By now many of you know I mostly grew up in Maplewood Nj, but when I wasn’t in Maplewood I was in Newark and Kearny. Today we talk about Newark…

First and foremost as much as I love the Sopranos, they really didn’t capture the essence of early Newark. Not to mention if you were Italian/Sicilian you were more than likely from The North Ward closer to Park ave or Bloomfield ave and poultry shops like the one he sold to Jamba Juice were longgggg gone by the late 80s. Now when Tony took AJ to go see the old neighborhood and he saw his first crack hoe that was accurate.

My grandparents came from Sicily and Ireland from the late 1800s to early 1900s. And if you were looking for work Newark Nj was the place to go a fast-growing city with plenty of jobs available but not as easy to get as you think. You would see help wanted Irish, Italian, Polish, German, etc… need not apply now in the 60s and 70s it may not have said it in the ad but when you got there and you were the same ethnicity as the boss or hiring manager yea you were getting that job no matter what.

Now true to fashion eventually my Grand parents overcame this and lived their lives made homes and a living. My Irish Grandfather eventually working for PSE&G and my Sicilian Grandfather Working for RCA. And their kids met my parents my Dad the Irishman and my mom the Sicilian and eventually my sister came along in 1965 and me in 1971.

As far back as I can remember in the late 70s 1976 to be exact I was either at my Uncle Dons Exxon Gas Station on Park Ave or his house on 6th street. My dad worked around the corner at Kaslander Lumber on 5th street. My other uncle live at 280 N 11th street.

My Uncle Rick Worked at the Hess gas station across from my uncle Don’s on park ave. And my Uncle Mike had a used car lot on the corner of Clay st and Broadway (Now an advanced auto parts).

My Uncle Rick and Cousin Joey took me everywhere, from Tony’s Hot Dogs, Calandra’s Bakery. To Dickie Dees and Ting-a-lings lemon ice. Then there was the legend of the White Lady Tree in Branch Brook Park not to mention the awesome Cherry Blossoms as well. Since we were always in Newark either to see family members or on errands, they always took me on a tour of the old neighborhood

Every time a Frankie Valli song would come on the radio, my dad, uncle, or cousin would turn it up and say you know who this is? It’s Frankie Valli and he’s from Newark. I don’t care what Clint Eastwoods movie says or insulates Frankie Valli is from Newark that’s it. Clint Eastwood is not from Newark or even New Jersey as far as I am concerned his movie means stugots.

Nickey Newark…

Now speaking of Jersey Boys the movie, one of the very few things they got right was the mannerism’s of Tommy Divito (Played by Vincent Piazza) Many internet humps were saying “He’s acting like he’s from New York” and no you are wrong. What many people do not know many people from Newark in the 50s and 60s moved to New York.

A Nicky Newarker is a knock around guy, a guy to go to when someone is bothering you. A guy you see when you need something done. When something falls off a truck 10 times outta 10 a Nicky Newarker was there to catch it.

They were street guys in Guinea Ts ( Now called Tank Tops or Wife Beaters) gold chains and said ” Oh yea I got tree of those” ( If you said three you were not from the ave) Nicky Newarkers had their own accents, mannerism’s and way’s of doing things. Not all were connected but they knew who was and wasn’t many were regular guys with 9 to 5 jobs but again they were tough guys took no shit.

My Teenage Years…

In the early 80s almost every weekend my cousin Joey always took me to this one arcade on Bloomfield ave. Then to this one diner that has been long gone by summer ave I just can’t remember the name right now but I lived for those weekends.

But in 1984 I had to spend a year in South Florida and I hated it with a passion. It wasn’t all bad but for the most part, it wasn’t home it was soooo awkward for me for a 13/14-year-old. So when 1985 hit I could not wait to get home, one whole year without a dirty water dog from Tony’s or an Italian Hot Dog or Sausage and Peppers from Dickie Dee I was losing it.

But when I got back it was different, Newark was always bad but was getting worse. You started hearing about this new drug called crack, you really didn’t hear about it until 1986 but trust me it started around 1985.

My Uncle Don Sold his gas station in 1980 and passed away in 1982, My Uncle Mike had a few issues before dying of Colon Cancer in late ’85. I was still going to my Uncle Joe’s on 11th street but after 3 consecutive break-ins, he was talking about selling his house by the early 90s.

I was going to Avenue P to watch the street races, there really wasn’t much street racing on Bloomfield Ave or Rt 21 anymore. In 1987 or ’88 I can’t remember there was a really bad accident on Bloomfield ave due to street racing. So the police stepped up their patrols for a while. But you could still find me and other family members there for the food.

To me, Newark will always have a place in my heart, it’s my family’s lineage it’s where I learned a lot about life. It’s where my grandfather saw me hiding behind a tree at my uncle joes house when I was 10 years old because I didn’t want the big kids to see me. And then he asks why was I hiding? I said because I was afraid to get picked on. Then he says to me he didn’t want to see that ever again because that shows fear and he doesn’t ever want me to show fear ever again I face whatever is in front of me.

And from that day on I never did that again and the rest is history….

Newark has its own history… Language even Mannerisms. All I gotta do is listen to the way a person talks I can tell if they really are from Newark of not.

It’s a Jersey thing and we don’t care if you understand or not lol…

My other uncles and cousins would either pass away by the late 1979 early 80s or have moved to other areas by then. My one cousin Joe moved to Irvington and became a police officer in 1979.

My whole life was spent in Newark and Kearny, yes I went to school slept and played with my friends a lot of days in Maplewood/South Orange but My Mom, Dad, Uncles and Cousins were always taking me back to the old neighborhood to see my other uncles and cousins or being that Maplewood was so close to the old neighborhood like 15 min away if we wanted a taste of the old place for lunch or dinner we would hop on 280 get off at first st and there we were.

I actually had two childhoods growing up and the amazing food and the iconic eateries of Newark NJ were a very very very huge part of it.

Dickie Dees…

Located at 380 Bloomfield Ave in Newark this is where I had my very first Double Dog. It was 1978 I was 7 years old and I was visiting my Uncle Don’s Exxon Gas station on Park Ave and my cousin worked for my Uncle so for dinner I hopped in his huge black ’65 Impala SS and we headed to Dickie Dees.

I had no idea what I was in for all I know it was two weeks after Thanksgiving and I was freezing my ass off but once we got inside all I could smell was Pizza, Sausage and Peppers and I was in heaven not to mention it was very warm and inviting.

The guy says “what’cha want” (This is Newark actually pronounced NORK and you are not getting a Chili’s type greeting…… EVER) My cousin says ” Tree Double Dogs” (This is how Nicky Newarkers say three I will describe and Nicky Newarker in another post) Then the guy says “Tree Comin Up”

For the next 10 min I witnessed the most amazing poetry in motion. He takes the two Sabrett Hot Dogs outta the fryer slaps them in the bread adds either Ketchup or Spicy Mustard sometimes both. Then goes over to the greasy griddle and takes the peppers onions with huge chunks of potatoes and slides them all on top the dogs stuffed in the bread.

We got back to my uncle’s Exxon and I was with everyone and took my very first bite and it was the most amazing thing I had ever eaten in my entire young existence next to my moms cooking. The Hot Dogs and the greasy peppers and onions were phenomenal I couldn’t even get my mouth past the huge potatoes I had to eat them separately.

Needless to say on the way home to Maplewood I fell right asleep lol.

Calandra’s Bakery…

Now literally right smack across from Dickie Dees at 204 1st ave you have Calandra’s Bakery and for years and I mean years before I was born my family got everything there. Italian Bread, Cannolis (Gannol the Nicky Newark North Ward Way) and every other kind of Italian pastry you can think of we got from there.

Every Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner we had to have their bread which meant that every Thanksgiving I had to be up at 8 or 9 to go with my Uncle to get some bread and cannoli’s if my cousin didn’t bring them.

Even as kid at my aunt Alice’s or Uncle Joes the literally lived less than 5 min away there was always something from Calandra’s in their house we lived on them we really did. Screw going to the A&P or Pathmark and get that white wonder bread shit.

But in the early to mid 80s this would all change to Calandra’s being only once in a while and for holidays as my mom would go on a health food kick and reduce or thick bread consumption. Can’t say I blame her my little fat ass was having Italian Bread and butter as a snack before bed so yea we were eating a tad too much lol.

Well that is it for now from me, I want to thank you all for following us and our posts. I love my childhood and the way I grew up, was it perfect not by a long shot. But the food from Newark was a very awesome part of my upbringing it really was.

One of the most iconic delicacies to ever come outta the great Garden State. Now, do not confuse it with the Rutt’s Hut Ripper a totally different dog brand and way different way of making them as well. Don’t get us wrong Rutt’s Hutt is Out-Friggin-Standing but we are talking dirty water dogs here.

Now yes I spent most of my time in Maplewood/South Orange New Jersey. But I am also Sicilian/Irish and my family hails from The North Ward of Newark and the other half of my family resides in Kearny. So if I wasn’t in Maplewood/South Orange I was in Newark (pronounced Nork yea that’s another story) or Kearny.

So my Mom/Dad/Uncle and Cousin was always taking me back to the old neighborhoods to visit family and just hang out. But also for the food, the food in Maplewood/South Orange was good Campus Sub Shop, Sunrise Pizzeria, The Roman Gourmet, Maplewood Pizzeria, and Sonny’s Bagels to name a few places. But no one in those two towns even had a Dirty Water Dog cart I dunno why but even to this day at least to my knowledge there is no place

But those places I mentioned were no Tony’s Hot Dogs on Park Ave and Lake Street or JJs on Bloomfield Ave. For the Italian Double Dog or Italian Sausage Sandwich, you went to Dickie Dees or Jimmy Buffs.

I am sure there are many other places those who read this post can think of but I am just talking about me here. And what I grew up with, my family came from Newark, Kearny, Bloomfield and Belleville so we went to the places around there.

What makes the Dirty Water Dog so special ? Nothing really its just a boiled Hot Dog sitting in the Hot Dog water all day long. About 80% of the vendors used Sabrett Hot Dogs and to me those are the best in the world and the red onions Sabrett has too. A Sabrett’s dirty water dog red onions and mustard is the way I go. Sure I will get mustard and kraut or chili and mustard. No matter the topping you just cannot go wrong.

Now back in the day they used to sell a chocolate drink called Chocolate Cow and was thinner and better than Yoo Hoo any day. Fun fact once you had a Chocolate Cow you could not just go back to Yoo Hoo you just couldn’t. But sadly the last few times I went back the Chocolate Cow was off the menu I really don’t think they make it anymore well sadly all good things must come to an end and so does this post I am really getting hungry now lol.

So anyways now you know…