March: An Entire Month for Doing Good While Dining Out

With culinary fundraisers of every stripe happening all over the state this month, you and I have no excuse not to participate. If attending a gala isn’t your thing, there are many other fun and meaningful ways to support everything from cooking school scholarships to tackling a disease so rare it affects only 600 Americans – including a Princeton teen. Here’s the rundown.

(Update: It’s too late for this deal, but you can always contribute to the cause) February 28: Turning Point Restaurants’ Fundraiser for the Kortney Rose Foundation 

What: From 8 am to 3 pm, donate a minimum of $25 to the Kortney Rose Foundation at any of the 11 restaurants in this privately owned group of casual breakfast, brunch, & lunch restaurants and receive a Turning Point gift card good for two entrees to be used anytime in the future.
Where: Brick, Cherry Hill, Hoboken, Holmdel, Little Silver, Long Branch, Manalapan, Marlton, Princeton, Sea Girt, Westfield
Why: Named in memory of a 9-year old Oceanport girl who died from a brain tumor in 2006, this foundation has donated more than $1,200,000 to the pediatric brain tumor research program at CHOP.
For more info: theturningpoint.biz; thekortneyrosefoundation.org

March 5 thru 13: Hopewell Valley Restaurant Week

What: Take advantage of specially priced 2- and 3-course menus at 21 popular eateries, including a $25 3-course special in the bar at super-hot Brick Farm Tavern. Plus similar deals at, for example, Blue Bottle and Brothers Moon – and that doesn’t even cover the “B’s” on the list!
Where: Hopewell Borough & Township and Pennington
Why: While enjoying your special restaurant week deals, you can leave a donation in envelopes for FISH, Hopewell Valley’s own meals on wheels program that’s subsidized and includes meals made by Pennington Quality Market.
For more info: eatinhopewell.com; hopewelltwsp.org/FISH.pdf

March 14 thru 20: Caffe Galleria in Lambertville Honoring the Memory of Founder Dawn Raia

Dawn Raia, Caffe Galleria, Lambertville

What: 10% of all checks during this week will be donated to 3 organizations: Animal Alliance, Fisherman’s Mark, & Lambertville Animal Welfare
Where: Caffe Galleria
Why: Ms. Raia, a beloved local figure, passed away from cancer 2 years ago. This is a tribute to her spirit and the causes dear to her heart.
For more info: caffegalleria.com; animalalliancenj.org, fishermansmark.org, lambertvilleanimalwelfare.org

March 14: 3rd Annual Joe Romanowski Culinary Education Foundation (JOCEF) Gala

What: “Recipe for Success” Gala featuring tastings from 25+ Shore eateries, among them Drew’s Bayshore Bistro, Mumfords Culinary Center, & Sickle’s Market. Auction items include vacations, dinner for 8 at Salt Creek Grille in Rumson, and a $400 voucher for cocktails and limo service
Where: Navesink Country Club, Red Bank
Why: Funds raised are used for scholarships for students of the Culinary Education Center, a collaboration between Brookdale Community College and the Monmouth County Vocational School District. JOCEF was established in memory of Joseph Romanowski, chef/owner of acclaimed and fondly remembered restaurants Joe & Maggie’s and Bay Avenue Trattoria. In its first 2 years, the fund awarded more than $40,000 in scholarships.
For tickets, which start at $105, & more info: culinaryjoe.org

March 17: St. Patrick’s Day Celebration & Long Beard Contest

What: Irish fare, bagpiper, music and step dancing, plus the 36th edition of the for-charity beard contest. Prizes for the longest, handsomest, ugliest, and most innovative beards. 
Where: Alchemist & Barrister, Princeton
Why: This year’s party will benefit Derek’s Dreams, named for Derek DeGregorio, a Princeton High senior who suffers from ataxia telangiectasia, to expand research on this very rare disease.
For more info: Fare & Irish libations available all day. Starting at 5 pm, a $5 entrance fee for the other festivities. The A&B has set up a GoFundMe page for direct contributions to Derek’s Dreams: gofundme.com/theaandb. Restaurant: theaandb.com

March 24: Atlantic Cape Community College Restaurant Gala

What: Tastings from about 40 Shore-area restaurants, a dessert “extravaganza,” dancing to live music, a 50/50 raffle, etc.
Where: Harrah’s Waterfront Conference Center, Atlantic City
Why: This annual event has raised $3 million since 1984 for student scholarships at the Academy of Culinary Arts, Atlantic Cape
For more info: Tickets, $225 per person, can be ordered via atlantic.edu/gala

Peacock Inn’s New Chef is AlreadyGone; Corkscrew Wine Shop Expands; Lillipies on the Move; More

Sam Byrne Summarily Departs Peacock; Lillipies Moving into Princeton Shopping Center; Turning Point Opens 11th Eatery at Mercer Mall

Princeton Echo August 2015

Details here, in my August Food for Thought column in The Princeton Echo

Princeton Corkscrew Wine Shop Expands

Princeton Corkscrew, Courtesy The Princeton Echo

Owner Laurent Chapuis tells which marketplace demands he responded to by adding more showroom space to his shop, which has been on Hulfish Street since 1997. My interview, here, also from the August issue of The Echo.