River View Observer Jan. 27 to Feb. 8th, 2012

Volume 16, No. 1

January 27th - February 8th 2012 FREE PUBLICATION

riverviewobserver.net

201-349-4336

Pg. 2 On the Cover

By

Then...

Pg. 7 Hudson Again

Pg. 14

Home Decor

Pg. 20

Restaurant Views

Pg. 24

Stargazine

Pgs. 27 - 32

The Gift of Jewelry See page 4

Jewelry & Watch Repair

Hoboken Gold & Diamonds

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g eerin D y l Sal

Local Cigar Shops Offer an In’ Place to Smoke Stogies

T

here aren’t many places where you can still light up a stogie these days. It’s a no-no at restaurants and bars and if you get a craving at work, it’s out in the cold with the ciggy-puffers. Look around Hudson and you’ll notice several smoke shops in the nooks and crannies of our local neighborhoods – stores catering to cigar-smokers who want a little R&R with their stogies. These shops are an oasis to cigar smokers, the final frontier where they can purchase a cigar, light up in an armchair and draw for an hour or two without someone telling them to “put that out!”

Smokin’ Hoboken Hoboken happens to be home to the oldest cigar shop in Hudson– Flores Smoke Shop on Hudson Street, a small place with a walk-in, cedar-paneled humidor – kept a cool 60 degrees with 80 percent humidity – and lined with cigars

PERMIT NO. 955

from all over the world. The owner, Carlos Flores opened the shop in 1992 and sells popular cigar brands like Romeo & Juliet and high-end brands like Don Pepin. In the back of the shop Flores installed a flatscreen TV that’s hooked up to Cable and a half-dozen armchairs for customers who want to sit back and smoke their purchases.

When the boon hit in 1993, a lot of cigar stores opened up and a lot of store owners came here to check my inventory,” Flores says. “I’m third generation; my family owns a cigar plantation in Cuba.”

Flores doesn’t sell Cuban cigars – it’s against the law because of the U.S. embargo – but he does sell the family brand Flor De Florez ($12) 2 c

’t on

.

pg

on the cover . made in the family’s manufacturing plant in Florida. He sells highend cigars like Davidoff ($56); Don Pepin ($30$50); popular brands like Arturo Fuentes and The Stork ($15); La Flor, a Dominican-made cigar ($11.95) and petite cigars that sell for $3.

“I pride myself in having the best cigar selection in the state,” Flores says, waiting on customers who stop in for a smoke. “I have boutique cigars like Davidoff and name brands like Romeo & Juliet and Macanudo for novice smokers.”

When customer asks Flores to recommend a cigar, he usually asks a few questions first, like what the customer will be eating and drinking. The flavors of the food and drink should blend

..

By Sally Deering

with the flavors and spices of the cigar, not clash, he says. For instance, the Flor De Florez is a mild, creamy cigar and goes well with white wine, chicken and veal.

There’s an art to cigar smoking, Flores says.

“You don’t rush it,” Flores says. “Smoking a cigar can take an hour, two hours. A cigar is supposed to lower your blood pressure.”

Flores stores the cigars in the walk-in humidor where he ages them. You can age a cigar for five-six years, he says, and the tobacco leaves become oily, the outer leaf darkens and it’s a better tasting smoke.

An Oasis of Ashtrays and Armchairs A better tasting smoke and a place to smoke is exactly why Hoboken resident Chris

River View Observer – Page 2

Lewis stops by Flores’s Smoke Shop once, sometimes twice a week. A lawyer who works in New York City, Lewis drops in for a stogie, takes off his coat, lights up and relaxes in one of the armchairs with a bottle of Coca-Cola and his thoughts.

“A good cigar will present a complex taste,” Lewis says, “spices, chocolate, espresso, fresh earth and a wood smell. It’s not like smoking a cigarette. It’s a slower draw. Different cigars will have different draws.

You want a cigar with a controllable draw, not too tight, not too loose. You want a nice controllable draw.”

Flores, who grew up on a tobacco farm in Cuba, learned about cigars and tobacco from his father and he says, there are many factors to a good cigar. con’t pg. 3

con’t from pg. 2

“The cigar’s wrapper – the outer leaf – is the aesthetic,” Flores says, “but the beauty, the key is the inside of the cigar, the binder and filler.”

How someone is introduced to a cigar usually determines whether that person will enjoy smoking cigars or not, Flores says.

“It’s all about first impression,” Flores says.

“Your first cigar, if it was a bad cigar and tasted bad, you’ll say, ‘I’ll never smoke a cigar again.’ But if your first cigar was with a great dinner and you taste it properly with a good glass of wine, you’ll try it again.”

On Yahoo.com, “Hercules54” posted this review of Flores’s smoke shop: “Stopped by on my way home from work this past Friday. Been there once or twice before. I was

surprised by the large cigar selection. Had a nice conversation with Carlos…I picked up a Padron 1926.

Nice little store.”

Neighborhood Smoke-Ins

Other smoke shops that cater to the cigar aficionado are the Hoboken Premium Cigar Company on Newark Street and Hoboken Cigars on River Street. In Jersey City, there’s Sky Tobacco Co., LLC on Grove Street and Rodriguez Puros Cigars on Central Avenue. In Union City there’s La Vieja Havana Cigars on Park Avenue, Havana Cigars on Summit Avenue and Boquilla Cigars also on Summit.

The Hoboken Premium Cigar Company, which opened five years ago in Hoboken sells cigars made in the Dominican Republic

and owner Bob DeBenedetto states on the company’s website that these cigars are the best in the world (www. hobokenpremiumcigar. com). Here’s the back-story DeBenedetto posted online: “A few years ago, a friend of mine who was born there and I hopped on a plane and went down to DR to prove the point. We traveled to many cigar stores and factories and smoked many cigars. One day we were introduced us to a cigar made in a little factory. It was a mild hand-rolled beauty. My friend leaned back in his chair, turned to me and said ‘mantequilla’ the butter. We decided that day we were going to bring that cigar back to the states.”

Hoboken Premium Cigars also has some very special cigars. There’s a line of Pin Up Girls cigars with vintage

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beauties posed provocatively on the label and a line of New York Giants cigars just in time for the Superbowl.

“The New York Giants cigar is also a Dominican cigar,” DeBenedetto says.

“It’s a Churchill in size, a mild smoking cigar and it has the New York Giants logo on the label. Carrying a Giants cigar is a great way to walk into a Superbowl party.”

DeBenedetto’s shop on Newark Avenue also features a smoking lounge which is open 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. every day except Sunday. He says smoking lounges are a necessary part of the cigar-smoking experience.

“Cigar smoking is a social thing,” DeBenedetto says.

“Not many people are going to sit and smoke a cigar by themselves. They’ll have a coffee, a drink, it creates a

social atmosphere.”

Flores agrees that cigar shops offer a social environment for cigar smokers. On game nights, his shop fills up with cigar smokers rooting and cheering for their teams.

The place was jammed the night the Giants played the 49ers for a spot at the Super Bowl (Go Giants!)

At Havana on the Hudson Cigars in Weehawken, right outside the Lincoln Tunnel, owner Gilbert Flores offers his customers a smoking lounge with big comfy leather couches and HD TV. He also has an outdoor area for cigar smokers and a membership program, too. For $500 a year, a member gets their own dark mahogany humidified locker where they can keep cigars and wine for their visits.

Members are also entitled to con’t pg. 5

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Page 4 River View Observer

con’t from pg. 3

discounts and ‘first dibs’ on rare cigars.

Just this past November, Krystle B. of Union City posted this rave review of Boquilla Cigars in Union City: “When I used to travel a terrible commute, I would always pass this cute little cigar shop. One day, I stumbled in and was delightfully surprised about the assortment provided in this simple establishment.

If you’re looking for a cigar shop gem that hasn’t been commercialized yet, I highly recommend coming to Boquilla Cigars.”

A website review for a cigar shop posted by a woman?

That’s right. Women enjoy cigars too, Flores says, and many women like sitting in his store’s lounge drawing on a stogie.

“Sometimes men get a little intimidated seeing a woman smoke a cigar,” Flores says.

“Most times it’s the woman who will break the ice and start up a conversation.”

There’s no such thing as a girlie cigar, either. Women cigar smokers seem to like their stogies just like they like their men – strong and long-lasting.

Some local area smoke shops: Sky Tobacco Co., LLC Premium Cigar Retailer & Accessories 344 Grove Street, Jersey City NJ 07302 201-432-4071 Marcus Garcia, owner skytobaccocompany@yahoo.com Flores Smoke Shop 235 Hudson Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030 201-217-1701 Carlos Flores, owner www.florezcigars.com La Vieja Havana Cigars 4111 Park Avenue, Union City, NJ 07087 201-758-5960 Havana Cigars 2314 Summit Avenue, Union City, NJ 07087 201-867-7595 Havana on the Hudson Cigars 1907 Willow Ave, Weehawken, NJ 07086 201-867-3300 www.havanaonthehudsoncigars.com Gilbert Flores, Owner Rodriguez Puros Cigars 587 Central Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07307 201-963-7073 Hoboken Cigars 77 River Street, #27, Hoboken, NJ 07030 201-386-5515 Hoboken Premium Cigar Co. 51 Newark Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030 201-736-5370 www.hobokenpremiumcigar.com Robert DeBenedetto, Owner

Page 5 – River View Observer

Relay for Life of Bayonne Seeking Participants for 2012 Event WHAT IS RELAY FOR LIFE? Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature event. It gives everyone a chance to Celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, Remember loved ones lost, and Fight Back against the disease that has taken too much. Relay is an overnight celebration and family-friendly event!

Festivities include plenty of games,music, food, entertainment and fun for all!

WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND? Now, more than ever people from our community are getting involved in Relay to raise much needed funds to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays!

•Learn about how you can be involved even if you aren’t on a team!

• The NEW INTERACTIVE KICK OFF EXPERIENCE is designed to give you a closer look into all of the different aspects of Relay! You may think you know, but you have NO idea!

HOW TO GET INVOLVED! It’s easy! You can become a sponsor, support teams, join the survivor celebration, remember loved ones lost or just form a team! Teams and supporters are made up family members, friends, co-workers, neighbors, athletic teams, clubmembers, school groups, etc.!

Everyone is invited and all ages and athletic abilities can participate.

To register your team, make a donation, join our survivor celebration, honor a loved one: • Join the Kick Off • Ask questions! Call or email!

• Go to our website: www.RelayForLife.org/BayonneNJ Please join us as we officially Kick Off 2012 Relay For Life of Bayonne February 9, 2012 at 7:00pm Holy Family Academy, 239 Avenue A, Bayonne RSVP to Chrissy Andrascik at 973-232-2573 or Christina.Andrascik@cancer.org by February 1st In the case of inclement weather, please visit our website or call the number listed for instructions.

Bayonne Relay for Life Members at last year’s Kick -Off Celebration

RELAY FOR LIFE OF BAYONNE DON AHERN VETERANS STADIUM June 15-16 , 2012

Page 6 River View Observer

River View Observer • Print • Digital • Mobile

Hudson Then...Again

By Maureen Wlodarczyk Every January, millions of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, promising to change themselves or their lives for the better.

About now, late January, many of us have already fallen off the self-improvement wagon or are hanging on by our white-knuckled fingers.

A favorite resolution is to “get more exercise.� We buy gym memberships or home exercise equipment, marching for miles on treadmills and cycling to nowhere on stationary bikes. In the late 19th century, adult bicycle riding and racing were hugely popular sporting activities that spawned a different kind of membership in cycling clubs.

Local newspapers had regular “wheelmen� columns that reported on events and competition results and top cyclists became celebrity athletes of the day.

In the 1890s, Hudson County had a long list of bicycling clubs with a reported membership of over 500 wheelmen (and women).

Local cycling clubs included the High Grade

Hudson County Bicycle Clubs of the Late 1800s

Wheelmen of West New York, Guttenberg Wheelmen, Niantic Wheelmen of Jersey City, Castle Point Wheelmen of Hoboken, Clio Wheelmen, Arcanum Wheelmen, Lafayette Wheelmen, North Hudson Wheelmen of Union Hill, Catholic Club Cyclers and the Hudson County Wheelmen. Competition among the various local clubs and others from neighboring locales including New York was keen and spirited. One cycling race in July 1897 drew 25,000 spectators who lined four miles of the Boulevard in North Bergen.

One of the standouts among Hudson County cycling racers was William L. Darmer of

Jersey City. Darmer, born in the early 1870s, lost his father shortly after that and was raised by his widowed mother Johanna, a local merchant who operated a confectionary shop on Bergen Avenue for many years.

In 1892, at age 20 Darmer was a member of the West Bergen Athletic Association and represented Hudson County in a novice class race held at Madison Square Garden. Two months later, at the Belleville Avenue Rink in Newark, Darmer accepted a challenge from a Newark cyclist and rode a borrowed bike to victory in one-mile race on the inside track.

Cont’d on page 8 William L. Darmer

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River View Observer- Page 7

Hudson Then...Again Cont’d from page 7 Over the next few years, Darmer went on to be a champion racer with the Hudson County Wheelmen, winning more than 25 competition medals. He married the former Sarah Van Nostrand and both husband and wife were active in cycling circles. Sarah Darmer was elected Jersey City consul for the League of American Wheelmen in recognition of her participation in cycling and efforts to recruit other women to the sport.

Sarah Darmer The duties of a consul included looking after “the

comfort and welfare of strangers belonging to the League” that were injured in cycling accidents in the consul’s jurisdiction.

Political correctness not being an issue in newspapers of that era, the press described Sarah as “a bright, young woman and attractive blonde of slender, graceful proportions” attired in “a neat brown bicycle suit with divided skirt, bloomers and leggings,” matching “Tam o’Shanter cap,” and sporting a “pretty gold badge” leggings,” matching “Tam o’Shanter cap,” and sporting a “pretty gold badge” with the words “Consul, New Jersey Division LAW.” In June 1896, both Darmers were among 98 cyclists riding in a 100-mile “century run” from Jersey City to Lake Hopatcong and back again, Sarah being one of three women who finished the challenging recreational ride.

William Darmer teamed up with local track and field

athletes to represent the New Jersey Athletic Club in the Metropolitan district A.A.U. championships in a battle against its rival, the Knickerbocker Athletic Club of New York. He was also a soldier in the New Jersey National Guard Hospital and Ambulance Corps and once cycled from Jersey City to a military camp in Sea Girt in a courier race, carrying a message from the Jersey City Mayor Edward Hoos to a Brigadier General.

In between all the above, in late 1894, Darmer had an unplanned cycling adventure. He stopped in to visit his mother at her candy store and interrupted a thief whose hands were literally in the store till. The thief bolted, only to be followed

by Darmer who jumped on his bike and pursued the man through the nearby Jersey City streets, jumping curbs and careening through vacant lots until he captured him. The police were called and the thief, whose pockets held twenty-

Visit us on the web @ www.riverviewobserver.net Page 8 River View Observer

five cents, a pack of cards and a pair of dice, was arrested.

By the first decade of the 20th century, the high level of interest in cycling had cooled but the League of American Wheelmen, formed in 1880 and now known as the League of American Bicyclists, remains the national organization representing the interests of U.S. cyclists.

Maureen Wlodarczyk is a fourth-generation-born Jersey City girl and the author of three books about life in Jersey City in the 1800s and early 1900s: Past-Forward: A Three-Decade and ThreeThousand-Mile Journey Home, Young & Wicked: The Death of a Wayward Girl and Canary in a Cage: The Smith-Bennett Murder Case.

For info: www.past-forward.com.

Are you interested in helping children in the foster care system?

Hudson County CASA is currently recruiting volunteers to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children. CASA works through trained community volunteers to insure that needed services and assistance are made available to children while helping to move them toward safe and permanent homes.

CASA (court appointed special advocate) and its volunteers speak for children in court, serve as fact finders for the judges and safeguard the interests of the children while they are in the foster care system.

To learn more about the program and the role of its volunteers. A session will be held on Tuesday, February 7, 2012 from 6:00-7:00pm in Room # 400 of the Hudson County Administration Building at 595 Newark Avenue, Jersey City.

Please call (201) 795-9855, email mgarcia@hudsoncountycasa.org or visit our website at www.hudsoncountycasa.

org.

An Evening with Shakespeare -DeBaun Center’s Theater Series continues with scenes and monologues from Shakespeare plays DeBaun Center for Performing Arts is proud to present An Evening with Shakespeare as a part of its 2011–2012 Theater Series.

The performances will run for one weekend on February 3 & 4, 2012 at 8 p.m. in DeBaun Auditorium, Edwin A. Stevens Hall, 24 5th Street in Hoboken, NJ. An Evening of Shakespeare features scenes and monologues from the most famous playwright of all time, William Shakespeare. All of the scenes are performed by Stevens students and directed by Stevensfaculty and staff.

An Evening of Shakespeare features scenes from the most famous playwright of all time, William Shakespeare. All of the scenes are performed by Stevens students and directed by Stevens faculty and staff. The plays represented are The Tempest, King Lear, The Tragedie of Julius Caesar, Twelfth Night, Othello, Two Gentlemen of Verona, and King John for a total of seven scenes and four monologues. The directors are Dr. Anthony Pennino, Stevens faculty member, and Dr. Bethany Reeves, Stevens staff member.

The first act is representational of an “acting class” where all cast members are on stage watching what occurs. The second act will be more like a “performance” moving from one scene to the next.

For information on AnEvening with Shakespeare, visit DeBaun Center’s website at www.DeBaun.org, email Center@DeBaun.org or call 201-216-8933.

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The Attic Ensemble presents CROWNS by Regina Taylor with Date Change

The Attic Ensemble, Theater for a New Jersey City, presents the third production of its forty-first season: Crowns by Regina Taylor, adapted from the book by Michal Cunningham and Craig Marberry, directed by Judith Moss of Jersey City. The production runs from February 24-March 4, 2012. PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE IN PERFORMANCE DATES!!! The production features Jersey City residents Samille Ganges, Melrose Johnson, Chanel Monique Reeves, James E. Splond III and Victoria Stansbury. Hoboken resident Shirley M. Dennis and Brooklyn native Adiagha Faizah round out the talented cast.

The Story: A company of three generations of African American women with “hattitude” and one man form the cast of “Crowns”, a moving and celebratory musical play in which hats become a springboard for an exploration of black history and identity as seen through the eyes of a young black woman who has come down South after her brother is killed in Brooklyn.

Hats are everywhere and the characters use the hats to tell tales concerning everything from the etiquette of hats to their historical and contemporary social functioning.

PLEASE NOTE NEW PERFORMANCE DATES: Performances are February 24 – March 4, 2012: Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm; Sunday matinees at 3 pm and Thursday March 1 at 7 pm.

Tickets are $20.00 general admission, $15 students and seniors. Group rates are also available.

The Attic Ensemble is located just two blocks from the Grove Street PATH Station, in the Historic Barrow Mansion, 83 Wayne Street, Jersey City. There is free parking after 7 p.m. in the parking lot 1 ½ blocks away on Christopher Columbus Drive. For directions and further information: www.atticensemble.org; phone (201) 413-9200, e-mail: info@atticensemble.org.

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Jonathan Singer’s “Botanica Magnifica” Now at the New Jersey State Museum

By Evelyn Bonilla

“Open your eyes and you will see the beauty from within”, these are the words that come to mind, as I explain the photographs of Jonathan Singer. Described as a “force of nature” Singer brings to life “rare exotic flowers and plants” using photography and his extraordinary vision; the compilation of the two brings to fruition photographs which bring to mind the works of Rembrandt.

The exhibit opened to the public on January 28th, allowing the public to view the one of a kind photographs by Jonathan Singer. The exhibit “Botanica Magnifica” will be presented in two parts.

“Part One” is on view January 28 through April 15, and “Part Two” will be on view April 21 through August 26 at the New Jersey State Museum.

The museum exhibit is organized by guest curator Dr. Karen Reeds well-known for her work with science and history. The exhibition will unite two of the State Museum’s subject areas, “Natural History and Fine Art”, and will look at Jonathan Singer’s extraordinary photographs from both perspectives.

Singer’s photography is unique in that it defies conventional views and opens to all who behold it; a world of photography like no other. Through his camera lens he captures the soul of the object he is photographing.

His photographs can be seen in the “Joseph F. Cullman 3rd Library of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution Libraries in Washington, DC, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (KVA), Stockholm, Sweden, the Huntington Museum and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California, the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.

In 2009, he was awarded the Carl Linnaeus Silver Medal for merging art and science, from the Swedish Royal Academy of Science. He was also awarded the international Hasselblad Prize Laureate award; granted to photographers in recognition of their major achievements”. Most recently he was acknowledged by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and received an award, “in recognition and appreciation for his work of the botanical world”. Singer is one of the first photographers to receive such a prestigious award. Singer also has two photography books to his credit “Botanica Magnifica: Portraits of the World’s Most Beautiful and Rare Flowers and Plants” and “Bonsai, Art and Nature”.

To view “Botanica Magnifica: Photographs by Jonathan Singer,” visit the New Jersey State Museum, located at 205 West State Street in Trenton. It is open on Tuesday through Saturday, from 9:00 am to 4:45 pm, and Sunday from 12:00 to 5:00 pm. The Museum is closed on Mondays and all state holidays. General admission to the Museum is free. For more information, please visit the Museum’s website at www.newjerseystatemuseum.org or call the recorded information line at (609) 292-6464. On weekends, free parking is available in lots adjacent to and behind the Museum.

Visit Jonathan Singer’s website at www.jonathan-singer-photography.com enter into the magnificent botanical world of photographer Jonathan Singer.

MARKINGS Watchung Arts Center February 2 to 29, 2012 The hob’art co-operative gallery is presenting an exhibition, entitled “Markings,” at the Watchung Arts Center, 18 Stirling Road, Watchung, NJ. Tom Egan, Curator, chose the work on view to offer a dialogue on how surfaces are changed by the addition of any line, scratch, pattern, color, or random marking. Examples of drawing, painting, printmaking and three dimensional art by members will be displayed. Dates of the exhibit are February 2nd to 29th, 2012 and a reception will be held on Sunday, February 5th, from 1-4pm.

Anne Kinney It’s Getting Closer The Watchung Art Center is located at 18 Stirling Road, Watchung, NJ. It is open to the public on Wednesday: by appointment only, Thursday and Friday: noon – 3 p.m. and Saturday: by appointment only.

18 Stirling Road Watchung, NJ 07069 908-753-0190 Thursday & Friday: 12 - 3 pm Wednesday & Saturday

by Appointment Artists’ Reception: Sunday, Feb. 5, 1-4 pm Page 12 River View Observer

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Ideas for ‘Re-feathering’ Your Empty Nest On the Cheap

For empty-nesters, it’s easy to find redecorating options

that pack grown-up appeal without a grown-ups only price-tag. You can make over bedrooms and play rooms with a few budget-friendly tricks.

Walls If you’re afraid of committing to wallpaper, repositionable peel and stick wallpaper is a great option for creating a unique decorator feature in a room. Whether you’re looking for beach wall murals to evoke the relaxed feeling of your last tropical vacation, or a city skyline to create a sophisticated aura, visit online at DecorPlace.com.

Page 14 River View Observer

Entertainment Bring in that big-screen, high-def TV you didn’t buy before because you couldn’t bear the thought of sticky fingerprints all over it. Buy that awesome surroundsound system you passed on for years because you feared how it would sound with your kids’ favorite cartoon blasting out of the speakers.

Bathroom If you’ve held off on buying new towels, bath matt and a shower curtain until there were no more teenagers in the house to mess them up, it’s time to treat yourself.

While you’re at it, replace the utilitarian shower head with a luxurious multi-head unit or a rainfall shower head.

Find more Decor @ www.

Riverviewobserver.net

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Michelle Doll, Winter Wind, 2011 oil on mylar, 42 x 48�

Michelle Doll - Winter Winds Hamilton Square 232 Pavonia Avenue, Jersey City 201.434.1000 Exhibition on view Now to March 30th, 2012 Presented by Silverman and Hamilton Square Condominium Association

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restaurant VIEWS Eggs for Dinner; Spaghetti for Breakfast The Malibu Diner serves your favorite Comfort Food 24/7

By Sally Deering

B

eing a Jersey girl, I’ve loved diners since I first twirled around on my red-vinyl seat at a shiny Formica counter watching the pastry carousel that swirled pretty pastries like ballerinas in The Nutcracker. One of my all-time favorite diners is The Malibu on 14th Street in Hoboken, with its light green Statue of Liberty-shaped overhang above the entranceway and huge parking lot, this

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corner diner beckons customers to come, have some coffee and enjoy a Burger Deluxe!

The Malibu – or as we locals call it “The Bu” has been a Hoboken fixture since the 1940s when it was “The 14th Street Diner,”

a chromed train-car shaped diner that was transformed in 1980 when Gus Babalis took ownership and then four years later re-named it The Malibu. And although it has been remodeled several more times through the years, both inside and out, the food is still consistently delish: tasty comfort dishes made to order from a menu

that offers breakfast, lunch and dinner 24/7.

There aren’t a lot of places left in Hudson where you can order Eggs over Easy for dinner and Spaghetti and Meatballs for breakfast. At the Malibu, that’s business as usual and aren’t we the lucky ones!

Gus now retired and vacationing in Aruba these

days, turned over business operations to his son and daughter Nicholas and Katerina, who keep the place running smoothly and happily. On a recent afternoon, I stopped by for some French Onion Soup – a crock of flavorful broth and chock full of onions with thick melted cheese on top. It was a tasty and hearty soup perfect for these cold wintry days.

Nick Babalis says the menu has stayed pretty much the same – why fix it if it’s not broken – but there has been a recent addition – more exotic pancake offerings in the Breakfast section of the menu. Along with the Egg dishes, French Toast and Belgian Waffles customers can order Pancakes in all sorts of variations: Peaches ‘n’ Cream; Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip; Banana and Peanut Butter; Banana Walnut, Apple Walnut; and, Cont’d on page 21

restaurant VIEWS Cont’d from page 20 - Malibu of course, old-fashioned Buttermilks (6.25-$8.50). The Malibu also serves other breakfast-y items like Sizzling Egg Skillets: Ham; Bacon and Sausage; and Spinach and Mushrooms; each served with Red-Skinned Potatoes, Onions and Peppers, sprinkled with Cheddar Cheese and topped with Two Eggs any style; ($9.25 to $10.95).

The Sandwich section of the menu features Wraps, Paninis, N.Y. Deli Style Sandwiches, Triple Deckers; Burgers; Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwiches; Pita Sandwiches and Specialty Sandwiches like the French Dip; Tuna Melt; Reuben; Jumbo Lump Crab Cake; Open Sliced Rib-Eye Steak; Malibu Cheese Steak; and Hot Open Turkey (Sandwich menu prices range from $3.75 to $14.95).

From the Entrée section, customers can choose from Pasta Dishes, Seafood Dishes, Italian specialties; Salads and real comfort food classics like: Roast Turkey Breast with Apple Raisin Stuffing; Chicken Shish Kebab skewered with Fresh Vegetables; Half Roast Chicken with Apple Raisin Stuffing; Baked Homemade Meatloaf with Brown Gravy; Roast Sirloin of Beef Au Jus; Yankee Pot Roast; Chicken Tenders; and Honey Dipped Breaded Chicken Fried to a Golden Brown. Malibu Sauté Specialties, which come with a House Salad and choice of rice or linguini, include Veal Ala Marsala; Jumbo Shrimp Scamp; and Breast of Chicken Francaise. (Entrees range from $9.25-$23.95.)

There’s so much more to the menu – Daily Specials, Bar Drinks and Fresh Fruit Smoothies.

The coffee is dark, strong and fantastic and the waiters come by often with free refills. I had a cup with my dessert – Rice Pudding. I have a theory that if you want to know if a diner’s food is good, try the rice pudding. At The Malibu it’s made fresh and served cold and creamy with a crown

of fresh whipped cream – a little bit of heaven in a parfait glass!

The Malibu is a great place for so many reasons.

The service is excellent and the food is fantastic. And they never rush you. The place does get busy at times like Sundays and holidays, but it’s worth it.

There’s a lot to running a diner that’s open 24/7, Babalis says: “It takes planning – making sure the customers are happy, keeping up with trends, buying just the right amount of food. For instance, all our burgers are homemade fresh, not frozen. We try not to freeze anything.”

The Malibu’s success has a lot to do with consistency.

“You have to be consistent,” Babalis says. “We stick to the recipes.”

And the customers seem to be more than satisfied, like the senior citizen who stopped me on my way out.

“The Malibu serves the best food,” she said. “I’ve eaten here almost every day for the past ten years.”

And what’s her favorite Malibu dish?

“Shrimp Francaise,” she said. “It’s delicious.”

The Malibu Diner 257 14th Street, Hoboken NJ 07030 201-656-1595 www.malibudiner.com Open 24/7

Love/Hate

Opening Reception: Saturday, February 4th, 6 - 9 pm LANA SANTORELI GALLERY 628 Washington St. Hoboken 201.798.9000 www. lanasantorelligallery.com

Encountering Susan

by Patricia Fabian With all passionate endeavors, there is a level of frustration mixed in with attachment and an air of madness that comes with devotion. What you love one minute, you hate the next.

Exhibiting Artists: Liz Blum, Jay Boucher, Eugene Do, Patricia Fabian, Caridad Kennedy, Jacqueline Rios, Lana Santorelli, Lubomir Tomaszewski, and David Young Gallery hours Tuesday through Sunday 11 am to 7 pm.

Love/Hate runs through March 18th, 2012.

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STARGAZINE STARGAZINE

Month of January 2012 Month of January 2012

J. Banta Lewis byby J. Banta Lewis

ARIES (March - April LEO (July - Aug. SAGITTARIUS 22 - Dec. ARIES (March 21 -21 April 19) 19)LEO (July 23 -23 Aug. 22) 22) SAGITTARIUS (Nov.(Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) 21) The Moon in Aries as we enter Leo has made many strides in The astral advice suggests The Moon in Aries as we enter Leo has made many strides in The astral advice suggests bodes the the NewNew YearYear bodes wellwell for for 2011 2011 is ready away a mini andand the the LionLion is ready for for thatthat youyou get get away on aonmini growth progression in all the the growth andand progression in all upcoming challenges of the vacation if possible.

This upcoming challenges of the vacation if possible. This desire. thatthat youyou desire.

Go Go forthforth withwith NewNew Year. as your all yourwillwill to the happiness Year.

AimAim highhigh as all addadd to the happiness confidence as your hopes confidence as your hopes andand dreams dreams can be accomplished. factor of the New Year.

Great can be accomplished. factor of the New Year.

Great wishes be fulfilled. wishes willwill be fulfilled.

Happy New Year!!! opportunities will be yours Happy New Year!!! opportunities will be yours by by mid-month. mid-month.

TAURUS (April - May TAURUS (April 20 -20 May 20) 20) VIRGO (Aug. 23 Sept.22) VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept.22) Jupiter in Taurus in the Jupiter in Taurus in the Mars in Virgo as enter we enter CAPRICORN (Dec. Mars in Virgo as we the the CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 -22 Jan.- Jan. 19) 19) house, governing 12th12th house, governing the the New Year indicates a great The New Year will bring many New Year indicates a great The New Year will bring many subconscious mind, subconscious mind, willwill findfind amount of energy to focus on work adjustments but they glowing optimism amount of energy to focus on work adjustments but they willwill youyou glowing withwith optimism goals.

Look at you all you favor steady Capricorn possessing a great goals.

Look at all havehave favor the the steady Capricorn andand possessing a great life life force.

The ability to attract luck accomplished in 2011 and go native.

Get ready for progress force. The ability to attract luck accomplished in 2011 and go native. Get ready for progress and work with those abundant forth confidence towards andand growth on the work front. and work with those abundant forth withwith confidence towards growth on the work front. opportunities opportunities thatthat are are nownow a Happy Year. a Happy NewNew Year. offered make offered willwill make the the bestbest NewNew AQUARIUS - Feb AQUARIUS (Jan.(Jan. 20 -20 Feb 18) 18) YearYear ever.ever.

LIBRA (Sept.

- Oct. Venus attract an unusual LIBRA (Sept.

22 -22 Oct. 22) 22) Venus willwill attract an unusual Saturn has made you stronger relationship to the Aquarius Saturn has made you stronger relationship to the Aquarius GEMINI (May - June GEMINI (May 21 -21 June 20) 20) and wiser and will leave you native in New the New Year. and wiser and will leave you native in the Year.

ThisThis Gemini on the ascendant Gemini on the ascendant as as better than it found you.

You maymay be love for love or business for business better than it found you.

You be for or for we enter we enter the the NewNew YearYear willwill enter it will a positive a fun enter the the NewNew YearYear withwith but but it will be abe positive a fun personality a high. willwill findfind youryour personality at a at high. love, luck, prosperity. relationship. luck, andand prosperity. relationship.

People be drawn to you love, People willwill be drawn to you These are yours for the taking. influence is strong. These are yours for the taking. andand youryour influence is strong. working in your PISCES PISCES (Feb. - March Use this magnetism to align TheThe starsstars are are working in your (Feb. 19 -19 March 20) 20) Use this magnetism to align favor.

Psychic and sometimes sad the with partners on the work front favor.

Psychic and sometimes sad the with partners on the work front to insure success in your goals.

New Year brings self-confidence to insure success in your goals.

New Year brings self-confidence SCORPIO (Oct. - Nov. awareness. achieve SCORPIO (Oct. 23 -23 Nov. 21) 21)andand awareness.

YouYou willwill achieve CANCER (June - July CANCER (June 21 -21 July 22) 22)TheThe astral advice suggests that the success that you desire. astral advice suggests that the success that you desire. No No Parties warm glow Parties andand the the warm glow of of youyou leave negativity longer the need leave anyany negativity of of longer willwill youyou feelfeel the need to to family events highlight family events are are the the highlight 2011 behind as you enter 2012.givegive up your goals for others.

2011 behind as you enter 2012. up your goals for others. of January.

A new focus on life You have always worked to be You are a winner. of January.

A new focus on life You have always worked to be You are a winner. and love guides your every and love guides your every at what the the bestbest at what youyou do. do.

TheThe decision. a winner decision.

YouYou are are a winner © STARGAZINE © STARGAZINE 20112011 energies of the New Year energies of the New Year are are stargazine1@aol.com stargazine1@aol.com stargazingonline.com assist stargazingonline.com andand the the starsstars assist withwith youryour J Banta Stargazing 709 Broadway more positive years J Banta LewisLewis Stargazing 709 Broadway more positive thanthan lastlast years success. success.

At 32nd Street Since 1996 At 32nd Street Since 1996 accomplish much. andand youyou willwill accomplish much.

201-339-4555 201-339-4555

Lampost: New come Lampost: New AdAd to to come from Joe Cal from Joe Cal

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Visit On The Web Visit UsUs On The Web atat

www.riverview www.riverview observer.com observer.com

Going Out to Watch the Super Bowl Sunday, February 5th ?

Here is a list of Hudson County Restaurants and Bars where you Can Go to Enjoy the Game.

Bayonne Big Apple 414 Broadway, Bayonne 201-858-1075

Houlihan’s 151 LeFante Way Bayonne, NJ 201-858-0400 Cont’d on page 26

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Going Out-Super Bowl Madison Bar & Grill Cont’d from page 25

Venice Restauarnt 31 Cottage Street 201-339 11115 Starting Point 2 Avenue A Bayonne, NJ 07002 (201) 243-0092 TGI Friday’s 50 Bayonne Crossing Way ,Bayonne (201) 339-5904

Jersey City PJ Ryan’s 292 Barrow Street Jersey City 201-333-8752 Brightside Tavern 141 Bright St Jersey City, NJ 07302 Lampost Bar & Grille 382 Second Street Jersey City 201-2221331 Michael Anthony’s 502 Washington Blvd.

Jersey City At the Newport Marina Pier 201-798-1798 The Park Tavern 575 W Side Ave Jersey City, NJ 07304 (201) 434-9253 The Merchant 279 Grove Street- Jersey City, 201.200.0202

Hoboken Black Bear Tavern 205 Washington St Hoboken, NJ 07030 (201) 656-5511 www.blackbearbar.com Farside Tavern 531 Washington St Hoboken, NJ 07030 (201) 963-7677

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1 14th St, Hoboken, New Jersey (201) 876-1900 Pilsener Haus 1422 Grand St Hoboken, NJ 07030 (201) 683-5465 www.pilsenerhaus.com 1 Republik 221 Washington St Hoboken, NJ 07030 (201) 850-1282 1republik.com/

Weehawken

Houliahan’s 1200 Harbor Blvd, Weehawken, New Jersey (NJ) 07086-6762 Google Map (201) 863-4000 www.houlihans.com

Secaucus Bazookas Sports Bar & Restaurant 485 Harmon Meadow Boulevard, Secaucus, NJ 201-223-1234 Feel Good Cafe 38 County Ave Secaucus, NJ 07094 (201) 223-5670

Outback 455 Harmon Meadow Blvd.

(201) 601-0077

Union City Park Avenue Bar & Grill 3417 Park Ave, Union City, www.parkavenuebargrill. com

West New York Marinero Grill 759 Farragut Pl West New York, NJ 07093 (201) 854-1004

River View Observer Print - Digital - Mobile

Looking for Experienced Hair Stylist

work in popular Bayonne Salon Call 201-437-1700 Publishers Notice All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, the New Jersey Civil Rights Law, and the Jersey City Code which makes it illegal to advertise any preferences, limitations or discrimination based on race , Color religion , Sex, national origin handicap, familial status, creed, ancestry,, martial status, affectional or sexual orientation, nationality, civil union status, domestic partnership status,, gender identity, or expression, or source of lawful income, age or liability to service in the Armed Forces of the United States, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.. Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. TO report discrimination call the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at1-800-669-9777.

The HUD TTY telephone number for the hearing impaired is 212-708-1455.

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Publishers Notice-All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, the New Jersey Civil Rights Law, and the Jersey City Code which makes it illegal to advertise any preferences, limitations or discrimination based on race , Color religion , Sex, national origin handicap, familial status, creed, ancestry,, martial status, affectional or sexual orientation, nationality, civil union status, domestic partnership status,, gender identity, or expression, or source of lawful income, age or liability to service in the Armed Forces of the United States, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.. Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. TO report discrimination call the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at1-800-669-9777. The HUD TTY telephone number for the hearing impaired is 212-708-1455.

In 2012 Advertise Your Real Estate Business in print & in our digtial issue call 201 .349.4336

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