New Jersey, covered by someone who actually lives here.
Grits in the City is a New Jersey food, family, and running blog by Lara Ziobro, based in Berkeley Heights, NJ. This page is the home for everything I cover in the Garden State — the restaurants worth the drive, the family days out that are actually worth it, the local races, and the small towns I keep going back to.
Start with the favorites below or check out what’s seasonal right now.
Start here — reader favorites
- The Best Fall Coffee Drinks in New Jersey, According to My Bucket List
- The Best Local Races in New Jersey for Every Kind of Runner
- Three New Tattoos, One NJ Artist: My Search for the Perfect Tiny Tattoo in New Jersey
- Staycation Brunch at Willow & Whisk in Wyckoff, NJ
- Where to Go in Lavallette, NJ
- Belated Birthday at 1776 by David Burke in Morristown, NJ
Eat & drink in New Jersey
- Staycation Brunch at Willow & Whisk in Wyckoff, NJ
- Belated Birthday at 1776 by David Burke in Morristown, NJ
- Fig & Lily Igloo Dining in Morristown, NJ
- Igloo Afternoon at Bellemara Distillery in Hillsborough, NJ
- Bobolink Dairy & Bakehouse and the Hunterdon Land Trust Farmers’ Market
Family days out in New Jersey
- Pumpkin Carving at the Stirling Hotel
- Fall Apple Picking at Hillview Farms
- Sea Girt and Spring Lake Beach Day
- Where to Go in Lavallette, NJ
Running in New Jersey
- The Best Local Races in New Jersey for Every Kind of Runner
- Run for Doughnuts: Our First Montclair Doughnut Run (and My Daughter’s First Race Ever)
- Half Marathon PR in the Middle of Marathon Training (E. Murray Todd Half, Monmouth County)
- The Cranford Cupcake Run
Seasonal right now
- Fall apple picking at Hillview Farms, Gillette
- The Best Fall Coffee Drinks in New Jersey, According to My Bucket List
- Berkeley Heights Gobble & Go 5K: Why Our Thanksgiving Starts at a Start Line
- Chatham Turkey Trot
- Pumpkin carving at Stirling Hotel
FAQ
Where is Grits in the City based?
Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, in Union County — about an hour from New York City.
What does Grits in the City cover in New Jersey?
Restaurants and cafés, family-friendly days out, local road races and marathon training, and small-town finds across Union, Morris, Somerset, Hunterdon, Monmouth, and Bergen counties — plus trips down the Shore.
Who writes Grits in the City?
Lara Ziobro — a marketing and communications executive, mom of two, and marathon runner (four World Marathon Majors stars) who has lived in New Jersey for almost a decade.
Does Grits in the City work with New Jersey businesses?
Yes — see the Collaborate page for partnerships, previews, and local coverage.