by Sally Deering

 

Dave  and his sister Anne Marie carved a niche on Grove Street with their handsome little restaurant, The Merchant, where the bar is cozy, the drinks are yummy and the food is All-American delish! It’s a great place to go for a business luncheon, watch a game or hang out with your friends and talk about life.

 Dave and Anne Marie decided to try something a little more upscale and 2-1/2 years ago they opened The Embankment, a beautiful fine-dining restaurant nestled in the heart of 10^th Street in the Hamilton Park neighborhood, where friendly neighbors drop by for brunch, dinner and drinks with friends.

 

 

A truly beautiful restaurant, The Embankment is a jewel in Jersey City’s crown with a warm and inviting dining room that seats 80-100. It’s a wonderful place for private parties, wedding receptions, christenings and corporate functions where corporate heads want to show their employees some class. There’s a sexy upstairs lounge, too, with low-lighting and cozy seating for 40. It’s best to get a reservation, Dave O’Brian says, because on Friday and Saturday nights the upstairs lounge is always booked.

 

The Embankment’s elegance is reflected in the menu – American-style dishes with added flavors that are a little bit French, a little bit Italian and a touch of Mediterranean. For entrees, how about Fried Catfish with Cajun Fries or a Rib-Eye Steak with mashed potatoes and mushrooms? For pasta lovers, you might try the homemade fettuccini primavera – that’s right, they make their own pasta! (Appetizers range from $6-$12; entrees from $18- $26.)

 

For an assortment of different flavors, you might like the Tapas – mini servings of flavorful dishes like marinated artichokes, mushrooms and olives. The Embankment offers 12-15 Tapas to choose from. For light eaters, a cheese plate with five different types of cheeses will definitely satisfy the palate and go beautifully with their vast array of wines from affordable to high-end. The O’Brian siblings also serve a large assortment of beer including cold draft beers – including Guinness, of course!

 

And then, of course, there are the burgers!  In 2009, “New” magazine cited The Embankment’s burger as No. 1 in Jersey City. The secret?

 

“We use high-quality ground beef, well-seasoned and cooked to perfection,” O’Brian says. “It’s simple, but it’s the best.”

 

The Embankment

234 10^th Street

Jersey City

201-222-6115

www.theembankmentnj.com

 

The post Dining Out – The Embankment Restaurant in Jersey City first appeared on River View Observer.

River View Observer Photographer Captures the Event on Camera

On Saturday, May 15th The Village Neighborhood Association, with the support of 4th Street Arts,  hosted The 2nd Annual Village Art & Flea Market. A few thousand people came out to shop and mingle…

Taking place at the crossroads of 4th Street, Newark Avenue and Brunswick Street, the event featured an array of local artists†works, the finest up-and-coming bands New Jersey has to offer, and delicious food from local vendors.

See more photos of the day…

The post The 2nd Annual Village Art & Flea Market Held on Saturday May 15th Brings Out Huge Crowd first appeared on River View Observer.

 The 4th  Annual Powerhouse Arts Festival

 11:00am to 6:00pm.

The annual Powerhouse Arts District Neighborhood Association’s barbeque and crafts fair will have all the fine arts, nifty crafts, music, cheap beer and block-partying good times of last year, this year PDNA is adding a bunch more vendor spaces and hopefully some live art this year.

PDNA is seeking VOLUNTEERS for the day of the event. They will need people to help with set up, grill-manning (or woman-ing), beer pouring, etc. There will be free food and drink for all who volunteer, plus that special warm and fuzzy feeling that comes with contributing to a good cause. For more information or to sign up, email Jessica.

The festival is also a fundraiser for the Association. Much of our operating income for the year comes from the Fest – so tell your friends and come eat, drink, and be merry in service of the neighborhood.

The post POWERHOUSE ARTS FESTIVAL-September 12th first appeared on River View Observer.

Tradition…a concept that is certainly not unique to the Italian and Italian American culture, but which is almost universally mentioned when telling the story of those who are of Italian heritage.  Nevertheless, one is tempted to wonder if the paesani who immigrated to the United States from Morrone del Sannio, Campobasso (Region of Molise), Italy, in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, and who settled in the ethnic enclave that would become a vibrant “Little Italy” in downtown Jersey City, could have foreseen that their grandchildren and great grandchildren would, more than a century later, still be carrying on one of their grandest traditions.  Probably not!  Yet, that is exactly what is happening, as the third and fourth generation members of the Maria S.S. Dell’Assunta Society, founded by their Morronese ancestors in 1902, are now preparing for the 98th annual Feast of the Assumption, at Holy Rosary Church in historic downtown Jersey City. 

La Festa Italiana, which now encompasses the feast of St. Rocco, in addition to the Assumption feast of old, includes both elements of the traditional Italian feast, combining spirituality with the typical Italian street festival.  The religious celebration begins with a Novena in honor of Our Lady of the Assumption (Thursday, August 6th, to Friday, August 14th, at 7:00 p.m., with a candlelight procession through the streets of downtown Jersey City on la vigilia di festa August 14th) and culminates in the Assumption Feast Day Mass, to be celebrated by Most Rev. Thomas A. Donato, Aux. Bishop of Newark and Regional Bishop for Hudson County (11:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 15th), and the St. Rocco Feast Day Mass, to be celebrated by Most Rev. Dominic A. Marconi, Ret. Aux. Bishop of Newark (11:30 a.m. on Sunday, August 16th). 

The old-world style street festival will include deliziosi Italian food, full service bar, outdoor cafe, rides, games, and live entertainment.  A highlight for many is the wine and peaches stand, proudly called “A Taste of Campobasso”, which is still operated by the Society and staffed by the descendants of its original founders, including the popular “Wine Girls”, who will be happy to serve you some of the best wine and peaches around! 

YOU’RE INVITED TO JOIN US!  On August 15th at 9:00 p.m., in front of the Campobasso wine stand, a special “toast” will be offered to honor all feast workers and Society members (including the memory of those who are no longer with us) who have worked hard to preserve Italian culture and the beautiful traditions that our ancestors carried with them from the old country.  Don’t forget to wear your feast shirts, as we gather together for this unique display of unity, love, and respect!  The festival will take place on 6th Street, between Brunswick and Monmouth Streets, in the Downtown section of Jersey City, and will run from Wednesday, August 12th, through Sunday, August 16th, 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m..  For more details, call 201-795-0120 Ext. 103, or Carmine Colasurdo at 201-966-7745.  Buona Festa a Tutti

The post La Festa Italiana – The Tradition Lives On at Holy Rosary Church in Downtown Jersey City first appeared on River View Observer.

By Sally Deering

Most folks werenâ€t around to witness The Great Depression of 1929 when the stock market crashed and people lost their savings, their jobs and sometimes their lives. But many of us do remember the Dotcom crash of 1987 that caused the stock market to nosedive and Internet entrepreneurs to lose their cybershirts. Well, here we are again, folks, rafting through the troubled waters of another recession in a yellow rubber dingy without a paddle.
Uncle Sam is up to his red, white and blues in I.O.U.â€s. We owe a trillion and change to to China and according to CreditCard.com, every household in America has more than $8 grand in credit card debt with no end in sight. But Americans are a rugged bunch. When all we have are lemons in the fridge, we thumb our nose at the bad times and toast to better days with a swig of lemonade. 
Itâ€s the American Way and itâ€s the Hudson way, too.

Here are a handful of Hudsonites dealing with our tough economic times and in the process, they keep a positive outlook on a cloudy horizon. And what seems to be evident for all of these folks is that when the economic gloom rains down, they slip on a smile, open their umbrellas and dance in the puddles.
Grace Stenlake and Frances Oakley of Jersey City are living proof that you can get through the hard times with a song in your heart and a swing in your step. Living on fixed incomes, the two sisters keep a busy social life that includes free concerts in Hudson and boat rides on the Hudson. And they keep company with other gals and guys at the West Hudson senior center. By the way, Grace is 90 and Frances is 101.
Frances remembers the day of the stock market crash of 1929. She was waiting for her beau – a stock broker and her future husband — to take her out on a date, but he never showed up.  The next day, he came by to tell her he had been up all night informing clients that they had lost everything.
And as the Great Depression wore on, Frances recalls neighbor-helping-neighbor.
“I had three children and my next-door neighbor had five children,” Frances says. “She would get a cauliflower and give me the leaves and I would make a sauce when them. We used everything.”
Back in the day, Frances and Grace were members of an all-girl band, the North Hudson Girls F D & B Corps where Frances tapped out tunes on the glockenspiel and Grace served as band director and played the fife.  She also twirled batons.
Grace appeared with Ed Sullivan at the closing of Ellis Island and performed with several Big Bands.
“I was very lucky,” Grace says. “I traveled all over. I played with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra and Johnny Pineapple and His Hawaiian Orchestra. I was All-American Fifer for Hawaii, the U.S. and Canada.”
And when it comes to getting through hard times, Graceâ€s philosophy is simple.
“You have to make your life fun,” Grace says. “Do something to make it fun.”

Like Grace and Frances, Monya and Brian McCarty of Jersey City rely on each other during the hard times and keep the quality of their lives set on “happy.” 
Monya remembers the Dotcom crash of 1989 and how it put Brian out of a job and on the unemployment line.
“That was the most frightening,” Monya says. “We had three kids at the time, the youngest was three, and I hadnâ€t worked in four years. While Brian looked for design work, I got a waitress job at Arthurâ€s Landing in Weehawken. Then Brian started to do freelance design which led him to the job he has now.”
During the Dotcom recession, Monya took a new career path and she now holds a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing and works as school nurse for the Learning Community Charter School in Jersey City.  And when Brian freelanced, he decided to try something he always wanted to do – improvisational acting.  It was not only fun, but it gave him a platform to express his sense of humor, a gift Monya says that keeps the family in high spirits no matter how tough things get.
 “My husband sees life from the absurd point of view,” Monya says. “Iâ€m grateful to have a husband whoâ€s funny.”
The McCartyâ€s oldest son just graduated from Rutgers University and their youngest is a student at McNair High School, heading to college in a couple of years. And as the McCartys brace themselves for another college tuition, their family has something priceless – a fun dad with a wit that fills a home with laughter.
Starting a family can be tough during an economic slow-down, especially when you have  a business.

 Angie and Michael Schwartz are the owners of Antheia floral shop and design on Montgomery Street in Jersey City (www.Antheia.net) a tiny storefront that looks like its right out of a scene from “My Fair Lady.” Potted flowers and plants adorn the entrance and the windows are filled with pretty floral arrangements. The shop specializes in weddings, birthdays and other celebrations and although business has dropped some, the Schwartzes are positive about the future.
 “Thereâ€s no reason to freak out,” Angie says. “People are still getting married and even though theyâ€re spending less, weâ€re still able to be creative.”
Several stores in the neighborhood have already closed, so Angie and Michael make it a point to shop locally and support other Grove Street store owners, who do the same for them.
“Itâ€s brought the Grove Street store owners closer together,” Angie says.
The recession has also given Angie and Michael more time to plan their future and in a few months, two becomes three when they bring home their new adopted baby.
“We have a lot to look forward to,” Angie says.

For artist Peter Bill of Jersey City ( www.peterbill.org), a lifelong passion to paint has kept him going during hard times. A Scot raised in England, Bill studied art in London and immigrated to the US in 1978. And while painting abstracts in the home-studio he shared with his wife, writer Ahn Behrens, Bill freelanced as a finisher making high-end packaging for the cosmetics industry.  When the economy went south, Bill lost his job and now pays his bills solely from the sale of his paintings.
His work can be seen at LITM restaurant and bar on Newark Avenue in Jersey City. The show, called “Hanging Around,” is a collection of Billâ€s abstracts, one of which is very personal to him. A little more than a year ago, Ahn died suddenly and Bill expressed his feelings in a painting of red, undulating waves called “I Grieve No More. “ He dedicates the painting to Ahn.
Bill says painting drives him, both emotionally and financially.
“Painting keeps me going,” Bill says. “Itâ€s a humble life.”

Itâ€s the actorâ€s life, for Margo Singaliese, a Hoboken school teacher who splits her time between the classroom and the stage. When the recession hit, Singaliese decided to rethink her spending habits and as she did, she realized that all the money she put down eating out and shopping at fancy boutiques wasnâ€t fulfilling and when she returned to her first love, acting, her life changed.
 “The recession made me get back to the roots of what I love — arts, theater and home life,” Singaliese says. “I have a great relationship at home. We watch movies, cook dinner for friends and my life has more meaning because of tightening my belt.”
These days Singaliese spends her time rehearsing a show that will be performed at the Fringe Festival in New York. But her life changed in another way, too. Realizing she had become a spendthrift, Singaliese made a conscious decision to give to charity and every month she sends a check to Women for Women International, an organization that helps poor women rebuild their lives and families. Singalieseâ€s donations help a mother of six, a victim of the rape camps in Rwanda, care for her family and even run a little business.
“The recession helped me realize all the money I wasted,” Singaliese says. “And if this Rwandan mother can care for her family on the small amount that I send, I can certainly live within my means.  I was foolish to waste so much money on meaningless things. This woman became my role model. She taught me.”

Actors, musicians, and other eclectic types are a welcome sight at Another Manâ€s Treasures, a vintage store on Grove Street in Jersey City owned by Meika and Warren Franz (www.AMTvintage.com.) Visitors step inside the corner storefront and enter a world of retromania that dazzles the eye and tickles the memories. Sinatra-like fedoras from the 1940s, chiffon cocktail dresses from the 1950s, hippie-dippie shirts from the Woodstock generation and other trendy garments line the racks and shelves while store assistant, Laura Schaffnit of Jersey City helps customers find their inner-kitsch.
“The recession affected business a little bit,” Warren says, “but nobody wants to go into a shop and hear doom and gloom. We have music, good lighting, you step into a different world and forget.  Itâ€s a charmed atmosphere, a trip down memory lane.”
Because business is slow in the summer months, the Warrens participate every Friday in the Artisan Market outside the Grove Street PATH station, where they sell vintage T-shirts and other bargains.
“Vintage is fun,” Warren says. “If you canâ€t afford a new dress, buy a vintage necklace, instead. Itâ€s a cheap way to cheer up. Vintage is good for that.”
And for fun, the Franzes dress up in, what else? vintage clothes. They go to trade shows, flea markets and not only buy things for the shop, but also for themselves. Warren prefers styles from the 70s and Meika likes the Roaring 20s. 
“When it comes to vintage, weâ€re like moths to a flame,” Warren says. “And when I go home to visit family in England, Meika and I go straight for the flea markets.”

Fun has taken on a whole new meaning for Martha Higuera of West New York. Because of the recession, she now spends her time cooking, foregoing spending sprees at the mall and sharing quality time with her family.
An account executive, Higuera earned her Real Estate license a few years back, but shies away from breaking into the field while the housing market is in such flux. And since the recession hit, she has taken stock of her life and her spending habits.
 “Instead of killing time at the mall, I now use the time to be with other people,” Higuera says. “My girlfriend has cookouts and she invites all the girls for a get together and its fun. I didnâ€t do that before. And Iâ€m spending more time with my family. When you go through hard times, you realize whoâ€s close to you and whoâ€s not. Whoâ€s there for you and whoâ€s not.”

The post Good Times in Bad Times-July 09 first appeared on River View Observer.