We’ve finally turned the corner and made it to March. And there is a lot to look forward to.

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One of the biggest crafts shows around is here March 13-15. The Sugarloaf Crafts Festival (www.sugarloafcrafts.com) rolls into the Garden State Exhibit Center with 275 of the nation’s best known artists and designers.

It’s the show that has dominated the outdoor crafts scene during summer months in New England—you’ll have a sneak look at some of the finery. This year’s big push is “statement jewelry”—big handmade pieces like those pictured.

If their own website is to be believed, March 12th will bring the opening of Nordstrom Rack at the brand new Bergen Town Center in Paramus. (http://shop.nordstrom.com/c/6016624/0~2377475~6016611~6016624?origin=openings)
It is the first store of the franchise in New Jersey, and in these recession-weary times an especially rare occurrence. Time to dust off your charge cards!

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The long awaited, much anticipated opening of the newest W Hotel in Hoboken takes place on March 18th. (www.starwoodhotels.com/whotels/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1785).
The hotel restaurant, Zylo Steakhouse, features a menu from former Asia De Cuba chef Nicholas Ciccone.

Can you become an Italian chef in three days? Enroll in the Viking Kitchen’s three day Italian cooking school on March 6, 7, and 8th, at their Fairfield facility, and learn all the basics of Italian cooking (www.vikingcookingschool.com). The price is $399 and includes the dinner every night.

Bring your appetite and your new culinary skill to the annual Taste Of Madison fundraiser on March 11th at the FDU Ferguson Recreation Center. Host Gary Fisch of Gary’s Wine & Marketplace has arranged for dozens of winemakers, and twenty of the area’s best chefs to participate. The cost is $65 per person, or $100 gets you to the VIP level. Buy tickets on www.garyswine.com.

A smaller more intimate tasting will be held March 19th at the Olde Mill Inn in Basking Ridge (www.oldemillinn.com). The head chef is making a five course meal centered on the flavors of spring in En Jay—the cost is $75 per person, and it benefits the Community Food Bank of New Jersey (www.njfoodbank.org). Buy your tickets on the Inn’s website.

Got another March event to add to the list? Click on the Write The Editor link below and we’ll let everybody know. It may be enough to bring you out of hibernation, at last.

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The next generation of rockers is coming to Montclair on Saturday and they may be your parents. The newly formed Grandparents Who Rock, riding on the success of Parents Who Rock (www.parentswhorock.com), has its debut performance at the Diva Lounge (www.divalounge.com) on Saturday night. It’s all a benefit for a charity that provides musical instruments for local schools.

He may be 72, but Kris Kristofferson is still rocking and he’s on stage tomorrow night at Princeton’s McCarter Theatre. (www.mccarter.org).

Bergenfield High School is host to the annual Taste Of The Arts on Sunday (www.bergenfieldcommunitycenter.org) This fundraiser features visual and performing artists, along with samplings from plenty of area restaurants.

See the greenest of New Jersey artwork at the new home of the Arts Council of Morris (www.morrisarts.org). The remarkable mult-media exhibit includes 29 works depicting individual visions of “green”… all set against the backdrop of a green building with solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling, and a 3 story bio-wall of plants.

Continue the green theme and help clean up the trails at the Manumuskin River Preserve in Cumberland County on Friday. (www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/newjersey/volunteer/art26854.html)
The winter cleanup helps spiff up the 3500 acre preserve which contains many rare plants and animals.

Take a tour of the River Horse Brewery (www.riverhorse.com) in Lambertville to learn about how they make their fine brews… and enjoy the samples.

A very big exhibit of contemporary Russian art at the Zimmerli Museum in New Brunswick. (www.zimmerlimuseum.rutgers.edu). The exhibition celebrates the gift– from collectors Claude and Nina Gruen– and is made up of 180 pieces of art, spanning the 1970’s, to the late 80’s and beyond.

The spirit of Vienna runs through the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra’s (www.njsymphony.org ) program beginning Friday at NJPAC (www.njpac.org). As part of NJSO’s celebration of Mendelssohn’s bicentennial year, the program begins with the composer’s Overture to Son and Stranger. The Orchestra is under Seattle Symphony Musical Director Gerard Schwarz who was born in Weehawken, of Austrian parents.

The beautiful cats that sailed with the Vikings are showing off at the National Norwegian Forest Cat Breed Show, in Cherry Hill this weekend. (www.catshowsnj.com).

Sounds like a purr-fect En Jay weekend!

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This week, we answer profound questions like… where do you go when… you crave Mexican food with a mariachi band?

You long for amazing kabobs, or need great coffee without a multi-national corporation… or want to find a neighborhood pizza joint that’s a slice above the rest?

Or want to sample some of the best wine on the planet, but not go far from home?
You need an excuse to go to Atlantic City—but this time it may be the food, not the gambling that’s the draw.

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Mama Mexico (www.mamamexico.com) in Englewood Cliffs is the third in a family-owned trio of restaurants (the others are in Manhattan), and an all round fun experience.

The place is classic; a large, colorfully decorated two story building that serves great fresh, upscale Mexican food in a party atmosphere. You definitely want to plan a birthday or surprise party here—there’s an in-house band, and the tequila is flowing. But even without the atmospherics, the food is darn good.

For great Turkish/Middle eastern food that will leave you wanting more we’ll take Toros in Clifton (www.torosrestaurant.com) any day.

The vibe is nightclub, minus the belly dancers but the food is so good you’ll be planning your return visit before you leave—any excuse to soak the fresh bread from the bakery next door in a pool of creamed yogurt or babagannush. All of the meat is tender and chicken is perfectly prepared.

Lose the Starbucks card? Try a Drip Cafe run… the original is in Madison, (34 Main Street) and newly opened in Mendham (5 Hilltop Rd). We’re told it’s great coffee… and besides, they’re serving Burden Free Foods (www.burdenfreefoods.com ) with the brews.

And whether it’s to go, or at one of the neatly dressed tables, la Romana, this surprisingly good homestyle pizzeria in Morris Plains (981 Tabor Rd.) has solidly good “za” , a menu of fresh pastas, and a freshly made chopped salad overflowing with garbanzos and feta cheese.

Need an excuse to go to AC? Next week is Restaurant Week (www.acrestaurantweek.com). There are prix fixe lunches for $15, and dinner for $33, at some of the town’s best eateries.

Finally, it’s not for bargain hunters but wine lovers note that the weekend of March 13th-15th at the Crystal Springs Resort (www.crystalgolfresort.com ) is the NJ Food & Wine Festival… and if you think you love/know your wines try the VIP dinner in the amazing 60,000 bottle cellar, on Friday the 13th for $400 per person. It may not get any better than this!

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You know the kids in your high school that always had their hands up first for a science question– and the answer left you feeling like they lived in an alternate universe?

Beginning Friday, dozens of high school teams with kids like this from all over the state will convene on Trenton’s Sovereign Bank Arena, to compete in the FIRST Robotics Competition (www.usfirst.org).

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Each squad of teens is paired with professional engineers from sponsor companies, and they’ve spent weeks constructing a robot that will compete against the others. The winners from regional competitions across the country will strive for a national title, and ultimately, compete against kids from several different countries. The grand champs of these prestigious contents will be awarded scholarships and international recognition.

The FIRST program (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was created by multimillionaire inventor Dean Kamen, (www.dekaresearch.com), best known for his Segway electric scooter. He’s recruited a plethora of directors and advisors from corporate America; companies like J&J, Motorola, Bristol Myers Squibb provide engineers and financial support. Additional help comes from schools like NJIT and MIT.

The Mighty Monkey Wrenches of Ewing, Team Chaos of Gladstone, Blue Steel from Newark’s Central High, The Thunderbirds of Mahwah, are among the many battling in this first round. In just six weeks they’ve assembled their team android, using computer assisted design, motors, electrical circuits, remote controls—the tools of any professional engineer.

These are the inventors of the future. Friday and Saturday, in Trenton, energy and imagination and brainpower are on display—the kids that always knew the right answer in class get a chance to take the supreme test.

Two days after the movie industry celebrates its brightest stars, you can break bread and sip cocktails with one of the entertainment industry’s handsomest aristocrats –as he holds court in Red Bank.

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Actor Robert Wagner, (www.robert-wagner.com) always the most dapper of leading men, is best known for classic television shows like “It Takes A Thief” and ‘Hart To Hart.” Younger audiences know him from recent roles in the “Austin Powers” films. Wagner is promoting his newly released autobiography Pieces Of My Heart.

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Tomorrow’s appearance is part of the Jersey Shore’s on-going “Book It” series, that combines noted authors, food, and spirits. You’ll need to pre-register on their website at www.bookitevents.net. The cost is $60 per person, and includes a book.

We think this will be a memorable evening for foodies and movie junkies.

Wagner’s book recalls his sixty years in movie land, from his early days as a caddy for Clark Gable, and his observations on the industry. Then, there’s the soap opera stuff; his romances with leading ladies like Barbara Stanwyck and Joan Collins, and finally to the troubled relationship and two marriages to Natalie Wood, and her tragic drowning in 1981.

The evening’s catered menu will be based on Wagner’s favorite food picks from classic Hollywood restaurants like Chasen’s and LaScala. There’s also a wine tasting, and a vodka offering.

No doubt, Wagner will have more stories to tell. Plus, you can rub up to Hollywood royalty without a ticket to the Oscars.

Call it any excuse for a party. We all celebrate Cinco De Mayo, Mardi Gras, the Chinese New Year, even if we don’t share the cultural origins.

Sharon Waters of Metuchen wants to add Setsubun, the Japanese celebration of seasonal change, to our list of holiday happenings.

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Setsubun is celebrated on February 3rd or 4th, and marks the oncoming spring season, by performing rituals thought to chase away the evil spirits or the demons that might be lurking around the corner.

Sharon is not Japanese, nor has she been to Japan, she was just looking for a new party idea when she read about Setsubun. She thought the whole thing would be a fun way to break up the winter blahs. After several years of parties, Sharon’s Setsubun gathering has grown in legend and size.

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Sharon explains the rules:

“I incorporate Setsubun traditions as I can, most notably the mame-maki, which is the ritual soybean toss where we shout the phrase ‘fuku wa uchi, oni wa soto’ or ‘fortune in, demons out.’ There is also a competitive contest each year to choose the toshi-otokos, or the ‘honored citizens’ who get to lead the soybean toss.

That was the ultimate icebreaker—her guests spilled out onto the porch drinking beer, and tossing beans at one guy in a white costume, who ran around in the snow.

Sharon’s party invokes the spirit of Setsubun— making us believe we’re just a few beans short of spring.

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By now, you may be wishing you’d cashed in the frequent flier miles and gone somewhere, anywhere warm. But for those who chose closer to home– with the kids out of school this week, we dedicate our weekend picks to you.

There’s a family friendly Mardi Gras being celebrated all week at the Seaview Resort & Spa in Galloway. (www.seaviewmarriott.com) The whole place is being transformed into a French Quarter, there’s gumbo, a parade, and a Wii party for the younger set. Golf too, for the big kids, weather permitting.

Keep the Mardi Gras theme at the Mahwah Public Library (www.mahwah.bccls.org ) on Sunday, with a free performance by Dr. Dubious and his Dixieland Band… the fun starts at 2pm.

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At Red Bank’s Count Basie Theatre tomorrow (www.countbasietheatre.org) you’ll get a wacky look at how things work with the Lets Go Science Show, starring Professor Smart and Miss Know It All.. Lots of cool effects fill the theatre. Recommended for grades K-6.

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See The Jimmies at the Bergen Performing Arts Center (www.bergenpac.org) on Saturday– they entertain children by thinking like them, and performing like them—you’ll be on your feet dancing along with your kids.

On Sunday, the Golden Dragon Acrobats take the stage at NJPAC’s Prudential Hall (www.njpac.org) forming human pyramids and bending into all kinds of unlikely shapes.

Want to see how real maple syrup is made? Bring the kids to Montclair’s Van Vleck House (www.vanvleck.org) for a demonstration right from the tree. You’ll need to reserve a space for you family by calling 973-744-0837 or e-mailing education@vanvleck.org.

Teach the kids about money at the Newark Museum’s (www.newarkmuseum.org) Once Upon A Dime exhibit. Kids learn the story of money over thousands of years, and from civilization to civilization.

A few years back a foodie friend took us to Molyvos, (www.molyvos.com ) one of Manhattan’s best known and most beloved Greek restaurants. The one hour lunch lasted a mouth watering three hours, and included every a sample of every delicious specialty in the house. We returned many times, always to great food, and priceless service.

Now the man behind that memorable meal is head chef at Nisi Estiatorio in Englewood (www.nisirestaurant.com) one of few new En Jay restaurants bold enough to open in these battering times. Two brothers from Alpine reportedly poured millions into renovating the Grand Ave space, then lured Legendary Chef John Piliouras from across the river.

Nisi is about fish, and there are plenty offered on the menu. But do not overlook the appetizers; this is what we remember the most about that feast at Molyvos, and the selection at Nisi is just as stunning.

Here’s an early glimpse by The Record: www.northjersey.com/food/37321284.html.

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For Greek food in a less spectacular setting, we were sent to the relatively new (opened a year ago) Stamna Greek Tavern (www.stamnataverna.com) in Bloomfield.

We’re told the family run bistro-type place is always bustling; the food is fresh, tastes homemade, and plentiful.

We loved the grilled calamari, lemon potato, and the roasted eggplant dip. The chicken kabob was flavorful, but a bit dry. and the spinach and feta cheese pie was melt-in-your-mouth scrumptious. The place is kid friendly, small and noisy. And despite the name, it’s BYOB.

For a more thoughtful treatise, read the review by our friend Eric Levin, Senior Editor of New Jersey Monthly: www.njmonthly.com/restaurantreviews/stamna.html.

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Neenah Pickett is running an internet dating service for one person—herself.

www.52weeks2findhim.com is all about the Somerset woman’s quest to find the Right One on-line, date him, and tie the knot in a year’s time.

Neenah, 42, had the idea a year ago, when she moved to the ‘burbs and had difficulty meeting men. Using a web model she’d learned in her job as a media consultant, she created the site so eligible males could find out all about her, then upload information, pictures, and pitch the job, so to speak.

“I asked myself the question, what would I be willing to do to find my husband?” she told us. And now? “It’s been amazing,” Neenah says enthusiastically. “The men who’ve responded have been really great.”

As of last week, (week 47) about a hundred would-be suitors had uploaded their interest, and Neenah and her friends were busy screening each one for suitability. The virtual speed dating worked, and she had a few encounters, but none that left her wanting more.

The idea has given her national exposure on morning television and local news programs like her plea for a Valentine’s Day date on Good Day New York. http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/good_day_ny/info_and_links/090212_Neenah_Pickett_and_Valentines_Dates

“This is my year to be adventurous,” Neenah laughs, and we know that she’s really enjoying the attention, as the countdown continues. This year of living date-dangerously
is not for everyone, but if you have the moxie and the patience, it may be a fun way to go.

Or, as Neenah says, “If I do end up single, then it won’t be for lack of trying.”

There is no shortage of Bruce news. He’s apologizing for the costly confusion some buyers faced when tickets to his upcoming New Jersey shows went on sale through Ticketmaster. And there’s a report that the E-Streeters played to track in their ultra high-intensity Super Bowl show. But fans know the Boss will bounce back—because he’s, well, the Boss. And former New Jersey Monthly Editor David Chmiel, NJ My Way’s own Springsteentologist, writes that Bruce’s new CD will help make everyone forget about the bad press.

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These are great days to be a Bruce Springsteen fan—especially if you’re willing to admit that not every album can be Born to Run. The just-released Working on a Dream (www.brucespringsteen.net) closes the arc that began with the redemptive post-9/11 The Rising and continued with Magic, the scathing indictment of the Iraqi war and politics of the last eight years.

Brendan O’Brien produced all three original CDs and has infused the Boss and his bandmates with a melodic striving that gives Working on a Dream the flavor of Springsteen’s evolving musical muses (including the Street-less Seeger Session CD) over the last decade. Sure, “My Lucky Day” has all the rock anthem qualities you’d expect, but “What Love Can Do” is infused with a jangly Byrds-like feel and “Life Itself” also channels a bit of early Crosby, Stills Nash &Young guitar echoes. The eight-minute “Outlaw Pete” embodies the evolving Springsteen; it’s an angst-free “Jungleland.” The title track is a commercial pop song that would have been better off without the whistling interlude.

In all, the CD carries Springsteen’s constant yearning for redemption further than he’s ever had. And while there are more sustained songs of hope, Springsteen can’t commit to full-out exuberance. While “Tomorrow Never Knows” and “The Wrestler” feel like Dylan, with Springsteen whispering in his best trust-but-verify guarded optimism and redemptive reflection, he does go for blissful broke on “Surprise, Surprise,” full of Beach Boys-inspired harmonies and downright schmaltz (you’ll be stunned when you find yourself humming along).

Springsteen’s hope may be born of a realization that life’s just too damned short. For the second time in his last two albums, he’s had to eulogize a lost friend. “The Last Carnival” is a wrenching ode to bandmate Danny Federici, who died of cancer last April. But the redemption for all fans, new and old, is that with a new Springsteen CD comes the tour—and more glory days ahead.

By David Chmiel for NJ My Way.