Beyond New York City’s surplus of dining options, splattered like glitter through the grid-marked streets, stretch quieter roads that wind towards places less traveled. Miles apart amidst the tumbling hillscapes, one may find, if they’re lucky, an exquisite place to eat.

I myself grew up on a dirt road an hour from Manhattan, in a setting my West Coast relatives wouldn’t believe was actually New Jersey. In early adulthood, I fled to Los Angeles, Milan and London before returning to the Garden State in 2013—and relished that some of the industry’s most prestigious culinary talents have, too, made their way back to more pastoral pastures after tenures at prestigious restaurants and culinary publications. Over the last five years, I have witnessed veterans from Chez Panisse, Per Se, the Ritz-Carlton and Saveur settle down in small-town kitchens just an hour beyond the boroughs—and it is absolutely worth the reverse commute.

While heavy-hitters from renowned hospitality ventures are enough of an excuse to ditch the reservation queue in Manhattan for a day, there are plenty of untapped treasures throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York State, from bed-and-breakfasts to unique supper series. Many of these lesser-known spots with comforting ambiances and quality bites make it well worth a 40 to 90 minute drive from the hustle and bustle of busy city life. And, due to their bucolic settings, farm-to-fork becomes far easier and more accessible. In fact, one may find themselves having breakfast on Broadway, plucking strawberries from sun-ripened soil in the middle of nowhere at lunch and eating hand-harvested beet risotto in a renovated stable by dusk.