The Personal Injury Attorney in Jeysey City, NJ, You Can Trust

Food trucks can be amazing. If you think of a restaurant on wheels as something only serving up dirty water dogs, you’re stuck in the past.

New Jersey has a wide variety of gourmet-level food available through mobile options. It allows a chef to serve all parts of the state or to extend a brick-and-mortar restaurant’s brand and introduce it at festivals and events.

Yelp just released its annual ranking of the top 100 food trucks in America. Only one truck from New Jersey made the list. And it’s not the first time they were honored on a Yelp best list.

Wisp Express is, of all things, a sushi truck. They’re based out of Jersey City. If you think that’s a tough food to keep fresh and serve properly from a food truck, you’re right, but they manage to make it work.

They have fresh fish brought in every single morning from New York City, and their stuff looks as good as it tastes.

They landed at #75 on the nation’s Best 100 Food Trucks of 2025 list on Yelp. The three chefs who operate Wisp Express should be very proud. They only began this endeavor 6 years ago. To get this level of recognition and to be the only food truck from New Jersey to land on the list is outstanding.

They move around various parts of Jersey City quite a bit. If you follow them on Instagram, they’ll give you their daily locations. Personally, I would love it if they could cut a deal to be part of Laurita Winery’s Food Truck Festivals that you’ve heard me talk about. A glass of wine with their sushi? That could be the best part of my weekend.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

Firefighters searched for reported "trespassers" after a fire destroyed 2 Jersey City buildings and sent 8 to the hospital.

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Eight firefighters were sent to the hospital and two buildings collapsed early Thursday morning after a fire began in a vacant structure in downtown Jersey City, officials said.

The fire, in a vacant three-family home at Fourth and Monmouth streets — in the historic Harsimus Cove neighborhood — began shortly after 1:30 a.m., said city public safety spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione.

The blaze then spread to a vacant two-family house next door.

Both structures — at 319 Fourth St. and 321 Fourth St. — collapsed within a half hour of firefighters arriving, she said.

Local residents reported possible trespassers who they said were staying within the vacant building at the time of the fire, she said.

Responders searched the collapsed buildings for any possible victims, but none were found, she said.

The Red Cross helped relocated five people living in neighboring buildings, Wallace-Scalcione said.

She said seven firefighters and one fire captain were taken to the local hospital for minor injuries, including smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion.

"As a result of the JCFD’s swift and commendable work, the occupied neighboring residential buildings sustained only exterior damage, limited to the walls just feet away from the burning buildings," she said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Trespassers?

Councilwoman Amy DeGise gave an account of the fire in a statement Thursday.

"Last night, Jack got a call about a fire on Fourth Street," she said. "He could see the smoke from our window in Greenville and rushed to the scene. Jersey City experienced a horrible three-alarm fire in a vacant building that spread on both sides. Families are displaced but safe, and six of our finest were injured while battling the flames for hours. Because of their efforts, the fire was brought under control and no lives were lost."

She noted, "If there is a vacant building on your street, please report if it is missing signage or if people are trespassing to Resident Response or the Division of Housing Preservation. Please keep the JCFD and the Fourth St. Community in your thoughts today."

Wallace-Scalcione said that both buildings were wood frame structures.

Patch will update this story if more details are released.

BRB, The Hoboken Girl is on vacation this week. Even though we’re OOO until July 13th, we have compiled a list of things to do this week in the area for locals to browse through. This list of events on this weekend’s roster includes Pokémon Club at the Hoboken Public Library, an aura photo pop-up at Serendipity Crystals in Jersey City, and HDSID’s Handmade Market at Grove Street PATH Plaza. Below is the list of (over 160!) Hoboken + Jersey City events happening this weekend, July 10th through July 13th, 2025. Don’t forget — you can also submit your events to our community guide HERE.

Disclaimer: This is a community resource. Submit events HERE and view the full calendar HERE. The Hoboken Girl is not affiliated with hosting unless explicitly stated.

Pier A Walkway Hoboken Waterfront

Sunday — July 13th at 11AM-4PM

Main Street Pops’ popular monthly Hoboken Artisan Markets will be popping up on the Hoboken Waterfront in July + August. These summer pop-ups at the Pier A Walkway will feature 60+ local artisan vendors as well as lots of extra summer fun, including kite flying, bubbles, lawn games, art activities, and much more.

Provost Square Plaza Jersey City

Every other Wednesday — July 16th-August 13th at 6PM

Up next in this free series is a concert that explores the idea of home through music by Resident Artistic Partner Allison Loggins-Hull, a program of East Asian music, and an evening of Indian music.

Dorrian’s Red Hand 555 Washington Street, Jersey City

Friday — July 11th at 7:30PM + 9:45PM Saturday — July 12th at 6:30PM + 9PM

Enjoy four comedy shows this week, featuring comedians from America’s Got Talent, Comedy Central, Animal Planet, Laughing Skull Comedy Fest, and more. Show tickets are $25 for all shows plus a 2-item minimum per person + 20% gratuity.

Our downloadable Summer Glow Up Guide 2025 has over 30 deals exclusively for HG readers — from skincare studios to fitness classes + just about everything in between. The guide is valid from Wednesday, 6/18, through Wednesday, 7/31, so be sure to take advantage of these deals ASAP.

This 2-bed, 1-bath apartment in Hoboken is available to rent for $4,300 per month. The property features large windows, an updated kitchen with stainless steel appliances, a dedicated parking space, and other amenities.

View The Local Girl’s Real Estate Directory here — which has 90+ listings just this week.

Jersey City has scheduled the 50th Anniversary of Summerfest for July and August at Liberty State Park with dozens of free events planned.

This year’s golden anniversary runs through Aug. 17:

In addition to live music, Summerfest offers free parking and easy access to the Hudson River waterfront.

The “Movies in the Park” series will be a centerpiece of summer programming at multiple locations, according to the the Jersey City Office of Cultural Affairs website.

The outdoor film screenings will begin at 8:30 p.m. on the following dates:

Music enthusiasts can enjoy the Berry Lane Music Fest, which will be held on multiple Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m:

The popular Summer Fest series is planned for every Sunday from 6 to 8 p.m. at North Cove Field:

There will be additional Tuesday events from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at South Lawn:

To view more about summer concerts and films, visit the Jersey City Office of Cultural Affairs website.

Check out the city’s event calendar for July and August.

For more information, visit jerseycityculture.org, email culturalaffairs@jcnj.org or call the Jersey City Office of Cultural Affairs at 201-547-6921.

Generative AI was used to produce an initial draft of this story, which was reviewed and edited by NJ Advance Media staff.

If you grew up with a family in the restaurant business, you are familiar with the tight-knit bonds that form in the throes of such a challenging industry. These relationships are often what make the rambunctious dinner rushes and tight financial margins worthwhile. For the Barge Inn, located at 324 3rd Street in Jersey City, the Cheers-like atmosphere and traditional Italian decor are the key to its charm. Read on to learn more about Barge Inn’s 56 years (and counting) of business as the oldest Italian restaurant in Jersey City.

Barge Inn’s roots trace back to 1969, when the current owner, Linda Paldino’s father, John Marto, set up shop on the corner of Third Street and Monmouth Street. Linda recalled her fond childhood memories in the restaurant, watching as a 12-year-old girl while the iconic murals featuring Italian landscapes were being painted by Anna Cucci, the wife of former Jersey City Mayor Anthony Cucci. Because of its old school Italian character, the restaurant functioned as the filming location for Lily of the Feast, a short film starring Goodfellas’ Paul Sorvino. Linda now owns the building and oversees the restaurant alongside her husband, Peter “Bitsy” Paldino. Linda’s brother, Richie, runs the adjacent Barge Inn Saloon at 410 Monmouth Street.

The family aura of the restaurant extends beyond the bounds of blood relatives as well, with many staff members staying with the company for more than 10 years. Debbie Ann Farley, who waits, bartends, and serves as Linda’s right-hand woman, has been with the business for 15 years. Long-time customer and close friend of Linda, Angela Chopra, described the restaurant as a “gem” which she has been coming to since she moved from the United Kingdom to her apartment across the street 16 years ago. Angela described her first time timidly entering the restaurant and meeting Linda, which was the genesis of their friendship. “I live two miles away now, but I have only ever lived a couple miles away. It is my staple. We have so many stories, I call her my best friend. I have traveled all over the world but this is the place to be. It’s safe here.”, Angela said of the restaurant.

Linda reflected on employees come and gone, even though many stay at the restaurant for a lifetime. Her husband Bitsy, who is now retired from the kitchen, was by far the longest-running and most influential cook in the restaurant’s history. Aside from Bitsy, Linda expressed gratitude for her experience working with a classically trained chef from Johnson + Wales University, Chopped: Julia Child’s Kitchen contestant Andrew Wagner. “He was one of the best chefs I have ever had”, Linda said of his time at Barge Inn.

Aside from the people, Barge Inn has preserved other elements of tradition in the last half-century. Patron-selected music is one concept, starting with a jukebox, which was then updated to a model stocked with CDs, and is now the modern version in TouchTunes. Another tradition popular among customers old and new is the complimentary limoncello.

Most importantly, the menu of authentic Italian cuisine has gone mostly unchanged, incorporating family recipes in dishes like the Pork Chops Bitsy and the Homemade Italian Cheesecake, based on Bitsy’s mother’s recipe.

An obstacle for other small businesses that Barge Inn has been able to overcome is rising food costs. Linda credits the Inn’s decades-long relationships with suppliers for helping despite the fact that the costs of food, particularly chicken and eggs, have not eased since the Pandemic-era price surges. Linda expressed the importance of supporting local restaurants in the face of challenges, citing the recent closure of nearby Hudson Hound, saying, “It’s sad, I like having restaurants around, I want it to be lively. I don’t want a ghost town, I like people.”

Favorites of regulars like Angela include Shrimp Scampi and Chicken Milanese. For Bitsy, who is credited with designing the majority of the menu, his favorite is “Everything.” The restaurant’s signature takes on classic dishes include the Franchese-Style Artichoke Hearts, which HG was lucky enough to try, and Chicken a la Barge, which features prosciutto and mushrooms. Vegetarians are also in luck with many meat-free dishes, including ravioli served with a decadent vodka sauce.

When it comes to the classics, it does not get any more authentic than the Chicken Parmagiana with the breaded cutlet delicious enough to stand on its own, elevated by an exemplary ratio of mozzarella and sauce.