September 2014 Packet Magazine

PMfineliving.com September 2014

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What’s In StoreA trio of shopping centers

Find the perfect food for your next party

Catering toYour Guests

Pet ProjectsKeeping your furry friend happy and healthy

Since 1991

Lic. # 13VH00844400

� | Packet Magazine | September �014

September �014

contents

22 Pampered Pets: Fine living for furry friends

29 Catered Affairs: Taking home entertaining to the next level

36 A Life in Flamenco: Lisa Botalico shares her passion for dance in Princeton

On the Cover: Beau Vierling of Columbus with his great dane Bunkley. See Page 22 to find out where to find the best for your pet. Cover photo by Phil McAuliffe.

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4 | Packet Magazine | September �014

08 What’s New: The latest and the greatest

10 Favorte Things: For the dogs and other pets

12 On the Vine: Wine list navigation 101

16 What’s in Store: A trio of shopping centers

38 On the Block: The old and the new

42 Good Taste: Cooking with your autumn bounty

44 It’s a Date: Things to do close to home

47 Social Scene: Fundraiser at Terhune

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pmfineliving.com | �

� | Packet Magazine | September �014

JAMES B. KILGOREPresident and Publisher

BRADLEY M. KOLTZGeneral Manager

CALhOun J. KILLEEn JR.Editor

CORRInE MuLFORDMagazine Manager

AnThOnY STOECKERTManaging Editor

Contributing WritersFAITh BAhADuRIAn

ChARLEY FALKEnBuRGKEITh LORIASALLY STAnG

BERnADETTE SuSKI-hARDInGSTEPhAnIE VACCARO

PATRICK WALSh

PhIL MCAuLIFFEStaff Photographer

JOE KAnASKA MInERVA TRInIDAD

Art & Design

LET uS KnOW! Packet Magazine welcomes your feedback, suggestions and story ideas about notable people and places, trendy hot spots and upcoming

events happening in the Princeton area.

Contact us:E-mail: [email protected]

Mail: �00 Witherspoon St., Princeton, nJ 08�40Telephone: 609-874-21�9

© 2014 the Princeton Packet Inc.All rights reserved. Published by Packet Media Group

�00 Witherspoon St.Princeton, nJ 08�40

To advertise: 609-874-219�pmfineliving.com

Come see your new locally owned and operated hardware store.• Great selection• Easy-to-shop layout• Everything you would expect from a

hardware store and so much more

• 2nd Generation Family Owned Hardware Store, with over 50 years experience

• Weber Grills• Benjamin Moore Paints• Services including color matching,

screen/window repair, lock rekeying and lamp rewiring

We have one goal: To be the best hardware store in town!

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*Located next to the Montgomery ShopRite

Join True Value Rewards and Save!

Earn points for your purchases at participating True Value stores. As you accumulate points, we will send you valuable discounts.

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©2010 TrueValue® Company. All rights reserved.

Don’t miss our huge grand openingcelebrationOctober 3rd-6th.

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8 | Packet Magazine | September 2014

What’s NewRead all about the area’s latest happenings

By Keith Loria

f you’re looking for a great place for your dog to go when you are going away for a few hours, a day or even a long vacation, All Good Dogs Daycare, with three locations in Central Jersey (Plainsboro,

Lawrence and Cherry Hill), is the perfect home-away-from-home for your pet.

“We are a combination of a few different things. We are a doggy daycare, but we’re also a cage-free boarding facility,” says Carole Lini, owner of the daycare. “We always do an evaluation to make sure your dog is a good fit and gets along with other four-legged friends.”

All Good Dogs Daycare recently had a renovation of its boutique location at 113 Schalks Crossing Road in South Brunswick Township, and is celebrating its grand opening this month.

“We are family owned and operated and we call it a boutique because it’s just a house for the dogs to play, with large park-like settings, huge trees and ample room inside and out,” Lini says. “We have made a com-mitment to always put your dog’s safety and happiness first.”

Something for Everyone

Additionally, the company offers a pet-sitting service for dogs and/or cats content to stay in their own homes.

For more information, visit allgooddogsdaycare.com.

Kitchen Kapers Celebrates 25 Years

Your neighborhood kitchenware store is celebrating a big anniver-sary as Kitchen Kapers has called Palmer Square home for the past 25 years.

“We like inspiring a little homemade fun, and are happy to help you find all the cooking tools you need to create your masterpiece meals right at home, in your own kitchen,” says Bob Kratchman, president of Kitchen Kapers. “We pride ourselves on providing our customers with service that is friendly, personalized, knowledgeable, and efficient. We like helping people discover a passion for cooking, or inspiring those who are already seasoned chefs.”

IAll Good Dogs Daycare offers a home away from home for pooches.


In honor of the store’s 25 years at 23 Hullfish St. in Princeton, Kitchen Kapers will hold a special knife event on Sept. 11, featuring Kikuichi, skilled craftsmen from Sakai, Japan, who will demonstrate the various steps taken to carefully and precisely forge a Kikuichi knife.

According to Mr. Kratchman, the knives combine a rich heritage of high-quality craftsmanship with modern sensibility and optimum functionality, and will outperform every other knife in your kitchen.

“If you purchase a knife that day, we will engrave your name right on the knife,” he says. “Princeton is a great home for our brand because of its international draw of people from all over the world.”

Kitchen Kapers is marking 25 years in Palmer Square.

Giovanni’s Garment Care Celebrates 15 Years in Princeton

When Giovanni Sparagna and his parents opened up shop at 1225 State Road in Princeton 15 years ago, they were taking over a garment-care business that was already 10 years old. As it celebrates its 15th year in business — and the store’s 25th overall — Mr. Sparagna is thrilled that he’s been able to help so many people with their dry-cleaning needs.

“We are a full-service dry cleaner offering same-day service on most items and offering full-service tailoring with an experienced tailor on staff six days a week,” he says. “We’re happy that we have been able to be a valuable part of the community for the last 15 years.”

Over the years, the garment shop has renovated the counter and im-proved its equipment — but one thing that has stayed the same since the beginning is the friendly service.

“What’s always been important to us is focusing on customers, mak-ing sure their needs are met, and making sure if there is an issue we deal with it right away,” Mr. Sparagna says. “We love our customers we do what we can to support the local community, whether it’s sponsor-

ing the local baseball team or working with charities in the area.”

Mr. Giovanni’s invites both old and new customers to come in and help celebrate its 15th year in business with the family.

Food Truck Friday Comes Rolling InOn Friday, Sept. 5, the Hopewell Train Station will welcome a barrage

of food trucks serving everything from hot dogs to tacos as the popular Food Truck Friday returns from 5-9 p.m.

“Hopewell’s historic, iconic train station provides a great backdrop for Food Truck Friday,” says Susan Pollara, organizer of the event. “There’s room for the trucks and all the hungry attendees to gather in the circle. Folks can spread out their blankets and lawn chairs all over the fields. There are also two playgrounds for the kids to enjoy, and when a train goes by, the kids go crazy.”

This is the second Food Truck Friday event at the location, following a very successful debut in June, where more than 1,500 people took part.

“If this is a like our first event, there will be lots of hanging out with friends and neighbors, eating delicious food, and just enjoying a beau-tiful evening,” Ms. Pollara says. “Many shops and restaurants in town will also be open, so after tasting the food truck delights, people can walk through town, enjoying all Hopewell has to offer.”

Trucks participating will be Antimos Italian Kitchen, Cupcake Car-nivale, Jack and Charlie’s Hotdogs and ice cream novelties, Nina’s Waf-fles and Ice Cream, Oink and Moo BBQ, Surf and Turf Truck, and The Taco Truck.

Live music will be provided by acoustic jazz musicians, Stringzville.

“Feel free to bring blankets and lawn chairs, but please leave beer and wine at home, as alcohol is not permitted,” Ms. Pollara says. “For those in the know: be prepared for some long lines. Pick up a snack from a truck with a shorter line to munch on while waiting in the longer lines. Or, visit one of Hopewell’s restaurants not on wheels, for a pre-truck snack.”

Get ready for good eats and good times at Food Truck Friday in Hopewell.


Wet doggy, no soggy!Many years ago, I had a friend who owned three Bouvier des Flandres. They resemble huge black Scottie

dogs, but with a French attitude (they drank espresso after dinner). She was a small person, so taking them for a walk was a drag — literally! In rainy or snowy weather, she could easily go through five towels to dry the dogs and wipe the mud off their feet. And it was time consuming to dry each beastie, plus laundering the towels. If only they had invented the Soggy Doggy Super Shammy back then. It absorbs five times the water of a regular towel with its super-absorbant chenille “noodles.” It is large, 31” X 14”, with a sort of pocket on each end that helps you hold onto the shammy with your hands. They make an absorbant doormat too!

Price: $20Picky PawsOne Church Street, Lambertville609-397-PAWS; pickypaws.com

For the Dogs, and All Sorts of Pets

Favorite ThingsHey, where’d you get that?

By Sally Stang

Hamsters don’t chew gum As pet owners, kids don’t always know what’s best for their small pets. For instance, when I

was 6, I caught a toad and gave it every amenity a toad could want — a shoebox with windows drawn on with crayon, real cloth curtains, green felt carpeting and handfuls of clover and grass. Luxurious, but deadly for poor Warty. Supervise carefully what kids feed to their pet hamsters, mice, rabbits and rats — rodents do not live by carrots and bubble gum alone! They benefit from assorted foods, including timothy hay, which satisfies a need for constant chewing. Loose hay can be dusty and very coarse, so Oxbow created small, compressed bales of hand-selected timothy hay, called Stacks that are just the right size for snacking without making a huge mess.

Price: $13.99T and T Supply1325 Route 206, Skillman609-252-1400; tandtpetsupply.com

You’re going doggone crazy Are you a good dog owner? Here’s a quick quiz to find out: When you find dog vandalism on the rug, you:

A) vacuum it up. B) roll up the rug along with the dog, put both out at the curb. C) set fire to the house.

If you chose any of those answers, you are not qualified to own bunny slippers! A smart and caring dog owner needs to know about a dog’s physical, as well as, mental and emotional health too. You should know that two things a dog loves is to chew and to play. Max’s favorite chew toy is likely a squeaker. Squeak, squeak…Max gnaws happily on his toy for …squeak…what seems like…squeak squeak… hours. Meanwhile, you are losing your mind. Substitute his doggone toy with a silent Hear Doggy — a squeaker toy that only dogs can hear. What a clever invention! Now Max can enjoy that infernal squeak and you won’t go bonkers.

Price: $18Amwell Pet Supply434 Route 206 South, Hillsborough908-359-5117; amwellpetsupply.com


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1� | Packet Magazine | September �014

On the VinePouring and pairing wines from near and far

By Patrick WalshPhoto by Mark Czajkowski

he bring-your-own restaurants of the greater-Princeton area essentially offer us infinite choices when it comes to wine. Of course, many local restaurants, as well as most eateries in other

states, feature wine lists, but for some diners, the carte des vins may as well be a treatise on theoretical physics.

Choosing a wine at a restaurant ought to be part of the pleasure of dining out. And just like you can swim in 10 feet or 100 feet of water once you get the knack of it, you can select a wine to complement your meal and your budget whether you’re handed a single page or a leather-bound volume.

Some restaurants make it easy. The wine list at Rocky Hill’s ONE 53 bistro, for example, is sensibly divided. There’s a sparkling category and then both the white and rose section and the red wine section are broken down into “light bodied,” “medium bodied,” and “full bodied.” Without knowing anything about the wines per se, you can choose a bottle based on the food you’ve ordered and, within that parameter, the price with which you’re comfortable. (The restaurant also employs bin numbers on the list, so if the pronunciation of a given wine intimidates you, you can just say, “We’d like a bottle of 2-6-0-8.”)

Main Street Euro-American Bistro & Bar in the Princeton Shop-ping Center has always been a friend to us wine enthusiasts. Its wine list takes a more poetic approach to categorizing the bottles. Whites are listed under “sparkling,” “crisp and refreshing,” “soft and elegant,” “spicy and aromatic,” and “rich and full-bodied.” Reds are assigned to “soft and fruity,” “medium-bodied and elegant,” “robust and spicy,” and

Wine List Navigation 101

The sensibly divided wine list at ONE 53 bistro makes it easyfor diners to make a smart selection.

“full-bodied and rich.” Once again, these simple descriptions can go a long way toward helping you choose.

Many restaurants — especially those with extensive wine cellars — group their offerings by country and region. Where some diners en-counter difficulty is with European wines, and that means a lot of wines! Europe’s wines are often labeled by where the grapes were grown, not what kind of grape(s) is in the bottle. Even a little familiarity with the major wine regions of France, Italy, and Spain, for example, can mean many more possibilities for choosing a bottle at a restaurant.

Some Wine List Basics to Keep in Mind

When it comes to wines by the glass, most bars and restaurants abide by the adage that “the first glass pays for the bottle,” which means that a $10 glass of plonk is exactly what the restaurant paid for the bottle. And there are five glasses in a standard 750 ml bottle. Many restaurants offer deals on a whole bottle, i.e. instead of charging five times the price of one glass, they might charge four times, so it’s often better value to get a bottle.

While I don’t have the space to list all the nuances of every French wine classification, I can de-mystify some of them for you. Whites from Burgundy are Chardonnay; red Burgundy is Pinot Noir. Pouilly Fuisse is a fairly rich white Burgundy; Pouilly Fumé, on the other hand, is a crisp, flinty white wine from the Loire Valley made of Sauvignon Blanc. Red Bordeaux is always essentially a blend of Cabernet Sauvi-gnon and Merlot; those from Medoc or the villages of Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Saint-Estèphe, and Margaux are predominantly Cabernet; those from Fronsac, Pomerol, or St. Emillion are mainly Merlot.

Ask for a taste. Like a picture, a sip is worth paragraphs. Certainly you can sample the wines by the glass, but you may even be able to try a sip of some of the bottle-only selections. It never hurts to ask!

Ultimately, the best choice you can make is the wine (or kind of wine) that you like best. If you don’t see what you’re looking for (or don’t recognize it if it is there), let your server or the sommelier help — that’s their job and they’d be delighted to field questions about wines.

Also, do some recon online! Nowadays, most restaurants have a web-site. If so, there’s a good chance they’ll put their wine and beverage menus there (ONE 53 and Main Street both do, for example). So if you’re feeling motivated or just want to get the drop on your friends, check out your restaurant’s wine list online well before you dine.

And don’t be afraid to reach for the wine listand make it work for you!

T

pmfineliving.com | 1�

Hot AirBalloon

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Ballooning Since 1974

Plus a special advertising section highlighting the top homedesigners in the greater

Princeton area. For information on advertising call Corrine Mulford at

609-874-2193.

Coming in OctoberPacket Magazine’s design special with features on beautiful homes

and one of the area’s leading country clubs.


Dyer’s Cabinet Shop, LLC

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BUYING & SELLINGCOINS & PAPER MONEY

Harry Garrison’s

Colonial Valley Coins

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609-585-8104 or 877-893-2163


What’s In StoreWhere to buy and what to buy

By Charley FalkenburgPhotos by Mark Czajkowski

contains more than 30 shops, services and eateries. On any given day, folks can be seen grabbing their weekly supply of groceries at the World Class Shoprite or heading to the Rite Aid to find that perfect birthday card and last-minute wrapping paper.

Sweet destinations

Accomplishing errands should be rewarded with a treat, which means a visit to Thomas Sweet Café is definitely in order. Many people are familiar with the Thomas Sweet in Princeton, but Skillman’s Thomas Sweet is a little different. As someone who’s worked in both locations, General Manager Maryia Iaskevich said folks can expect a more laid-back atmosphere where it’s encouraged to sit and relax over a cup of freshly roasted coffee, bowl of soup or handmade ice cream blend-ins.

“People come in on their laptops and spend hours here relaxing and doing their work,” says Ms. Iaskevich. “They get their food and drinks and chill out.”

ell hello September! It’s been real summer, but it’s time to shelve the shorts, sign up for some hayrides and eagerly wait for pumpkin-flavored everything. It’s also time to relinquish

those frozen margaritas and tackle that fall errand list — all while pre-paring to do battle in the Land of Back to School Supplies.

Sure, transitioning out of vacation mode might sound like a chore, but it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, Montgomery has just the cure: its trifecta of shopping centers located conveniently along Route 206 in Skillman. Spaced within minutes of each other, the Montgomery Shopping Center, the Village Shopper and the Princeton North Shop-ping Center each house a variety of neighborhood gems poised to ease life’s hassles and make any shopping trip into a relaxed, much needed retail therapy session.

And not to mention eco-friendly. A day could be spent in the Mont-gomery Shopping Center without even leaving the parking lot. The center, which is right next to the Wawa at the Route 571 intersection,

Centers of AttentionA trifecta of shopping centers offer plenty for people, and their pets

WYo Fresh Yogurt Café co-owner Seema Sharma gets ready to serve up some tasty treats.


Plus, there’s the freshly pressed paninis.

“We’re really the only coffee shop around here where you can come and hang out and get a full meal,” adds Ms. Iaskevich. “You can get your sandwich, your coffee drinks, your dessert, and we have a great bakery section as well.”

Thomas Sweet also has a pretty extensive ice cream flavor section. With more than 30 flavors available at all times, even the pickiest sweet tooth can find relief. For example, the café has patrons ranging from Nutella ice cream die-hards to those who can’t get enough of Midnight Jersey Shore, which consists of a chocolate ice cream meshed with brownies, caramel and sea salt.

Not to mention folks can grab their caffeine and sugar fixes to the tunes of live music every Saturday night.

“Our Saturday nights are the most popular; it gets crowded in here

— but it’s a fun crowded,” says Ms. Iaskevich. “People are talking with their friends, listening to music as they wait to get their ice cream.”

With the crispier weather ahead, patrons can look forward to seeing hearty soups, pumpkin lattes and hot cocoa on Thomas Sweet’s menu.

On the end of the center is Robinson’s Chocolate, which has been putting chocolate smiles on the faces of customers since 1978. All can-dies in the shop are homemade, from a recipe by James K. Robinson, who started in the chocolate business in 1928.

The store is still family-owned and is filled with goodies to celebrate any occasion or just to satisfy a craving for chocolate.

Grabbing an ice cream or some chocolate is a good way to start the afternoon — especially before catching a matinee at the Montgomery Cinema , one of few independent movie theaters in the area.

Princeton North Shopping Center is part of a trio of shopping malls offering all sorts of stores and services in Montgomery.


elry repairs in house. While it sells high-end watches, boasting name brands like Seiko and Citizen as well as cufflinks and items for men, Garbo’s primarily caters to the ladies — par-ticularly those who have become best friends with diamonds.

Aside from diamonds, Garbo specializes in sapphires, Zambian emeralds and rare south sea Tahitian Pearls, which Mr. Berezowsky cites as being “the most beautiful kind of pearls in the world.” From behind a case, he took out a few necklaces made of pearls of white, rose gold and peacock that glinted with a hint of green.

“It’s a big look,” added Mr. Berezowsky.

And in Montgomery, Garbo’s is the only one of its kind in town.

“Sure, a lot of people sell jewelry, but we can actually create it,” says Mr. Berezowsky.

A jewel of a store

Or checking out what’s new at Garbo Jewel-ers is always an option too.

It was a Monday morning and Gary Ber-ezowsky, local resident and president of Gar-bo Jewelers, was on duty. Past the glass cases filled with rings, necklaces and bracelets that twinkled under the lights, Mr. Berezowsky was ringing up what appeared to be a frequent customer. Her face lit up as he mentioned how Garbo’s men’s watch selection is 30 percent off.

“Oh, maybe I’ll do that next time,” she said as she headed toward the door.

Men’s watches are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Garbo’s selections and serv-ices. The store offers ear piercing, appraisals, remounting, diamond setting, engraving, craft custom, one-of-a-kind pieces and do all jew-

For four-legged friends

While some might opt to treat themselves to a piece of jewelry, pet owners might want to stop at T and T Pet Supplies to pick up a present for their furry housemates. Owner and Montgomery resident Mark Hunsbedt has been serving pet owners and animal lovers alike for the last three years after opening his doors in the Montgomery Shopping Center.

“I grew up in Montgomery and I wanted to be in the same town,” says the local resident. “I wanted to support the town that supports me.”

After working at Rosedale Mills in Penning-ton and Cutter’s Mill in the Princeton Shop-ping Center, Mr. Hunsbedt took his experi-ences and set out to give his hometown a pet supply store that was neither corporate nor boutique in nature.

“Not everyone wants leashes with bling bling, but there’s a lot of people who just need a leash without the bling,” he explains.

The store features a plethora of products from food and snacks to toys and accessories. Near the back there are two self grooming sta-tions where pet owners can give their canines a good scrub down. And whether it be cats, dogs, fish, hamsters or birds both caged and wild, chances are customers can find some goodies.

If not, they can ask Mr. Hunsbedt about an item they’re interested in and chances are they can find it in T and T about a week later. It’s the kind of store where customers dictate what fills the shelves.

“I’m open for anything; I’m open to all ide-as,” he adds. “I’ve been on the other side of the counter — you can’t just give lip service.”

It appeared that within the three years, Mr. Hunsbedt has managed to amass some very loyal customers, one of which was Annmarie Mayer, of Old Bridge. T and T is the only place Ms. Mayer shops for Buck, her 100-lb Ger-man shepherd, and her Labrador-beagle mix named Dollar. Though she lives farther away, her job in Princeton allows her to make a stop into T and T at least once a week.

And on a Monday afternoon, Ms. Mayer stopped in to buy some Snausages for Buck.

“No one carries this food; there’s a lot he has that a lot of stores don’t carry,” says Ms. Mayer. “Plus, there’s the freebies he throws in my bag for my doggies.”

Home sweet home

When it comes to home needs, you’ll want to make Montgomery True Value a destination. Whether you’re looking for everyday items or materials for a bigger project, True Value is

Garbo Jewelers owner Gary Berezowski offers Tahitian pearls in his store at the Montgomery Shopping Center.


sure to have it.“Montgomery True Value is a family-owned

community-oriented hardware store,” says Tom Memec, who co-owns the store with his brother, Bert. “Our goal is to bring a quality, easy-to shop-alternative to big box stores for all your hardware needs.”

The store’s 500 square feet of floor space houses core hardware, Benjamin Moore paints and Weber Grills.

“We cater not only to the homeowner but the contractor and corporate customer, house ac-

counts and delivery are available,” Mr. Memec says. “We are also an approved New Jersey State vendor and accept state purchase orders.”

The brothers have been in the hardware business their whole lives, as they own West Trenton Hardware, which their father Bob opened in 1964.

Oodles of noodles, and a lot more

Speaking of food, the center has plenty of options for folks whether they be in the mood for a quick business lunch or casual sit-down

dinner. In the mood for Italian? Grab some pasta at Vera Pizza. Looking for something a little more exotic? Sahara’s Mediterranean cui-sine and atmosphere is the place to go.

Then there’s the Zagat-rated Ya Ya Noodles, the younger sister store of Tiger Noodles in Princeton. And true to its mantra, Ya Ya has much more than noodles. Though its special-ties lie in American Chinese dishes, it also features Thai and Japanese cuisines. Looking for something a little spicy? Ms. Tung recom-mended the Creaky Chicken made of sliced chicken fried and then sautéed with fresh gin-ger and hot pepper sauce.

For those craving something a little milder, Ms. Tung listed must-tries such as the Dou-ble Cooked Pork Belly and Steamed Bun, the Scallion Pancakes or the Braised Beef Noodle Soup. And for those in need of a sashimi or California roll fix, Ya Ya has it all right down to a convenient, generous sushi lunch combo special perfect for professionals on their lunch breaks.

“If the food wasn’t good, we wouldn’t have stayed open for more than 12 years,” says Ms. Tung.

It takes a village

Though the Montgomery Shopping Center has a lot to offer, so does the Village Shop-per right across Route 206. On the right side, there’s the newly constructed strip mall fea-turing bright white storefronts inhabited by the newest additions to the Montgomery re-tail family. Under its brand-new roof, folks will find the likes of the Urgent Care Center, a new clothing boutique called Ki Ki Di’s, Metro Male Barbering, Rodeo Nail Salon and Zounds Hearing Aids. They will also find some of Montgomery’s hottest spots to quell their hunger.

Try Thai at Ricky’s!

One of those spots is called Ricky’s Thai, a modern, casual Thai takout and eat-in restau-rant that’s been serving up and quality Ameri-can Thai food since March.

Inside Ricky’s, patrons will find themselves in a chic, intimate dining room filled with white-clothed tables and servers carrying trays of steaming curries, stir fried rice noodles and pyramid-shaped heaps of jasmine rice.

And being as they are all Thailand natives, the servers at Ricky’s are true experts about the dishes they serve, recommend or describe to their guests. Though Ricky’s Thai and Malay-sian chefs mostly conjure up American-style Thai food, server Paweena Ly reassured that they still offer a few authentic Thai selections.

Though most of Ricky’s menu might not be

Ricky Chai is serving up salmon dishes and other meals at Ricky’s Thai.

�0 | Packet Magazine | September �014

authentic Thai food, customers praise Ricky’s dishes, and their top-quality ingredients.

“They say that it does taste different, but that the quality of the meat and vegetables is better here,” says server Paweena Ly, who was also born and raised in Thailand.

But exactly what is the difference? Ms Ly explained that those wanting authentic Thai can expect meals doused with plenty of in-gredients such as garlic, fish sauce, lamb juice, plumb sugar, lemon grass and coconut milk.

Those craving the authentic style should be sure to try Ricky’s Pad Kee Mao, commonly known as “Crazy Noodles” or “Drunken Noo-dles.” This plate features stir-fried broad rice noodles with shrimp, chicken, basil leaves, onions, mushrooms, bell peppers and hot and spicy chili sauce. Ms. Ly also recommended Ricky’s array of dry and spicy curries, spicy duck dishes and crispy duck salad.

Whether new or seasoned to Thai cuisine, Ms. Ly encourages all to give Ricky’s a shot.

“Just come and try it and hopefully you’ll like Thai food,” she added. “And if they already like Thai food, I think they will definitely like the Thai food here.”

Pizza to be proud of

A couple storefronts down, Genteel’s Brick Oven Pizza and Ristorante was getting com-fortable in its new, more intimate home that now sits 24 people instead of 60. The staff was breaking in its signature wood-burning oven that continued to churn out crispy regular and Sicilian crusted pies within about four min-utes.

“We’re a high-end Italian restaurant that uses fresh, quality ingredients,” says owner James Genteel, of Franklin Park.

After spending almost a decade in Mont-gomery, Mr. Genteel fired off a few timeless favorites folks can’t get enough of: Tortellini Fungi, Margherita Pizza and Vodka Pizza.

Genteel’s also has its share of salads and sandwiches. And regardless of the cuisine, all meals can be eaten al fresco in the strip mall’s outdoor tables and benches.

Healthy bodies, and computers

The other side of the Village Shopper fea-tures mainstays such as P.T.S. Health and Fitness and Technician X Computers — a dynamic combo where folks could drop off

their disobedient computers and tech devices, work out their aggression next door and pick up their tamed technology after burning some calories. However, getting a good workout at P.T.S. might require a little sustenance. For-tunately, there’s Yao’s Fine Chinese and Thai Restaurant just a hop, skip and a jump across the parking lot.

In the local community, Yao’s has quite the following. Within five years of churning out American Chinese meals, Yao’s has managed to be recognized as one of the top 100 Chinese restaurants in the nation.

At Yao’s, owner Jin Kui Liang said patrons will find a menu filled with Chinese, Japanese and Thai dishes with no MSG or preservatives and crafted using minimal oil and abundance of the freshest of ingredients. Though most options are tailored for the American masses, Yao’s staff revealed a special one-page authen-tic Chinese menu that its regulars know quite well.

Find it at PrincetonNorth Shopping Center

For those looking for something a little more health-centric, a visit to the Princeton North Shopping Center is a must. Half of this des-

James Genteel takes a fresh pie out of the oven at Genteel’s Brick Oven Pizza.


its own mecca for pet owners called Utopia 4 Pets, which focuses strictly on all-natural foods, treats and accessories for dogs and cats. Owner Mike Growney was behind the cashier counter as Winter, his 7-month old Samoyed, or domestic Arctic wolf, lazed nearby on the floor.

“The No. 1 cause of issues that bring a dog or cat to the vet are based on nutrition,” said Mr. Growney. “Dogs and cats need a high protein, vegetable and fruit diet.”

Which is why his store contains food brands such as Origin and Acana, which are made in the United States and Canada and doesn’t contain a trace of corn, wheat, soy, gluten or animal by-products.

There are also a wide variety of toys de-signed for all kinds of pets whether they are for destructive chewers that can obliterate a toy in 10 minutes or calm four-legged friends who will baby a stuffed lamb chop squeaky toy. There are even durable toys made from recycled fire hydrant hoses for the aquatic-loving pups. Then again, Mr. Growney made it clear that everything he carries is durable and made of quality materials.

“You can go to PetSmart and get a $19.99 bed and I can guarantee you that in four

months you’re going to buy another $19.99 bed,” explained Mr Growney. “Or you can spend a little more money here and have a bed for life.”

For folks looking to buy some healthy, nu-tritional products for themselves, there’s Andy Suh’s Health Food. Gluten-free, Vegan, Vege-tarian, health nuts, rejoice! Mr. Suh’s store has everything from vitamin supplements, Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar and Sea Salt Rice Crisps to gluten free waffles, chia seed bags and raw honey.

“I have a unique selection of items and sup-plements,” explained Mr. Suh. “Quality, infor-mation and variety — those are my goals.”

A former computer programmer, Mr. Suh left his job and hefty paycheck to pursue his passion of health and nutrition. And while he has no official certification or license, his passion and two decades of research and self learning has enabled him to offer advice to many of his loyal customers.

“I don’t make a lot of money, but I’m happy here; this is my heart,” said Mr. Suh. “I can make recommendations and give knowledge that will lead people to go in the right direc-tion.”

tination consists of the Princeton Fitness and Wellness Center, where folks of all ages can be spotted heading in to work on their fitness.

But not before getting some fuel. A few doors down, Yo Fresh Yogurt Café and Juice Bar has quite a following of gym rats who can’t get enough of the café’s nutritious juices such as the Garden Delight made from a blend of kale, celery, spinach, cucumber, romaine lettuce, lemon and ginger. There are also smoothies with or without yogurt not to mention protein shakes that co-owner Seema Sharma has no problem making for gym goers and other cus-tomers on request.

Not to mention, Yo Fresh Yogurt is just the spot for a little pick-me-up that won’t wreak havoc on the thighs. On any given day, patrons can divulge in 12 non- and low-fat frozen yo-gurt flavors, including popular choices such as chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, cookies and cream and cake batter. All options have nutri-tion labels so the health-conscious know ex-actly what they’re getting into when divulging in one of the café’s healthy treats.

A pet mecca

And like the Montgomery Shopping Cent-er, the Princeton North Shopping Center has

Step into Princeton Fitness & Wellness Center to get in shape.

�� | Packet Magazine | September �014

Pampered PetsOur furry friends are part of the family, so here’s your guide to

stores that can help you treat them as one.

By Bernadette Suski-Harding

Photos by Phil McAuliffe

A friend of mine remembers the days when his parents fed the family dog two Gainesburgers a day, with a couple of Milk Bones as treats. “Now I buy treats for my dog that cost $1 each,” he told me in confidence, a note of hesitation in his voice. I suspect he was vacillating between disbelief that he’d actually said those words out loud, and fear that maybe, just maybe, he’d lost his grip on reality.


treats in their home kitchen and selling them at street fairs in 2005, just how strongly their product would resonate with fellow dog lov-ers, like Diane McHutchison of Jackson.

By early 2006, they were asked so often about a brick-and-mortar location that they took it as a sign and began searching for the perfect spot. Since both were born, raised and educated in Hamilton, they decided to stay local, opening their first shop in October 2007. It wasn’t long before they outgrew it and moved to their current location at the Mer-cerville Shopping Center, where they employ eight people in addition to themselves.

Their flagship line, Barkery Bones, is still a favorite item, alongside six types of treats in a variety of flavors, custom birthday cakes and bake-it-yourself cake mixes. The products are sold in about 50 stores in 14 states, mainly on the East Coast, with a few stores in Utah and California.

And it all started after the Bernhardts res-cued a near-dead puppy from a shut-down mill. “We couldn’t fathom feeding our beloved golden retriever things like animal by-prod-ucts, monosodium glutamate (MSG) or many other unpleasant, and vague, ingredients. Even the so-called ‘healthy’ treats left us skep-

tical,” the company founders explain on their website.

Today Chloe is 11, and with her canine brother, Luke, 7, happily tastes everything the Bernhardts make. As Mr. Bernhardt quips, “They take their jobs very seriously, though they don’t generally turn things down and are not very picky.”

The Bernhardts, though, are picky. Very picky.

Their baked goods are locally produced in small batches, of restaurant-grade ingredients. “We buy our chicken before it’s pumped up with sodium and chicken broth and sold in grocery stores,” Mr. Bernhardt says.

They pride themselves not just on palat-ability and quality, but also consistency of the quality. “A lot of companies change their in-gredients when prices go up. We don’t. When prices go up for source, our prices go up too,” Mr. Bernhardt says.

It’s that consistency that keeps customers like Mrs. McHutchison coming back for more.

Mrs. McHutchison, a customer since the street fair days, when she had just one wheat-en

The funny thing is, I understood.Completely.And I made sure to tell him.Before we adopted our daughter, our dogs

were our pack, our four-legged fur babies. Even now, when our daughter is, hands down, the most important being in our lives, our dogs maintain a very close second.

There was a time, pre-kid, when dog food was cooked from scratch and frozen in small batches. When cookies made of (gag) pureed chicken livers were (double gag) shaped by hand. And when sleep required careful po-sitioning to accommodate a trio of snoring speed bumps.

Our dogs (and a few cats, before I realized I was allergic) were family, plain and simple.

The more I talked to friends, the more I re-alized we were not alone.

A 2012 poll by Harris Interactive bears this out, and also helps explain the success of lo-cal businesses providing high-end services for pets.

Wholesome handmade treats at Bag of Bones Barkery

Gregg and Melissa Bernhardt had no idea, when they started baking all-natural dog

Bag of Bones Barkery held an event starring Norman the Scooter dog in August.

�4 | Packet Magazine | September �014

cinations; soft tissue, dental and spay/neuter surgeries; laser acupuncture and a pharmacy. On the diagnostic side, there are digital radio-graphs, ultrasounds and an in-house labora-tory.

If a pet needs more exacting care — can-cer treatment, for example — Dr. Tokiwa can think of at least four specialty centers within a 20-mile radius of his practice that offer chem-otherapy and other highly specialized medical services, with board-certified specialists on staff.

I asked why he thought people were willing to go to greater lengths to keep their pets alive, and Dr. Tokiwa responded, “To give back all that pets give us. Pets bring with them uncon-ditional love. Coming home to a loving envi-ronment with your pet can make a bad day better.”

In Dr. Tokiwa’s 15 years as a vet, “major ad-vances within the veterinary world have ena-bled us to be basically on par with all that the human medical world has to offer. From MRIs to the latest in cancer treatments and mini-mally invasive surgery techniques, veterinar-ians can offer it all.”

A good thing, perhaps, when an increasing number of people think of pets as children.

“Pets, in general, have become a bigger part of the family and are treated as such,” Dr. Toki-wa says. “I have many young couples that con-sider their pet as their child, and even if they have children afterward, they still consider their pet as their first child.”

Force-free training for well-behaved dogsCC Cartier is a certified professional dog

Saturday, sponsored by SAVE, a Friend to Homeless Animals in Princeton, and makes a point of giving back to the community with such regular events as a fall fashion show and Halloween parade.

Family-like care at The Animal HospitalAt The Animal Hospital at Kingston and

Blawenburg, Dr. Michael Tokiwa describes his approach as “Small Hospital, Big Medicine” — small in that it offers a family-like environ-ment, but big in that it’s full service and fur-nished with all the necessary equipment and team support to perform a variety of services.

In addition to emergency services, Dr. Tokiwa offers wellness exams for all ages; vac-

Photo by Mark Czajkowski

Photo courtesy of Animal Hospital at Kingston

terrier, Quincy, has since added Duffy and Ciara to the pack. When Duffy was diagnosed with serious allergies, Mrs. McHutchison said Mr. Bernhardt became “an invaluable resource who guided us to a good food that didn’t inflame them.”

Several years ago, the McHutchisons hosted a party to celebrate Duffy’s first birthday, with a dog cake from Bag of Bones. “Our friends, fanatical wheaten folks themselves, insisted on tasting the dog’s cake... and a few days later I got an email from one admitting that she thought the dog’s cake was even more deli-cious than the one I’d made for the humans.”

The Barkery’s products are mixed, rolled,

and baked onsite, and include wholesome ingredients (bacon, cheese, bananas, peanut butter and honey, for example) with no addi-tives or preservatives.A Utopia filled with upscale treats and toys

Since December 2009, Utopia for Pets has served as a source for all-natural foods and treats for cats and dogs, plus toys, accessories and clothing.

Foods are holistic, organic and all natural, and contain no byproducts, fillers, hormones, preservatives or additives. There also are eco-friendly toys and grooming supplies, includ-ing hypoallergenic shampoos, conditioners, topical sprays and oils.

Store owner Mike Growney says that none of the products he carries “contain any corn, soy or gluten, which are extremely bad for pets,” and adds that he prides himself and his staff on “being able to answer any question con-cerning the nutritional needs of your pets.”

The shop also hosts pet adoption days every

Utopia for Pets offers everything our furry friends need, including a huge supply of collars and leashes.

Dr. Michael Tokiwa offers innovative care for pets at his Skillman practice.


dogs, medium and large dogs, and training; a pond with waterfall; plenty of places to rest, included shaded areas, benches and tables, and a pavilion; walking paths; and for the hu-man companions, a port-a-john.

Patrons are asked to clean up after their pets, and bring their own water dishes, though drinking water is available onsite.

Tom Morris, the South Brunswick Parks and Recreation Director, says that since acquiring the property in 2010, the township has been working hard to forge relationships with local animal rescues as well.

“SAVE comes to our open houses, and we work with different agencies for adoptions, etc.,” Mr. Morris says. The township also of-fers use of the park to animal rescue groups so their canine residents can have a place to exercise.

Angel Paws ParlorThis Hopewell salon offers full-service

grooming for dogs (Bichons are a specialty of owner Deborah McCray), and nail trims for cats.

The bath is a relaxing hydro-massage where aloe-based shampoo is mixed in with the wa-ter, and used to gently massage dirt and loose hair from the skin. A tear-free cleanser, avail-able in blueberry and plum, is used on faces, and throughout the shop, the scent of laven-der helps dogs (and their owners, who have the option to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea in the sitting area) relax.

After the hydro-massage, groomers hand-dry coats using a heatless hair dryer. The tech-nique helps remove dead hair and dander, and allows oxygen to reach down into the pores, reducing the chance of skin problems such as yeast infections or fungi.

Ms. McCray enjoys grooming any well-be-haved dog, and likens her work to “grooming a living sculpture.”

A special service she offers is hand strip-ping wire-coated terriers. “It’s a skill very few groomers are either capable of or willing to provide,” she said.

The Grooming SalonIn Morrisville, Pennsylvania, Nancy Lynn

Pasco, owner of The Grooming Salon, de-scribes pets as her passion and grooming as her art.

A certified groomer since 1987, Ms. Pasco’s salon offers an array of treatments, with a side of social awareness. She provides free groom-ing services to local animal shelters and res

trainer who loves her work. As cofounder of Maverick Pet Partners in Skillman with her partner, David Irmiter, Ms. Cartier has de-voted her career to understanding how dogs learn.

She and Mr. Irmiter are experts at using gentle techniques, like positive reinforcement training, to help animals coexist safely with humans.

“Dogs repeat behaviors that are rewarded, so we use what they love to motivate them to per-form the behaviors we want,” Ms. Cartier says. “Dominance theory was disproven long ago, and compulsion or punishment-based train-ing damages our relationships with our dogs.”

Ms. Cartier’s experience has shown that “we do not need to frighten, hurt or intimidate our dogs to train them. Dogs do not want to domi-nate us. They want food, play, exercise, mental stimulation and affection.”

I asked Ms. Cartier what she thought was driving the trend toward treating pets like family members, and she offered this theory: “As the North American birth and marriage rates continue to decline, more people are opt-ing for the companionship of dogs and cats instead of children or spouses. Empty nesters are also enjoying having someone to love and nurture.”

Ms. Cartier doesn’t think people see their pets as human; instead, she says, more people are recognizing that pets have “fundamental rights to be happy, social and physically ac-

tive,” with access to good health care and nu-trition.

A four-star resort for dogsAt the Green Leaf Pet Resort & Hotel, set on

56 acres alongside a lake and blueberry farm in Millstone, dogs experience luxury pet care at its finest.

Expert behaviorist and trainer Shelly Lei-bowitz co-founded the resort and built it “to go beyond the state of the art when it comes to caring for and training dogs,” she states on her website.

Here, pampered pooches enjoy a training pool and plenty of room for outdoor exercise and training; 7,000 square feet of private suites; a 4,500-square-foot play arena with stress-free flooring; a 1,500-square-foot grooming and spa area, where massages and “pet-i-cures” are de rigueur; a 3,000-square-foot indoor aquatic center for exercise, recreation and relaxation; and a 500-square-foot puppy socialization suite.

A fenced-in place to run freeAt the Rocky Top Dog Park in South Bruns-

wick, members have access to a 12-acre park (about half is wooded) where canines of all sizes can safely run free. (To join, you must provide proof of your pet’s up-to-date vacci-nations, and pay a membership fee of $20 per month or $100 per year for residents, or $40 per month and $200 per year for non-resi-dents.)

There are three separate play areas, for small

Katey O’Connell, an employee of Green Leaf Pet Resort in Millstone, plays with Lilla, a lab mix at the facility’s pool.

�� | Packet Magazine | September �014

cues, and accepts donations of food, blankets, toys and leashes, which she then gives to local shelters.

Services include a Premium Bath and Dash, perfect for busy lifestyles; a Deluxe Bath, which includes a thorough evaluation of your pet’s skin and coat; a Premium Bath and Trim, which is perfect for drop-, double- and heavy-coated breeds; and a Premium Bath and Full Cut or Styling, for when you want your pooch to look his or her very best.

Fur babiesAccording to a 2012 poll conducted by Har-

ris Interactive, more than nine in 10 pet own-ers (91 percent) think of their pets as members of the family. This sentiment is pretty evenly shared between dog and cat owners (94 vs. 91 percent).

Need more proof?Just over half (51 percent) frequently let their

pets sleep in bed with them.Nearly one third (31 percent) frequently buy

their pets holiday gifts, and just under one in five (18 percent) frequently buy birthday gifts.

Ka-ching!In 1994, Americans spent $17 billion on their

pets. That number has grown steadily, and in 2014 is expected to reach $58.5 billion.

According to the American Pet Products Association (www.americanpetproducts.org), U.S. pet owners are expected to spend, in 2014:

$22.6 billion on food (compared to $21.6 billion in 2013)

$13.72 billion on supplies and OTC meds ($13.1 billion)

$15.25 billion on veterinary care ($14.4 bil-lion)

$4.73 billion on grooming and boarding ($4.4 billion)

Fun facts68 percent of U.S. households (or 82.5 mil-

lion homes) own a pet. In 1988, the first year the survey was conducted, 56 percent of U.S. households owned a pet.

The most popular pets are dogs (56.7 mil-lion households), cats (45.3 million), fresh-water fish (14.3 million), and birds and small animals (6.9 million each).

Pet Resource Guide

Angel Paws Pet Parlor & Supplieswww.angelpawsparlor.com

8 B Seminary Ave.Hopewell

609-466-0004

The Animal Hospital at Kingstonand Blawenburg

www.barkmeowvets.com390 Route 518, Suite A

Skillman609-333-8686

4437 Route 27, Suite 3(Kingston Mall)

Princeton609-924-7415

Bag of Bones Barkerywww.bagofbonesbarkery.com

364 Route 33(Mercerville Shopping Center)

Hamilton609-528-0101

Concord Pet and Food Supplies301 North Harrison St.


Dogs & Cats Rule3495 Highway 1, No. 17


Green Leaf Pet Resortwww.greenleafpetresort.com

23 Burnt Tavern RoadMillstone

732.845.3787

The Grooming Salonwww.thegroomingsalon.com

332 West Trenton Ave.Morrisville, PA215-295-3348

Maverick Pet Partnerswww.maverickpetpartners.com

609-466-7387609-466-PETS

Puppy Palace1633 Highway 33

Trenton609-631-5490

Puppy Palace on 13022 US 130Trenton

609-371-7297

Rocky Top Dog Park4106-414 Route 27(Lincoln Highway)

Princeton

T and T Pet Supply1325 US Highway 206

Skillman609-252-1400

Utopia for Petswww.utopiaforpets.com

1225 State Road 206, Suite 8 (Princeton North Shopping Center)



Calling All Good Dogs!

Supervised and cage free dog hotel and daycare 365 24/7 Love and attention all year roundLarge park like yards3 premium locations throughout New JerseyPioneer of modern cage free boarding with love and attention 24/7Family owned and operated for over 20 yearsMinutes away from Princeton

Contact Us: Lawrence:160 Basin Road

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S. New Brunswick: 113 Schalks Crossing Road

Plainsboro NJ 08852609-275-7177

Cherry Hill:2306 Church Street

Cherry Hill, NJ 08002856-667-2764

Free Appetizer with purchase of entrée.

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On and Off Premise Catering Availableincluding Zinna’s Mobile Kitchen for all special occasions!

Not valid on holidays and cannot use separate checks. Not valid on holidays and cannot use separate checks.

We Deliver

1325 Route 206Skillman, NJ 08558

(in the Montgomery Shopping Center)

Phone: 609-252-1400Fax: 609-252-1444

Email: [email protected]

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We are family owned and operated

Store hoursSun 10-5Mon 9-6Tue 10-7Wen 10-7Thu 10-7Fri 10-7Sat 10-6


Let Us Cater Your Next Party Or Event!

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Open 7 Days: Mon - Thurs: 11-9:30pm • Fri - Sat: 11-10:30pm • Sun: 4-9:30pm • Break Time: 3-5pm

Tel: (609) 285-2955 • www.rickysthai.com

Village Shoppesat Montgomery137 Route 206

Skillman, NJ 08558

Thai Kitchen III649 Hwy 206Hillsborough,

NJ 08844Voted Best Southeast Asian, Thai*Critics Choice

Ricky’s Thai is my co-favorite area restaurant, the other being it’s sister restaurant, Thai Kitchen III in Hillsborough.

I like to eat healthy, and I feel the food at Ricky’s Thai lets me do that. Where one might expect to make compromises to taste in the name of health, nothing could be further from the truth at Ricky’s where the food is among the best I’ve tasted ever.

My favorite appetizer is the Jurd Wood Sen, a robust, chicken based soup with glass noodles, mushrooms and baby corn, replete with generous chunks of chicken.

For an entree I usually go with Choo Chee Salmon, which comes in a curry sauce with just the right amount of zing. I prefer brown rice to soak up every last bit of sauce. The dish comes with a small diced vegetable medlay, along with asparagus and tomatoes.

Every now and then the Green Curry Duck is a nice change of pace. The rich chunks of duck, and avocado laden curry sauce are a satisfying comfort food.

— David Brown

“

”

Restaurant review by Faith Bahadurian from the Princeton Packet says

“I enjoy the chef ’s special entree Tamarind Duck”

Restaurant review by Pat Tannerfrom Montgomery News says

“I enjoy the chef ’s special entree Spicy Duck”


Make entertaining easy and stress-free by hiring a caterer for any occasion

By Bernadette Suski-Harding

When Ann Laurie Fratticcioli hosted a party for her mother-in-law’s 80th birthday, she hired a caterer whose cooking she and her husband had sampled and enjoyed at the Allentown Fall Festival.

It was the first time she worked with a caterer, and she knew right from the start that it would not be the last.

“She came in with her staff, poured me a glass of wine, and told me to get out of her way,” Ms. Fratticcioli says. “They han-dled every detail: Setting up for the party, hanging guests’ coats, cleaning up afterward. Everything! And the presentation is al-ways very nice.”

�0 | Packet Magazine | September 2014

In the seven years since her mother-in-law’s successful party, Ms. Fratticcioli has used that same caterer, Maureen Nevins of Quality Plus Caterers, for many events, among them a first birthday party for her godson, a college graduation party for her daughter, engagement parties and funeral repasts.

She’s quick to point out, with a laugh, that she’s not spoiled. It’s just that after working 30-plus years for the state, retir-ing from that, taking on the running of her husband’s business, and launching her own — a time management business called Time Well Spent — Ms. Fratticcioli understands the value of, well, time well spent.

Which is why she also refers Ms. Nev-ins to busy clients of hers. “When people tell me they’ll do it themselves, I’m always surprised.” It also boggles her mind when someone decides to hire a caterer, but in-sists on doing a few things themselves.

“They’ll say ‘I’ll have this catered, but I’m still going to do this and that.’ Why? The idea is to enjoy yourself. Guests want their host or hostess to have a good time, and they’re not going to leave your party com-plaining that you didn’t make your cala-mari dish,” Ms. Fratticcioli says.

Reconsider the perceived cost

Ms. Fratticcioli concedes that people are usually frightened off by what they might see, at first, as a great expense.

“That’s the biggest reason people resist,” she says. “But I know better. When they start to add up what they’ll spend at the grocery store, they’ll spend double what the caterer charges. On top of that, there’s all the time you spend shopping, doing prep work, and cleaning both before and after the party.”

When Ms. Fratticcioli can persuade a

friend or client to hire a caterer, after the event they usually say, “‘That was easy, that was fun, I didn’t have to do anything.’ And that’s just it! You get to enjoy the party, put your head down at the end of the night, and you didn’t even have to clean up.”

Lauren Bozzutti, a Branchburg resident, agrees. She hired a caterer for the first time about 18 years ago, when she hosted a BBQ for 50 people. “I didn’t want to spend the entire party, as I had in the past, where I could not enjoy my guests,” she says.

A few people teased her — one college chum called her “fancy” — but that didn’t faze her. She’s hired a caterer about twice a year since. The event might be casual, like a football party, where she orders sandwiches and Buffalo wings, or more formal, like her son’s and daughter’s First Communion par-ties.

“The caterers come and set everything up, I just have to light the Sternos,” she says. “That way I can concentrate on spending time with all my guests.”

Mrs. Bozzutti’s rule of thumb is this: More than 10 adults, hire a caterer, though she still does a few things, like salad and specialty dishes, herself. “If guests ask what they can bring I say booze, wine or dessert,” she said.

ETHNIC EATS

Caribbean: Blossom’s Catering. Main dishes include jerk chicken and pork, sweet jerk chicken, fried party wings, curry chicken and goat, ox tails, sweet ribs and chicken, Carolina pulled pork, Jamaican

beef and chicken patties, catfish and whit-ing filet. Sides include vegetable rice and peas, collard greens, sweet plantains, dirty rice, sweet candy yams, Caribbean seasoned fries, collard greens, Caribbean potato salad, and macaroni and cheese. 609-315-0459.

Mexican: The Taco Truck. Hire The Taco Truck to roll up at your next party. Packages include Fiesta Pack (with every-thing you need to build your own tacos, and three styles from which to choose, plus rice, beans, guacamole and salsa; or a Nacho Bar, with freshly made chips, plus salsa, beans, lettuce, queso cotija, crema, guacamole and pico de gallo), The Taco Cart, with tacos made to order (30 person minimum), and The Taco Truck (50 person minimum).

Launched in 2009 in New Jersey, The Taco Truck was borne of a simple idea: To bring authentic Mexican taqueria cuisine to the East Coast. In the years since, the founders have opened stores, kiosks, carts and trucks in New York and Massachusetts as well. And watch this fall for a new store in down-town Princeton. 888-866-9879, [email protected]

Serve up delicious food at your next party, and let a caterer do the cooking.

pmfineliving.com | �1

ALL-PURPOSE CATERERS

Chez Alice. Established in 1991 in a Nassau Street storefront, it wasn’t long be-fore Chez Alice was known for its food and pastries. A decade and a half later, it moved to a larger space in Palmer Square. Catering menus include breakfasts, sliders, tea sand-wiches, salads, boxed lunches, coffee, appe-tizers and desserts. View menus and photos at www.chezalicecafe.com.

Culinary Creations. Andrew Pantano has always loved to cook. When he gradu-ated from the Culinary Institute of Amer-ica, he worked in the kitchens of upscale

eateries, and noticed a need for off-premise catering. “It wasn’t as popular then as it is today, and menus tended to focus on baked ziti and eggplant parmesan,” Mr. Pantano says.

Then, 19 years ago, Mr. Pantano started Culinary Creations to “bring better food into the catering business,” he says. His fa-vorite type of catering is a Chef ’s Tasting Menu. “That’s when the client allows me to put together a seasonal menu and be on hand to serve it and answer questions,” he explains. A recent one included lobster cheesecake squares; rocket, edamame and roasted beet stacks; Szechuan buttons (an

edible f lower that numbs your tongue and gives an almost seltzer effect to anything you eat after, like vinaigrette), lobster bread pudding with sea bass and vanilla chive sauce, and poached quail eggs with tomato bisque. View menus and event photos at www.culinarycreations.com.

Emily’s Catering. At Emily’s Cater-ing, established in 2004, husband-and-wife team Emily and James Matticoli work closely with clients to create custom menus featuring the freshest seasonal ingredi-ents. This past summer, they saw a trend toward carnival-themed events, as well as upscale barbecue and comfort food. In the fall, a staple ingredient is local apple cider, which they showcase in sauces and signa-ture drinks, such mulled apple cider, cider sangria and apple cider sidecars. Entrees focus on locally grown produce, such as fo-caccia pizza with roasted butternut squash, crushed Hazelnuts and Sage Pesto, and fig mascarpone crostini topped with candied bacon. View menus and photos at www.emilyscafe.com.

Main Street Fine Catering. Estab-lished in 1984, Main Street Fine Catering offers sophisticated menus to individuals and corporations. The chef de cuisine and pastry chef produce classic and contem-porary menus and presentations for U.S. presidents and national celebrities, as well as community fund raisers, opening nights, wedding celebrations and private enter-taining. View menus and photos at www.mainstreetcatering.com.

McCaffrey’s offers catering for in-home entertaining whether you’re hosting a ca-sual gathering or an elegant dinner party.

Chefs use fresh ingredients to create sea-sonal and f lexible menus. The store’s full-service catering includes services such as theme and menu planning, servers, butler services, chefs, equipment rental, set-up and cleanup, f loral arrangements and spe-cialty cakes.

Olives Caterers. When Greeks sit down to eat, they said Kali Oreksi – enjoy your meal! It’s a sentiment the staff at Olives has wished upon customers since 1995. This family-owned business caters events with homemade food and bakery items, all made from scratch, supplemented with imported specialties from Greece. Choose from cus-tom cakes, desserts, hors d’oeuvres, party trays, pastas, sides and salads. View menus and photos at www.olivesprinceton.com

Quality Plus Caterers. Maureen Nevins, who comes from a line of caterers

In addition to preparing food, caterers such as Culinary Creationscan help set the stage for your next party or event.

Photo courtesy of Culinary Creations.


and has been in the catering business most of her life, prides herself on helping clients decide whether an event should be a buffet, a sit-down dinner or a barbecue. She also provides set up, service and tear down ser-vices View menus and event photos at www.qualitypluscaterers.com.

Tiger’s Tale. Lifting spirits since 1985, Tiger’s Tale offers catering packages for lunch and dinner. Choose among appe-tizers and entrees, sandwiches, barbecue packages, and more. View menus and event photos at www.tigerstalenj.com.

SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDSWild Flour Café (gluten free). Ca-

nadian-born Marilyn Besner brings years of experience (at home and the Whole Earth Center) and training (at The Natural Gour-met and the French Culinary Institute) to her latest venture: A gluten-free bakery where the kitchen is used as a laboratory, and bakers experiment with an array of

f lours – everything from amaranth to qui-noa – until they find just the right blends for baguettes, pumpernickel, cheese sticks, challah, sandwich loafs, f lat bread, biscotti, cream puffs, cupcakes, whoopee pies and tartlets. Birthday and wedding cakes, and full-size pies, are available by special order.

Catered offerings for lunch and dinner in-clude appetizer platters of vegetables, hum-mus and crudités; fruit trays, breakfast trays of gluten-free muffins, scones and pastries; seasonal quiches, finger sandwiches, dips, pizzas, frittatas, soups and salads.

View photos and menus at www.wild-f lourbakery-cafe.com.

A caterer can make or break your event. That’s why we asked someone who has been

in the business a long time to offer his in-sights.

Andrew Pantano, who founded Culinary Creations 19 years ago, after working in various restaurant kitchens, said the first thing to do is to “Trust your instincts!”

Make sure, he said, that the caterer makes you feel comfortable, understands your needs and budget, seems like someone you’d work well with, and is responsive to your questions and needs.

Beyond that, there are other questions you might ask, depending on your needs. For example:

• If you need to rent tents, tables, chairs and linens, your cater might be able to co-ordinate that for you.

• If you’re not sure that the site you’ve cho-sen will fulfill your needs, ask the caterer to inspect it before you reserve it.

Dessert is part of any great party, and caterers can offer a variety of sweets for your next gathering.

How to choose the rightcaterer for you

pmfineliving.com | ��

• Ask to see a current health certificate and proof of insurance, especially for bever-age and liquor services requiring bartend-ers. “Insurance is a big factor nowadays and you just want to make sure you are covered,” he said.

• Ask about the staff. Is there a dress code? What’s the age range? Will the people work-ing your event be employees of the caterer, or from a staffing service?

“In the industry, that’s called ‘rent a waiter’. Having experienced staff that understands the event and your food is extremely impor-tant, as is the working relationship between all of the staff,” Mr. Pantano said.

Bagel Barn & Deli1225 State Road, Suite 11, Princeton

609-497-9555

Blossom’s Catering609-315-0459

Blue Point Grill258 Nassau St., Princeton

609-921-1211

Chez Alice5 Palmer Square, Princeton

609-921-6760

Culinary Creations434 Route 206 South, Hillsborough

908-281-3895www.culinarycreations.com

Emily’s Catering9 North Main St., Pennington

609-730-1010

Main Street Restaurant & Catering5 Crescent Ave., Rocky Hill, NJ

609-921-2777

McCaffrey’s 301 Harrison St., Princeton

609-683-1600

Olives Caterers22 Witherspoon St., Princeton

609-921-1569

The Taco Truck888-866-9879

[email protected]

Tiger’s Tale129 US Highway 206, Skillman

609-924-0262

Wild Flour Café2691 Main St., Lawrenceville

609-620-1100

Directory

All affairs aren’t fancy, and wings can make for a great football party.


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A Life in FlamencoLisa Botalico has a series of dance-related events during her stint as the

Arts Council of Princeton’s artist-in-residence

By Anthony StoeckertPhotos by Mark Czajkowski

here are all sorts of tools used to create art. There are paints and canvases, of course, along with sculpting clay, and found items. Musicians use instruments to make their art and theater folk

use words and their bodies in the art of storytelling.But the tools of Lisa Botalico’s art include castanets, a wooden floor

and her feet.Ms. Botalico is a flamenco dancer who has been teaching at the Arts

Council of Princeton for 15 years. To celebrate the milestone, Ms. Botalico is the arts council’s Anne Reeves Artist in Residence for the fall.

Highlights of the residency will be three events designed to share

the joys of flamenco through workshops and performances. The first event will take place Sept. 6 at the Arts Council’s pop-up location at the Princeton Shopping Center, and is a free opportunity for children and adults, separately, to learn the basics of flamenco and try some feet stomping, use the castanets and work with a fan.

Something Ms. Botalico wanted to do with her residency was to col-laborate Libby Ramange, an artist who teaches at the arts council. As part of the free workshops, Ms. Ramash will conduct a flamenco work-shop that includes an art element.

Next up, on Sept. 14, will be an open dance forum during the Arts Council’s open house.

Lisa Botalico dances with some flair during a flamenco workshop.

T


“I was inspired to do this after reading an article in ‘The New York Times’ in 2013, where they talked about foreigners keeping flamenco alive, actually in Spain,” Ms. Botalico says. “Because there’s such an in-terest throughout the world, and so many people from Asia and other parts of Europe are coming into Spain, and really keeping this culture spreading throughout the world.”

Ms. Botalico says she relates to that topic because people assume she’s from Spain because she’s a flamenco dancer. “They think it’s impossible that you could do this art form (and not be from Spain),” she says. “But alas, that is not true.”

As a result she wanted to create a dialogue where dancers discuss why they pursue flamenco, and why it’s popular with people of all ages, ethnicities and cultural backgrounds.

The workshop will feature dancers, all of whom study flamenco and Spanish dance outside of Spain. These dancers will talk about how they got interested in these dance forms, and then dance a short solo with live guitar and singing accompaniment.

The third component will be a special performance on Oct. 18 at the Arts Council’s Solley Theater. The performance will feature two fla-menco guitars and a flamenco singer, a pianist, viola player and a clas-sical singer. She will introduce music by composers such as Manuel de Falla, and talk about the relationship between the music and flamenco. The performance also will feature choreography by Ms. Botalico.

“Those who come to the concert will be engulfed in this whole thing, it will almost be like a cave because it’s very intimate,” she says. “The dancers will dance in the middle and there’s going to be a very power-ful type of performance because the floor in the arts council is just the best floor ever. That wood floor, the natural sound of the wood is just wonderful.”

The performance also will incorporate art that Ms. Ramage will cre-ate, along with other, projected art.

“Libby has studied flamenco very intensively for years, and really has an understanding of the primordial aspect of flamenco, and her art-work is very powerful,” Ms. Botalico says.

Ms. Botalico’s residency continues the tradition of the program start-ed by Anne Reeves, the Arts Council’s founding director. According to Executive Director Jeff Nathanson, building on the program was a ma-jor goal when the Paul Robeson Center for the Arts opened in 2008.

“The goal in renovating and expanding our building was to be able to continue and expand on the artist in residence concept,” he says.

“So that we would have professional working artists in a range of disci-plines coming through here on an annual basis to share their working process with students in the community; to create new work and have a working presence as part of the ongoing Arts Council programming.”

Past artists-in-residence have included playwright Charles Evered, who was the first artist-in-residence in the new building. Mr. Evered’s tenure included completing a play and producing a short film. He also held workshops, a staged reading of his play, Class, and screened his film Adopt a Sailor.

Next up was Dahlia Elsayed’s residency, which got the community involved through a project that involved her interviewing people about memories. “She was very interested in the geography of memory, how a place will trigger a memory, that became sort of a mapping process,” Mr. Nathanson says.

Other artists in the progam have included a mask maker (Didier Civl); a musician (Josh Robinson); a video artist (Efrat Kedem) and another playwright, James Christy. That mix of art forms is designed to reflect the Arts Council’s status as an institution that offers classes and performances of all types.

“We’ve had an artist for painting; we had an Israeli video filmmaker, we’ve just had this really diverse range of artists and approaches,” Mr. Nathanson says. “We learn a lot, and it’s great for the people who par-ticipate and get to experience the workshops and the screenings and the staged readings, and the exhibitions.”

Bringing in a flamenco dancer adds to the variety“Lisa put in a proposal and then we met with the artist-in-residence

committee,” Artistic Director Maria Evans says. “We reviewed it, and it was sort of a no-brainer because she’s also celebrating her 15th an-niversary of teaching classes here at the Arts Council. She just had a really great proposal.”

Ms. Botalico grew up on Long Island in New York, and was struck by flamenco when she saw a performance when she was around 17.

“It stuck with me, it was at New York City Center, I remember taking myself to it because I used to go into New York for my dance lessons, and I just loved it,” she says.

In her teaching, Ms. Botalico works with students of all ages, and jokes that she calls them “anti-ballet” dancers. Though she adds that many of her students do take ballet, but one of the appeals to flamenco is that it’s a form of expression that anyone can do, while pounding on a floor, or playing castanets.

“It’s a type of art form where it’s individual, No. 1, and No. 2, the live accompaniment and the improvisatory aspect of it and the range of emotions that you get,” she says. “Every time you perform, it’s different, you work with a different guitarist or a different singer, and how you feel and they feel at that moment is what counts.

“Of course you have your technique and your background that you can tap into but it’s the spontaneity and the ability to be so in touch with your inner emotions at that moment that is just unbelievably tan-talizing.”

The Arts Council is always looking for proposals from artists who are interested in being an artist-in-residence. The requirements for being an artist are pretty loose. In general, the council looks for artists from the region because it doesn’t offer housing. (Though an exception was made to bring in Mr. Civil, who is from Haiti.) To apply for a residency, go to the Arts Council’s website: www.artscouncilofprinceton.org or call 609-924-8777.

The Paul Robeson Center for the Arts is located at 102 Witherspoon St., Princeton. The pop-up location is at the Princeton Shopping Cent-er, 301 N. Harrison St., Princeton.

Lisa Botalico finds joy in dancing andteaching others how to dance.


On The BlockBuying … selling … just looking

By Stephanie Vaccaro

Blending the Oldand the New

Renovations at this Princeton home make it luxurious while retaining its rustic charm

lthough renovated in the recent past, the property at 142 Winant Road in Princeton has the character and charm of a bygone era.

Owner Anne Moreno says that she and her then-husband purchased the home in 2001 af-ter looking for a larger home for a number of years. They had come across it early in their search, but because the home was in need of renovation, they felt that the original asking

price was too high. Years later, they saw the listing again, but this time it was at a price that allowed them to pursue the necessary renovations.

Address: 142 Winant Road, Princeton Price: $3,300,000

Agent: Jones TolandOffice: 609-921-1050Cell: 609-731-5953Email: [email protected]: www.callawayhenderson.com/id/6383957

Even the driveway at the home offers a scenic view.


They became the second owners of what is now a six-bedroom, six-bathroom home. It was originally built in 1957 by Rolf Bauhan, an architect from Princeton. “It was one of his last houses,” Ms. Moreno said. “He was one of the first architects that started recy-cling. So, the f loors in my house are from an old barn in Princeton University that they were tearing down at the time.”

Mr. Bauhan incorporated brick in the din-ing room that he salvaged as well. “I have some wooden pieces, a storage place, like a

little cupboard that he took from a house in Massachusetts from 1930,” Ms. Moreno says. “So, he started using things from oth-er places and started recycling them into houses. So, it has a lot of character.”

“We tried to improve each part of the house by making it better, in a way, and

Renovations at this Princeton home make it luxurious while retaining its rustic charm

suiting it for the 21st century,” Ms. Moreno says of the two-year renovation. “Making the rooms a little wider, or making the ceil-ings a little higher, just because in the ’50s everything was lower.”

The work included renovating both the kitchen and all of the bathrooms, attempt-ing modernization in a way that would blend old and new. They expanded the foot-print of the home, adding the family room and expanding the kitchen. They attached the garage to the home with a little bridge and put a guest bedroom, a bathroom and a playroom above the garage. Particularly in the snow and rain, Ms. Moreno says, “I love having that bridge.”

It’s a great house for entertaining and hav-ing guests stay. “Your children can be in the same house, and you will never even hear them. You can have guests, and they have their own side of the house... so it’s pretty private in a way.”

“Even though it was built in 1957, every-body thinks it’s a very old farmhouse,” Ms. Moreno says. “It has that character, but it’s not. I have a big fireplace in my dining room

that you can actually cook in, and I have ac-tually cooked in it as well.”

“It’s a pretty cozy house, too,” Ms. Moreno says. “The library is beautiful. It’s a typical wooden library full of books with a pine f loor and a fireplace.” The home already had three fireplaces, and they added a fourth fireplace in the family room, which has been a cozy spot to sit by the fire over the years.

“Every room has its personality and its character,” Ms. Moreno says. “In the winter time I love sitting in my dining room be-cause you can see the view, which is really pretty.” When it’s warm out, she prefers the family room because it stays cool without air conditioning.

But when asked, Ms. Moreno will tell you that her favorite room is the kitchen.

“It’s my dream kitchen,” Ms. Moreno says.

The kitchen is outfitted with two dish-washers, a pantry with a countertop that can be used for preparation, and a beautiful view of Stony Brook and the garden. “It has a lot of light, it’s very warm,” Ms. Moreno says. “It’s just the heart of the house, in a way. It’s pretty easy to move and to cook. We all sit together. And the family room is just there, and I can see the fireplace from the kitchen, so even though it’s not in the kitchen, it’s close to the kitchen.”

“It’s very pleasant, it’s very warm, it’s very inviting,” Ms. Moreno says. “It’s my favorite

kitchen in the whole world.”The renovation included incorporating a

number of places where they could gather together for meals: the family room, the kitchen, the dining room, and outside as well.

But now that her children are grown, it is time to sell and move to a smaller home.

With its view of the fireplace, the kitchen is the current owner’s favorite room.


$ -Bargain $$ - Average $$$- Moderate $$$$- High End

Acacia $$2637 Main Street (Route 206), Lawrence 609-895-9885 • www.acaciacuisine.com “Inventive American,” with Asian and French influences in an upscale dining room. Sidewalk dining offered. Accepts most credit cards; BYOB; wheelchair accessible.

Hours:Lunch: Tues.-Fri. 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Dinner: Tues.-Thurs. 6-9:30 p.m. Fri. 6-10 p.m., Sat. 5:30-10 p.m. Sun. 5-9 p.m. Closed Mondays.

Agricola $$$ 11 Witherspoon Street, Princeton609-921-2798 • www.agricolaeatery.com

Community eatery using fresh local ingredients from its own Great Road Farm and other local providers.

Hours:Brunch: Sat. 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Lunch: Mon.-Fri. 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner: Sun.-Mon. 5-9 p.m., Tues.-Thurs. 5-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 5-11 p.m.

Ajihei $$11 Chambers Street, Princeton609-252-1158

Sushi/Japanese food prepared by chef-owner Koji Kitamura, who used to work in the kitchen at acclaimed New York restaurant Nobu. Major credit cards accepted.

Hours: Lunch: Tues.-Fri. noon to 2 p.m.; Dinner: Tues.-Sat. 6-9:15 p.m., Sun. 6-8 p.m.

Alchemist & Barrister $$28 Witherspoon Street, Princeton609-924-5555 • www.theaandb.com

Pub offering burgers, sandwiches, stew, shepherd’s pie, steaks, and more. Choose from three dining areas: Classic pub, enclosed porch and a dining area.

Hours:Lunch: Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Late lunch menu: Mon.-Sat. 3:30-5 p.m. Sun. 3-5 p.m. Dinner: Mon.-Thurs. 5-10 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 5-10:30 p.m., Sun. 5-10 p.m. Late Night Menu: Mon.-Thurs. 10 p.m. to midnight, Fri.-Sat. 10:30 p.m. to midnight.

The Blue Bottle Café $$$101 E. Broad Street, Hopewell 609-333-1710 • www.thebluebottlecafe.com

New American served in a homey bistro with Mediterranean touches. Major credit cards accepted; BYOB; wheelchair accessible.

Hours:Dinner: Tue.-Thurs. 5-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 5-10 p.m. Lunch: Wed.-Fri. 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Closed Sun.-Mon.

Blue Point Grill $$$258 Nassau Street, Princeton609-921-1211• www.bluepointgrill.com

Well-known Princeton spot for seafood. Major credit cards accepted. Wheelchair accessible; BYO.

Hours: Mon. 5-9:30 p.m., Tue.-Fri. 5-10 p.m., Sat. 4:30-10 p.m., Sun. 4:30-9:30 p.m.

The Brothers Moon $$$7 West Broad Street, Hopewell609-333-1330 • www.brothersmoon.com

Offers a seasonal menu and daily specials. Front patio with al fresco dining. Takeout cases offer salads, cheese, specialty meats, olives, breads, pastries and cookies. BYOB.

Café Coloré $$4095 Route 1 South South Brunswick Square Shopping Center Monmouth Junction 732-355-0410 • www.cafecolore.com

Italian-American and Pizza. Major credit cards accepted. BYOB. Wheelchair accessible.

Conte’s Pizza $$$339 Witherspoon Street, Princeton609-921-8041

Famous for its pizza, also offers salads, sandwiches and pasta dishes. Full bar.

Hours: Mon. 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Tues.-Fri. 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Sat. 4-10:30 p.m. Sun. 4-9 p.m.

elements $$$$163 Bayard Lane, Princeton609-924-0078www.elementsprinceton.com

Contemporary , small plates. Full bar offers interesting selection of cocktails.

Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 5:30-9 p.m., Fri. 5:30-10 p.m., Sat. 5-10 p.m.

Restaurant GuideGoing out to dinner tonight? From upscale eateries to casual spots for a burger and a beer,

the Central New Jersey area has plenty of places to fit anyone’s taste.


$ -Bargain $$ - Average $$$- Moderate $$$$- High End

EPS Corner $$238 Nassau Street, Princeton609-921-2388

Chinese. Major credit cards accepted; BYOB; not wheelchair accessible due to steps at front door.

Hours: Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sun. 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

Fernando’s Grille $$173 Mercer Street, Hightstown 609-443-4488 • www.fernandosgrille.com

Burgers, sandwiches, pasta, seafood. Major credit cards accepted except American Express. Wheelchair accessible. BYOB.

Hours: Tues-Thurs. 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fri. 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sat. 4 to 10 p.m.; Sun. 4-8 p.m.

FunniBonz BBQ $$SmokeHouse 1045 Washington Boulevard (Foxmoor Center) Robbinsville • 609-336-0212

Barbecue in a picnic ambience with rock music in background. Major credit cards accepted. BYO. Wheelchair accessible.

Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Gennaro’s $$$378 State Road (Route 206), Princeton609-497-2774 • www.gennaros-princeton.com

Italian food served in a welcoming, continental atmosphere. Major credit cards accepted; reservations suggested; BYOB. Wheelchair accessible; ample parking in lot at the strip mall’s northern end.

Hours: Lunch: Tues.-Fri. 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.; dinner: Tues.-Thurs. 5-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 5-10 p.m., Sun.: 3-9 p.m.

Hon Sushi $$3349 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence 609-269-5800 • www.honsushi.com

Japanese/Korean/fusion. Major credit cards accepted; BYOB; wheelchair accessible; reservations taken.

Hours: Lunch: Mon.-Fri. 11:30 a.m.-2:45p.m. Dinner: Mon.-Thurs. 5-10 p.m.; Fri. 5-11 p.m.; Sat. 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. (with some lunch specials); Sun. noon-10 p.m.

Kochi Indian Cuisine $$370 US 130 S. (East Windsor Plaza)East Windsor 609-918-1786 • www.kochi-usa.com

Indian cuisine served in a comfortable, plush Indian décor.

Hours: Lunch: Tues.-Fri. 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Dinner Tues.-Fri. 5-10 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 5-10:30 p.m. Closed Mondays.

Masala Grill $$19 Chambers Street, Princeton 609-921-0500 • www.princetonmasalagrill.com

Indian in a casual atmosphere. Lots of vegetarian choices. Major credit cards accepted. BYOB. Wheelchair accessible.

Hours: Lunch 11:45 a.m.-3 p.m.; Dinner 5-10 p.m.

La Mezzaluna $$$25 Witherspoon Street, Princeton609-688-8515 • www.lamezzaluna.com

Italian using seasonal local ingredients. BYOB.

Mediterra Restaurant $$$ and Taverna 29 Hulfish Street, Princeton609-252-9680www.terramomo.com

Pan-Mediterranean and Mediterranean-inspired cuisine. Outdoor dining available, even in the fall thanks to heaters. Tapas menu available at Taverna.

Hours: Lunch: Mon-Sat 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sun. noon-4 p.m. Dinner: Mon.-Thurs. 5-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 5-11 p.m.; Sun. 4-9 p.m. Note: The Taverna is open until 11 during the week and until midnight Fri.-Sat.

Mistral $$$66 Witherspoon Street, Princeton609-688-8808 • www.mistralprinceton.com

International small plates for the sophisticated palate

Hours: Sun.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m.


Good TasteThe finer side of dining

By Faith Bahadurian

Autumn BountyMake the most out of your garden goodies by

preparing meals to eat all winter long

o you hear a rustling noise comingfrom your garden at night? It couldbe the sound of your vegetables

throwing their all into a last-minute growth spurt before the first frost. They are grow-ing by leaps and bounds, sprawling beyond their tidy rows and beds, yearning for your kitchen. Pick me now! Eat me now! It’s crunch time for gardeners, who are in a race against time to use the last of their garden bounty.

I come from two vegetable-obsessed cultures, Italian and Middle Eastern. Both offer endless ways to use produce, and a meal often consists of numerous vegetable dishes spread across the table, with meat or protein playing more of a supporting role. And for

lighter meals, legumes may stand in for meat, whether a hummus made from chickpeas, or, in Italy, a purée of white beans.

I am focusing on Italian here, with recipes from two of the more recent installments in a charming four-book series from the Rome Sustainable Food Project at the American Academy in Rome. I’ve written previously about Zuppe, and have just added Verdure, and Pasta to my (groaning) bookshelves. (The fourth title is “Biscotti,” and we’ll see if I can resist that one for much longer.)

I am also including two tomato recipes, as my own garden’s last-minute growth spurt always seemed to be mostly tomatoes, which I always overplanted since I could never resist

D the newest varieties. Domenica Marchetti’s The Glorious Vegetables of Italy offers an easy-peasy way to preserve tomatoes for the dark days of winter by making just two pints of sauce at a time, which is so much less in-timidating than thinking in terms of quarts and quarts of sauce. If you keep the saucepot and pint jars handy, you could even knock off a batch every few days.

I end with my favorite fried green toma-toes, which are perfect for late summer when you’ve just managed to snatch the last ones from the jaws of the first frost. It’s very ba-sic, and while you can skip the buttermilk and just go straight to the cornmeal, I like the tang that buttermilk lends to this dish.

The author’s recipe for fried green tomatoes is a late-summer treat.


a shallow bowl. The peel will be left be-hind in your palm, so discard that. F.B.

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed4 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, grated to

yield about 6 cups pulp and juice1 teaspoon fine sea salt6 fresh basil leaves2 tablespoons fresh lemon juiceWash and sterilize two 1-pint glass jars

and lids in boiling water for 10 minutes.

In a heavy sauce-pan, warm oil and garlic over medium heat. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes until garlic is fragrant, but not brown. Carefully add tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer about 30 minutes, until tomatoes have broken down but still have a fresh flavor. Season with salt and cook 10-15 minutes more, until sauce has thickened. Discard garlic cloves and add basil. Pour 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in each jar. Ladle sauce into jars leaving 1/2 inch of space at top. Screw lids on tightly and process 35 minutes in boiling water bath according to manu-facturer directions. Store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.

2 ounces potato (about half a potato), peeled and diced

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil2 1/2 garlic cloves3 tablespoons chopped parsley1 or 2 strips lemon peel1 ounce grated Grana Padano cheese (about

1/4 cup)1 pound fusilli1 1/2 teaspoons freshly-squeezed lemon

juice3 ounces ricotta salata, grated (about 1 cup)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toast walnuts on rimmed baking sheet about 10 minutes, just until skins begin to split. Enclose warm nuts in a tea towel and roll around until skins loosen. Lift nuts out of towel, leaving bitter skin behind.

Bring a medium pot of water to boil and salt it. Blanch kale until tender. Remove using slotted spoon and spread kale on a baking sheet. Blanch potatoes in same water until they are tender (edges will get fuzzy), and spread those out on another sheet. Squeeze kale to remove excess water and chop it.

Put 2 tablespoons ol-ive oil and 2 garlic cloves in a large (14”) sauté pan over medium heat. When garlic is golden dis-card it and add the kale and potatoes to oil. Sauté 3-4 minutes and turn off heat.

Put cooled kale and potatoes in a blender or bowl. Add parsley, remaining olive oil and half garlic clove, walnuts, and lemon peel. Blend in blender, or in bowl with a hand (im-mersion) blender. Taste and adjust seasoning and add Grana cheese.

Drop fusilli into boiling salted water and cook to al dente according to package direc-tions. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water. Transfer fusilli and pesto to a large serving bowl. Add lemon juice. Toss until well-combined, adding cooking water to loosen as needed. Serve immediately with ricotta salata.

Autumn Vegetables with Anchovy Butter Sauce

Adapted from ‘Verdure,’ Christopher Boswell with Elena Goldblatt, The Little Book Room (2014).

Note: Use whatever is in your garden or looks good at the market for this classic dish. Artichokes, cardoons, radicchio, steamed potatoes or turnips, it’s all good. To serve the sauce, if you have one of those little pots with a warmer underneath, so much the better. F.B.

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil4 tablespoons butter5 anchovies, preferably salt-packed, cleaned,

or 10 oil-packed fillets4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced1/2 small head savoy cabbage, cored and cut

into wedges2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/8-inch

thick coins1 bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/8-inch

slices2 cucumbers, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch

slices10 cherry tomatoes, halved1 small cauliflower, trimmed and cut into

florets2 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces1 fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into 1/8-

inch thick rings

Put oil and butter in a small pot over low heat and cook until butter has melted. Add anchovy fillets and garlic and cook 5 minutes, or until anchovy has dissolved into the oil, mushing with a fork to help break it up. Turn off heat and let sit 10-15 minutes for flavors to develop.

The vegetables can be served raw, or, if you prefer, blanch some of the firmer ones for just 2 to 3 minutes in salted water. Arrange vege-tables on a platter and put the warm anchovy sauce in a small bowl to serve alongside.

Bagna Cauda

Fusilli Con Pesto Di Cavolo Nero

Fusilli With Kale Pesto

Adapted from ‘Pasta,’ Christopher Boswell with Elena Goldblatt, The Little Book Room (2012).

1 ounce walnuts1 pound Tuscan (Lacinato) kale, leaves

stripped from stems

Adapted from ‘The Glorious Vegetables of Italy,’ Domenica Marchetti, Chronicle Books (2013).

NOTE: Grating tomatoes goes quickly. Cut in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds with fingers and discard. Grate the cut side on a box grater (not a microplane) in

Small-Batch Tomato Sauce

Faith Bahadurian

Core and thickly slice (1/2 inch) as many green tomatoes as you have. Dip each slice into buttermilk, then into fine cornmeal sea-soned with salt and pepper. Melt a generous amount of butter in a skillet. Fry tomato slices turning once, until each is golden brown. Do not crowd, and add more butter if needed. Drain briefly on paper towels before serving “neat” or on top of frisée with warm bacon vinaigrette as they do at Main Street Euro-American Bistro in Princeton. They are also excellent in place of red tomatoes in a BLT.

Fried Green Tomatoes

An easy method for preserving tomatoes through the winter.


It’s a Date! Things to do close to home

present a program titled Our Early American Roots: Monticello Comes to Trenton, Sept. 20 at 1 p.m. at the New Jersey State Museum Au-ditorium.

The speaker for the program is Peter J. Hatch, director emeritus of gardens and grounds at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. From 1977 to 2012, Mr. Hatch was responsible for the in-terpretation and restoration of the 2,400-acre landscape at Jefferson’s revered Monticello. His career at Monticello included the res-toration of the Vegetable and Fruit Garden and the Grove, the initiation of the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants, the crea-tion and oversight of numerous educational programs serving thousands of visitors, and much more.

Most recently, Mr. Hatch has served as con-sultant for the planning and planting of the significant kitchen garden at the White House in Washington, D.C.

The program will be followed by a reception and book signing for Mr. Hatch’s newest book, “A Rich Spot of Earth,” and historic garden and house tours at the Trent House Museum, 15 Market St. in Trenton.

The New Jersey State Museum is located at 205 W. State St. in Trenton. Tickets cost $30. For tickets and more information, go to www.williamtrenthouse.org or call 609-989-0087.

West Windsor Farmers’ Market

The West Windsor Farmers’ Market has a lineup of music, cooking demonstrations and special events during its markets to be held Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The market is hosting 15 farms and 11 artisan food and natural vendors this year. Offerings include an array of locally grown, raised and produced fruits, vegetables, grass-fed meats, dairy, pastured eggs, woven fibers, soap, bak-ery items, flowers, honey, sauces, jams, fresh juices, crepes and more can be found at the market each week.

Jeff Griesemer will perform music during the Sept. 13 market. The Twin W Rescue Squad will offer free blood pressure screenings and a nutritionist from Centra State Healthcare will be on site.

Sept. 20 will feature music by A Little Bit Off, massage from The Touch That Heals and free blood pressure and health screenings from Princeton Healthcare System.

A Food Blogger and Writer Day will high-light the Sept. 27 fair. Several local food writ-ers and bloggers will be on site for a question-and-answer panel with shoppers. Sicilian Blue will be the musical performer.

The Market is located in the Vaughn Drive Parking Lot of the southbound side of the Princeton Junction Train Station. Parking is free. For more information, call 609 933-4452 or email [email protected].

Scarecrow festival returns toPeddler’s Village

Peddler’s Village 35th Scarecrow Competi-tion and Display will take place Sept. 8 through Oct. 6, and also will include its annual Scare-crow Festival, Sept. 20-21.

The completion and display will feature more than 100 scarecrows in categories such as “Quite the Character,” featuring scarecrows inspired by characters form books, TV shows and movies; “Extraordinary Contemporary Scarecrow” and “Kids Only” for children 12 and under.

Participants compete for $5,000 in prizes.

The public is invited to vote for the winners from Sept. 8 through Sept. 28.

The festival will include scarecrow-mak-ing workshops, pumpkin pie-eating contests; pumpkin making, and more.

Peddler’s Village offers shopping, dining and family fun. It is located at routes 202 and 263 in Lahaska, Pa. For more information, go to www.peddlersvillage.com or call 215-794-4000.

Monticello in Trenton

The Trenton House Association and the Rut-gers Master Gardeners of Mercer County will

Creative scarecrows will be decorating Peddler’s Village, Sept. 8.-Oct 26.


In addition to soaking up the stories, fes-tival-goers are welcome to participate in the Story Slam, a contest of tale-spinning talent where randomly selected tellers of all ages and stages vie to don the title of champion. Stories must be no more than five minutes and show-case this year’s theme: “We’re In a New Jersey Frame of Mind.”

And don’t miss the lightning round, which closes the event with 10 three-minute stories told in succession by storytellers.

The festival is held rain or shine. Admission to the festival is included with admission to Grounds For Sculpture.

Workshops for educators and others inter-

ested in storytelling techniques also take place from 10 a.m. until noon and are available for a pre-registration fee of $50, which includes ad-mission and three professional development credits.

Grounds For Sculpture is open Tues.-Sun. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission costs $15, $12 seniors, $12 children and college students with ID. For information on Grounds For

Sculpture, including directions, go to www.groundsforsculpture.org. For information on the festival, go to www.njstorynet.org.

D. Lovely, Loretta Luglio, Katalin Lukzay, John Mertz, Betty Minnucci, Margie Perry, Roy Reinard, Cindy Roesinger, Ilene Rubin, Cindy Ruenes, Natalie Searl, Kate Viola and Chaz Walter.

Peddler’s Village is located at routes 202 and 263 in Lahaska, Pa. The Upstairs Gallery is in Courtyard Shop No. 10, behind Earl’s Restaurant. Gallery hours are Sun.-Thurs. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, go to www.newhope-artleague.com.

Telling Tales at theStorytelling Festival

The 22nd Annual New Jersey Storytelling Festival will take place Sept. 21 at Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton.

The event will feature 40 storytellers who share tales of the Garden State as it celebrates its 350th birthday.

Button’s Creperie Table toFarm Fundraiser

Button’s Creperie is hosting its third an-nual Farm to Table, Sept. 21, 6-8 p.m. at the Trenton Farmers Market, 960 Spruce St. in Lawrence.

Dinner will be served in the market with a setting created just for this event. It will be a five-course seasonal tasting. The first course will be organic mixed greens filled with seasonal toppings and a homemade dress-ing. The second course will be a hot soup. The third course will consist of crepe chips. The fourth course will be grass fed beef. A vegetarian and gluten free option will avail-able. The fifth course will be a Nutella related dessert. Coffee, tea, and Saratoga water are also available.

Unionville Vineyard Winery is selecting wines to complement the dinner. The bottles will be available for purchase at the event. Everyone will receive a complimentary glass upon arrival.

There will be live music throughout the evening.

Tickets cost $45. Seating is limited. Reserva-tions are required prior to the event and can be made in person at Buttons Creperie. A por-tion of the proceeds will go to HomeFront.

Small Art, Big Show

The New Hope Art League Small Works Show will be at the Upstairs Gallery at Ped-dler’s Village in Lahaska, Pa., Sept. 5 through Oct. 3.

Two dozen New Hope Art League artists will showcase their creations. All are for sale. The following artists will be on display: Jeanne Chesterton, Lois Clarkson, Kit Dalton, Joyce Danko, Diane DeAngelis, Susan Eckstein, Shane Forbes, Oz Freegood, Jeanette Gonzal-es, Diane Greenberg, Susan Halstrick, Donna

Works by Cindy Roesinger and Roy Reinard will be on view in New Hope.


Terhune Hosts FundraiserHealthy habits to lower your cancer risk

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Certain types of cancer are more likely to strike certain types of people than others. For example, while men can be diagnosed with breast cancer, women are far more likely to develop the disease. But just because a person’s risk of developing cancer is low, that does not make that person immune from the disease. As a result, it’s impor-tant that men and women take steps to lower their cancer risk.

One of the more effective ways to lower your risk for cancer is to ensure your life-style choices are as healthy as possible. Choosing habits that benefit your short- and long-term health can reduce your risk for cancer and a host of additional ailments.

* Maintain a healthy weight. According to the American Cancer Society, men and women who are overweight or obese are at a greater risk of several types of cancer, including cancer of the esophagus, pancreas, colon and rectum, breast, kidney, and thyroid. The National Cancer Institute defines obesity as someone with a body mass index, or BMI, of 30 or above, while someone with a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight. Maintaining a healthy weight or shedding excess weight if you are already at an elevated risk for cancer can lower your risk for cancer and other potentially debilitating diseases, including diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke.

* Quit smoking. Smokers might be surprised to learn that tobacco use, according to the ACS, is responsible for nearly 20 percent of all deaths in the United States. That might have something to do with tobacco’s role in causing more than a dozen types of cancer and its link to heart disease, emphysema and stroke.

But smoking can even harm nonsmokers unfortunate enough to spend time in the vicinity of smokers. Such nonsmokers take in nicotine and thousands of additional chemicals, including carbon monoxide and cadmium, a chemical element used in batteries, when people smoke near them. In addition, a study published in the “New England Journal of Medicine” found that nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke were 25 percent more likely to have coronary heart disease compared to nonsmokers

not exposed to smoke. Secondhand smoke is especially harmful to children, as kids whose parents smoke around them get bronchitis and pneumonia more often than kids whose parents abstain from smoking in their presence.

* Exercise regularly. The NCI notes that there is strong evidence that physical activity is associated with reduced risk of certain cancers, including cancers of the breast and colon. More than 60 studies published in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia have indicated that physically active women have a lower risk of developing breast cancer than inactive women, with some active women reducing their risk by as much as 80 percent. Studies conducted around the world have produced similar findings with regard to colon cancer. Research has consistently indicated that adults who in-crease their physical activity, be it in intensity, duration or frequency, can reduce their risk of developing colon cancer by 30 to 40 percent relative to adults who are sed-entary. The ACS suggests adults include at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous activity in their weekly routines, though many studies have found that 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day is the most effective way to reduce cancer risk significantly.

* Reduce alcohol consumption. While many adults may be quick to point out the benefits that a glass of wine can have with regard to a person’s risk of heart disease or stroke, the National Toxicology Program of the U.S. Department of Health and Hu-man Services as recently as 2011 listed the consumption of alcoholic beverages as a known human carcinogen. Alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for various types of cancers, including head and neck cancers, esophageal cancer, liver cancer, and breast cancer. Adults who continue to consume alcohol should do so in moderation, which the ACS defines as no more than two drinks per day for men and no more than one drink per day for women.


Terhune Hosts Fundraiser

bout 170 guests dined on a seven-course menuJuly 31 at Terhune Orchards for a dinner fundraiser

to support the environment.

A

Social ScenePacket Magazine goes out on the town

By Philip Sean CurranPhotos by Rebecca Nowalski

Guests enjoyed the cocktail hour during a farm-to-table gala fundraiser at Terhune Orchard.


Billed as a “farm to table fundraiser,” the $150-per ticket event raised about $15,000 for Sustainable Jersey, a certification program that awards financial grants to towns that take steps to become more environmentally friendly. The dinner, now in its third year, has always been at the family-owned farm of former Lawrence Township Mayor Pam Mount, chairwoman of Sustainable Jersey’s board of trustees.

Like in the past, some top chefs prepared all the courses during a night of good food, wine and entertainment. The roster of chefs included Terry Strong, Gary Giberson, Scott Anderson, Christine McGrath, Demetrios Ha-

ronis, Robyn Reiss, Christopher Albrecht, Dan Richer and Gabby Carbone.

Cocktails began at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. Guests dined on a surf-and-turf menu with each course paired with a wine.

Lettuce bundle came with cured ham, goat cheese, yellow tomato, basil oil and balsamic vinegar. After that came a marinated green bean and radish salad. Next up was sea scal-lop crudo with sweet corn, saffron and herbs. Course number five was lobster and blue crab tostado, followed by roasted duck breast and wrapping up with dessert consisting of peach and blueberry crumb and ice cream.

As for Sustainable Jersey, the organization says more than 400 towns in New Jersey have signed on to go green.

Guests enjoy the event’s seven course tasting menu served at the gala.

Sustainable Jersey trustee Clint Andrews and wife Ellen Cotter (left) chat with Sustainable

Jersey co-director Donna Drewes.

Sustainable Jersey board members, from left: Donna Drewes, Caroline Ehrlich, Pam Mount, Maureen Hassett, Rick Dovey,Clint Andrews, Randy Solomon, Jane Kenny, Anthony Cancro, and Anne-Marie Peracchio.

The gala’s cocktail hour offered tastings of wines from Terhune Orchard’s winery.

TRADITIONAL TO CONTEMPORARY “ FREE DESIGN ”Princeton Shopping Center - 301 N. Harrison Street - Princeton, NJ 08540 - 609-683-9400 • [email protected]

September 2014 Packet Magazine

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