Bluemercury, a rapidly expanding beauty store and spa, will be opening in Closter Plaza on Friday. The Closter location is among 40 that Bluemercury will be opening in 2017, and marks the store's 120th location. The store carries notable brands including Acqua Di Parma, RMS, La Mer, Hourglass, Living Proof and Skinceuticals and more. It will also house products from Bluemercury’s proprietary brands, M-61 skincare and Lune + Aster. Bergen County has become quite the craft beer bar scene, stepping up its suds game and offering residents a host of “hoppy” options. We asked for the best in the county; you gave us your picks. Now, five finalists are competing in our “DVlicious Best Craft Beer Bar in Bergen County” contest Raise your glass and drink in the following; then click on your favorite. You can vote multiple times, albeit once per day. The winner will receive a framed DVlicious certificate as well as the pride in knowing it has raised the bar in Bergen The Office Beer Bar & Grill, Ridgewood Number of Craft Beers: 21 on tap, 29 bottled, three in cans. Why It’s Liquid Gold: True to the Garden State, this local family-owned chain features a solid rotation of craft brews such as 902 Path Pale Ale True Hoboken, Brix City Just Another Double IPA, made in Little Ferry, and Kane Cloud Cover, out of Ocean Township. This being sports season (when isn't??), there are also tons of TVs. Beer flights are $8. They also have specials for football season, including $3 and $5 drafts and $4 and $6 appetizers. Among the items to nosh on: ginger teriyaki wings, soft pretzels big enough to share, beer-battered pickles, pizza and burgers or fancier fare such as blackened tuna and grilled salmon. . Cheers to Beers: 32 Chestnut St. (201) 652-1070,www.office-beerbar.com/ Clean eating is a lifestyle that can help maintain a healthy physique and mind. Beginning in March, Valley’s Center for Integrative Medicine will begin hosting two series of classes on cooking and eating “clean.” The classes will be taught by internationally trained chef and New Jersey resident Carrie Weiss and will take place in a brand-new teaching kitchen at the Center, which is located at 1200 E. Ridgewood Ave. West Wing, 3rd. Floor in Ridgewood. Eating “clean” fuels the body with high-quality foods such as fruits, raw and cooked vegetables, sustainable fish, lean grass-fed and organic animal proteins, healthy fats, nuts and seeds and certain complex carbohydrates. Additionally, eating healthy foods can help the body to function properly and increase immune system performance. In the Deliciously Clean Gourmet Cooking Series, Carrie will teach participants to make 4-6 different recipes during each class. All of the recipes, which are designed to fit into busy schedules and help to establish nutritious eating habits, will be created with the freshest, organic, sustainable, and wholesome ingredients possible. The recipes will also be provided to participants to take home with them after each class. Examples of the dishes participants will learn to prepare include crispy French roast chicken and vegan soups and lasagna. The Deliciously Clean Gourmet Cooking Series will take place on Tuesdays from March 8 to April 12 from 10:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The Zen and the Art of Healthy Entertaining Cooking Series will incorporate the same principals as the Deliciously Clean Gourmet course, but will focus on food presentation and the art of entertaining. Participants will learn how to create hors d’oeuvres and cocktails, as well as how to set up an inviting buffet filled with delicious and appetizing food. There will be an opportunity to taste everything that is prepared during the class. Carrie will also teach participants a simple meditation to help them to relax before cooking and prior to the guests’ arrival. The Zen and the Art of Healthy Entertaining Cooking Series will take place on Thursdays from March 10 to April 14 from 10:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Classes are limited to 20 people and must be paid for by at least a day before the class. The fee for each six-class series is $600 or $110 per individual class. To register or for more information, call Ellen Mangano at 201-389-0075 Name a place to eat in Ridgewood where there are 83 gluten-free foods available daily. That would be The Sensible Fork . For the past year, Owner George Hauck has been drawing health-conscious diners to his Oak Street restaurant. They come back for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Why? Because Hauck has gotten them over their big hurdle: assuming healthful food tastes bad. Sure, there’s regular fare, too. But why is so much gluten free? “Gluten causes high blood sugar,” said Hauck, 49, of Colts Neck. Seven years ago, he was a Dunkin’ Donuts franchisee with a strong coffee addiction and a blood sugar level of 796. (Normal is 70 to 100 mg/dL.) “The day I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, I went to the emergency room at the hospital in Freehold,” Hauck recalled. “My sugar level was so high, the physician asked me if I walked into the hospital under my own power.” One could say that was the day The Sensible Fork was conceived. It was the day Hauck resolved to eat – not medicate, not exercise – his way to a lower weight and healthful sugar levels. He wanted to regain his health simply with the power of his fork. Using guidelines from his holistic doctor, Hauck started creating recipes. One of the first was zucchini pasta with marinara sauce, now on his menu at The Sensible Fork. Over the next five years, his growing repertoire became popular with his four children, their friends and others. So much so that Hauck, 80 pounds lighter with a blood sugar level of 104, opened a restaurant for people who have a health condition … and those who don’t want one. “My father has congestive heart failure so we cook with a minimal amount of salt, if any at all,” Hauck said. “Our entire menu is available gluten free.” The Sensible Fork leaves nothing to chance. It roasts its own natural roast beef and turkey breasts, free of preservatives and salt. Its soups are homemade and most are dairy free. Its salmon and tuna are always fresh and wild caught. Its gluten-free pastas are imported from Italy. There are wraps and paninis for lunch, and a wide variety of foods for dinner. Even desserts are allowed. If they’re tasty and healthful. One option is locally homemade ice cream sweetened with dates instead of sugar or artificial or controversial plant-based sweeteners. “We even use dates here,” Hauck said. “We’ll take natural, organic dates and mash them and use them to sweeten some of our dishes when called for.” Hauck is easily able to run The Sensible Ford, he said. His lighter, healthier, happier self has more energy than he knows what to do with. For The Sensible Fork menu, CLICK HERE .
Sarku Japan will soon be opening its fourth Bergen County location in Tereboro Landing.
The first store opened in Japan in 1987 and currently operates 250 restaurants including three in Paramus, Lodi and Ramsey The restaurant industry is all Nick Gjevukaj of Norwood has ever known. He and his brothers would tag along to help their father, Gino Gjevukaj, run a Westchester restaurant, Il Brunello in New Rochelle. It wasn’t long before he was washing dishes and busing plates. The big change came for Gjevukaj in February 2003 when his father bought Dimora in Norwood. That's when he left his job in finance at 21 years old. “That was a really big step for us,” he said. “My dad was like, ‘Let’s take a shot at this. If we all work together, we can turn a profit.’” And they did. The family took over and opened several more restaurants including:
Nick went on to become the restaurant manager at Dimora, which meant longer hours and more stressful days. But he wouldn’t have it any other way. "I like talking to people, getting to know people," Gjevukaj said. "Seeing families grow — stuff like that is just awesome." “It’s been the best thing that’s ever happened to us.” Except for when it isn't. It was the weekend before Christmas 2013 and Dimora was hopping. People had been waiting almost one hour to be seated, and some guests were getting antsy. Even aggressive. He had a bit of a meltdown trying to seat everyone, and even offered dessert on the house to people who waited a bit longer. Still, Gjevukaj felt terrible. "I made a Facebook post about how badly I felt," he said. "I wrote that if the people waiting saw it they could take me up on free dinner." Providing diners with the best experience is all Gjevukaj wants. A long wait can take away from that. On the other hand, he said, suppose a restaurant has a lot of open tables on a Saturday night. "Would you really want to eat there?" he asked. "Either the place is brand new, or it's struggling." The guests who continue to come back and support Gjevukaj and his restaurants have become more than customers. "Most of the business is repeat customers, so I've really enjoyed getting to know these people," he said. "I consider them really close to me — like family." Click here to sign up for Daily Voice's free daily emails and news alerts. |
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