Affordable Eats: These fourth of July specials will please your pallet and your wallet - nj.com

This Fourth of July, you can feast on a rack of ribs and grilled chicken at Halifax in Hoboken, New Jersey, photographed on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.Provided by Halifax

In honor of the Fourth of July, the holiday that means the world to immigrants who have made America their home, this week’s Affordable Eats will be about a Canadian immigrant and his restaurant, which is making considerable noise in the culinary world.

So, put on your red, white and blue, then get comfortable and read on!

Welcome to Halifax in Hoboken, a restaurant that features Northeastern farm and coastal cuisine with local and sustainable ingredients. Most of these ingredients come from farmers, fishermen and food artisans in Delaware and all the way North to Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia.

At the helm of Halifax since its founding in 2015 is Chef Seadon Shouse. He has been featured in multiple publications, including Forbes, Food & Wine, The Wellness Feed, Manhattan Digest, New Jersey Monthly, the New York Time and Sonoma Magazine. His book, "From the Hill by the Sea‚" is a featured cookbook at New York City’s Kitchen Arts & Letters Bookstore.

“As a Canadian, the Fourth of July means a lot. It’s a celebration of the country that gave me a place to grow, cook, and share my heritage,” Shouse said. “At Halifax, we’ve created a unique take on traditionally American dishes and made them affordable to everyone.”

Next week, on the Fourth of July, you can feast on a half rack of house-smoked pork ribs with barbecue sauce, potato salad and grilled corn for ($25) or a grilled half chicken with herb chimichurri, summer squash orzo and heirloom tomato salad, also for ($25). Each of those specials could easily feed two people. Now, that’s a deal!

On the Fourth of July, patrons can indulge in a decadent cocktail at Halifax in Hoboken, New Jersey, photographed on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.Provided by Halifax

You’ll need a drink? No worry. Beers will be ($4), and wines, ($8). Or you may venture into a dreamy cocktail for ($12): The strawberry rhubarb moonshine with Veuve du Vernay sparkling wine. (The moonshine is from Still Fired Distilleries in Nova Scotia).

If you’re feeling fancy, go for the Lobster Roll with Potato Wedges for ($25), or the seaweed butter-roasted New Jersey oysters with cracker crumble for ($18).

As you may have noticed, much intentionality goes into sourcing every dish, especially the Jersey oysters.

“We harvest the seaweed from the Jersey shore, and we use locally grown produce and Barnegat oysters,” Shouse said. “We keep our ingredients local and sustainable, and we respect the ingredients and the land they come from. That’s what it’s all about.”

The vibe is elegant yet comfortable at Halifax in Hoboken, New Jersey, photographed above on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.Provided by Halifax

Chef Shouse grew up in a small fishing village near Nova Scotia in rural Canada. At a young age, he harvested wild mussels and fished for mackerel around his family’s off-the-grid home. His parents grew their own food, which encouraged him to turn the basic into the delectable by using local and sustainable methods and relying on his skills.

“We make everything from scratch at Halifax, like dry aging our own steaks and making our own sea salt from Montauk water,” Shouse said. “Growing up foraging, fishing and cooking over open fire shaped everything I do. I try to channel that sense of resourcefulness and reverence for ingredients from my youth. If I can make it myself, I do. That’s the heart of what we serve: honest food made with intention.”

Enjoy the Fourth of July holiday and give Halifax in Hoboken a try, but please make sure you display the colors!

Karim Shamsi-Basha may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter & Instagram.

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