COLLINGSWOOD STAYS HOME

MAY, 2020

At the corner of Haddon and Frazer sits one of Collingswood’s most popular restaurants. Since opening their doors in 2017, Hearthside continues to impress, and is steadily the hardest reservation to get in town. Just before the pandemic, my husband and I got out for a date night to celebrate his birthday. We still talk about that night - from the food (coconut curry mussels!) to the ambiance - it was perfect. I can’t wait until their doors open again to diners. Until then, keep checking their instagram @hearthsidebyob for updates.

I caught up with Lindsay and Dominic just before pick-up time of their limited date-night worthy take out meals. In between portraits, we chatted about how the pandemic is affecting them as business owners and parents.

What has been the weirdest or most difficult part of this time for you and your family?: Closing our business. We worked for years to finally open our restaurant, and when we did we were incredibly successful.

What is your silver lining? What have you been enjoying about these days at home?: We have an 8 month old baby. She is a bright light during all of this. She’s enjoying the time with mom and dad!

How has this time changed you and your family? What has surprised you the most?: We’ve grown closer for sure. We’ve enjoyed quality time with our family that we never would have had. Every Friday and Saturday when we do takeout, it’s a family affair. I’ve been the most surprised at how good Dominic is at changing a diaper!

How do you expect this to change your life or society moving forward?: I mean, it’s frightening. Who knows what’s to come or when we’ll ever be able to operate at 100 percent capacity.

What are you most looking forward to when the stay at home order is lifted and things reopen?: Opening of course! We miss our guests...they have become our family and we can’t wait to see them!

Why is this time meaningful for you to document?: Because hopefully this will never, ever happen again in our lifetime. My daughter will never remember this, and hopefully our business will recover.

What do you love most about Collingswood?: It’s quaint, artistic, family driven, and fun!

Anything else you'd like to share with me?: We love this town and can’t wait to come back tenfold!