A Happy, Homegrown Food Adventure Awaits Your Palate at Waterwitch Grocer & Gourmet; Plus~Hosting NBC’s “Produce Pete” 8/16!
Feeding souls and hearts with beautiful gardens and floral designs proved so alluring, so consuming, that the creative team at In the Garden must surely have been compelled to extend the love and feed our bellies too! This award-winning dream team opened Waterwitch next door, not that long ago. The gourmet grocery is food-forward and at the same time, hearkens back to the local, homegrown, hospitable family shops you thought were long gone…
No less an authority than WNBC’s “Produce Pete,” the beloved guy-next-door will celebrate the Garden State’s local Waterwitch, August 16th.
Produce Pete & Susan Bloom ~ Courtesy of authors
With over 70 years in the produce business, and recognized as America’s premier Grocer, “Produce Pete” will shine a light on the Waterwitch Neighborhood Grocer & Gourmet and its commitment to fresh, seasonal, gourmet, organic, and plant-based options.
Pete Napolitano has been talking about the virtues of vegetables and his fondness for fruit on NBC’s “Saturday Morning in New York” as “Produce Pete” for 30 years, making it one of the longest-running segments in television history.
From 10 am to 1 pm, Pete will be signing his books: Farmacopeia, They Call Me Produce Pete (a memoir) and his cookbook In the Kitchen with Bette and Produce Pete ~ that according to Amazon, showcases, “Napolitano’s heritage through a delightful cookbook featuring cherished family recipes, memories, tips, and anecdotes” from his and his beloved wife Bette’s kitchen. Bette is a baker and cook; she and Pete make quite the family culinary team.
You can visit with “Produce Pete,” get his advice on fresh, seasonal ingredients available for purchase right there, and meet the owners of Waterwitch Neighborhood Grocer & Gourmet.
The owners, Nancy Burton and Eileen have operated their successful In the Garden Flowers & Plants since 2005. In the Garden has been a favored, well-respected, florist, all-season garden center with unique plant accessories, and landscape design business ever since. I’ve known the co-owners for decades. In fact, they worked with me at my garden design business, Duchess Designs for horticulture work. They are both smart, dedicated, and thoughtful, committed professionals who care very much about their creations and their clients.
Co-owners Nancy (L) & Eileen
Nancy is also a graduate of The New York Botanical Garden’s (NYBG) School of Professional Horticulture (SoPH). I worked at NYBG and taught at the SoPH; I know how very rigorous this program is. So I can say without any prejudice or bias 😉 that SoPH is one of the best, if not The Best school for training horticulturists in the country. Nancy’s love for gardens and plants and flowers has been unwavering. Along with Eileen, they’ve earned their reputation as the premier, go-to place for plant lovers.
These Jersey girls are creative, talented, hard-working, and entrepreneurial.
And in the true romance of the Legend of the “Water Witch” in Highlands ~ the very hamlet where their shops are, has its roots in the James Fenimore Cooper novel, "The Water-Witch.” Cooper frequently visited the Highlands area, working on fishing boats there at the waterfront; he described the setting as a beautiful combination of land and water. It still is.
The novel is a sea adventure set in the area, featuring a pirate ship, a woman named Fairy, a British captain, a mysterious pirate ship, and a strong-willed woman.
So it’s not alltogether a bit of literary license to suggest that the co-owners are a kind of manifestation of the “strong-willed” and Fairy characters. 💪🧚
After all, they bring a magical beauty and abundance to their community.
But it was nonetheless a delightful surprise to learn from Nancy that she and Eileen had opened the Waterwitch gourmet grocery. This spring, I ran into Nancy while escorting Mother to her weekly Physical Therapy session. (This was prior to Mother’s tripping and fracturing her knee cap, which changed life as we knew it…) Nancy was there with her son. I was so excited to see the new place and write about it. I think we headed to the shop straight away after PT.
What a beautiful space! I love the visual impact of the black exterior and cafe. The interior is laid out for ease of perusing ~ Not that typical grocery story layout of fresh foods on the perimeter and packaged goods in the aisles… ^:^
It was wonderful to be able to take the time to shop so many quality items.
And there are caring staff ~ or owners(!) to help you with the offerings! What a rare, value-add service.
Waterwitch offers a superior, curated selection from produce, to breads, to snacks (the good kind!) And old-fashioned, nostalgic ones, too,
Dairy ~ from our favorite local “milkman,” Two River Dairy ~
to flours, cheeses, dips, pastries, gourmet coffee at their “cozy coffee counter,” and more.
Good news is that while it’s very cool to stroll the space and luxuriate in the offerings ~ (it’s like a jewelry store, but better), you can also purchase online.
I told you they are committed to their customers..
We straight away were smitten with the Avocado Bread along with fresh Italian breads, Vanleeuwen Ice Creams, Bell & Evans chicken cool spices, cheese, gourmet rice mixes and mac n’cheese, and especially, the Pachamama Juice Bar. Mother and I have been loyal fans ever since the first sip.
Giovana’s story of healing and love captures your heart, too. Her juices, made on site, are brimming with rich ingredients, including fruits, vegetables, herbs, and “superfoods.” We can’t get enough of her turmeric and ginger-infused potions! They are delicious and good for you.
I felt a union straight away when I saw the name, Pacha Mama, the moniker given to Mother Nature that I recognized from years of working in Ecuador. Giovana is originally from Peru and that shared reverence for nature and holistic healing is a dream come true in our pursuit of a ready-made nutrient to help us stay healthy. Pacha Mama is now part of our wellness regime.
In addition to the cold-pressed juice (made with love) are smoothies and acai bowls.
Waterwitch is located on a sweet street in Highlands ~ named the Waterwitch (naturally!) ~ in the Garden State, next door to their shop, In the Garden, and across from a park and on Saturdays, the Farmer’s Market.
Plan to grab a gourmet coffee, and sit awhile enjoying a conversation and “slow” shopping.
Or stop by on our way to and from the Seastreak ferry to Gotham.
It’s grocery shopping the way it is meant to be…
Thank you, Nancy and Eileen. (Waterwitch Fairies)
