Hello, Cherry Hill! 👋
First up: One of the best tomato pie spots in the region can be found in Cherry Hill, according to The Inquirer’s Food team. Also this week, a traveling bookstore is popping up at the Cherry Hill Mall, Chef Joe Brown, formerly of Melange Cafe, is reviving the eatery, albeit with a new look and in a new location, and a Cherry Hill man has been charged with fraud.
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Cherry Hill is home to an eatery with one of the region’s best tomato pies, according to The Inquirer’s Food team.
But don’t expect to find it on the menu.
Santucci’s, which expanded to Cherry Hill last November in the Holly Ravine Plaza on Springdale Road, is known for its square pizzas and is the “standard-bearer” for sauce-topped slices, reports restaurant critic Craig LaBan. To get a proper tomato pie, though, you’ll need to order a square pizza without mozzarella cheese, something better done in person or on the phone.
See why this secret menu tomato pie is among the best in the region.
💡 Community News
In case you missed it, a South Jersey native’s Jane Austen-themed traveling bookstore is making its debut this weekend at a pop-up at the Cherry Hill Mall. Get to know its founder and how a breast cancer scare inspired her to pursue her dream of opening a bookstore.
A Cherry Hill man, James Young, has been charged by federal prosecutors with conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud, as well as violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, through his Philadelphia-based business, ViaClean Technologies, LLC. He and others allegedly conspired to sell pesticides they claimed were effective at killing SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID.
Following last week’s shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis, Cherry Hill police will have an increased presence at places of worship and schools, out of precaution. (Patch)
Renuva HRT & Wellness, which specializes in personalized biomedical hormone replacement therapy for those going through menopause, perimenopause, and andropause, is expanding its practice in Woodland Falls Corporate Center. Dr. Luisa Galdi, a board-certified OBGYN and a Menopause Society certified practitioner, is joining the practice. (ROI-NJ)
The library is partnering with nonprofit Cradles to Crayons to collect new and gently used clothing, shoes, and winter accessories, in addition to new socks, underwear, diapers, and baby wipes. The drive runs through Sept. 14, and items can be dropped in the library’s lobby.
Cherry Hill is one of several South Jersey townships whose police are working with Side by Side’s domestic violence response team. Its volunteers provide confidential support to victims of human trafficking, sexual assault, and other violence. (South Jersey Local News)
Speaking of law enforcement, Friday is the last day to submit an application to become a Cherry Hill police officer. Find more information here.
Longtime Cherry Hill firefighter Gary Miller Jr. retired Monday after 25 years of service throughout the region. During his career, Miller was awarded several EMS Departmental Incident Individual Awards and other accolades for helping save lives.
🏫 Schools Briefing
East’s student population is among the largest of high schools in New Jersey, according to enrollment from 2023-24. It ranked No. 30 in the state for its 2,090 students. West is considerably smaller, having enrolled 1,285 students that same year. Cherry Hill’s alternative high school program enrolled just 38 students that year, making it among the smallest programs statewide. (NJ.com)
🍽️ On our Plate
Chef Joe Brown, who was behind the popular, but now-closed Melange Cafe in Cherry Hill and Haddonfield, is working on a new venture that will be known as Melange. The Bucks County restaurant will focus on Louisiana-meets-Italian cuisine and have a white-tablecloth vibe, The Inquirer’s Michael Klein reports.
Greens and Grains, a plant-based chain eatery with locations throughout New Jersey, opened its most recent outpost yesterday in the Ellisburg Shopping Center. The eatery is known for its vegan and vegetarian bowls, smoothies, sandwiches, salads, and cold-pressed juices and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
A little non-Cherry Hill news: The Inquirer’s Craig LaBan recently dined at Oba Mediterranean Grill in Collingswood, located in a converted Victorian home on Haddon Avenue. He called the restaurant “one of the most satisfying traditional Turkish kitchens in the region right now.”
🎳 Things to Do
🍕 National Pizza Day Skate: Celebrate the day with a pizza box relay, a ninja turtle character appearance, skating, a scavenger hunt, and, of course, pizza. ⏰ Friday, Sept. 5, 6:30-9:30 p.m. 💵 $14 admission 📍 Hot Wheelz
🐈 Hello Kitty Cafe Truck: This Hello Kitty-themed mobile retailer will have a selection of cafe treats and merchandise available for purchase outside the mall near Old Navy. ⏰ Saturday, Sept. 6, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Cherry Hill Mall
🎡 Community Day at the J: The Katz JCC is hosting a community carnival-style celebration complete with arcade games, inflatables, face painting, mini golf, Kona ice, and more. The event is free to attend with the donation of two kosher food items for the Betsy & Peter Fischer Food Pantry. ⏰ Sunday, Sept. 7, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Katz JCC
🎼 Barbershop Quartet Performance: Burlington County male quartet Duly Noted will perform a cappella. ⏰ Sunday, Sept. 7, 3-4 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Cherry Hill Library
🎥 Monday Movie: The library will show September 5, which takes place during the 1972 Summer Olympics, when a group of athletes were held hostage. ⏰ Monday, Sept. 8, 2-4 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Cherry Hill Library
🏡 On the Market
A four-bedroom throwback Colonial with a pool
Located in the Barclay section of Cherry Hill, this 1962 Colonial features a number of old-school elements. The first floor has a living room with a double-sided fireplace that’s also visible in the family room, plus a dining room with a bay window. The throwback kitchen includes an enamel oven and push-button range, as well as original pine cabinetry, all of which are accented by overhead wood beams. There’s also a laundry room, half bathroom, and three-season room on the first floor. There are four bedrooms upstairs, including a primary suite with a walk-in closet. Out back, there’s an in-ground pool and a storage shed.
See more photos from the property here.
Price: $589,000 | Size: 2,141 SF
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Dining and Cooking