Hitzel made impact on SJ dining scene

Ed Hitzel was an early champion of the South Jersey restaurant scene.

Hitzel, who died Monday at age 64, was editor of a magazine about New Jersey restaurants that bore his name. It is a common site in South Jersey restaurants to see copies of "Ed Hitzel's Restaurant Magazine" near the hostess station or covers framed on a wall.

By all accounts, Hitzel died doing what he loved best — enjoying a meal out with friends, his wife, Susan, told the Associated Press.

The longtime food critic worked as an assistant features editor and assistant Sunday editor for The Press of Atlantic City until the early 1990s. Hitzel also hosted the "Hitzel's Table for One'' on WOND-1400 AM and WIP-610 AM.

He was a longtime friend and peer of Courier-Post Atlantic City columnist David Spatz, a Jersey Shore radio host for WOND.

Spatz devoted his "Curtain Call'' show to his friend earlier this week.

"Ed and I worked together at The Press of Atlantic City. In fact, he broke me in when I signed on as a reporter there in 1974,'' Spatz recalled in an email. "He left the paper in 1994, a couple of years before I bailed. But we never were out of touch, and we saw each other on a more regular basis when I came to the radio station as news director in 2011.

"He'd been hosting his weekly, three-hour restaurant show on our AM station for 20 years. Although he became synonymous with food and restaurants in South Jersey, he never lost his instincts as a news hound. Last Tuesday, when those bad storms were rolling across South Jersey, Eddie was texting me updates and road condition reports while I was on the air.''

Spatz credits Hitzel with changing the way South Jersey dines out.

"His restaurant reviews were honest and insightful and were meant to guide people into making informed decisions about how and where to spend their dining dollars. When he was critical of a restaurant, his intention was to help improve the place, not put it out of business or keep people away.''

"Eddie was a fun and gregarious guy — truly the life of the party — whose infectious laugh and passion for life often masked his serious side as a foodie and a businessman. ... His passing leaves a deep void in South Jersey dining.''

Stephen Wilson, pastry chef at Ritz Carlton in Atlantic City and former owner of Sweet Life Bakery in Vineland, said of Hitzel: "Ed is a giant in the South Jersey restaurant scene. His magazines are a huge hit, and it's great to see local chefs and restaurants profiled on the cover and in the magazine. We were on the cover once, and the photo shoot was a lot of fun. And again, it gave us great exposure to all of South Jersey.''

Derek Timm, Bluejeanfoodcritic and recent regular contributor to Ed's show, says Hitzel was ahead of his time.

"Ed has been advocating for an 'Eat Fresh and Local' mentality from the start of his career. He was a trendsetter back then and now is part of much larger movement in the society that wants to know where their food is coming from. What he stands for is timeless.''

A last word

At the time of his death, Hitzel was working with me on a story about his career for the Courier-Post. Here are portions of a Q&A:

Q: How much did growing up in the hotel industry influence your career?

A: "It was the basis for what I know about food and the hospitality business. I had a magic childhood, growing up in the best hotels in the country, The Shelburne, Dennis, and LaFayette in Atlantic City, and the Marriott on City Line Avenue in Philadelphia. All of these places were unique and excellent. I hung out in the kitchens and restaurants and watched how things were made, and got to taste everything. Learned what a prime steak was, cold water lobster tail, and everything made from scratch. I didn't appreciate it at the time, but at a young age I was getting a rare education in fine kitchens and in fine dining. I was a permanent intern in the best kitchens (and lobbies) and the bosses took a liking to me and taught me things and allowed me to taste. I could never do what I do without that background and the people, chefs, line cooks, hospitality people, who saw that I wanted to learn and decided to teach me something."

A: When did you know food was going to be your life's work?

"It happened gradually. When I was a kid I used to get my mom's spices out of the kitchen, pour them on a plate, and try to identify them. I remember tasting Lobster Newburg for the first time, and the joy of rare prime rib at a buffet in one of the hotels (The Fjord Room of The Dennis.) My mom was a great cook, gifted and passionate. The food flavors of my childhood are memorable and intense, her grilled chicken, strawberry shortcake, even her breakfasts. In another life she might have owned a very successful restaurant."

Q: When did you start writing for the Atlantic City Press? How did that come about?

"I would sit in my bedroom on the floor and type out a novel and took it to the editor of The Press. I was like 17. He was nice to me, read part of it, and said that's not what we are looking for but keep writing. I started writing what they were looking for, features, and kept bringing them to him. He finally printed one and gave me a job as a copy boy. I just never gave up. They had to hire me."

Q: What about the magazine and the newsletter — why did you start them?

A: "I started the newsletter because I had left The Press and many people were asking me where they could read my reviews. The first issue was four pages. I never thought it would be a profitable venture, or intended it to be, but it has become a monthly effort for 23 years. The magazine started for two reasons. One, the newsletter got too big. Two, I was writing for a magazine that existed at the time and the new publisher told me she was firing me because she wanted her own writers and didn't know who I was. So I started my own magazine."

Q: How easy (or hard) was it to make the jump into radio and television?

A: "I wrote the radio station a letter, and when I didn't hear from anyone, I went over there. They gave me an hour. It worked. Television just happened. People came to me and asked me to get involved in several projects. I feel blessed. I have had and still have many guardian angels."

Associated Press and David Spatz contributed to this report