Jersey Food Critic Ed Hitzel DEAD

South Jersey food critic and former Press of Atlantic City editor Ed Hitzel died Monday night while attending dinner at an area restaurant.

Hitzel was at his favorite eatery, Joe’s Maplewood in Hammonton, when he suffered a fatal heart attack.

“Ed Hitzel was at one of his favorite restaurants having dinner with close friends when he suffered fatal cardiac arrest this evening,” said Susan Hitzel, his wife of 33 years. “Our family would like to thank the staff at the Maplewood in Hammonton; the first responders, nurse and doctor at the restaurant; and the entire AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center team – all of whom tried so hard to save him. Eddie was so proud of our two adult children, Nicholas and Natalie.”

After leaving The Press in the early 1990s, he became editor of his own publication, Ed Hitzel’s Restaurant Magazine, and was the host of Hitzel’s Table for One radio show on WOND-1400 AM and WIP-610 AM in Philadelphia.