Tenafly January 2024

Tenaf ly

January 2024

NORMA WELLINGTON

GEM OF A JEWELER

GO GREEK

AT AXIA TAVERNA

DAVID CANTOR’S BREAKFAST BREAKTHROUGH

The Woman Behind Gilly’s Organics

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JANUARY 2024

Contents

20

12

24

16 28

IN EVE RY ISSU E

F E AT U R ES

12 16

Skin in the Game

Gilly’s Organics founder Gillian Stollwerk Garrett turned a background in beauty branding into a rising business.

Welcome to ‘Tenafly’s Living Room’

Axia Taverna offers luxurious Greek foods paired with almost any wine you could desire.

20 Gem of a Jeweler

Norma Wellington pivoted from a career in television to become one of the most sought-after artists in the jewelry industry.

4

Publisher’s Note UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES

6

Mayor’s Corner MOVING FORWARD IN 2024

8

Q&A HIGH SCHOOL SCIENTIST SUBIN PYO

28 Better Health FOIL WINTER FALLS 32 Photo Op SNOW DAYS AHEAD?

O N T HE COVER

Gillian Stollwerk Garrett, founder of Gilly’s Organics.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS MARKSBURY

24 Food from the Forest

Entrepreneur David Cantor brings acorns to the table with Folk Revival Hot Cereal.

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Unlimited Possibilities

PHOTOGRAPH BY MIKE FRANCAVILLA

made from scratch from top-quality ingredients, each dish nuanced in its own way and partnered with an exceptional wine. No wonder patrons who started coming 17 years ago are still dining at Axia.

Norma Wellington has had an adventurous career path that has resulted in her becoming a jewelry designer. She had always given her mother a birthday charm, and when she couldn’t find one, she designed one herself. She was drawn back to jewelry after an interim stop as a very successful TV producer and writer because she realized she liked making jewelry. Thirteen years of consecutive collections for Saks Fifth Avenue moved her to custom designing for such clients as the Clintons and the president of the Philippines. She is currently prepping for Valentine’s Day and the jewelry show at the Javits Center.

How much better does it get than to be just 18 years old and already have had your research/writings published and been named winner of the Regeneron Biomedical Science Award at the Terra North Jersey STEM Fair in 2022? This happened to Tenafly High School student Subin Pyo who, learning about the versatility of stem cells in ninth grade, saw how they could potentially be engineered to compensate for missing or defective cells. She credits her chemistry teacher for mentoring her throughout high school and leading her to a Columbia University research program. Subin hopes to play a similar role for a future student.

A food item formerly coveted only by creatures with bushy gray tails has been made palatable by David Cantor and his company, Folk Revival Hot Cereal, and is ready to debut at Whole Foods. He has turned acorns into a new must-have cereal while providing a way to monetize and preserve oak forests. He offers recipes using the cereal through the company’s Instagram and TikTok accounts.

Looking forward to a new year and new story suggestions from everyone. Please email me at hello@tenaflymagazine.com.

My best,

And just like that … 2023 is a memory and 2024 is before us with unlimited possibilities. The year stretches before us in seemingly endless fashion, offering time to contemplate what will happen in the coming months. And the inspiring accomplishments we highlight in this issue make those future possibilities seem all the more hopeful.

What Gillian (Gilly) Stollwerk Garrett probably did not contemplate as a teenager while mixing potions in her parents’ pharmacy was that it would eventually lead to her forming Gilly’s Organics and then a relationship with Whole Foods and others, all while moving to Tenafly with her husband and raising three children. A strong proponent of Tenafly, Gilly supports other women entrepreneurs and teaches marketing at Tenafly High School. Like others, she feels Tenafly is a strong place to build a business.

Alex Parlamis is a third-generation connoisseur of fine food and developer of restaurants in the metro area. His parents started Axia Taverna in 2006 to serve demanding Tenafly residents the finest Greek food and a selection of some of the rarest wines.

Embracing the concept of “never serve anything you wouldn’t serve your family” has ensured all food is

Leslie Hoenninger Publisher

Tenaf ly

MAGAZINE

Editor & Publisher Leslie Hoenninger Art Director Sue Park Copy Editor Nancy Fass Writers Jenna Demmer D. Flynn AnnMarie Martin Photographer Chris Marksbury WAINSCOT MEDIA Chairman Carroll V. Dowden President and CEO Mark Dowden VP, Group Publisher, Regional Thomas Flannery VP, Content Strategy Maria Regan Creative Director Kijoo Kim Advertising Services Director Jacquelynn Fischer Operations Director Catherine Rosario Production Designer Chris Ferrante Print Production Manager Fern Meshulam Advertising Production Associate Griff Dowden Tenafly magazine is published by Wainscot Media. Serving residents of Tenafly, the magazine is distributed monthly via U.S. mail. Articles and advertisements contained herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. Copyright 2024 by Wainscot Media LLC. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent.

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MAYOR’S CORNER

Moving Forward in 2024 Tenafly’s mayor—a 20-year resident—highlights happenings in our local community.

BY MARK ZINNA

Happy New Year, everyone. I would like to thank all of you for allowing me the honor and privilege of being reelected as your mayor to continue serving the Tenafly community.

Experiencing the energy and diversity of our residents has been wonderful, and I look forward to continuing to work together as Tenafly evolves and moves forward. I would like to highlight a few thoughts from the first Council meeting of 2024.

Congratulations to Tenafly’s new Council members, Jaime Corsair and John Roglieri. Best wishes to both as they help guide and serve our community.

Good news: A new restaurant recently opened on Washington Street, and two additional new restaurant projects are underway. A medical arts building is undergoing renovation and construction on County Road, and we recently approved the upscaling and renovation of three buildings on Railroad Avenue. Tenafly will continue to encourage small business entrepreneurs to invest in our community.

The Council and I encourage you to bring ideas to us. Join committees and participate in town-wide activities. Attend Council meetings.

This is your town, and please remember that the decisions are made by the people who show up.

Have a healthy and prosperous 2024.

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Q &a

High School Trailblazer Senior Subin Pyo has published research on regenerative medicine and won a coveted science award as part of a quest to treat chronic diseases.

BY ANNMARIE MARTIN

INTERVIEW WITH

SUBIN PYO

At 18 years old, Subin (Cindy)

Pyo saw her research and writings published last summer in the book “Intestinal Differentiated Cells: Methods and Protocols” by Humana Press, which included work she did with the Cheng Lab Columbia Stem Cell Initiative at Columbia University’s Irving Medical Center. As if that wasn’t enough, this Tenafly High School senior can also boast that she was the winner of the coveted Regeneron Biomedical Science Award at the Terra North Jersey STEM Fair in 2022.

This is all in large part thanks to some serious smarts and an unbreakable work ethic—and two incredible parents who moved their family across the world from South Korea to the United States when Pyo was 13.

We sat down with her to find out when her love for science emerged, how she secured a spot in an Ivy League college lab as just a high school sophomore and how she plans to build on her momentum.

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What was your childhood like in South Korea?

I clearly remember the first day of elementary school. It’s a tradition for the teacher to ask students to write down their dream job, and I wrote “scientist” with no hesitation at all. I was always interested in science encyclopedias, and we had a subscription to a children’s science magazine series. Upon seeing the cartoons and pictures in them, I knew I wanted to be a part of this community.

How do you plan to channel this passion?

I’ve always dreamed of becoming a physician. I remember watching family members who were suffering from illness, and what struck me is that it can happen regardless of your income, age or location.

A big question I had at just 8 years old was how to help people treat and prevent these diseases and educate them on how to remain healthier longer. It’s why I’ve been so interested in the potential of stem cells since I learned about them in bio class in ninth grade. Stem cells can become any type of organ based on how you engineer them. If we give a little twist to this field, maybe we can cure cancer.

Tell us about your published research with the Cheng Lab. Our goal is to study intestinal stem cells and engineer them in a certain way using nutritional diet to change their function. This could cure or at least provide treatment for chronic diseases that occur in the intestines. What’s interesting is that it starts with the food you eat every day, not with medication.

The chapter in the book focuses on the application of organoid cultures. Organoids are cell cultures you generate from intestinal stem cells. What’s really cool about organoids is they show on a most basic molecular level how the intestinal stem cell functions and responds to different signaling pathways and different nutritional treatment.

We provide a protocol using organoids, where we can manipulate them to change the Notch signaling (which allows the intestinal stem cell to start forming proliferative cells) at certain times, only allowing them to differentiate into one specific cell type. That’s critical because we find in a lot of digestive diseases—like inflammatory bowel disease or colorectal cancer—that they occur because those specific cell types are defective or missing in your body. A protocol that cues the stem cell to make other types of cells can help us see what specific cell types have to be missing or defective in order to cause the disease.

How has the Tenafly community helped you along the way?

What I love about Tenafly is that everyone is so engaged in what they want to do. I can’t say enough how thankful I am to Ms. Aparna Subramaniam, my chemistry teacher, who has mentored me throughout the Tenafly High School three-year science research program that led me to Dr. Chia-Wei Cheng. Both made these accomplishments possible.

Dr. Cheng was the only professor who responded to the 30 cold emails I sent out expressing my interest in this topic. She taught me how to own my work and the importance of being able to explain it to the general public. I hope to one day be able to do what she did for me and inspire the next generation of budding scientists.

Subin Pyo contributed to work on stem cells as part of a Columbia University program.

AnnMarie Martin is a writer, editor and published author based in Bergen County.

JANUARY 2024

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS MARKSBURY AND GILLIAN STOLLWERK GARRETT. STYLED BY ASHLEY FYLSTRA. CLOTHING FROM MAX MARA, THE SHOPS AT RIVERSIDE. HAIR BY NICOLE KRAFT

An interest in healthy living spurred Gillian Stollwerk Garrett to pivot from beauty marketing to founding a line of organic skincare products.

1/9/24 11:15 AM

Skin in the Game Gilly’s Organics founder Gillian Stollwerk Garrett turned a background in beauty branding into a rising business.

BY D. FLYNN

Gillian Stollwerk Garrett, warmly

referred to by all as “Gilly,” has been the founder of a clean beauty line, Gilly’s Organics, for 15 years now. It is available in town at Healthway Natural Foods, Deldor Wellness, Ave Lumi, Fire Shaper Tenafly, Apothecure RX and Englewood Health’s Graf Center for Integrative Medicine. Her line is natural, effective and pleasantly affordable given the high-quality ingredients she uses. Products are certified organic, made in small batches and, she says, made with love.

Garrett didn’t always dream of having her own skincare line. In fact, she started her career in cable TV branding and

loved it. “But I did grow up in my parents’ pharmacy,” she says. “And I used to mix things up with a mortar and pestle all the time. I’ve always loved making concoctions!

In college, I did everyone’s facials with avocado, oatmeal, and oils and honey.

Ahead of my time I guess! It was never going to be my career—or so I thought.”

A self-described “creative and fluffy writer,” Garrett spent one phase of her career writing for cable TV, primarily in marketing, before landing a long-term writing/ consulting gig at Estée Lauder. She came up with everything from clever names for lip glosses and descriptions for their biggest fragrances to tag lines for Tommy Hilfiger

and Clinique TV and radio campaigns.

Although she had a largely positive impression of most of Estée Lauder’s products and as a company overall, her growing interest in healthy living led her to dream of something bigger.

Garrett’s relationship with Estée Lauder gave her considerable geographic flexibility, so when her husband, Steve, was scouted for a job in New Jersey, they took their children over the river. Her father-in-law lived in Tenafly at the time and raved about the town and its schools.

Then, when her main contact at Estée Lauder was let go from his position, she decided it was her time to pivot.

JANUARY 2024

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“I did grow up in my parents’ pharmacy. I used to mix things up with a mortar and pestle all the time.

I’ve always loved making concoctions!”

- Gillian Stollwerk Garrett

A Growing Venture At first, Gilly’s Organics was strictly small-scale. She made one product at the beginning: an exfoliating sugar scrub that she mixed up at home with oils she found successful in healing her dry hair and skin. Garrett sold at local markets, preschools and other venues where formal packaging was not required.

At a 2014 giveaway at Whole Foods in Paramus, a friend asked why the chain wasn’t selling her wares. Swatting away every excuse she had, the friend pointed to a Whole Foods employee and said, “Why don’t you go up to that guy and ask?” Coincidentally,

the employee turned out to be a buyer who was impressed by the line.

By then, Garrett had developed nine products, all free of sodium lauryl sulfate, parabens, preservatives and chemical hormone disruptors.

The buyer advised her that she should expect to wait six months to a year before formal notification of whether the company was interested in selling Gilly’s Organics—and that she would need a “ton of insurance.” She got her first order later that year!

Whole Foods sold Gilly’s Organics for eight years—a great, long stretch for a smaller brand. Garrett describes this period as running the gamut

from beautiful to stressful, but it was undeniably a time of personal and professional growth. Recently, a change in packaging and labeling rules made them part ways. Perhaps the parting is merely temporary, but she isn’t letting the setback hold her back.

Thankfully, the pandemic had driven an increase in online sales.

An employee Garrett had hired to manage that side of the business took on shipping, order management and other issues. Garrett meanwhile focused on local shops that she admits may not have received her full attention during the company’s run with Whole Foods.

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Expanding Her Vision She cites her Amazon manager and other part-time employees as key movers in the company’s success, but doesn’t underplay her own role. “I’m finally hiring a sales rep for the health food stores,” she says. “All this time, I’ve been opening every door myself.”

She is a busy mom of three who has learned over the years what to prioritize and when. “Each day, that changes, no doubt!” she says.

After speaking publicly about a bout with basal cell carcinoma (BCC) due to genetics and years of overexposure to the sun, Garrett ended up as an ambassador for a leading dermatologist, Dr. Orit Markowitz, who created a nonablative treatment for skin cancers.

Dr. Markowitz is a Bergen County resident with a growing practice in the city.

In her spare time, Garrett actively champions other female entrepreneurs.

Sometimes she guest teaches entrepreneurship at Tenafly High School, and sometimes she speaks at corporations. But her favorite passion is conducting Instagram interviews of highly accomplished “rock stars” on her channel @everydayrockstars, from award-winning journalists to Broadway actors, business owners, founders of charities, musicians, leaders, changemakers—you name it. “I am so jazzed by interviewing these incredible humans,” she says. “It’s more fun for me than anything else because it brings me major insight and inspiration!”

On her relationship with the town, Garrett commends Tenafly for being such a strong place to build a business and raise a family. She and her family recently celebrated 20 years in town.

“Everyone is super supportive of me,” she says. “And I am supportive of them, too. It’s very community-oriented, Tenafly. We all have big Tiger pride.

You go to the sports game even if your kid’s not on that team. We celebrate each other’s victories. It’s that kind of town, and I’m so happy we raised our family here.”

D. Flynn is a board-certified life science editor from Bergen County.

Top: Garrett is an active volunteer in the county and was the emcee for a Community Chest fundraising event. Above: Garrett enjoys a juice with her friend Nida, of Healthway, which was the first store in which Gilly’s Organics was sold.

JANUARY 2024

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Welcome to ‘Tenafly’s Living Room’ Axia Taverna offers luxurious Greek foods paired with almost any wine you could desire.

Imagine a space where Greek and international tastes intermingle—a homey atmosphere where you can enjoy an elegant Greek meal matched with some of the world’s rarest wines. That’s exactly what you’ll find at Axia Taverna.

As you pull up to the building, what you’ll notice first is a vast array of wines visible through the windows. But this is only a glimpse of all the drinks that Axia has to offer.

“We have the deepest bar in the state of New Jersey with regard to the variety of spirits,” says owner Alex Parlamis. General manager Tim Vlahopoulos concurs, adding

that Axia has more than 300 varieties of wine and around 800 selections of cordials, liqueurs and spirits.

The restaurant itself can be described as “Tenafly’s Living Room,” notes executive chef Alex Gorant. Just as the restaurant’s fireplace warms the body, its communal energy warms the soul.

“People will stop at three different tables and say hello to their friends,” says Gorant. “We sometimes see people here two or three times a week. It can be a really personal experience.” In fact, some customers have come regularly since the restaurant opened 17 years ago.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS MARKSBURY

BY JENNA DEMMER

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Serving the Best Parlamis is part of a third-generation family hospitality construction company that started in 1945. The Parlamis family has developed hundreds of restaurants in the metropolitan area. In 2006, Parlamis’ parents decided they wanted a fine Greek establishment in their own town of Tenafly.

“We started this restaurant in 2006 to give our demanding population of Tenafly residents—who want the very best of everything in life—the very best Greek cuisine,” says Parlamis.

Who would have been better to join this endeavor than Gorant and Vlahopoulos?

Not only do they both have decades of experience in hospitality, but they share a core value: “Never serve anything you wouldn’t serve your family,” says Parlamis.

At Axia, all food is made from scratch with

top-quality ingredients.

Each of Axia’s meals has a twist to set itself apart from competitors. Customers sing the praises of Axia’s grilled fish, and it’s easy to see why. The perfectly cooked grilled salmon is paired delightfully with feta cheese. You can also choose from smaller plates that are just as delicious—like Herakles salad, which offers a unique blend of slightly bitter greens with sweet nuts, figs and dressing.

Alongside upscale Greek cuisine comes an extensive selection of Greek wines. “We have one of the largest selections of Greek wines in the Western Hemisphere,” explains Parlamis. “With that said, we’re not just a Greek wine establishment. We have an international list.”

For instance, Axia carries most varietals of France, Italy and Spain. It also offers

grapes from Australia, New Zealand, Lebanon, Turkey and more. But that’s not all. “I have about 30 vodkas, 18 tequilas, 35 to 40 bourbons,” says Vlahopoulos.

There’s a beverage for everyone here, whether you’d prefer a full-bodied and peppery wine like the Gramercy Park or a light and fruity drink with a lingering taste such as the Klima Klima.

One drink you certainly won’t find anywhere else is the Axios Chiotis—made with skinos masticha, cynar, mint tea, mezcal and elderflower. Masticha is a liqueur derived from the mastic tree, which has also given us chewing gum. This minty cocktail—dubbed the Greek Island Iced Tea—is Vlahopoulos’ unique creation. Even those who aren’t big fans of alcohol may be on cloud nine sipping this earthy and herbal beverage.

From left: Chef Alex Gorant, general manager Tim Vlahopoulos and owner Alex Parlamis are experts in offering premium food and beverage hospitality.

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Expanding Horizons In the beginning, Axia stuck to its roots with a focus on Greek wines, but as demand for variety grew, so did the wine selection. “It happened because we listen to our customers,” says Parlamis. “Over a 17-year period with that type of mentality, it’s easy to get as many selections as we have.”

It’s this sort of sentiment that keeps customers coming back week after week and year after year.

“Those people who started dining with us 17 years ago—even those who moved away five to 10 years ago—still find their way back to Axia,” says Parlamis. “They visit us just like they’re visiting their friends and family.”

Axia hosts community events from afterparties for Tenafly High School to dinners for the Tenafly basketball team. But it’s Axia’s staff that creates the familial atmosphere for which the restaurant is known, with Vlahopoulos delivering “a very personal touch with residents,” according to Gorant.

“I’m the only one who grew up in Tenafly, but for 17 years, Chef Alex and Tim have been Tenafly fixtures,” says Parlamis, who emphasizes that Vlahopoulos and Gorant have been true gifts to Tenafly.

The collective efforts of Parlamis, Vlahopoulos and Gorant have led to nearly two decades of expansion for the restaurant—which won’t stop any time soon.

The team at Axia plans to increase the cellar size to the point where customers “can get everything they want under the sun.” They also plan to do more wine dinners and introduce drink and small-plate experiences at the bar.

“People lose steam in this industry over 17 years—and our train is still speeding up,” says Parlamis. “To hear people say, ‘Thank you for bringing this place to Tenafly’—that’s part of why it’s still here.”

Jenna Demmer has lived in Bergen County for as long as she can remember. She is a freelance writer and editor who has contributed to 10 different outlets.

Axia Taverna is renowned for its deep bar, which includes an international wine list with hundreds of options from Greece, France, Italy, Spain and many other regions around the world.

JANUARY 2024

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Gem of a

Jeweler Norma Wellington pivoted from a career in television to become one of the most sought-after artists in the jewelry industry.

BY ANNMARIE MARTIN

Norma Wellington swims twice a week in the winter months and every day during the summer, an hour each time. Just keep moving—that’s always been this former synchronized swimmer’s mantra, both in the pool and in life. And it has served her well, to say the least.

She attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she majored in TV and motion pictures. While in college, she

would always pick out a charm for her mother on her mother’s birthday to add to a bracelet.

But once, when she couldn’t find a charm she liked, she made one herself.

“I went to our repair guy and said, ‘If you put these pieces together, we could make a charm,’” she says. She noted that the large clover with a smaller one set atop, polished off with a cluster of stones in the center, later made it into his standard line when he became a manufacturer.

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS MARKSBURY

Creating a charm for her mother out of necessity and seeing it included in a line of jewelry gave Norma Wellington a first success that later encouraged her to pursue a career as a designer.

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“It’s important to give people quality, and it’s a constant pursuit of perfection. Making their dreams a reality is so much fun. Many of my clients have become friends.”

- Norma Wellington

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Life Changes At the time, Wellington had no intention of building that early success into a business.

She went on to become a successful TV producer and writer, developing a series for NBC that ran 13 weeks and telethons that featured the likes of legendary stars such as Dean Martin, Ed Sullivan and Sammy Davis Jr. It all came to a halt, though, when her then-husband asked her to step away from her career. Unknowingly setting the second half of her life and career in motion, she “did the right thing, for the wrong person,” she says.

“When he left, I was very depressed, and someone asked me what I loved. I said, ‘Making jewelry.’ And I knew I could do it because of that charm,” she explains. After taking a course in soldering, the rest for Wellington was, as they say, history.

Thirteen years of consecutive collections for Saks Fifth Avenue followed, putting her name on the map. Her line was in stores from Palm Beach to Cincinnati, and she would make local appearances to promote it a few times a year, mainly on holidays.

She decided to move on to a new phase once it became too much of a (mundane) challenge to create dozens of pieces that had

to make a cohesive presentation. Today, her focus is on custom redesigns for clientele ranging from the Clintons to the president of the Philippines.

Personalized Designs Wellington’s process involves either an in-person or online consultation where customers share the old pieces they want to reimagine into something new.

They choose from a few rough sketches and then she begins to build it out, which can sometimes be like finding a needle in a haystack. In one example, a customer requested red tourmaline earrings. “The pink tourmaline is the color everyone is looking for,” Wellington says, “so it was difficult to pin down a stone dealer with 14 of the same size and color in that stone.”

But she did!

“It’s important to give people quality, and it’s a constant pursuit of perfection,” Wellington says. “Making their dreams a reality is so much fun. Many of my clients have become friends.”

Wellington is also a trend forecaster, as Jewelers of America featured a variety of her pieces in its holiday gift guide this year as well as in its fashion forecast.

She leans on her television background

to shoot her own forecast videos, which she posts on her Facebook page (Norma Wellington Designs) for fall, winter holidays, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, identifying up-and-coming looks and offering gift ideas.

She watches seasonal fashion shows online and follows Pantone’s color predictions to stay attuned to style directions. She also uses her own travels as inspiration, citing Thailand, India, Paris and China (where she bought lots of jade, of course) as some of her favorite destinations.

Right now, you’ll find her prepping for Valentine’s Day sales in February and the Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America show at the Javits Center in New York City in March. Constantly on the go and creating, she always has her heart in the incredibly personalized design process she’s honed to perfection.

“People treasure these things,” she says.

“Similarly, I have things from my family that I love and adore, and I’m so proud to wear them. And why not make them wearable again? Take something old and ugly and make it wearable for now.”

AnnMarie Martin is a writer, editor and published author based in Bergen County.

JANUARY 2024

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| 23 1/9/24 11:28 AM

PHOTOGRAPHS BY TO COME

A mission to rejuvenate heirloom foods, foster resilient nutrition and preserve oak-dominant forests inspired David Cantor to launch his acorn-based, naturally gluten-free Folk Revival product line.

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Food from the Forest Entrepreneur David Cantor brings acorns to the table with Folk Revival Hot Cereal.

BY D. FLYNN

Tenafly food entrepreneur David Cantor may find that preparation pays off. He spent 2023 aligning supply chains and tinkering with recipes and packaging, and now the first major original product from his company, Folk Revival Hot Cereal, is set to hit shelves at Whole Foods.

Based on acorns rather than oats or wheat, Folk Revival HC’s key advantages are a sky-high protein-to-carbohydrate ratio fit to satisfy even the most ardent keto devotee coupled with deep-down roots.

“I started more with the mission than with the product, which is backwards for the food industry,” he says.

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Refined Wild Flavors Folk Revival is about reviving heirloom and heritage foods to serve modern, functional nutritional needs while fostering a resilient food supply.

“Oak forests don’t require any irrigation, any fertilizer, any pesticide,” Cantor points out. “All our acorns are wild harvested and upcycled.”

By providing a way to monetize oakdominant forests, companies like Folk Revival can incentivize preserving them to serve as habitat and carbon sinks.

Acorns are not part of the mainstream American diet, for good

reason. The nuts are high in tannins, which make them bitter to the taste and almost indigestible to anyone without a fluffy gray tail. However, humans from many cultures have made them palatable by finding ways to leach the tannins away.

“You can’t pick an acorn off the ground or a tree and eat it; it requires processing,” Cantor says, “rinsing, soaking or a combination of the two to remove the bitter compounds. That’s analogous to many foods: You also can’t pick an olive off a tree and eat it.”

Cantor spent much of the past year not only refining the cereal itself but also setting up a supply chain with partners who could process the raw materials on the scale he required.

“There are zero tannins after the washing and rinsing,” he says. “Also, it’s a tree nut, so it’s naturally gluten-free.”

Folk Revival Hot Cereal has 20 grams of protein per serving, about 5 grams of carbohydrates, depending on the flavor, and minimal sugar. Each variety can be cooked in 45 seconds or prepared cold overnight.

While the cereals can be dressed up simply with berries or coconut, Folk Revival also offers recipes incorporating the cereal through the company’s Instagram and TikTok channels.

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“Oak forests don’t require any irrigation, any fertilizer, any pesticide. All our acorns are wild harvested and upcycled.”

- David Cantor

A Tenafly Future Before founding Folk Revival, Cantor spent eight years with Dr. Praeger’s Sensible Foods, working on both marketing and research and development. After the company took on new owners, Cantor stayed for about a year to foster a smooth transition.

Cantor and his wife moved to Tenafly in 2020 to support her then-new veterinary practice in Englewood. Their daughter is currently a freshman at Tenafly High School,

and Cantor looks forward to a piping hot future in town.

“As we begin to scale, you’ll start to see this on more and more shelves in town—that’s the focus and priority for 2024,” he says. “When it’s time to graduate and set up office space, we look forward to becoming more integral to the business community here.”

D. Flynn is a board-certified life science editor from Bergen County.

JANUARY 2024

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BETTER HEALTH

Stay on Your Feet This Winter Smart tips for standing up to cold-weather hazards that can lead to falls Winter is a high-risk time for slips and falls—and the injuries that can result.

But most falls are preventable, especially if you’re alert to common hazards.

As colder weather makes ice and snow more prevalent, follow this advice for sidestepping winter pitfalls that often contribute to tumbles.

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HURRYING In cold conditions, it’s tempting to walk faster or take more hazardous HAZARD shortcuts to get inside or # reach a destination, but rushing is the underlying cause of many falls.

1

COLD MUSCLES

HAZARD #2

Cold muscles tend to become more rigid. That means chilly limbs could hinder your ability to react quickly if you slip or lose your balance.

FOIL FALLS: FOIL FALLS: • G ive yourself plenty of time to get where you’re going.

• Walk slowly and carefully, taking slower, smaller steps and keeping your weight over your feet.

• Keep hands out of your pockets to help catch or block a fall if necessary.

•P ut on winter clothes such as a hat, gloves and a coat each time you head outside, even to grab the mail.

• G ive preference to gear that’s both warm and light, such as down or fleece coats and vests, so clothes themselves don’t restrict mobility.

ICY SURFACES

HAZARD #3

Ice on pavement can be hard to spot—especially under a surface puddle that makes all the water look melted. Awkward twisting while standing can make getting out of a car on ice particularly treacherous.

FOIL FALLS:

• W hen it’s necessary to walk on snowy or icy surfaces (as when clearing the driveway), sprinkle a gritty substance such as sand, salt, cinders or cat litter for traction.

• I n parking lots, pull into well-lit spots and scan the ground before getting out of your vehicle.

• W hen exiting your car, swing both legs out and plant them firmly on the ground before standing.

• Feel around and steady yourself on the doorframe before you start walking.

SLIPPERY FLOORS

HAZARD #4

Melted snow from shoes can make indoor surfaces slick in winter, especially in public areas like stores and offices where many people have trod.

UNWISE TRAVEL Many people think it’s important to keep HAZARD appointments or get # their shopping and other errands done even during hazardous weather.

5

FOIL FALLS: • At home, take off shoes or boots when you come inside—and ask guests to do the same.

• B e extra careful in indoor public places, especially near exterior doors, where floors are often wettest.

• Wear shoes or boots with good traction and ankle support.

FOIL FALLS: •S tay inside during bad weather unless your task or appointment is an emergency. Very few things can’t wait until after a snowstorm.

• Keep tabs on weather forecasts and reschedule commitments for times when conditions are likely to be better.

AVOIDING FALLS AS YOU AGE Falls are more likely as people age due to a combination of factors including a declining sense of balance and reduced muscle strength, along with vision and hearing issues.

These steps can help you stay safe.

• Practice balance and strength exercises all year.

If you do lose your balance, having good muscle strength lets you recover by regaining your footing or grabbing a railing and supporting yourself.

•H ave your eyes checked and keep your vision sharp.

Go to the eye doctor to make sure contacts or eyeglasses prescriptions are current.

•B e mindful about medications. Everyone reacts differently to medications, so any kind can potentially impair your balance or make you unsteady. Be especially cautious when starting a new prescription.

JANUARY 2024

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PHOTO OP

Snow Days Ahead?

Old Man Winter didn’t hit Tenafly too hard last year, but this season already looks to be snowier, with forecasts for more. Past scenes like this view of the high school provided by Tenafly Public Schools give many students throughout the district hope for snow days to come!

Have a great image for Photo Op? Submit your high-resolution shot to leslie.hoenninger@tenaflymagazine.com.

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