Bergen Buzz

CULINARY CORNER

From Turkey (and Queens) with love

The newest addition to the eclectic mix of eateries in downtown Englewood is Antioch, a Mediterranean restaurant by Chef Nick Akdas, who previously owned Uncle Nick’s Mediterranean Gyro in Queens. The menu is full of traditional dishes, such as Turkish pizza, kebabs and balloon bread, as well as Italianstyle pasta and seafood entrées (some of which include both pasta and seafood).

• Antioch, 35 W. Palisade Ave., Englewood, 201.408.2550; antiochrestaurant.net

Steaks two to Tango

If Tango Steak reminds you of El Tango Argentina Grill, you’re onto something; co-owners Ariel Espejo and David Espejo’s new restaurant in Moonachie is an updated version of their original place in Englewood, but with a more modern look and menu. There’s plenty of steak to be had, of course, as well as paella, pasta, chicken and fish dishes. Pro tip: Whatever you do, order the famous Argentine potato salad on the side.

• Tango Steak, 35 Moonachie Rd., Moonachie, 201.870.6161; tangosteaknj.com

A second Lido

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Instead, make another just like it. That’s what former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan is doing with the launch of Lido II, almost a carbon copy of the successful old-school Hackensack pizza joint he purchased about three years ago. The menu here will include Lido’s specialties such as thin-crust pizza and steak sammies, but the facility is larger, will serve dinner and lunch and include alcohol on the menu. The address hadn’t yet been revealed at presstime, but stay tuned: Lido II is planning its soft opening later this month. Less than a decade ago, in 2013, our county had just one craft brewery, which lacked a public taproom. Today, with two more breweries having opened in 2022 alone, we’ve reached a total of six: Alementary Brewing. Since 2016, the Gen X owners of this Hackensack spot, one with a background in molecular biology, have been brewing beer. Typically they have eight beers on draft—four regulars and four that rotate out seasonally. If you visit this brewery, keep a lookout for its “mascot” Marjie, a dog whose furry face appears on every beer-can label.

WHAT THE TRAFFIC WILL BEER

• 55 & 58 Voorhis Lane, Hackensack, 201.968.1290; alementary.com Bolero Snort Brewery. Technically this Meadowlands-adjacent brewery is the OG, having begun in Ridgefield Park in 2013 at the start of New Jersey’s craft brewery boom. But by 2019, it had expanded into a full-blown beermaking facility, and now it has a tasting room too.

• 316 20th St., Carlstadt, 201.464.0639; bolerosnort.com Brix City Brewing. This brewery was founded by two pals who spent most of their free time brewing (and drinking) beer at home. After years of work and renovations, the Little Ferry facility opened in 2015. It now serves an everchanging selection of beers, with 16 on tap—15 in cans and one in a bottle.

• 4 Alsan Way, Little Ferry, 201.440.0865; brixcitybrewing.com Gearblock Brewing Company. This facility opened this spring, giving folks in Waldwick and surrounding towns the full microbrewery experience. Enjoy your ales, lagers, stouts, sours and more at the in-house tasting room here, or take it home in a growler.

• 140 Franklin Tpke., Suite 2, Waldwick, 201.962.2057; gearblockbrewing.com

Hackensack Brewing.

Come for the indoor taproom and outdoor brewery, stay for the 12 taps that rotate out regularly. These guys will even deliver to your door Monday through Friday, no matter where you live in the county, with a minimum $50 order.

• 78 Johnson Ave., Hackensack, 201.880.1768; hackensackbrewing.com Five Dimes Brewery. The new kid on the brewery block is this Westwood spot, which is now where the L.N. Grand 5 & 10 Cent Store operated for 60 years. Five Dimes has 10 drafts on tap at all times, a partnership with restaurants in Westwood from which you can bring your own food and a rooftop deck where you can sit and sip.

• 247 Westwood Ave., Westwood, 291.497.8455; fivedimesbrewery.com

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE GIRLS

Running a business isn’t easy these days, so let’s give a shoutout to the women-owned food businesses (below) in Bergen. We like to support them every day, but especially on American Business Women’s Day, Sept. 22. Bakeries: Ciel in Westwood; Kara Kakes in Franklin Lakes; La Vie en Rose in Waldwick; Petal Dust Cakery in Glen Rock; Sook Pastry in Ridgewood; Zai’s Dessertery in Bergenfield and Cresskill Coffee shops: CoZie Café in Fair Lawn; Erie Coffeeshop in Rutherford; Kudo Society Café in Teaneck; Rey Sol Coffee Roasters in Ridgewood Restaurants: Bombaywala & Co. in Paramus; Just Janice in Ho-Ho-Kus; Lisa’s Mediterranean Cuisine in Ridgewood; Rose’s of Englewood in Englewood; SonnyT Restaurant in River Edge

Seasons

644 Pascack Road Washington Twp, NJ 07675 201-664-6141

The Venetian

546 River Drive Garfield, NJ 07026 973-546-2250

SHADOWBROOK AT SHREWSBURY 1 Obre Place Shrewsbury, NJ 07702 732-747-0200

10 YEARS RUNNING

Frank Del Vecchio of Ridgewood doesn’t run the New York City Marathon every fall, but he does complete a 26-mile course each September for charity—and this year is no exception. In 2012, on the 11th anniversary of 9/11, the retired Fairview police chief ran the equivalent of a full marathon from his current hometown to Ground Zero to raise money for Tuesday’s Children, a nonprofit that aids families who lost loved ones in the terrorist attacks. That November, after Hurricane Sandy ravaged much of New Jersey, Del Vecchio ran again (106 miles in 30 hours) and established The Run for Hope Foundation, which raises money for various local causes. Today he continues the trek from Ridgewood to lower Manhattan every Sept. 11, and his organization has raised more than $200,000 for local causes since its inception.

“We run and raise funds for anyone who is in need of hope and money to support their initiative,” Del Vecchio tells BERGEN. His annual route goes from Paramus Road to Passaic Avenue, through Hackensack, Bogota, Teaneck and up to the George Washington Bridge from Fort Lee. The festivities begin with a remembrance ceremony at the Ridgewood duck pond around 8 a.m. and wrap up in downtown Manhattan around 2 or 2:30 p.m. Anyone can come stop by and cheer Del Vecchio on while he’s en route, join him via your bike and/or visit the organization’s website at runforhopefoundation.org to volunteer or submit a request for funding for your charity.

“We make smaller and larger contributions, and all of the money we raise goes to charity— we don’t have overhead,” he says. “It’s great to run for health reasons, but for a greater purpose too.”

THE STARS DO A STAR TURN

The internet was abuzz earlier this summer with images of Jupiter and other celestial objects taken from NASA’s James Webb telescope. If those reports sparked your passion for the sky, know that you can see into space right here in North Jersey, despite all our bright lights. Here’s how:

Make a pit stop at the William D. McDowell Observatory in Lyndhurst (2 De Korte Park Plaza), which has reopened to the public for stargazing every Wednesday night. Walk up 25 steps in a circular stairway for your turn at the telescope, where you can observe the moon, planets and constellations with the assistance of astronomers from Bergen Community College. Or get a free viewing of the night sky at The Emil Buehler Trust Observatory on the BCC Campus in Paramus (400 Paramus Rd.) courtesy of its astronomy students. Out on the campus of Union County College is the Sperry Observatory (1033 Springfield Ave.), which also has free public viewings and is home to two of the largest telescopes on the East Coast. And though you can’t peer through a telescope at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City (222 Jersey City Blvd.), its massive Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium projects a stunning display of the night sky and galaxies onto its 89-foot dome.

If you’d rather use your own gear and camp out in the backyard to check out constellations, you can buy your own ’scope at local sporting goods stores such as REI in Paramus, or bigbox emporiums like Best Buy or Bed Bath & Beyond.

KUDOS

Showing his smarts

The answer: Who is Matt Mierswa? The clue: This River Edge resident and attorney won more than $55,000 during his two-day run as Jeopardy! champ earlier this summer. Now in his 30s, he’s been a fan of the show since he was a teen; while he was in high school he enjoyed watching current host Ken Jennings compete during his 74-match winning streak.

Leaving a lasting impression

A round of applause for Brian Gaffney, a 2022 Hasbrouck Heights High School grad who earned Eagle Scout honors after leaving his mark on the local schools. As part of his Eagle Scout project, Gaffney planned and outfitted sensory hallways for the borough’s two elementary schools. The halls now have a series of stickers and decals (such as footprints and hopscotch) that create an interactive space for students, particularly those who fidget and have stress, anxiety and sensory processing issues. Gaffney is now in basic training with the U.S. Army.

PUPPY LOVE

Dog: Luna, 9-year-old Chinese Shar-Pei Owners: The Heil family of Cresskill It was “love at first lick” when Luna joined the Heils after the loss of their previous fur baby. Luna is pretty much a doggie celebrity, whose wrinkly face, a signature of the breed, makes for some mean model poses. Mama Michelle Heil says her pup gets stopped everywhere they go (for example, the dog park on Sand Road in Westwood and Van Saun Park in Paramus), and Luna is always willing to pose for the paparazzi and give out an “autograph,” a postcard of her photos which her owner hands out to adoring fans.

Luna became an “aunt” in 2021 to Heil’s grandson, Michael, and the two became fast friends. “She had no experience with infants but adores him,” her mom notes. “She is so gentle and patient. Michael is learning kindness and compassion from her.” Follow Luna’s adventures (many with baby Michael!) on Instagram @instaluna29.

If you’d like to see your dog or cat featured in a future issue of BERGEN, email his or her photo to rita.guarna@wainscotmedia.com.