green life nj - the irish riviera issue

greenLIFE NJ

THE IRISH RIVIERA ISSUE

Spring 2015

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Sat, May 2, 2015 Watermark 4pm • Free

VIP tables, $250 includes a bottle of champagne

Benefit for Second CallProceeds from all donations roses, and Derby drinks are donated to Second Call

Hosted by Tara Weldon (Hot Mess Studio) & Russell Lewis (Watermark)

Prizes for winner of best hat!

20 greenLIFE NJ

50

home grown

60 Michele Lanfrank Unedited

49 the factory

37 marilyn schlossbach32Chateau

Maris 28miss ellie takes flight 31green envy 26Green

Goddess

22ANTIQUES14 CHEF DAVID BURKE 18 Catch a

Rising Star 12 COAStAL wildlife 16 Spring

Cocktails

5 Pallone Letter 6 Publisher's

Page 10 Editor's Page

greenLIFE NJ

THE IRISH RIVIERA ISSUE

Spring 2015

8 irish shops & events

From Monmouth County’s Boxwood Drive and High-field Lane to New England,

the Canary Islands, the Carib-bean, NYC, Beverly Hills and back, being green has always been important to me.

Eating correctly is key and walking and biking have been mainstays – although in this last decade they have become my primary coastal way of life. The new BMW i3 electric car may change that as this busi-ness grows and I cover more territory, and reducing the carbon footprint is the value decision in practical conscience. The world is turning green!

Green life today includes important words like organic, cold-press, biodynamics, composting, sustainability, farm-to-table, vegan, and even hemp. Real estate and construction now include green products and newly skilled professionals. The environment, energy, fashion, art, food and drink are all get-ting in the act.

Other states and countries have more consistent weather and can more easily control runaway utilities, but with our diverse topography and important coastline, much is possible and much is ahead. We are the Garden State after all, why not lead the way?

green LIFE NJ will be featuring many contemporary green issues, people, places, play stations and professionals every Spring and Fall.

Welcome to green LIFE NJ!

PUBLISHER’S PAGE

Founder/PublisherVanessa M. Arico

Art & Design Director Jennifer Krumholz-Marmorato

Editor Yolanda Navarra Fleming

Copy Editor Lisa Schofield

ContributorsTeja AndersonVanessa M. AricoDavid BurkeCaitlin DabneyJonathan JacobMichele LanfrankLisa SchofieldBrandon Weltman

Photographer Suzy Graham

Contributing PhotographersTeja Anderson Tina ColellaCaitlin DabneyMichelle GrayJacques HerviouGabriela HzindoSarah Mo Danny SanchezMarc Steiner

Cover Photography of Miss Ellie NYC by John Mathias

Advertising Sales + [email protected]

Asbury Park Zest LLCPO Box 87Asbury Park, NJ 07712-0087USA

© 2015 Asbury Park Zest.All rights reserved. No partof this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Please forgive any errors & omissions.

greenLIFE NJ

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Vanessa M. Arico Sweater & scarf, Irish Centre, Spring Lake. Hair, The Color Bar, Spring Lake. Make-up, Karen’s Boutique, Spring Lake. Suzy Graham Photography at Irish Centre.

6 greenLIFENJ

Founder/PublisherVanessa M. Arico

Art & Design Director Jennifer Krumholz-Marmorato

Editor Yolanda Navarra Fleming

Copy Editor Lisa Schofield

ContributorsTeja AndersonVanessa M. AricoDavid BurkeCaitlin DabneyJonathan JacobMichele LanfrankLisa SchofieldBrandon Weltman

Photographer Suzy Graham

Contributing PhotographersTeja Anderson Tina ColellaCaitlin DabneyMichelle GrayJacques HerviouGabriela HzindoSarah Mo Danny SanchezMarc Steiner

Cover Photography of Miss Ellie NYC by John Mathias

Advertising Sales + [email protected]

Asbury Park Zest LLCPO Box 87Asbury Park, NJ 07712-0087USA

© 2015 Asbury Park Zest.All rights reserved. No partof this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Please forgive any errors & omissions.

Moya Rush arrived from Ireland in 1987 to work for her cousin Mary Reilly, who owned the Irish Centre

on 3rd Avenue in Spring Lake. When Reilly retired in 2014, Rush and her husband, Aidan, bought the business and took over the store.

She visits her homeland regularly on buying trips, seeking out unique Irish products from in-dependent artists to bring back to Spring Lake, known worldwide and on Wikipedia as the Irish Riviera. With a deep affinity for sharing her native culture, Rush is happy to be here and spread all this green love.

Rush, mother of two, says, “We sell a little bit of everything for all tastes and pockets. A lot of Irish people have summer homes here, which you can tell by all the Irish flags flying. They could be fifth generation Irish, but they still hold dear to their heritage.”

“It’s common for people to begin shopping at the store for engagement rings, and then for the bridal registry and wedding bands. As life progresses, they buy traditional christening outfits,” she adds. The store also sells handknit Irish sweaters, silk scarves, Waterford crystal, pottery, and much more, even food.

Rush invites you to buy all the ingredients of an authentic Irish breakfast, (minus the eggs and milk), such as Irish soda bread, Irish sausage, a selection of jams, marmalades, chocolates, and black and white pudding.

Known for their friendliness and sense of humor, the people of Ireland are welcoming to visitors. “No matter how bad things may be, there’s never a shortage of humor or wit,” says Rush, who urges people to also visit Ireland.

Rush’s cousin Reilly hosts tours periodically and brings between 40 and 50 people each time to the best parts of Ireland.

“You can’t guarantee the weather will be good, but it’s like the Hawaii of Europe. The coun-tryside and scenery, if you travel along the coastline, are beautiful. We went to Hawaii on our honeymoon and were reminded how green and lush the land is. When you fly over Ireland, it’s like a patchwork quilt and you can truly see the 40 shades of green.”

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235 South White Horse PikeAudubon, NJ 08106Ph: 856-546-0946Email: [email protected]: facebook.com/ballyhugh

137 Parsippany Rd, Parsippany, NJ 07054Ph: 973-884-3241Email: [email protected]

1120 Third Ave, Spring Lake, NJ 07762Ph: 732-449-6650website: www.njirish.com

40 Broadway, Denville, NJ 07834Ph: 973-625-0070website: www.faithandbegorra.com

212 Kearny Ave, Kearny, NJ 07032Ph: 201-998-3695website: www.piperscove.com

Ph: 732-747-443330 Monmouth St, Red Bank 07701130 N. Broadway, South Amboy 08879email: [email protected]

Thursday, April 2, 2015

7:30 pm Spend an evening listening to an eclectic collec-tion of the group’s best-loved and most popular songs from the past seven years. Celtic Thunder is accompanied by a live symphony orchestra. Count Basie Theatre, 99 Monmouth St, Red Bank

Saturday, May 16, 2015

12:00 pm - 4:00 pm Enjoy Irish music, dancing, food, shopping and other festivities in downtown Spring Lake (Third Ave). Sponsored by the Spring Lake Chamber of Commerce.

10:00 am - 6:00 pmThis family event features Irish craft vendors, step dancers, bagpipes and drums with traditional Irish Music by Sean Hennessey and Amadaun. For the little ones, there will be pony rides, face painting and sand art. The festival is sponsored by The Ancient Order of Hibernians (Freehold and Jackson divisions), American Highlander Kilts & Rinn Duin Brewery. There is a $5 entry fee for everyone over 14. Hibernians and their families enter for free with your current traveling card. Festival parking and entrance is at Lake Topanemus Park, 150 Robertsville Road, Freehold, NJ. For more information, check out their website at www.centraljerseyirishfestival.org.

Shamrock Shops

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1222 3rd Ave Spring Lake, NJ

732.449.6999

EDITOR'S PAGE

Yolanda Navarra Fleming has en-joyed a varied past

and continues to thrive on versatility. Currently, she is co-author of the book, "Chilangos in the House" (Balboa Press) and artist/co-owner of Groovy Beach House, coastal décor and

furniture. Formerly on staff for a decade at the Asbury Park Press, pre-Gannett, she has written blogs, website content, taglines, advertising materials and creative prose as well as writing and recording music for the past 20 years, under the name of One Single Breath (with her husband, Guy Fleming) and more recently as Yoji Ananda (yoga musician), whose music is on itunes and CDBaby. She has also been a belly dance instruc-tor/performer and a bodyworker. She has degrees in creative writing and journalism, and a certification in massage therapy.

Photo by Danny Sanchez

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By Teja Anderson

There are so many things to love about spring; the delicate little snowdrops and crocuses poking bravely up through the

dead grass and leaves, the fuzzy look the trees and bushes get as they begin to reawaken and put forth their buds and being joyfully awoken early each morning to the sweet and enthusiastic chipping of robins, finches, warblers and sparrows as they return in flocks to forage for insects and seeds, adding color and movement to the warming terrain. Spring means being able to walk the dogs in a light sweater and sneakers again and sit on the front stoop to drink ones morning tea or coffee in the sunlight, warming our bones after a long, cold winter. And here, on the Jersey Shore, one of the very best things about spring is that it heralds the return of the osprey!

There are an estimated 560 nesting pairs of os-prey in NJ, from as far north as the Meadowlands but mostly along the coast from Sandy Hook down to Cape May with nesting platforms as far inland as the rivers reach. Osprey couples, like swans mate for life, but unlike swans, they spend more than half of that time apart, wintering separately. Perhaps that is the secret to a successful mar-riage; spring and summer raising the kids together and then vacationing with your fellow females in the rainforests of French Guiana while your male companions choose to congregate no farther south than Cuba.

It is no surprise that many osprey couples are given names by the people who welcome their familiar silhouettes back to their platforms during mid to late March each year. Here in Monmouth Beach we are always delighted when first “Ollie” returns from

his shorter journey, joined within days by the ex-hausted “Mollie”. Like all birds of prey the female is noticeably larger so it’s easy to tell them apart. As they refurbish their perennial five foot wide nests with marsh grasses, sticks, clumps of mud, hu-man trash and marine debris over the next couple of weeks and rekindle their affection, passersby’s and locals enjoy Ollie’s diving displays and can spot the pair easily amidst all the soaring seagulls in the sky since osprey wingspans are an impressive 4 1/2 to 6 feet. It’s not unusual to see one of them flying about town displaying a large stiff fish in their talons like a prize although once their one to three chicks have hatched its most likely to be Ollie as Mollie is intent on caring for their brood.

On average half of the chicks will make it to adult-hood although the osprey has but two enemies. One is man, with our invasive building and use of pesticides. The other is the eagle who enjoy fish too and can easily steal the one an osprey is carrying.

It is always fun to see which will happen first each spring; that amazing burst of yellow forsythia in the neighbor’s yard or the return of the first osprey. I’m always rooting for Ollie and Mollie!

Teja Anderson is a journalist, photographer and licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator with the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife. For over ten years she has nurtured and released hundreds of orphaned wild baby animal including rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, opossums and field mice. An avid nature photog-rapher and lover of all creatures great and small, she is excited to be joining green LIFE NJ. Although a Vermont native, Teja has found her home at the Jersey Shore and lives in Monmouth Beach with her husband Frank and their two children Jaden and Olivia.

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12 greenLIFENJ

his shorter journey, joined within days by the ex-hausted “Mollie”. Like all birds of prey the female is noticeably larger so it’s easy to tell them apart. As they refurbish their perennial five foot wide nests with marsh grasses, sticks, clumps of mud, hu-man trash and marine debris over the next couple of weeks and rekindle their affection, passersby’s and locals enjoy Ollie’s diving displays and can spot the pair easily amidst all the soaring seagulls in the sky since osprey wingspans are an impressive 4 1/2 to 6 feet. It’s not unusual to see one of them flying about town displaying a large stiff fish in their talons like a prize although once their one to three chicks have hatched its most likely to be Ollie as Mollie is intent on caring for their brood.

On average half of the chicks will make it to adult-hood although the osprey has but two enemies. One is man, with our invasive building and use of pesticides. The other is the eagle who enjoy fish too and can easily steal the one an osprey is carrying.

It is always fun to see which will happen first each spring; that amazing burst of yellow forsythia in the neighbor’s yard or the return of the first osprey. I’m always rooting for Ollie and Mollie!

Teja Anderson is a journalist, photographer and licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator with the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife. For over ten years she has nurtured and released hundreds of orphaned wild baby animal including rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, opossums and field mice. An avid nature photog-rapher and lover of all creatures great and small, she is excited to be joining green LIFE NJ. Although a Vermont native, Teja has found her home at the Jersey Shore and lives in Monmouth Beach with her husband Frank and their two children Jaden and Olivia.

Prom and Wedding Packages Now Available!

Prom Package Full Body Organic Airbrush Tan

$25

Wedding Package Free Full Body Organic Airbrush Tan for the

Bride

Along with Full Body Organic Airbrush Tan for 4 or more appointments in bridal party!

Book Online Today at www.spraydesolenj.com

IN THE KITCHEN

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Corned Beef and Cabbage

Ingredients 3 lb. corned beef 1lb. piece of double smoked bacon (skin off)2 carrots rough chopped1 onion rough chopped3 ribs celery rough chopped2 bay leaf 1 pint Dark Beer2 small heads of cabbage cut into 8 wedges12 bliss potatoes peeled

DirectionsPlace the corned beef in a casserole along with the bacon. Add carrots, onion, celery, bay leaf and dark beer. Add water as nec-essary to cover and bring to a low simmer. Simmer for 2.5 hours then add potatoes and cabbage and continue to simmer until beef is fork tender and potato is cooked through.

Remove Cabbage and potatoes and arrange on a platter. Slice the bacon and cabbage and arrange on top.

Serve with rye toast and mustard oil or mustard.

Samuel Adams Alpine Spring Lobster Benedict with Hopped ‘Beer-naise’

Ingredients1 bottle Samuel Adams Alpine Spring1 cup champagne vinegar1 shallot chopped4 sprigs tarragon4 egg yolks1/4 ounce Tettnang Tettnanger hop flowers4 sticks butter melted4 English muffins4 lobsters (1 pound each), cooked and meat removed8 eggs2 Tablespoons white vinegar1 Tablespoon lemon juice Salt to taste

DirectionsIn a stainless steel pot, reduce the Alpine Spring, champagne vinegar, shallot, and 3 sprigs tarragon to ¼ of original volume; add the hops and chill. This could be done 1 day in advance.

Once cold, add the reduction to the egg yolks. Whisk yolks over a double-boiler until the eggs become thick, then add the lemon juice. Slowly whisk in the melted butter until all is incorporated. Strain through fine strain-er. Pick last sprig of tarragon and chop. Add the tarragon to the sauce, cover, and keep warm.

Bring 4 quarts of water to a simmer with white vinegar and salt. Slowly crack the eggs into the water and poach to desired doneness. Toast the English muffins and warm lobster meat while the eggs are cooking.

To assemble, put split muffin on plate topped with 1/2 of a lobster tail and egg on each half. Cover with sauce and serve.

IN THE KITCHEN

Chef David Burke

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Basil & Honeydew Martini3 oz Basil Infused Vodka*1 oz Cucumber Water*1/4 cup Small Honeydew Wedges4 Cucumber Wheels3 Basil Leaves1 Chilled Martini Glass

In a pint glass muddle all but 1 wedge of the honeydew wedges, 2 basil leaves & 3 cucumber wheels. Fill glass with ice, add 3 oz of Basil Infused Vodka & 1 oz cucumber water. Shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled Martini glass. Add slit in the remaining hon-eydew wedge and cucumber wheel. Slide both on to the rim of the martini glass. Place basil leaf behind the cucumber wheel. Sip & enjoy. Cheers! Tomatillo “Bloody’’ Mary

2 oz Basil Infused Vodka*3 1/2 oz Tomatillo “Bloody” Mary Juice*1 Lemon Wheel1 Lime Wheel1 Cucumber Wheel1 Sprig CilantroBlack Pepper Grinder1 Collins Glass with Ice

In a pint glass with ice add 2 oz basil in-fused vodka & 3 1/2 oz Tomatillo “Bloody’’ Mary Juice. Shake vigorously. Strain over ice in Collins glass. Add slit to lemon wheel, lime wheel and cucumber wheel. Garnish by arranging by size & slide on to rim of glass. Add sprig of cilantro. Finish with 2 healthy cracks of fresh black pepper. Sip & enjoy. Cheers!

Basil & Honeydew Martini

spring greenCoCktailsBy Caitlin daBney Instagram @caitdabs

toMatillo Bloody Mary

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Tomatillo “Bloody’’ Mary2 oz Basil Infused Vodka*3 1/2 oz Tomatillo “Bloody” Mary Juice*1 Lemon Wheel1 Lime Wheel1 Cucumber Wheel1 Sprig CilantroBlack Pepper Grinder1 Collins Glass with Ice

In a pint glass with ice add 2 oz basil in-fused vodka & 3 1/2 oz Tomatillo “Bloody’’ Mary Juice. Shake vigorously. Strain over ice in Collins glass. Add slit to lemon wheel, lime wheel and cucumber wheel. Garnish by arranging by size & slide on to rim of glass. Add sprig of cilantro. Finish with 2 healthy cracks of fresh black pepper. Sip & enjoy. Cheers!

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oThe Gin Refresher 2 oz Basil Infused Gin* 1 1/2 oz Cucumber Water*1/2 oz Agave Syrup*3 Lemon Wheels2 Basil Leaves 1 Bottle Mint Bitters1 Rocks Glass with Ice

In a pint glass muddle 2 lemon wheels and 1 basil leaf. Fill glass with ice, add 2 oz Basil Infused Gin, 3 dashes mint bitters & 1/2 oz agave syrup. Shake vigorously. Strain over ice in a rocks glass. Top with cucumber water. With the remaining lemon wheel add a slit and pull basil leaf barley through the wheel. Float on top. Sip & enjoy. Cheers!

Basil Gin Gimlet 3 oz Basil Infused Gin*3/4 oz Agave Syrup*5 Lime Wheels2 Basil LeavesBlack Pepper Grinder1 Chilled Martini Glass

In a pint glass muddle 4 lime wheels & 1 ba-sil leaf. Fill pint glass with ice, add 3 oz Basil Infused Gin & 3/4 oz agave syrup. Shake vig-orously. Strain into a chilled Martini glass. Add a slit to the remaining lime wheel and slide on to the rim of the martini glass. Place basil leave behind lime wheel. Finish with 2 healthy cracks of black pepper. Sip & enjoy. Cheers!

*Basil Infused Vodka/Gin in a Mason jar com-bine 6 basil leaves per 8 ounces of vodka/gin and let it sit for 2 weeks.

*Cucumber Water in a 32 oz container slice 1 medium cucumber in to coins. Add to con-tainer & fill with water. Let sit for 24 hours, then enjoy!

*Agave Syrup- equal parts agave nectar & hot water. Combine and chill. Use once cool to touch. *Tomatillo “Bloody” Mary Juice4 Medium Tomatillos1 Medium Cucumber Sliced into Coins1 Sprig Parsley1 Smashed Whole Garlic Clove1/2 Seranno Chile, seeds removed for less heat1 Tablespoon Lime Juice1 Tablespoon Lemon JuicePinch Kosher Salt 3 Healthy Cracks of Fresh Black Pepper 1 CheeseclothFine StrainerBlenderLarge Bowl

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Pulse on low & then continue to blend on low un-til smooth. Place cheesecloth in a fine strainer on top of a bowl to catch juice. Pour mixture through cheesecloth. Be patient. Once almost done dripping, roll up cheese cloth like a bur-rito and squeeze to get remaining juice. Add 1 tablespoon of flesh from inside cheesecloth to add texture to juice. Transfer juice to pitcher. Chill for 2 hours then enjoy!

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When I was s e v e n years old, I

stepped into my first Acro class. It was new for me and right from the start I knew I wanted to tumble. Every week, I would look forward to Wednesday nights when I could prac-tice some new skills. I advanced quickly, so my teacher asked if I would be interested in joining a competition team. This is where my dance training began. In order to be on the team, I had to take not only Acro, but also Tap, Jazz, and Ballet.

At first I was skeptical, not wanting to put bal-let shoes on, but I gave it a shot. When I moved across the floor to mu-sic, I felt freedom. I felt a sense of relief. To a seven-year-old, the easi-est comparison would be that of getting a cookie before dinner.

In my first season of com-petitions, I was crowned “Little Mr.” at numerous venues, and took home many first-place trophies for my age group. I was set on being a dancer, but coming from a big family, my parents could no longer afford all of my classes.

Dance then ended for me, and my parents moved south to Brick, where I spent most of my pre-teen years. Without dance, however, I had no sense of release, and I

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began to feel emotions that I couldn’t express. I tried drawing and painting and both were fun, but compared to dance, they were just meaning-less hobbies. Writing became a big part of my life for a while and I still dabble in it, but nothing gave me more elation and stress relief than to just get up and dance.

Fortunately things began to change. In the first week of seventh grade, my school was holding auditions for “Peter Pan.” I told myself that this would be my way back into dancing and that I had to audition. On the day of auditions, I was asked to read for the role of Smee. After getting on stage, I looked out at the production staff and choked. My first instinct that I still question ‘til this day, was to pretend I couldn’t read. I was squint-ing and straining my eyes as I mumbled the words to get through the scene, and let’s just say that the director didn’t need me in that production.

My second audition was for a Broadway review show and it was a collaboration of middle and high school students from our district. This was the audition when I found out that I could sing. Well, “sing” is a strong word, but I could definitely hold a tune. I was given my own solo and right up until tech week (the week before the show opens) ev-erything was going well.

One night after rehearsal, however, I was walk-ing around my neighborhood with my cousin and we both got hit by a car. Unfortunately, this took away my chances of taking part in this production.

My third audition came to me as freshman in high school and I did not get cast. At this point, I was thinking, “Maybe theatre just isn’t my thing.” But within the next few months, auditions for “The Wiz” came around. I decided that I couldn’t give up and off to the auditions I went.

After seeing my name on the cast list as a Munch-kin, I could not be happier and my only concern was to stay away from cars because I wanted to make it onstage this time. My resume finally re-ceived its first credit.

The following year, my school posted auditions for “RENT.” Seeing that this wasn’t a big dance show, I went in just hoping to be in the ensemble. How-ever, my director, Jennifer Roebuck, saw more in me and called me back for the lead role of Mark Cohen. After a long round of callbacks, and a few

days of nail-biting nervousness, I saw my name on the cast list...as Mark. This role would be the cata-lyst to what I wanted to do with my life.

I was 15 years old, coming to terms with sexual-ity and struggling to fit in with the crowd. I didn’t always feel like I fit in, but every time I stepped on that stage, I felt like my seven-year-old self all over again. On the stage and in front of the spot-light, my voice felt limitless. I felt limitless. I knew that this was the true start of my career path.

Three years later dancing found me again, as I began paying for my own classes. Now at audi-tions I’m a triple threat – singer, dancer and actor – and pursue my career with verve and determi-nation.

This year, I’m 19 and remember the role that started it all – the one I knew I would eventually once again play.

Recently, Axelrod Performing Arts Center in Deal posted an online audition notice for “RENT” and I immediately started preparing. I walked into the audition in search of any role in the cast, but the director, Jose De La Cuesta, saw me for the role I played four years prior.

After three callbacks, that euphoric feeling filled me once again when I saw my name on the cast list. I was again Mark Cohen. I danced around my house, I screamed, I cried, and I felt like that little seven-year-old walking into his very first Acro class.

Getting the chance to play my dream role, not once, but twice in my lifetime has reminded me of why I chose this career path in the first place. It makes me feel like I fit in and there’s nothing more exciting or exhilarating than performing.

And yes, I am a triple threat.

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Directed & Choreographed by Jose de la costa Produced by Andrew Deprisco

MARCH 20, 21, 28 8:00PM March 22, 29 3:00PMAdult $30 Senior $28 Student $20

Discounted Seats Available $20

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOWWWW.AXELRODARTSCENTER.com

732-858-8106

Directed & Choreographed by Jose de la Cuesta Produced by Andrew De Prisco

June 11, 12,13,17,18 8:00 PM June 14, 21 3:00PM

Adult $32 Senior $28 Student $24 Group $26 Discounted Seats $20

www.axelrodartscenter.com 732-858-8106

Donna Ayers-Vorbach

Donna Ayers has been creating beautiful Fine Art portraiture for families on the Jer-sey Shore for twenty years. The naturalistic style Ayers favors is influenced by the small town of Spring Lake, NJ, where she grew up. With a developed skill of capturing the likeness and spirit of her subjects, Ayers brings together the beauty of portraiture and surroundings to create a painting that will be treasured for years to come.

donnaayersfineart.com732-223-3626

Rudy Valentino, director of the Antique Empo-rium of Asbury Park,

was an executive VP for a $56-million business that was dissolving. When his love for antiques and restoration was reignited, it also became his salvation, and he opened up his first store in Queens, NY.

“I did some major restora-tions and picked up many clients. For one of my assign-ments, I made 2,000 lanterns for the gardens of the famed NYC restaurant, Tavern on the Green, in Central Park,” he recalls. “I was even written up in The New York Times for this kind of specialty work.” After a major fire destroyed his shop in 1999, Valentino was offered to use the old JJ Newberry Building on Cookman Ave in Asbury Park, which had been vacant for 20 years – as were many other buildings in the city. There, he opened the Antique Emporium of Asbury Park and eventually filled it with 80 dealers. He also paved the way for other new busi-ness on Asbury Park’s busiest downtown block. “That was 13 years ago,” says Rudy. “Now Cookman Ave is thriving with great shops and restaurants,” he beams. “Some of our clients are buyers for HBO’s “Board-walk Empire,” and other TV shows like “Pan Am,” and “Mad Men,” among others. Also, major movie studios like Warner Bros, Paramount and others have started to

GO GREEN Buy Antiques!

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regularly buy props from us. We have also been featured on an entire segment of HGTV.” Valentino agrees it’s greener to buy antiques. Further, he believes antique dealers deserve government grants for recycling old items. “First of all, (antiques) were made better and stronger,” he explains. “Today’s manufactured products have a very limited life span and can-not undergo restoration. Antiques were manufac-tured with less toxic materials, as well as natural lumbers and other natural materials.”

Just north of Asbury Park, in the affluent and historic borough of Allenhurst, is Shore Antique Center owned by Chris and Rose Myer. Origi-nally opened in 1990 in Pt. Pleasant Beach by Chris, they decided to buy a building and move the business to Allenhurst in 2008. The consci-entious owners are equally proud to run an ecologically sound business. Beginning with his appreciation of art and history, Myer started collecting and digging an-tique bottles. This led to other areas of antiques and collectibles. Soon he found himself buying

and selling full time. He now purchases in-dividual pieces to entire estates. Chris enjoys dealing in fine art, furniture, and all items of an aesthetic quality or rarity. He also offers a great selection of very nice used furnish-ings of a certain age and style, that might not be considered antique.

He is amazed by the amount of new “junk” that the public consumes. “A lot of it has no real value other than the value it has coming

23greenLIFENJShore Antique Center dealers

off the shelf,” Myer comments. “It would benefit the planet in a huge way and be green if the general public understood that they can buy old interesting objects different from what every-body else has, which then helps these objects to stick around longer. Old stuff has character and is timeless and doesn’t necessarily have to be antique.”

A huge perk of the business for him was “meeting the beautiful creature” who became his wife 13 years ago. Rose O’Connor-Myer, who enjoys the business of antiquing so much, that when asked, she had to stop and count how many years she’s been involved. “Do what you love and it never feels like work,” she says. Their worlds collided when Myer answered her ad in a local paper offering her appraisal services. Now, they share an 11-year-old child (raised vegetarian since birth) and Shore Antique Center of Allenhurst, a favorite Jersey Shore shopping destination for those seeking trend-setting design, unusual antiques, and affordable and investment-quality art and vintage collect-ibles of all kinds. For the past 33 years, O’Connor-Myer has been a fine art appraiser. “I’ve always had a keen interest in art and antiques, which led me to study at SUNY Buffalo, where I earned a bachelor’s in Art History.” While taking graduate coursework in antiqui-ties and art at Harvard University’s Extension program, O’Connor-Myer began a career as a 19th-century Paintings Gallery Associate, and soon after became the Director of the same Boston Gallery. Once completing her coursework for Certification in Appraisal Studies at NYU, she joined the Appraisers Association of America. “There’s never been a better time to collect beautiful, functional objects that hold value and live on, especially as we bring our landfills to capacity with ‘disposable’ formaldehyde-tainted contemporary merchandise,” she emphasizes. “Having an interesting piece from the past, doesn’t constitute ownership. You don’t own it, it owns you for a while.”

This concept goes beyond recycling or repurpos-ing. “Paintings don’t get thrown away after you own them, they just keep going,” she adds. “I feel the same way about a fine carved piece of furniture or even a funky lamp from the 1950s. They’re too good to throw in the landfills, thank goodness, because of their nice quality and uniqueness. And that’s good for everybody.”

Even further up the coast is Red Bank, which Dan Jacobson, TriCity News owner and publisher, has coined, “Hip City.” There, Guy Johnson, owner of Red Bank Antique Center, believes in buying old furniture made of solid wood rather than cutting down new trees. Now that’s a wonderful green idea! He also recommends fixing up old furniture rather than throwing it away. Once fixed, he says, “You can use it for another hundred years.”

Johnson grew up in Lincroft, where his mother, Nan, who loved antiques, started a home-based business in the late ‘50s. When the neighbors complained, she opened Nan Johnson Antiques in Fair Haven, until the landlord raised the rent. Her final strategy was to trail-blaze a business model that would sustain her son for half a century.

“She got 12 friends together and they all rented a building and advertised it as a permanent antique show with no admission charge,” Johnson recalls. The center kept moving to larger build-ings to accommodate everyone who wanted in, and now boast more than 100 dealers.

We have something for everyone,” Johnson adds, including furniture, jewelry, art, lamps, pottery, glass, linens, collectibles and more. The center also offers jewelry repair and design, clock re-pair, toy and doll repair, lamp rewiring, furniture repair and refinishing, furniture upholstery and professional appraisals.

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Antique Emporium of Asbury Park

AS SEEN ON HGTV!Antique and art dealers of fine European, American and mid-century furniture, art,

bronzes, statuary, porcelain, glass, china, sil-ver, primitives, jewelry, clocks,

decorative items, collectibles and much more!

Over 15,000 square feet of dealer space646 Cookman Avenue • Asbury Park, New JerseyJust minutes from exits 100 from south and 102 from north, Garden State Parkway

732-774-8230Mon-Sat 11-5 • Sun 12-5

Hurry! Dealer Space Available

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For the last five years, former New York University Director of Sport & Fitness, Regine “Reggie” Flimlin, has been focused on bringing health and wellness to the Garden State. Beginning in 2010 with New Jersey’s first cold-press juice company located in Asbury Park, after Superstorm Sandy disabled coastal business in 2012, this wellness entrepreneur extended her juice basin brand to ten satellite locations statewide. In January 2015, juice basin opened a second juice boutique in Montclair. Today, Reggie and her devoted husband and partner, Enrique Wegel, are poised to press for two of the state’s largest green-minded supermarkets.

This Spring, juice basin’s flagship store and manufacturing facility on Fourth Ave in Asbury Park will grow into their neighboring garage to accommodate new client expansion, and a café for sit down lunch service. “Inspired by the history and beauty of Asbury Park,” shares Reggie, “we equate the body, breath and mind connection of juice basin products with the local Jersey Shore rocker, surfer and yogi lifestyle and aesthetic. It really keeps us positive and thankful during the longer winter months as we await the soft sun rays and worldwide tourists back to our beloved City By The Sea. We are elated that our loyal custom-ers and growing fans have enabled us to grow our products and services so rapidly.”

Be on the lookout for this Asbury Made manufacturer – considered best of Jersey – as their signature fleet of green and white juice mobiles and electric carts serve home delivery customers from Saddle River to South Jersey. This green goddess may just be spreading her love to a retailer or home near you.

Goddess Regine Flimlin

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Takes Flight

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Takes Flight

J ust as sparkling and bright as her jewelry creations, Miss Ellie herself is also a star. A tall brunette (OK, maybe it’s her stillet-

tos), Miss Ellie is a southern belle chock full of ambition, talent and charm, without an ounce of shyness or shame — even if her birthplace is the heart of the Bible Belt. She's married now, and technically she should be "Mrs. Ellie" by southern standards, but she's sticking with Miss Ellie and her winner-take-all attitude. The Tennessee-born designer began honing her craft at the age of 16, learning to solder and cast. She is formally trained, earning a BFA from Washington University in St. Louis, where she met her husband, John Mathias, a musician, painter and illustrator. After college the 22-year-olds moved to the Big Apple to "Make it Big." Ellie's fist job was at Green Design Group in Chatham NJ — a licensing company for active sportswear giants: Adidas, Reebok, and Ellesse. Her duties were less impressive, though, spending the day measuring soccer shorts, getting coffee, and faxing orders to China. But it was a "start" and she learned the trade and then secured a second job as a design assistant at Scott Adams Designs on 25th Street doing product develop-ment for hats, scarves, handbags, and promo-tional items for Lancome, Clinique, The Gap, Victoria's Secret, and The Limited. Then, in 1997, Ellie got her first business partner and started her first company, Tiara Misu, making trendy hair ornaments, prom and special occa-sion accessories. Clients grew to include David's Bridal, Guess and Cache. Healthy orders contin-ued and attracted more partners for expansion, and in 2001 they moved from their office in the garment district to a larger distribution ware-house in Hoboken. This new partnership lasted another five years until 2006 when the partners dissolved the company. "Things changed and we had different visions," shares Ellie. The end was a delightful new beginning for Ellie. Now, she could get back to the grass roots of making her products in the USA, and have greater creative freedom with her own indepen-dent label. "It's a really great time to support local industry and American workers," she says. A better product and a greater audience were just a step away.

In New York, she and John lived in posh Park Slope, Brooklyn for 13 years in a two-bedroom rent-controlled apartment with a balcony for just $1475 a month. But big changes were happen-ing, and in 2007 this Brooklyn babe was ready to leave the NY party scene to become a Jersey Mamma. When John and Ellie first visited Asbury Park, they fell in love with the area, the seaside towns and the boardwalk. "We always dreamed about living near the beach. And, Why wait? After all, I still look good in a bathing suit now!" She continues, "I'm a southern girl, and I like to parade around in big hats, short shorts, red lip-stick and high, high heels. Industry women make the streets of New York a spontaneous runway for their street style. And, I see a lot of that here on the coast. But there's more leopard, more lace, and more frosted nail polish... I love the glitter and glamour of the shore! Lets face it, it's hard to walk around NY all day in stillettos. Here it's a lot easier because you can find a parking space!" They settled on Long Branch when they found a romantic old Victorian cottage, complete with Gingerbread trellises and a white picket fence. About 15 seconds after we opened the front door, I knew that this was it. My husband decided he wanted to buy it before we even walked in the door! Yes, this was "The One," the only one. John and I are both art collectors and makers. We hate moving, and we see ourselves here til we die, literally. We love it here! Miss Ellie LLC is a boutique business. "Locally we are carried at Depascal Altier in Spring Lake, the Koi boutique in Pier Village, and Chelsea's at The Grove in Shrewsbury. And The Victorian Trading mail order catalog company (based in St. Louis, MO) is a great source of income and inspiration for me, too," Ellie proudly shares. "The bird on the cover is from one of our most successful collections. I made it when I was pregnant with my daughter, Charlotte. During that time I had a creative estrogen surge and I thought I could conquer the world. I knew it was time to start a family and so this bird collection was born and so was my child." And what a better showcase for Spring than a bird in flight? "It symbolizes freedom, liberty, getting out from the grey of winter and spreading your wings."

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File: MissEllie_Zest_SP_AD.indd Client: Miss Ellie Designs, LLCPub: Asbury Park ZestUnit: Single Page Ad

Trim: 6.75” w X 9.125” hBleed: .125” all sidesColor: CMYK

Antiquities of tomorrow. Already aged to perfection.missellienyc.com

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File: MissEllie_Zest_SP_AD.indd Client: Miss Ellie Designs, LLCPub: Asbury Park ZestUnit: Single Page Ad

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Antiquities of tomorrow. Already aged to perfection.missellienyc.com

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HEAVENCookman AveAsbury Park

RESISTANCEFine Artist Heather Brown Oil on canvas. 18”x 24”

Nita ideasCreative Clothing For IndividualsCookman Ave,Asbury Park

ASBURY PARK ROASTERY2nd Ave, Asbury Park

DINO'S on mainMain St, Asbury Park

B & G HOME InteriorsCookman AveAsbury Park

DANI RISIMain St Allenhurst

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JUICE BASIN805 4th Ave, Asbury Park

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Belmar native, Kevin parker, former Global Head of Deutsche Asset Management Company, a top 10 asset management platform responsible for $750 billion in AUM,

identified climate change in 2004 as a megatrend that would drive financial markets in the coming decades.

Today he is CEO/Founder of Sustainable Insight Capital Manage-ment with offices in NYC, Sydney and London. In his spare time, he founded the Kingsbridge National Ice Center in the Bronx, and sits on the investment committee for the Metropolitan Opera.

CHÂTEAU MARIS

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CHÂTEAU MARIS

Along the way, in 1997, Parker teamed with Englishman Robert Eden to realize the epitome of sustainable passion, dreams and acumen, when together they bought Chateau Maris, and converted the venerable Domaine to biodynamic farming. Located in the Languedoc region in the South of France, a stone’s throw from the Mediterranean Sea, Chateau Maris can proudly declare that it runs environmentally efficient year round with ‘zero’ carbon emissions.

It took Chateau Maris seven years to evolve its fully organic vineyard into a long-term sustainable operation. The estate even successfully adopted a pre-industrial farming technique by engaging plough horses rather than mechanical means of cultivation. “We are now fully certified by the leading organic and biodynamic associations in Europe,” shares Parker.

The estate is fully committed to natural and sustainable practices in the vineyard, the winemaking and all aspects of operation. By not using chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and many other industrial farming methods, the soil remains naturally rich with its unique compounds instead of being stripped and depleted; the resulting wine is more pure, full bodied and true to its terroir.

Chateau Maris is also singularly unique among wineries throughout the globe in that its 9,000-square-foot building -- representing eight years of passion, five of which were devoted solely to planning and research -- is built almost entirely with bricks of organic hemp straw. The hemp straw allows for significant reduction of carbon emissions from construction and also captures and stores carbon dioxide.

“Hemp,” notes Parker, “has been one of the hardiest, most versatile, natural raw materials abundantly used in the U.S. during Colonial times and is now coming into its own once again as a construction material.”

“We are finally where we envisioned being when we started nearly two

decades ago.” Kp

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Further, the expansive, 15,000-case wine cellar is built into a hillside topped with soil that is planted with local vegetation that grows with little water. Rainfall is collected and utilized, and the winery also recycles its gray water by filtration through a natural pond system. All lighting is energy-saving LEDs, and there will be solar panels and a windmill to enhance natural power supplies.

The difference between organic and biodynamic is more than semantics. Organic cultivation coexists with the natural environ-ment in which it is performing, rather than dominating or altering it. Biodynamic is organic, but organic is only part of the overall mis-sion. Biodynamic wine cultivation is where the entire vineyard and property is viewed as a whole, and the vintner (called a “vigneron” in France) seeks to restore optimal vitality to the land and its crops by encouraging the natural collaboration between the existing flora, fauna and soil.

Chateau Maris Brand Ambassador, Jacques Herviou, states, “We are not organic as a marketing ploy but are organic for the pres-ervation of our vineyard and in order to produce better wine. The same can be said for the hemp winery. I knew from the start that customers are not buying wine because it is organic but because it’s delicious and well-priced (and I cannot blame them). I find that wine directors are very interested in the hemp winery – the biodynamic farming method which really sets us apart from everything they taste. Most of them are also concerned about doing something positive with their buying power.”

The estate produces a diverse range of outstanding reds with blends from Grenache, Carignan and Syrah plus a Grenache Gris white.

After pioneering sustainable farming eighteen years ago, Chateau Maris has earned coveted worldwide distinction. Maris recently took Silver and Bronze medals at Millésime Bio, the largest and most important trade fair for organic wines in the world, held in Montpellier, France in January 2015.

Parker concludes, “It’s been a long journey of committment to the environment and sustainability. We are doing well by doing good and it’s gratifying to see that the consumer today truly cares about the health and quality of what they’re putting in their bodies, and that the environment is respected. We are finally where we envi-sioned being when we started nearly two decades ago.”

Chateau Maris wines may be purchased in New Jersey at the fol-lowing locations: All Bottle King locations; Coolvines in Princeton, Westfield and Jersey City; Wine Library in Springfield; and Spirits Unlimited in Red Bank.

Publisher’s Note: Mr. Parker is a graduate of St. Rose High School, Belmar, 1977, and is our most successful classmate. Congratulations Kp!

The World's 1st Biodynamic Winery Languedoc, France

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CHÂTEAU MARIS

The World's 1st Biodynamic Winery Languedoc, France

What inspired you to become a chef?When I was 18, my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Watching how food affected her mood and health was a lightbulb moment for me. I became fascinated with the relationship between food and the body, and soon fell in love with the culinary arts.

What has been your biggest success?Although I’ve opened numerous restaurants throughout my 30-year culinary career, my biggest success lies in the work I’ve done in my lo-cal community. Realizing our five restaurants can be used as vehicles for social change, my staff and I have been able to raise awareness for vital organizations such as The Foodbank, The Boys & Girls Club, Clean Ocean Action, Surfrider Founda-tion and countless others. I’ve spearheaded my own charitable efforts within the Marilyn Schloss-bach Group. Food for Thought by the Sea, our nonprofit organization, hosts free holiday dinners at my oceanfront restaurant Langosta Lounge; we serve approximately 5,000 free meals annually. This year, I joined nonprofit organization Waves for Water to help bring clean water to villages throughout Nicaragua. Another huge success has been my involvement in Kula Café. Launched in 2013, Kula Café is a social enterprise that offers a hospitality job-training program for youth as well as an on-site café that is open to the public. Last year, I shared my concept for Kula Café with Interfaith Neighbors, a fantastic nonprofit orga-nization, and we quickly joined forces. Today, Interfaith runs the day-to-day operations and I consult on staffing, training, and project growth. Students learn valuable skills that are transfer-rable across industries.

What does being “green” mean to you?Being green is a way of life. It is choice to make the least carbon footprint, to be aware of your surroundings and respect nature. Since I opened my first restaurant in the ‘80s, being “green” has been a part of our company’s core values. My

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH CHEF, RESTAURATEURMARILYN SCHLOSSBACH

staff and I are constantly exploring new ways we can further reduce the amount of garbage produced by our restaurants. We only use recycled to-go packag-ing; we buy our produce, meats and fish locally and seasonally to reduce our carbon footprint. Recently, we learned that Americans use 500 million drink-ing straws a day, so we’ve stopped serving straws. Guests can request a straw, but we now have the opportunity to educate them on the issue.

What do you want to achieve in 2015? Although I have a hand in the operation of each of my restaurants, my focus for 2015 is on the launch of my new community-driven cookbook. It will feature 11 chapters, each dedicated to a different nonprofit. We also plan to launch Libby the Lobster and Kula Ketchup. Stay tuned – the Marilyn Schlossbach Group is expanding into retail!

What business advice would you give to start-ups?Always maintain a close circle of confidants who can advise you. Make decisions based on your home-work, not emotions. And last, but not least, make your business environmentally friendly!

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Patrick Schiavino On Asbury Park –

“It’s the love of the town that gets me going.” Patrick Schiavino, accomplished artist, concert promoter, and one of the most influential real estate developers in Asbury Park, is also founder and owner of “Asbury Underground” – the grassroots art and music crawl that he sponsors each January, June, and October in downtown Asbury Park. The last one featured 36 performers | 18 venues | 4,000 attendees and growing. “Asbury Underground” is the hot buzz word on everyone’s lips from cool, hip, musicians to eclectic artists in New York, Miami, and the Garden State.

Currently, Patrick owns and operates art629 Gallery in downtown Asbury Park, where he also has his studio and residence. The gallery is one of the venues for “Asbury Underground”, and year round also features a wide variety of artwork, both internationally known and local. His business is flourishing and he is still developing in Asbury Park and in Costa Rica, where he also has a home.

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708 Cookman Avenue • Asbury Park, NJ

732.775.8900 • www.asburyparkmusiclives.org

The mission of the APMF is to preserve and promote Asbury Park’s rich musical heritage-past, present, future;

creating a thriving, vibrant city Where Music Lives.

Home to all of Asbury Park’s

rich musical heritage

John McGillonowner of Asbury Park’s very Irish, very popular and very successful Johnny Mac House of Spirits

Q What part of Ireland are you from? A My mother and father are from Tyrone. During the war, they moved to England and I was born outside London.

Q What brought you to the US? A In 1944, when I was 3, my mother and father brought me here. They came to work. They were both farmers, but when we got here, my mother worked as a house maid and my father delivered refrigerators.

Q How long have you been in the bar/restaurant business? A Since 1968.

Q What brought you to Asbury Park? A My cousin, Bernard McElhone was one of the owners of 208 Main St., which is my location now. He called to tell me that the bar was empty and had a liquor license. I was working at the time in the bar business in Brooklyn and Manhattan. But when I came down, I liked what I saw. At one time, Bernard owned so many apartment build-ings that he sold 55 of them on the same day. They were mostly located in Alphabet City with a couple in Harlem. He also came from Tyrone, but I think he was born here.

Q How has your experience in Asbury Park been? A I like it because it’s a real neighborhood. I grew up in East Manhattan, the Bronx and all over New York City. That was 40 or 50 years ago when there were neighborhoods and every-body knew everybody. Not anymore. Now, it’s all high-rises and nobody knows anybody. But here, we have a real neighborhood. It’s like the old days when you knew the grocer and everybody on the block. That’s what I like about Asbury Park.40 greenLIFENJ

Q What do you foresee for its immediate 10-year future? A A very big boom. People are buying older buildings and developing them, and building new buildings. I see more and more people coming in to invest because it’s a vibrant, liberal town.

Q Do you plan on opening any more bar/restau-rants on the Jersey Shore? A Possibly.

Q Why is your flagship location Johnny Mac House of Spirits on Main St., Asbury Park so successful? A It’s successful because it’s different. It’s very Irish and it’s architecturally different. Most bars are one level. We’ve capitalized on things that other places haven’t done. We have a lot going on. You can play ski ball, basketball, chess, checkers, Monopoly and other games outside. Soon we’ll start Simon Says. There’s also a train that goes around the bar and makes a complete circle. We have a potbelly stove full of candy and people can serve themselves. We have free pizza every day, all day, and free omelets on Sundays at 10 am and live music Sunday nights. On the second Wednesday of the month we have Speed Dating. In the summer, we have five canoes and we have races on Deal Lake. We were very involved in getting St. Patrick’s Day and a parade to Asbury Park and this will be the second year.

We also have a beer garden that we only use half of right now, but eventually it will be a 10,000-square-foot beer garden. We’ve been planning an expansion for a very long time, but over the next couple of months we’ll be doing some concrete work and working on the beer garden. When the entire project is finished, which will take a couple of years, we’ll have a mezzanine looking down on the beer garden and a four-story building with wedding and banquet facilities and on the other corner, what is now a two-story building will be a three-story building.

Shepherd's Piefrom Executive Chef Lou DelloIngedientsOlive oil to coat the skillet2.5 lbs of chopped meat - 80/201 large Spanish onion - small dice2 large carrots - small dice1 box frozen peas4 sprigs fresh thyme2 sprigs fresh rosemary4 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauceSalt & pepper

DirectionsMashed potatoesPeel and boil 2.5 lbs. of Idaho potatoes until softDrain waterAdd 1 stick of butterUse hand masher or electric beater Mix until whippedAdd salt & pepper

Meat and vegetablesSaute onions and carrots in an olive oil coated skilletBrown meat in the vegetable sauteAdd Worchestire sauce, thyme and rosemaryCook mixture approximately 10 minutesAdd peas at the very end

In lasagna/flat cake pan:Layer meat and vegetables mixtureAdd 8 oz. brown gravy (already prepared/store bought)Top with mashed potatoes

Bake at 350 degrees until potatoes are brown

A vegetarian version (occasionally named Shepherdless Pie or Farmer's Pie) can be made using soya or other meat substitutes (like tofu or Quorn), or legumes such as lentils or chickpeas.

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Brandon Weltman, Red Bank resi-dent and catering

company (La Verita’) chef and owner, is on a mission to give New Jersey a West Coast farm -to- table makeover.

“I’ve been networking and politicking to bring a healthy, green, West Coast food mentality, origination and preparation to our meals and state. I want to see green only, affordable, sustainable food in fine dining and also in every-day life – so everyone eats more consciously and becomes healthier.

“Reaching the masses through food is my art and salvation. I cook ag-gressively because I’m an adrenaline junkie, but I’m also a soulful chef,” he ex-plains. “When I walk away from a busy service feeling fulfilled both physically and spiritually, I know I’ve done my job...and have gotten my point across.

“My stepdad was a foodie, so I ate in the best restau-rants growing up. At 16, I went to Europe and ate at the number one restaurant in the world at the time – Taillevent in Paris, where Thomas Keller got his start,” shares Weltman.

Weltman decided then to follow his own culinary star.

“I got my first job as a dishwasher at Danny’s Pizza, Little Silver, where I was also promoted to sandwich maker. At 21, I moved to Brooklyn and started as a line cook (the lowest of low level line

BRANDON WELTMAN

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cooks) at Park Avenue Café (owned by Chef David Burke), where I worked up to lead line cook.”

When 9/11 imbalanced Weltman’s life, he took off for New Orleans, where he worked at Lemon Grass. After that respite, he again returned to his safety net at Park Avenue Café, but this time concurrently enrolled in the French Culinary Institute (FCI). In between classes, he answered a hometown call to open the new hot restaurant, Red, in Red Bank. Shortly thereafter, he returned to FCI, graduated, and two years later, he opened Mona Lisa Pizze-ria, Atlantic Highlands. “In 2007, I sold Mona Lisa, packed up and went to San Francisco, where the produce was fresh-picked every day.”

His first two jobs in San Francisco landed him in the company of two chefs who became engaged in Weltman’s potential, mentored him, and eventu-ally became his friends. He met Josh Perez, chef de cuisine at the Americano/Hotel Vitale. “He took me under his wing. He is not only my mentor, but my favorite chef to follow.”

Craig Stoll, the chef/owner of Pizzeria Delfina, a James Beard award winner, also pushed Weltman to honor his potential by improving his skills. “That’s where I really created my style and brand," he beams.

Working in the Golden State also taught him the most golden of rules – less is more and to respect your greens and their farmers. “Everything was either grown within a 100 mile radius of San Fran-cisco or flown in first class from the Italian country-side. We had California hippies in Scooby Doo vans dropping off baskets of the freshest arugula daily. Suddenly the whole culture inspired me. Cooking wasn’t just a job anymore. It was my life force, my passion,” exclaims Weltman.

Delfina was his best gig to date and he’s carried its philosophy to every stop since. During these various transitions, however, his marriage failed and his son

and his former wife moved east to live in Maine. “I missed my son, so I moved to Portland to be near him. Farm- to- table was amazing there, but you can’t cook happy food when you’re miserable,” he recalls.

Putting some feelers out on Facebook, he learned that elementary school friends were well-positioned within the Smith Group, a leading restaurant group in Asbury Park. A renewed friendship landed him a sous chef position at Porta Culture. Also in Asbury Park, he was hired to work with Dean La Sasso, owner/operator of Dino’s On Main to assist in their artisan pizza program.

“I have a lot invested in New Jersey. Through the years, I have aligned myself with top people in the industry worldwide to bring the ‘slow food’ move-ment and green practices to the forefront. Next I will be a huge part of Renata in Portland, Oregon, with my friend Nick Arnerich, former head of op-erations at Pizzeria Delfina, and general manager of The French Laundry (Thomas Keller Restaurant Group, Yountville, CA). Eventually, we will open a spot here in New Jersey,” he promises.

“I’ve always said I would change the world, and I’ve finally figured out how. I want everyone to taste a freshly grown raw ingredient, then, side by side, have them taste what they normally eat. I guaran-tee on the first bite, they will taste the difference. It’s exciting to watch their eyes widen with thought, and their brains work in overdrive as they’re wowed by the real deal of flavor and freshness,” he enthuses.

“My long term goals are to start a farmer’s net-work, effective composting programs and more community gardens. We also need equal opportu-nity for all citizens to be able to shop at farmers’ markets. Even people on welfare and food stamps should be able to use their EBT cards at farmers’ markets. We also need more food education in schools, as well as sustainable school menus.”

It’s a tall order, but with God’s gifts as Weltman’s partners, a sustainable future for all is certainly within reach.

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AM KEEPING MY NETWORKS ALIVE

TO BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE

GREEN REVOLUTION IN THE

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HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

MALKIA! Your astute knowledge

and commitment to

green wellness has been

20 years ahead

of the curve.

CONGRATULATIONS!

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Malkia Carthan

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Kentucky

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CELEBRATION

141ST

Sat, May 2, 2015 Watermark 4pm • Complimentary Admission

VIP tables • $250 • includes a bottle of champagne

Benefit for Second CallProceeds from all donations roses, and Derby drinks are donated to Second Call

Hosted by Tara Weldon (Hot Mess Studio)& Russell Lewis (Watermark)

Prizes for winner of best hat!

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Kentucky

Derby

CELEBRATION

The FactorYon broadwayAt the turn of the 20th century, a factory on Broadway in West Long Branch was erected to house the “American Silk Mill.” It prospered and served its community and occupants for decades. A century later in the late 1990s – with barely a pulse of a future – it laid in ruins.

Meditirinia Properties and Klose Associates, West Long Branch, seized the opportunity to resurrect the structure and applied its unique resources to preserve, restore, repurpose and celebrate this century old architecture.

Seen as the perfect gateway for the Long Branch Broadway Redevelopment Project, in the fall of 2000, plans were drawn to rehab and renovate the property. In the spring of 2001, The Factory on Broad-way opened its doors as a chic industrial office environment housing creative and innovative companies inside this historic and architectural experience few surviving structures can offer. For the past decade this transitive concept has evolved and its business model will be expanded to preserve other treasures in other cities.

“The Factory’s restorative green initiative is a model for all architecturally significant structures from our Industrial era,” asserts Raymond Klose, The Factory, Owner, President & CEO.

Secure, preserve and restore...a classic green concept.

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Klose, reviewing blueprints for latest architectural restoration

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For the past three years, Michelle Zarella has been the co-organizer of Asbury Fresh, a popular weekly summer market on the

corner of Cookman and Grand Avenues, Asbury Park. When she taught English in Santiago, Chile in 2010, her interest in eating organic local pro-duce was piqued and her motivation to bring these practices home was fueled.

“The produce was unbelievable – really varied and bright with a fantastic taste,” Zarella enthuses. “Everything they purchased for their families was grown right outside of the city, and I could really taste the difference in the final product. I hated broccoli until I tried it fresh from the market.”

Back home, she became a restaurant manager at David Burke Fromagerie in Rumson and at David Burke Kitchen in Soho. That’s when her love af-fair with food, especially farm-to-table meals, sparked.

Inspired by a lifetime of her father’s “amazing” annual summer garden, she says, “There’s some-thing so perfect about picking your own produce and creating meals entirely on your own. I think as we get further and further into technology, the further away we get from knowing where our food comes from and the ability to grow it for ourselves.”

If you are an aspiring self-sufficient gardener, or even a frustrated one, Zarella suggests having some patience with it. “Growing your own food is a lot of work, but the peace of mind you get from the end result is worth it. You will be empowered and will feel like you can do anything.”

Zarella and her boyfriend, Brad, now rent a house on three acres in Jackson Township; their property, called Chick and York Farms, is home to a garden, two goats, chickens and ducks. But even when she lived in an Asbury Park apartment, Zarella man-aged to grow herbs, tomatoes and cucumbers.

“Anywhere you can stick a pot or an old bucket is enough room,” says the Bradley Beach native. However, if you have the space, she suggests either building or buying raised beds with organic soil.

“The problem with buying produce from the food store is, you really don’t know if that apple has been genetically modified, sprayed, or how far it has travelled to get to you,” she explains.

For instance, Zarella rarely buys bananas. “I can’t justify the big, fossil-fueled trip they had to take to get to my kitchen,” she shares. Zarella highly recommends reading the book, “Animal, Veg-etable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life,” by Barbara Kingsolver, which she describes, “is a great look into the effects of eating out of season and/or conventional produce.”

Even if you may think you’re doing the best you can by buying organic produce from the grocery store, Zarella still encourages you to try garden-ing yourself. Never had your own garden? Fear not. Information is power. Research what it takes to grow a few of your favorites.

“Start small,” she advises. “It’s so easy to get overwhelmed by growing seasons, planting times, water and sunlight, composting, etc. I like to plot out a planting schedule on a little calendar, and write myself care instructions for particular plants on the different days. Brad makes diagrams of our garden every year so we are sure to rotate where we plant to ensure that we don’t grow the same thing in the same plot year after year. All plants pull certain nutrients from the soil, and crop rota-tion keeps everything fertile and balanced.”

If you are thinking, “No way, this isn’t for me,” but still want to eat fresher, sign up for a local CSA (community supported agriculture) program. You get your veggies (and sometimes eggs, milk, etc.) boxed up every week, and you support a local farmer. Or, visit your local farmer’s market if you’d rather not shell out the cash up front.

Home-Grown for Sustainable Living

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Home-Grown for Sustainable Living

“Supporting local and organic farms, as well as putting some thought into what you consume is a small step you can take to reclaim your health, the local economy and our planet,” she says.

Follow Zarella’s project on instagram@chickandyorkfarms, where she posts photos of her animals, projects and gardens.

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Mermaid Paradoxorganic handmade jewelry

Dana Sudol has been an artist since she first picked up a crayon as a child. But it wasn’t until she discovered crystal healing and the properties of the stones that she became interested in making jewelry.

It’s been two years since Sudol was unhappy, and scattered, tending to

three jobs that left her drained. When she decided to flip her hobby into a career, she quit all of her jobs at the same time, and channeled her energy into Mermaid Paradox, an organic handmade jewelry business in Pt. Pleasant.

“Finally, I was happy because I figured out how to make a living without being a slave to my job,” Dana says. “It’s my best accomplishment ever.”

Mermaid Paradox is a hit because of the specialized energetic powers contained in each of the stones in her customized pieces. “I try to match the qualities of the stones to each customer and his or her individual issues or requests,” she says. “For exam-ple, my friend had very bad anxiety and amethyst is an excellent relief for that, so I made her a customized piece of jewelry using that stone just for her!”

Chris DeSerio, MA, CHt "The Jersey Shore Medium"The owl, part of nature’s beautiful green tapestry, is an indomitable force in our society. The owl is renowned for its physical prowess, charisma, awareness, fierce loyalty, and its ability to act in the best interest of self as well as for those with whom they have close ties. The owl is a figurehead for community-based conservation and ecotourism initiatives and it is revered for its self-possessing qualities that one could only be proud to call their own.

As the owl sits in watchful self-possession, aware of its strongest resources and many others, you will find that these exist within your own self waiting to be to recognized and brought to their true potential.

Chris DeSerio, MA, CHt, “The Jersey Shore Medium,” psychothera-pist, reiki master, energy healer, metaphysical consultant, spiritualist and hypnotist has been helping people for more than 20 years. Just as the owl has found his path of greatness in this world, so can you. Call Chris at 201.233.4838 or visit him at chrisdeserio.com to see how you can fully tap into your own resources and wisdom.

Chris DeSerio, MA, CHt, Spritual Consultant for Over 20 Years

Providing You With the Direction You Need Today

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We will honor any competitor's coupon


Up to 104 linear feet for ONLY

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discharge to a Flo-Well. Not to be combined with any other offer. Some restrictions may apply. Expires 4/30/14.

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"I created MAR Magazine in my 20's. I did not have the experience or the resources that most people have who undertake such a venture. As a result, my hard earned lessons visited me on a daily basis throughout my tenure as publisher at MAR.

I had the good fortune of working with leaders in the community. Many were parents who had daugh-ters my age who attended colleges throughout the country. As one would expect, their daughters endured peer scrutiny on campus and most of their young adult mistakes remained on campus and those missteps remained a private matter. At the same time, my unconventional life internship began as the publisher of MAR Magazine. It was not only a very public experience but I interacted with extremely successful veteran business people who were twice my age. By diving into business as a novice, the intensity of my learning curve was greater than one would expect. While their daughters were writ-ing social essays, I learned lessons about society more directly. Regardless of how hard I worked, my grades were measured in the real world and at times felt more devastating because real life is not a level playing field.

My mother and father were champion fundrais-ers. They appreciated the community in which they lived and believed there was only one way to show it— to give back to people individually, quietly and actively through participation. They did not have the means to write large checks for hospital wings, or endow private schools; instead they gave of themselves in a grassroots way which I believe

was the most powerful social lesson of all. I did not protest on campus, instead I worked alongside my mother and father in the community. Every experi-ence at the side of my parents was valuable. And as a result, every lesson as publisher of MAR was equally as valuable.

Creating, curating and managing new content at MAR was exhilarating and challenging and I loved every minute of it. But managing young interns and a staff while raising funds, selling, and managing the creative components without any worldly experi-ence was exactly what you would expect it to be — backstage chaos.

As one would expect, MAR was undercapitalized and the pressures of putting out seven issues dur-ing my tenure was a daily blow to my self esteem. While young women my age were crafting essays on feminism for a grade, my confidence was tested by seasoned male business leaders deciding my fu-ture over a drink at their club after an invigorating round of golf. My experience was a true course in feminism. I remember, while investors were knocking at my door, a very wealthy husband and wife cal-lously joked to me, that I would be better off if my 'little magazine' disappeared in a week. This, they went on to say, could be easily accomplished with phone calls by them to their friends and to my inves-tors. Sadly, this sort of conversation happened more than once by others. They were tough life lessons learned early. I was truly on my own.

I couldn't possibly know that there were these types

Michele Lanfrank Uneditedin my own words...

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in our beautifully manicured community, those who derived energy by dismantling my junior efforts. I could never imagine that women twice my age could on one hand show kindness to me and on the other trade my scalp for a social favor elsewhere.

Actually, it was the most valuable learning lesson of my life to date. From this I found myself on an even richer journey of self-discovery.

I pushed forward immediately after I sold MAR and had the pleasure of working for Richard Tarzian of The Passion Group, Asbury Park, as Brand Strate-gist. He was a pleasure to work with. A year later, I was offered a job at the Ritz Carlton Destination Club (RCDC) travel company, an earlier advertiser at MAR. I was hired as a Brand Strategist for RCDC and worked directly with their select tier member-ship. The toughening MAR experience, however, was much different than this arena, which brought me to a blissful place. I hosted luxury car events, dinners in the best private clubs, themed wine tastings, and remarkable adventures curated to keep the RCDC members entertained while connected to the RCDC brand. The experience was invaluable and the friendships I made restored my faith in community.

Following that, I moved to LA and enjoyed the pri-vate experience of self-discovery. I lived in Malibu for two years and was blessed during that time with a hire as the Branding Strategist at Passages Malibu – the number-one Holistic Luxury Addiction Treatment Center in the world. I met and will treasure – for life – wonderful, accepting, loving and healthy people whose spiritual practice resonates daily in their relationships with others. Their accepting and healing philosophy and treatment was an imprint of human-ity that will stay with me for the rest of my career and life. My life in LA was beautiful and I have many friends there who understand the true meaning of spiritual growth.

In the same way that a young woman graduates from college and grad school and returns back to her community, I too joined the ranks of these daughters, when I returned home after these years of 'personal' education to Fair Haven to live closer to my family and continue to give back.

As one would imagine, community giving also includes being mindful of the planet. Giving back includes awareness of body and environment. I personally have been living a GREEN lifestyle for 20 years now. When I moved to LA, I continued my interest in the

GREEN lifestyle. Additionally nothing was boxed or packaged in our home growing up. Everything in our kitchen at home was fresh and our lives were blessed with the cooking of my mother and grandmothers who all intuitively preparing healthy, Mediterranean food.

Social media is a Brand Strategist's best friend and over the years I have developed several groups on Facebook (communities totaling over 25,000 in total). I use social networking to build and share my knowl-edge, while allowing others to share theirs with me. One of the groups I am most proud of is a product line I also represent called Ascend Living, “The Age of Immunity” (AscendLiving.net/ MicheleLanfrank). The line was developed to totally transform your immune system, gut and pineal gland, and maximize your health, while unifying your mind, body, soul and spirit. I am an avid reader regarding health, and have always shopped at health food stores and green grocers to treat my health with nature’s gifts. I work with the best integrative medical physicians na-tionwide who have the appropriate training to treat their patients both medically and holistically.

In November, I appeared on two segments of “The Dr. Oz Show,” another glorious adventure. The seg-ments are: "How to Fight Heartburn with Manuka Honey” and "Why You Should Eat Twice As Much Alkaline Food.” Dr. Oz has revolutionized medicine by evangelizing good health. As we age, these issues spring up more and more, and I feel it is important to understand as much as we can about health and healthy living to slow down the dreaded physical aging process.

Soon, I am launching a brand strategy firm in NYC and in NJ which will feature my clients. My firm will deliver true results focusing on strategic decisions and practical actions tailored to our client's unique reality. We will specialize in what I know best —luxury branding.

My journey continues as does my interest in com-munity and philanthropy. Every one of us has a story to tell and I learned this while working at Passages. Taking full responsibility is how I approach my life today, which is enabling me to realize my full poten-tial. I appreciate those in my life who have taught me so much, especially that we evolve at different times and at different rhythms, but in the end we are all equal because we are all struggling in one way or another."

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a revolutionary office environment business model

for the innovative & creative

804 Broadway • West Long Branch732.229.8950 ext. 21 • e-mail: [email protected]

The Factoryon broadway

a revolutionary office environment business model

for the innovative & creative

green life nj - the irish riviera issue

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