The year flew by in breathtaking speed, but this holiday week we take stock, make resolutions, and give thanks.
We particularly are grateful for?
Panera Bread Bakery/Cafes (www.panerabread.com). At last count, there were 42 of them in New Jersey.
This is a quick-food restaurant that is at once an eatery, a town hall, and a board gaming venue.
The food is healthy and reasonably priced, the place is clean, and the service is speedy. Even on days when the line stretches out the door, it moves quickly through the well-oiled system.
Tasty salads (Fuji Apple Chicken!), soup (French onion!) and bread (multi-grain!). Easy to bring little ones, there is generally space for strollers and there are clean bathrooms with changing tables for the diaper-clad.
Eating solo? The place is WiFi’ed for lunching with your laptop.
Devotees -- we call them Panerians -- are known to gather for hours each day in front of the homey fireplace. Gamers play Rummikub (pronounced Rummy Cube) and Scrabble.
Some restaurants have meeting rooms which have become a favorite of local clubs and committees.
Downside? The coffee is not Starbucks, but improving. You bus your own table, so you get to see everyone’s leftovers, and the clean-up can be a bit chaotic.
But, all in all, we wish there were more places like Panera.
Tomorrow, we’ll help you find the perfect outfit for New Year’s Eve!
Tidings: ...Get down to the river! Christmas Day 2006 marks the 230th anniversary of Washington’s crossing of the Delaware. The annual re-enactment with all the pageantry begins at 1 p.m. at Washington Crossing State Park.
Joy: ... Enjoy the gospel ensemble Tones Of Joy and the Juilliard A Cappella Singers, both at the Montclair Art Museum Friday evening (www.montclairartmuseum.org).
... Delight in the angels -- painted, drawn sculpted -- at the JKK Fine Arts Gallery in Upper Montclair (www.jkkfinearts.com).
... Bask in the glow at the Children's Garden in Camden as it hosts a spectacular holiday tribute in light (www.camdenchildrensgarden.org).
... Savor the gingerbread artistry of top shore-area chefs on display in the lobby of the Ocean Place Resort & Spa, Long Branch.
... Let visions of sugarplum fairies dance in your head and on the stage of the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, for the holiday classic The Nutcracker performed by the New Jersey Ballet (www.papermill.org).
... Meet the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future in A Christmas Carol at Princeton's McCarter Theatre (www.mccarter.org).
Comfort: ...Warm up in a hot tub filled with fragrant home-made luxury bath gel from Cape May’s Bath Time store (www.bathtimecapemay.com).
... Kick back and relax at Small World Coffee in Princeton (www.smallworldcoffee.com). We recommend the great house blend.
...Finally, tonight on the shore of Lake Sunrise, in Mendham, gather to mark the winter solstice. Call (973) 326-7600 to pre-register. Cider and s’mores provided. You bring the blankets!
Tomorrow: A spicy discovery for your holiday feast.
Dear Santa, if it isn’t too late -- if you haven’t already finished checking your list twice -- can you possibly add a few items at the last minute???
We saw the newest Prada handbags at N-M(www.neimanmarcus.com) in Short Hills last week, in the hottest colors: electric bright yellow, pink or orange, in nylon with leather trim, $1370. So new, we couldn’t find them on the website at last check.
And Santa, you probably know, metallic is big for resort and spring -- so please add Prada’s Miu Miu satchel in rose gold with a trendy mesh exterior at $1,475.
And because we love those studs, there’s the Marc Jacobs Irina collection at $995.
Also, Dear Santa, the men in our lives really like to put the pedal to the metal. So please send them to Billy Pauch Racing School (www.billypauchracingschool.com) for a couple of spins around the New Egypt Speedway.
Speaking of pedaling, every exec in wing tips secretly yearns for happy feet. One husband around here insists Mephisto makes the most comfortable shoes in creation, which Santa can find at the Mephisto stores in Ridgewood and Westfield, or at www.allrounder.com.
Then, later, by the fire, they’ll be playing the Yankees-Red Sox checkers game available at Scriveners in Maplewood for $22.95.
And finally, dear Santa, our pooch needs a fashion make-over from ear to paw. We saw the cutest pug modeling one of many parkas at Pupcetera(www.pupcetera.com) in Morristown. The hot pink chenille hoody ($67.99) at Paw Palace(www.pawpalaceonline.com) in Red Bank will make our little gal the belle of her playgroup.
Thanks Santa, for listening. We know how busy you are. Have a good trip!
Tomorrow: ideas to help you celebrate the holiday weekend
You first: just down the street from Aquamedica, sunlight plays on the waves - a peaceful winter boardwalk scene. Inside this brand new glistening spa, the theme continues. A colorful light pattern of blue and green waves on the ceiling, tiles that feel like sand under your feet.
It's all so you, the mermaid, can shed your scaly winter skin and be buffed beautifully.
Dip your pedi-ready toes in warm red, blue, or green water. Spa owner Valentina Chistova suggests colors that help you relax, and get in the mood. In the massage rooms, you'll be oiled and pampered under the oceanic lighting - and even the luxury shower turns different colors.
Fifty miles away, your little companion is enjoying a first-class pet suite at this five star pet playground. A swim in the indoor pool, perhaps. Playtime in the carefully designed indoor exercise rooms. Frequent walks on a pet-friendly outdoor surface. Gourmet snacks. A massage, shampoo, and blow dry.
If your best friend is a kitty, she'll have a luxury loft with a flat screen TV to keep her company.
You'll both come away glowing and relaxed? it really takes the bite out of a cold winter's day!
If you have never tasted cheese made from the raw milk of grass fed cows, remember this word: Bobolink.
Jonathan and Nina White, resident farmers and cheese makers at Bobolink Dairy and Bakeyard in Vernon describe their product as “beyond organic.”
You will want to throw a wine and Bobolink cheese party after you sample this stuff. You’ll be the talk of your food circuit.
The White’s home- bred herd of cows called “Bobolink Blacks” are not tied up in barns. They happily roam the 200 acre farm and feed on only on grass and hay. The milk they produce takes on the flavors of different grasses. The resulting cheese is aged in farm cellars and surrounded by other flavor-enhancing substances like wine must-- the pulp and skins of grapes used by winemakers.
The result is superior cheese. Pungent, packed with the grassy flavors and infused tastes. The bread the Whites bake in their wood-fired brick oven goes nicely with the cheese. Buy it, the beef, and whey fed pork, and you’ve got the makings of one classy Cuban sandwich!
Visiting the Bobolink farm store is part of the adventure. You’ve got to drive down a very steep, un-paved hill to park, and space is limited. There are no tables-- not that you’d want to eat outside now. Best to leave the luxury car and picnic basket at home and use your SUV to visit the farm and haul away the goodies. Or better yet, order everything on-line at www.cowsoutside.com.
Bobolink is the name of a type of bird that likes to nest in the farm fields alongside these contented cows. With the Wawayanda River flowing in view, you’ll think you found a patch of agri-heaven. Just check your shoes before you get back in the car?
If you have pasión for great Cuban cooking, we know a Polish chef who can help.
His name is Walter Jurusz, Wally to his friends.
You will find him and his secret ingredients at the Lucky Bones Backwater Grille, at the foot of the bridge that spans the Cape May Canal. Wally created a medley of herbs and spices that transforms poultry, pork, beef or seafood into traditional Cuban-flavored fare like mami used to make -- whether you eat at his restaurant or use it in your own kitchen. It’s flavorful, not spicy.
You can take home a tin of this Cuban dry rub from Lucky Bones. The Love the Cook shops in Cape May and Stone Harbor carry the tins too, or buy online: www.lovethecook.com/secure/Default-rubs.htm.
You’ll marinate with it for months. If you pick some up this weekend, rub it on and inside the turkey before roasting to fill your holiday kitchen with the aroma of a classic Cuban Christmas dish. Wally’s got other great recipes, www.haspice.com.
Or, there’s the rub at the restaurant. We recommended Lucky Bones’ shrimp appetizer. Prepare to surrender your taste buds to authentic Cuban flavor.
Wally -- who hails originally from Jersey City -- learned his trade at a Cuban restaurant, after attending The Culinary Institute of America and Rutgers.
We’re back Tuesday with some other things that we are extremely grateful for-- until then, Merry Christmas!
Dear Santa, if it isn’t too late -- if you haven’t already finished checking your list twice -- can you possibly add a few items at the last minute???
How will you and your best friend relax and unwind after these crazy, chaotic holidays?
