Advanced Knee Pain Treatment in New Brunswick, NJ

Any local in New Brunswick is probably thinking, “A day trip to New Brunswick, really?” And the answer to the question is: Yes, really! There are so many things that people in the area take for granted, but this town in Central Jersey is the best place for any family wanting to spend the day with great food and activities that might even need a week.

In the heart of New Brunswick (and what you could say the city is most known for) is Rutgers University. You can dive into college life on campus and get a taste of the food. It might not be what the university is known for, but the different food places on campus are the perfect pit stop for any craving — RU Hungry, Honeygrow, El Jefe’s Taqueria, and the newest food place, the Atrium.

Once you’re full from what you’ve eaten, take a stroll throughout the College Avenue campus, especially as the fall weather approaches, because it’ll be a sight to see with the changes in the trees.

For any of the athletic fans out there, make sure to get into Rutgers’ athletics and the different sports games people can attend, even if you don‘t attend the university. After all, it’s football season, and if you attend the game or want to just try the food instead of attending, check out all of the food trucks on the Rutgers Boardwalk. The boardwalk includes trucks that focus on wings, coffee, egg rolls, lobster, grilled cheese, rice balls, barbecued food, Latino American food, pizza, burritos, vegan options, and so much more. On top of food, there is a day full of activities for families, including a balloon artist, face painting for the kids, carnival games, a Ferris wheel, and a caricature artist.

One thing that makes any town a great place to visit is the food. A classic New Brunswick restaurant is Stuff Yer Face. It’s been serving strombolis since 1977 and has only grown in the different kinds you can order. There are many variations of this calzone-like sandwich stuffed with meats, vegetables or seafood, along with cheese and sauce. There are also regulart sandwiches, burgers and pizza on the menu.

Right next to Stuff Yer Face is Thomas Sweet Ice Cream, which is the best way to end your meal. Both the ice cream and the chocolates have been handmade since 1983. People line up year-round for a cup, cone or cake.

On Dennis Street is The Frog and The Peach, one of New Jersey’s most acclaimed restaurants. From Sunday brunch to happy hour to offering private events and a vast menu, this restaurant is for any foodie out there. For the adults, there is a huge wine list to choose from, as if there is a different wine selection for every entree. Whether the lunch menu or dinner menu is the one that’ll be chosen, make sure to make a reservation as it can get quite popular.

If these won’t satisfy your taste buds, try Fritz’s. With all-day breakfast and prices that won’t break the bank, this diner-like restaurant is perfect for those who have very different preferences on what to eat.

And lastly, for those who like ramen but want an upgrade, try Ramen Nagomi. This place isn’t for the picky eaters out there, because the ramen has an upscale fancy side compared to the stereotypical dorm room meal.

Once everyone’s stomachs are full, make sure to try out some of the day-filled activities New Brunswick has to offer. A free option is visiting the Zimmerli Art Museum, which is located on Rutgers’ College Avenue campus. There are thousands of different artworks from different time periods to be viewed, and before heading to the museum, check out its calendar of events to see if there will be any when you go.

George Street Playhouse is another way to spend hours of your time, but in this instance, it’s for plays instead of pieces of art on display. Currently, the playhouse is showing “The Pianist,” “Having Our Say,” “Tick, Tick… Boom!,” and a few others to check out as well.

Similar to George Street Playhouse, the State Theater New Jersey hosts Broadway shows, concerts, comedy series, family series, and more. It’s the perfect way to relax with the family while getting some entertainment and getting to know the area, as it’s right near a ton of restaurants. In October, the State Theater will be showing, “Pretty Women: The Musical,” “A Live Conversation with John Cusack,” multiple films played with a live orchestra, and an endless amount of other events to attend.

Are you in the mood for some comedy? Stress Factory Comedy Club is where all your laughs will be met. With numerous comedic talent taking the stage, there is sure to be a joke or two that’ll wipe away all the stress in life. Keep in mind, most shows are not for kids under 16.

If you want to go somewhere that doesn’t require any cents to leave your wallet and don’t need to reserve a specific time for it, go to the free parks in New Brunswick. Boyd Park, located at Memorial Parkway in the town, is a 20-acre park that offers walking trails for people to walk along the Raritan River. It is a perfect location for a family picnic or to relax in the sun. Another free park for any outdoors fan is Buccleuch Park, located on Easton Avenue. This park is more than twice the size of Boyd Park, being more than 70 acres, with Buccleuch Mansion being located inside the park — one of New Brunswick’s oldest and historic landmarks and a sight to see.

Another spot that’ll let you be more immersed in nature is Rutgers Garden. Open year-round with free admission, Rutgers Garden is a botanical garden that offers a “living museum” for families to see and walk through the different gardens and plant collections — perfect for a picnic or a family photo for some greeting cards. Although it’s technically in North Brunswick, it’s just a short drive over the border.

Read More: Girl Scout DreamLab Will Open First East Coast Location in New Jersey NJ is Home to One of the Best Pizzerias in the World Foodies Love These Towns in NJ

The New Brunswick Performing Arts Center is hosting a unique one on one series of conversations with your favorite master chefs from the Food Network. A portion of the proceeds from the series will benefit Elijah’s Promise-Promise Culinary School.

The series starts in March and runs through June of 2025. Here is the incredible lineup:

Friday, March 14: Chef Rocco DiSpirito

Chef Rocco has authored fourteen successful cookbooks. He has worked in Paris alongside a few of the world’s most famous chefs.

He received three stars from the New York Times for his restaurant Union Pacific. His appearances on the Food Network have included Rocco’s Dinner Party, Top Chef and as a contestant on Tournament of Champions as both a contestant and judge.

Thursday, April 17: Chef Scott Conant

Chef Scott is an impressive two-time James Beard winner and in his 35-year career he has developed four cookbooks, several world class restaurants along with his consistent appearance on the Food Network’s Chopped since 2009.

According to the Food Network, Chef Scott will be hosting a new cooking competition on the TV network called House of Knives, which will debut later this spring.

Monday, May 12: Chef Alex Guarnaschelli

Chef Alex began her career in France and worked with world-renowned chef Guy Savoy in his three-star Michelin kitchen.

She was the executive chef at the famed Butter restaurant in New York City, she is an author, an Iron Chef and has been a staple of the Food Network TV lineup for many years, including hosting three of her own prime-time series.

Friday, June 27: Chef Andrew Zimmern

Chef Andrew is a four-time James Beard winner and has the distinction of winning an Emmy.

His globetrotting culinary finds have been shared with his TV audience. He is the creator, executive producer, and host of the Bizarre Foods franchise.

Chef Andrew has written four cookbooks, and his philanthropic work is incredible. He is the Global Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations World Food Programme and sits on the boards of several impactful charities to feed the hungry. His travels and food shares will make an interesting one-on-one that you will enjoy.

Tickets for the series are available at The NBPAC and there are VIP meet and greet ticket options available.

This is a great up close and personal look at some of the best chefs in the country. If you love cooking, this is a must series to catch.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host Big Joe Henry. Any opinions expressed are Big Joe’s own.

Report a correction ????

The Korpal family has their daughter to thank for their newest business endeavor.

Their daughter Sanjana loves the Baked Bear, a cookie ice cream sandwich chain that was founded in San Diego.

"We really need something like that in Jersey," she told her mother. "And you wouldn't have to worry about competitors because there are none."

The Korpal family is opening the first Middlesex County Baked Bear at 11 a.m. March 8 at 72 Easton Ave. in New Brunswick, just a few blocks from the Rutgers campus.

The first 50 customers will receive free cookie ice cream sandwiches.

The business will offer custom ice cream cookie sandwiches where customers can choose from cookie varieties such as chocolate chip, cookie monster, white chocolate macadamia nut, cookies and cream and butter cake.

Different cookie varieties will be able to be chosen for the top and bottom of the sandwich. Gluten-free cookies will also be available.

Customers will then be able to choose ice cream flavors such as dark chocolate, cookies and cream, mint chip, mud pie, bear batter, and blackberry crumble.

The sandwiches will be able to be rolled in toppings like brownie bites, mini M&M's, almonds, sprinkles, hot fudge, hot caramel and whipped cream.

The shop will also feature two cookies of the month and a seasonally-rotating ice cream flavor.

Other offerings will include ice cream, cookies, sundaes and warm cookie or brownie bowls with ice cream.

The New Brunswick location will be the second Central Jersey store, following a Westfield spot that opened last weekend.

"New Brunswick caters to a diverse crowd and is surrounded by hospitals and university," the Korpal family said. "A good dessert can bring a smile to the faces of most of the people in those institiutions."

The store will be about 1,100 square feet and have about 10 seats. It will replace Sparks Hair Design.

The Baked Bear was founded in 2013 by childhood friends Rob Robbins and Shane Stanger who left their former careers to open the first shop in San Diego.

The brand has locations in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

Go: 72 Easton Ave., New Brunswick; thebakedbear.com/locations/new-brunswick; opens March 8.

Contact: JIntersimone@MyCentralJersey.com

Jenna Intersimone has been a staff member at the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey since 2014, although she's a lifetime Jersey girl who considers herself an expert in everything from the Jersey Shore to the Garden State's buzzing downtowns. To get unlimited access to her stories about food, drink and fun, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. You can also follow her on Instagram at @seejennaeat and on Twitter at @JIntersimone.

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) Board has approved tax credits through the Aspire Program to support the second New Jersey Health + Life Science Exchange’s (HELIX) building in New Brunswick, known as H-2.

Nokia Bell Labs, the industrial research arm of Nokia, will serve as the main tenant of H-2, a 10-story, nearly 370,000-square-foot building that will be an innovation hub in the city’s downtown. The first phase of the HELIX was approved for Aspire tax credits in 2023.

The HELIX will bring together New Jersey’s public, private and academic sectors to create a world-class hub of innovation and a strong base of support and talent pipeline for innovative companies. The HELIX campus, consisting of three separate buildings, will provide 1.5 million square feet of multifaceted, state-of-the-art environments supporting the gamut of health and life science organizations and professions.

NJEDA CEO Tim Sullivan said the Aspire Program fuels catalytic development projects that transform communities into dynamic, transit-oriented hubs, ideal for living, working, and doing business.

"With today’s Aspire award, Nokia Bell Labs addition to the HELIX will further support New Brunswick’s innovation ecosystem by creating cutting-edge technology, high-quality jobs, and long-term economic growth that will benefit generations of New Jerseyans,” he stated.

Last month, the NJEDA announced it will partner with Nokia Bell Labs to launch a Strategic Innovation Center (SIC) consisting of the NJ Nokia Innovation Center and Bell Labs Venture Studio, both of which will eventually be located at H-2. Both components will be focused on enabling startups to accelerate and commercialize intellectual property from Nokia Bell Labs and local universities with an emphasis in the fields of communication, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and optical and wireless networks.

H-2 will be a research and development facility comprised of chemistry and biology laboratories, data centers, 3D printing areas, machine shops, office space and conference rooms. The main lobby of H-2 will include a technology showcase and a coffee shop, which will have access to the Paseo, a public outdoor space connecting the Rutgers campus, the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital District, the New Brunswick train station and the Government and Arts District in downtown New Brunswick.

SJP Properties is the lead developer of H-2 and was approved for Aspire tax credits of up to 80 percent of the eligible project cost, not to exceed $103.9 million.

Aspire is a place-based economic development program created under the New Jersey Economic Recovery Act of 2020 to support mixed-use, transit-oriented development with tax credits to commercial and residential real estate development projects that have financing gaps. All residential Aspire projects must include at least 20 percent affordable housing. As a performance-based program, projects must certify that all commitments established at time of approval have been met before receiving their first disbursement of tax credits.

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — On Tuesday, RWJBarnabas Health held a ribbon cutting for its brand-new, 15-story medical building in the heart of New Brunswick city center.

The building is called the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Ambulatory Medical Pavilion; it is located at 210 Somerset Street. It will open to the public in April.

It is located on the campus of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, in the heart of New Brunswick’s healthcare district. It is an outpatient building (not equipped for patients to sleep there overnight) and offers services in specialties including neuroscience, digestive care, cardiology/vascular (8th floor), Ear Nose and Throat/Head and Neck Surgery (11th floor) and cosmetic surgery (15th floor).

The building has more than 200 exam rooms, surgery rooms and a dedicated central sterile processing unit. It has a ground-floor lobby with a café and direct access to the Plum Street public parking garage (20 Plum Street). Valet parking is also available at the building's main entrance.

RWJBarnabas Health said it hopes the building will be a "destination for patients across New Jersey and the region with complex medical conditions."

Find out what's happening in New Brunswickfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The 229,000-square-foot building was built by AST, a New Jersey-based real estate investment, development and financing company. AST owns the building and leases it to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, owned by RWJBarnabas Health.

AST is a major developer in the city of New Brunswick. AST built:

The Ambulatory Medical Pavilion is evidence of the partnership between RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Health since its formal relationship was announced in 2017, forming New Jersey’s largest academic health system.

Tuesday's ribbon cutting was attended by AST President Robert D’Anton, RWJBarnabas Health President and CEO Mark Manigan, RWJUH CEO Bill Arnold and New Brunswick Mayor James Cahill.

"This ribbon cutting represents the realization of a vision nearly two decades in the making," said D'Anton. "We are proud to have partnered with RWJBarnabas Health, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, and the city of New Brunswick to bring this state-of-the-art facility to life. The completion of 210 Somerset Street expands access to essential ambulatory care services, strengthening New Brunswick’s role as a center for medical excellence and innovation.”

Construction was overseen by Torcon, Inc. Architecture and mechanical engineering services were provided by Jarmel Kizel, O’Donnell & Naccarato managed structural engineering and Langan Engineering led civil engineering. Financing was arranged by Jones Lang LaSalle Securities, legal land use services were provided by Kelso & Burgess, Esqs., and legal transactional services were provided by Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis LLP.