (actually located on Mills Street) is a great place for anyone on their fitness journey. S...

Send us Fan Mail Not only in New Jersey, but throughout the country, there are veterans, first responders and others suffering from PTSD. Operation K9 Beethoven uses pet therapy, as well as other methods, to help combat this. Segment 1 We learn a little about our guest, Brian Reyngoudt, the Co-Founder and Vice President. After seeing the profound effect Beethoven had on his mother and then eventua...

Send us Fan Mail Hoboken-based twin sisters, Jordan & joelle Hernandez are community service advocates, small business owners, communication professionals, bakers, twins, sisters, daughters, friends, and so much more! Segment 1 Jordan & Joelle work at the same company full-time, went to the same college, and have all together spent a total of about 5 days apart. Their synergy seems to be p...

Send us Fan Mail #NJspots started 7 years ago when Virginia Buechel realized there weren't many Instagram accounts that celebrated New Jersey. It has since grown to one of the most popular social media accounts that focuses on the Garden State. Segment 1 Virginia takes us through her background and how she started NJspots. Starting as just a hashtag, which Virginia also takes us through the i...

Send us Fan Mail Courtney Roselle has appeared on The Rock's Titan Games on NBC, is a fitness model, an accomplished athlete, personal trainer and all-around badass. Her journey should serve as an inspiration for women everywhere.  Segment 1 Courtney takes us through her background growing up as a "feminine tomboy" and how people were always trying to put her in a box. Even though t...

Send us Fan Mail Homelessness is an issue throughout the country and it can sometimes seem overwhelming trying to figure out how to solve this complex issue. Right here in New Jersey though, Jenny DePaul is doing her part to help fight homelessness. Starting out by bringing sandwiches to Penn Station in Newark and having lunch with people there, eventually that snowballed and Project Kind was born...

Send us Fan Mail Asahda's Soulfood Restaurant in Chatham may seem like an interesting choice for a town not known for its soul food. However, its food is incredible and authentic as it gets. Its owner, Karima Singleton, a full-time teacher, creates daily menus with love just like you're going over to her house for dinner. Segment 1  Karima takes us through her background and all the diff...

Send us Fan Mail Manny Cabo is a New Jersey-native, an artist, photographer, podcaster, and all around force in the creative world. His song, "Crazy" is the official theme song of Greetings From the Garden State!  Segment 1 Manny takes us through his background growing up in New Jersey. We talk about his music career, his photography, his podcast "Mojo For Musicians," and other...

Send us Fan Mail The Seeing Eye is a philanthropic organization whose mission is to enhance the independence, dignity, and self-confidence of blind people through the use of Seeing Eye dogs. Based in Morristown, The Seeing Eye matches people throughout North America with the perfect dog for them. We got the chance to sit down with Brian McKenna and Melissa Allman to learn more about The Seeing Eye...

Send us Fan Mail Where do you buy your clothes in New Jersey? Have you ever considered buying them online from a mobile boutique? Well then maybe you should check out Garmint By Kim! A New Jersey-native, Kimberly Cawthorne has a passion for fashion and is ready to get you set up with some amazingly unique pieces! Segment 1 Kimberly discusses her background always being interested in fashion and cr...