Hudson County Thing To Do: State Fair Meadowlands

Last weekend I got to bring my 11 month old and husband to the State Fair Meadowlands at MetLife Stadium. I used to go when I was younger, so I was very excited to share this experience with my son. Though the times have changed, not much about the fair has, and that's not a bad thing.

One of Rosaire's Royal Racers, Tyrone the Terrible

If you're looking for entertainment, the shows are great. We really enjoyed Rosaire's Royal Racing Pigs, run by 5th generation circus family, The Rosaire's. I wish I could say just the baby was entertained by pigs running around, but I found myself cheering them on as well. There's also the Sea Lion Splash, an educational show featuring rescued sea lions, Arctic Olympic High Dive Show, with towers and dives so high it's certainly not for the faint of heart, the Cycle Circus Live, which is your standard, but very exciting caged motorcycle show, and magic/illusion shows, Extreme Illusions and Escapes, Art of Magic and Belmont Festival of Magic. There's also a petting zoo, which had camels, llamas, kangaroos, goats, donkeys and sheep, and probably topped the list of my sons favorite thing at the fair. 

You can't have a fair without the rides, and all your favorites are there. There are ferris wheels, carousels, rollercoasters, tilt-a-whirls, flying chairs, fun houses, etc. There's a children's area called Kiddy World where we spent most of our time on every ride where you can sit and ride with your child. 

Dragon's Breath

But the main attraction to the fair always has been and always will be the food. This years fair featured rolled ice cream, which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like, Dragons Breath, a cup of cheese-puffs and Froot Loops frozen with liquid nitrogen, that makes you blow out smoke when you eat them, and a bacon stand, where you can eat DELICIOUS bacon in every form. I think I'm more of a fair traditionalist though, choosing funnel cakes, gyros, deep fried Oreos and zeppolis. Spaghetti Eddie's is where it's really at though, a stand that's been in existence at the fair for 33 years, serving you a FULL Italian meal (think lasagna, ziti, and OBVIOUSLY spaghetti and meatballs) with a side salad and bread for $7. 

No matter what your favorite part of the fair is, it's all at State Fair Meadowlands. If you're looking for a cheap activity this weekend, Saturday July 2nd, is Cheap, Cheap Night where all tickets cost $5. If you want more of an all encompassing ticket, you can get a MegaPass for $25 that includes your gate admission and a pass for all the rides. Maybe you just need a place to watch July 4th fireworks, the fair has got you covered on July 3rd and 4th. Anyway or day you make it, State Fair Meadowlands is a great time for your whole family!

**Running June 21-July 8th 2018

Union City Business: By Andrew Coslow

The Yardley building has long been a staple in Union City, NJ. Constructed in 1916, the building used to be the headquarters for Yardley Soap, but is now the home to companies using the space for industrial uses and artists. One of those artists is Andrew Coslow, a NJ native and current Hoboken resident. He's created a shop, By Andrew Coslow, where he designs furniture and builds out pieces for businesses. 

His shop is filled with every kind of building machinery that a person who doesn't know how to work a drill (me) would be intimidated by. There are machines that laser cut, saw, sand, and all that other furniture-buildy stuff. He had been building furniture for years in his own bedroom, but in 2013 he moved to Yardley, to have the space to start designing more and building out retail spaces, restaurants and the like.  His resume is impressive and includes MOMA, Pop Physique, REI, Kiehls, Hoboken's Cork Wine and Spirits, and the list goes on.

What I find most notable about Andrew and his shop is the emphasis on F-U-N. His dog Winston, and his roommates dog Bea, run free and play around the 3,000 square foot space and outdoor area with an amazing view of Hoboken and NYC. There're surfboards hanging from the ceiling, a rock climbing wall and ax throwing targets. Somehow, despite all the distractions we find a way to JUST build a table. In a four hour period we actually built a table from beginning to end! I know, I can't believe it either, considering it took me four hours to build my Ikea dining room table. It was a process that was initially scary to me, but encouraged me to move past it in order to use wood saws, metal saws, wield metal, sand, etc. With Andrew's expertise and guidance, I almost felt like making a table was, dare I say, easy.

Also a model (just Google him), he began telling people in the industry he was working with that he had this whole other skill set. In fact, while in his shop he showed me some coffee tables he was making for model, Martha Hunt. His clean, minimalist designs are well constructed, durable and beautiful. His pieces span from slatted beds, credenzas, and desks, to ping pong tables, skateboards and dog beds. Don't worry, Andrew, I'm coming for a ping pong table eventually.

All together I had a ton of fun with Andrew, learned some new things about myself, and somehow felt inspired to model our openings after Jackass. I'd say that's a successful day!

Make sure you're following along with Andrew on his websiteand Instagram. And make sure to stay tuned to HudsonCounty60this week, because you may have a chance to win the actual table we made!

Kearny Business: Elements Truffles

When I started thinking about what businesses to reach out to for HudsonCounty60, I immediately thought of Elements Truffles, a business I had been following on Instagram for some time. They're a micro-batch, Ayurvedic chocolate company, that operates out of Kearny Point in Kearny, NJ.

Walking into Kearny Point is like walking into what I imagine Google HQ Lite would be like.  It's a beautiful, modern building with coworking spaces, designated ride share parking spots, cafes, etc. Walking the halls of the techy building, it's hardly a place I'd imagine you could make 800 chocolate bars a day in, but Alak Vasa and her small team make it work, and they make it work WELL.

 A former Wall Street trader, Alak found comfort in her daily chocolate. Naturally, when she decided to leave her career she decided to pursue the art of chocolate making. Drawing on Ayurvedic principles, she decided to make chocolates that not only tasted delicious and decadent, but are good for you as well. She's infused multiple flavors with Turmeric, a spice known for its anti-inflimation properties, as well as local NJ honey and raw organic chocolate, making it dairy, soy, preservatives, GMO, chemicals, sugar and gluten FREE. 

Alak agreed to teach me what goes into make each bar of her chocolates and I was blown away by the amount of love and care that goes into them. The process begins with a meditation, to ensure that the chocolates are filled with love and intention. She mixes local NJ honey, organic raw cacao butter, organic raw cacao powder, edible grade essential oils and Himalayan sea salt. Everything is mixed by hand and then put into a machine to temper the chocolate and bring it to the proper temperature. The chocolate is then hand poured into molds, cooled and hand wrapped. Can you believe that this process allows for them to make 800 bars in a day? Not to mention their beautiful packaging is HAND STITCHED by women in India. And if that STILL doesn't sell you on them, 25% of profits goes towards the education of under-privileged children in India. 

Flavors include Raspberry with Beet Root Infusion, Rose with Cardamon Infusion, Peppermint with Lavender Infusion, Sea Salt with Turmeric Infusion, Orange Quinoa with Turmeric Infusion, and Ginger with Black Pepper Infusion. And each is equally delicious. They can be purchased here, at select Whole Foods Markets, and at stores closer to home that can be located here.

Keep checking our Instagram this week for your chance to win a collection of ALL flavors! In the meantime, follow along with Elements Truffles on their Instagram or their website!