Northwest Bergen, NJ October 2023

Food and Drink

ARTS + CULTURE

ALDO'S RESTAURANT

FOOD + BEVERAGE

RP PRIME

LIFE + CULTURE

NARU SUSHI AND HIBACHI

OCTOBER 2023

Feasting in Fall

The start of the autumn season brings a lot of great things with it. Think of what excites you about fall: the changing fashions, the cooler weather, Halloween, and the approach of the holiday season. The one thing that this list doesn’t mention is probably the first thing that came into your mind–the food! From enjoying the last of the fresh summer produce to celebrating with seasonal apple and pumpkin flavored treats, autumn abounds with delicious food, making it the perfect time for our Food and Drink issue.

Whether you’re an adventurous eater or you like to stick to the classics, there’s a little something for everyone inside these pages. You can meet Aldo Cascio of Aldo’s restaurant in Wyckoff, who’s spent the last 40 years dishing up traditional Italian cuisine for his community. You can also take a peek into the brand-new Fair Lawn location of RP Prime Steakhouse, where you can get a taste of the finer things in life. Finally, if you prefer to take your culinary adventures further abroad, you can learn a little more about Naru Sushi and Hibachi in Franklin Lakes, one of the best Japanese restaurants in town. No matter where in the Northwest Bergen area you’re getting your dinner, you’re sure to be in for something delicious, but it’s more than just a tasty dish you’ll be enjoying. After all, food is something that goes beyond the simple experience of having a meal. It’s why we get sentimental about restaurants that we’ve been going to for years, or refuse to change old family recipes. Food ties us to our past, to our memories, and most importantly, to each other. A good meal can bring people together in any circumstance. Breaking bread is about camaraderie and friendship, and even more than culinary excellence, that is something that’s worth celebrating! So this October, grab some people that you love and spend a little time together over a plate of pasta, steak, sushi, or whatever else gets your mouth watering. We hope you enjoy!

EAT LOCAL | ENJOY LOCAL | SHOP LOCAL | SPEND LOCAL | SUPPORT LOCAL

October 2023

PUBLISHER

Marc Schwartz | marc.schwartz@citylifestyle.com

EDITOR

Meghan McGowan | meghan.mcgowan@citylifestyle.com

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

Sammi Tatarsky | sammi.tatarsky@citylifestyle.com

STAFF WRITERS

Lucy Probert | lucy.probert@citylifestyle.com

Donna Gould | donna.gould@citylifestyle.com

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS

Nancy Motto | nancy.motto@citylifestyle.com

Sarah Flannery | sarah.flannery@citylifestyle.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Jess Fondararo

Corporate Team

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Matthew Perry

VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES Tiffany Slowinski

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HR Janeane Thompson

DIRECTOR OF FIRST IMPRESSIONS Jennifer Robinson

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Josh Klein

CONTROLLER Gary Johnson

AD DESIGNER Josh Govero

LAYOUT DESIGNER Andi Foster

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Forty Years of Food

1983. It was the year of the Internet, of NASA missions, of the very first cell phone call, and it was the year that Aldo Cascio first opened his restaurant in Wyckoff. Named after himself, “Aldo’s” was in its infancy in 1983. Today, it’s a well-established staple of the community, celebrating its fortieth anniversary. Aldo’s is the place to go in Wyckoff for its fabulous atmosphere and unparalleled Italian cuisine, and it’s thanks in large part to Aldo himself, a chef who knows his stuff.

“I had a passion for the business,” Cascio said of opening Aldo’s as his first restaurant. “Every immigrant likes to be their own boss, so I looked for the opportunity. The struggle was being in business for the first time, I’d never been in business before. I tried to build a clientele. Then after, everything fell into place.”

“The longevity is definitely an accomplishment,” he continued, “being able to be in the same town, to be a part of the community.”

With outdoor patio seating, several private dining rooms, and a wine bar on top of the extensive menu and selection of drinks, there’s a lot more than just a delicious Italian dinner to be found at this local treasure. That said, all Aldo’s needs is the impressive daily menu to blow you away. “We always have appetizer specials,” Cascio explained. “The spidini, the artichokes are good, the antipastos. My recommendation would be a pasta. As the main course, we always have specials, fish, chicken, veal, pork chops. We try to keep a variety, a lot of different things. I stick to traditional Italian!”

With brick oven pizza and a menu of Mediterranean delicacies that goes on for pages and pages, traditional Italian is certainly something that you’ll find here. There’s a little something for everyone– homemade pasta like cavatelli, tortellini, and ravioli, seafood specialties like clams, mussels, and calamari, even the chef’s self-titled Chicken alla Aldo, cooked with onions and garlic and topped with mushrooms and a lemon sauce. Combining welcoming Italian flavors with its upscale interior and wide-ranging drink menu, Aldo’s knows how to please a customer.

“Having a restaurant is more than food. You need to have everything working in harmony.”

The Wyckoff community has had as much of an impact on Aldo Cascio as he has had on it in return. After living in town with his family for so many years, he’s a Wyckoff staple and something of a local celebrity. Nearly everyone in town has heard of Aldo, and not always just because of his restaurant. Cascio has been involved in the community for a long time, coaching soccer for the Torpedos and the high schools, holding fundraisers to buy computers for students, and even giving classes on Italian cooking. “I’m in it, I’m not going anywhere,” Cascio declared.

aldosofwyckoff.com

Even with the great success of both of his restaurants, Aldo’s is still Cascio’s baby, a sign of his hard work over the years. “My favorite part of having my business in Wyckoff is that I can come to work every day and know most of the people, it’s very nice,” he said. When asked how he helps his restaurant stand out from the crowd as something special, he simply responded, “I always believe that it’s people that make that decision! The food is good, the prices, the service, so it’s a combination. Having a restaurant is more than food. You need to have everything working in harmony.”

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New Beginnings with RP Prime

EXPLORING FAIR LAWN’S NEWEST STEAKHOUSE WITH OWNERS PATRIOT GJONBALAJ AND FRANK GASHI

Who says that you have to venture into the city for a top-notch steakhouse experience? Northwest Bergen has its share of fine dining as well. RP Prime Steakhouse in Mahwah has long been a favorite location, and there’s twice the flavor to go around, because the restaurant has just opened its second location in Fair Lawn.

Taking over the location of the former River Palm Terrace on Route 4, RP Prime is dishing up prime steaks, seafood, and other superb menu offerings in its new home. It’s a moment for owners Patriot Gjonbalaj and Frank Gashi to look back with pride and forward to the future with excitement.

“It has big potential,” said Patriot Gjonbalaj about the restaurant’s new location. “Being on a main drag is nice, closer to the city and the highways.”

That big potential is backed up by big flavor at RP Prime, where Gjonbalaj reports that they strive to offer a wide variety of options so that everyone can have the experience they want, even outside of steakhouse classics. “We wanted to give people more options when you come here, so that it’s not just steak,” he said. “ People like different things. We specialize in prime aged meat, but we try to change up the specials and work with a seasonal menu.”

The RP Prime menu is certainly packed with an array of options, including a raw bar, modern classics like porcini ravioli and chicken Milanese, and much more. Both the Fair Lawn and Mahwah locations have space for special events such as weddings and parties as well. The team is even planning to add sushi to the menu soon with top sushi chefs from New York, proving that staying classic still gives you plenty to look forward to.

Gjonbalaj spoke with pride about his restaurants and the quality they deliver. “It’s all about quality,” he said. “We always take feedback seriously, and if the cut and seasoning is perfect, and it’s crispy and charred on top, that’s what makes a steak the best.”

rpprime.com

FEAST YOUR EYES

Japanese food is unique among the cuisines of the world. It can be incredibly varied, from comforting peasant food to sophisticated haute cuisine. It’s often very healthy, with an emphasis on vegetables, proteins, and other nutritious ingredients. Additionally, many chefs, and even some home cooks who are used to a Japanese style, prepare their food with a principle in mind called me de taberu– in English, to eat with the eyes . This means that your vision needs to have a sensory feast as well as your taste buds in order to properly enjoy a meal. The food has to look great as well as taste great!

The visual beauty, presentation, and rich flavors of Japanese foods like sushi and hibachi make them an experience in and of themselves, and it’s an experience that you can enjoy at Naru Sushi and Hibachi in Franklin Lakes!

With its sleek and modern interior, Naru looks like the kind of place where you can find something exquisite, and that’s no accident. Jeong Rhee, the restaurant’s owner, has been in the business since he was young, working his way up and gaining the experience he needed to open Naru Sushi and Hibachi.

“When I was about 20 years old,” Rhee said, “I started working in restaurants. I used to work in Connecticut, in Greenwich. I worked there for ten years! I was a server, then I became a manager, then I decided to open a restaurant. I was looking for spaces and I found one here! I love being here, it’s a great town.”

Sushi and hibachi are both all-encompassing experiences to have as a diner, though in much different ways. The performative element of hibachi, with flaming flat-tops, onion volcanos, and chefs tossing food your way turns the meal into something entertaining and interactive as well as delicious. Popular with all types of people, young and old, it’s something that’s both welcoming to newcomers and enticing for the experienced. Going out for hibachi feels like dinner and a show, watching your chef wield a razor-sharp knife and perform nimble feats with his tools.

Sushi, on the other hand, can be a bit more subtle. Much like tasting a fine wine or liquor, it invites you

to use all of your senses to appreciate the ingredients in their purest form and enjoy how fish, vegetables, rice, and seaweed can interact when combined by an expert. Great sushi is a labor of love to make, sourcing the freshest ingredients and seasoning them just enough to bring out their natural qualities. Even the process of shaping the simplest of sushi can take years of practice to truly master. Ingredient availability can be particularly challenging for a restaurant like this, especially in this day and age where certain products can be hard to find. “Covid is giving us a hard time,” Rhee reports. “It’s not only me, and not only here, but the whole world and other industries too. It’s crazy, but it is what it is.”

Both a hibachi chef and a sushi chef are artists in their own right, making a trip to a restaurant like Naru a unique treat. Rhee elaborated about the process of becoming one of these masters. “They’re often trained right in the restaurant. Our hibachi chef has been doing this for twenty years. I used to work with him in Connecticut, and then we came here to open the restaurant and he became my partner. We’ve been working together for twelve years now.”

Even for picky eaters or those who are nervous to venture outside of their culinary comfort zone, there’s something delicious to be found at Naru Sushi and Hibachi. Jeong Rhee has his own dislikes on the restaurant’s menu as well! “My favorite is our meat and our hibachi. It’s just really good. I don’t eat sushi, I don’t like fish!” he confessed. “I prefer meat. But our sushi rolls are really great and lots of people

“I do my best to serve people, and make them happy. When they’re happy, they come back!”

love them as well as our hibachi. We use high quality ingredients so that everything tastes great.” Options on the Naru menu range from basic chicken to lobster and calamari on the hibachi grill, as well as kitchen entrees like udon noodles, tempura, and teriyaki. On the sushi menu, you’ll find dozens of options: some spicy, some mild, some crunchy, some soft. There are even vegetarian options, and each piece is prepared and plated to give your eyes plenty to feast on before you even take a bite. Eating here is an experience that invites you to dedicate your full attention to what’s in front of you.

For a veteran of the restaurant industry like Jeong Rhee, serving food of Naru’s caliber is something personal. “I do my best to serve people, and make them happy,” he said. “When they’re happy, they come back! When I make food, people are happy and I feel good. I’ve been working in restaurants for a long time. This is my job, and I love it!”

narusushihibachi.com

OCTOBER 2023

events

A curated selection of the most intriguing upcoming events in our area.

OCTOBER 1ST

Oktoberfest with the Florian Schantz Jazz Combo

MAHWAH PUBLIC LIBRARY | 2:00 PM

Celebrate the cultural heritage of Oktoberfest at the Mahwah Public Library this year with a performance from the Florian Schantz Jazz Combo! Led by Florian Schantz on the trumpet, the group will perform music from Germany and Central Europe, including waltzes, marches, traditional and modern music, and classic polka. Take in the sounds of Oktoberfest at this event!

mahwah.librarycalendar.com/event/celebrate-oktoberfest-florian-schantz-jazz-combo

OCTOBER 3RD

Valley Health: What to Eat for Breast Cancer Risk Reduction

SHOPRITE, 22-00 MAPLE AVE, FAIR LAWN, NJ | 5:30 PM

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to learn how you can reduce the risk of breast cancer for yourself or someone you love. Come to this grocery store tour hosted by Valley Health System and learn how you can feed your body and beat back cancer at the same time!

valleyhealth.com/events/grocery-store-tour-and-recipe-demo-what-eat-breast-cancer-risk-reduction

OCTOBER 14TH

Lorrimer Sanctuary's Apple Cider Fall Festival

LORRIMER SANCTUARY, FRANKLIN LAKES, NJ | 10:00 AM

Head over to Lorrimer Sanctuary to enjoy the return of their annual Apple Cider Fall Festival! Entertain the whole family with apple cider press demos, kids crafts, selfie stations, and nature walks to help you appreciate the autumnal atmosphere and take in the bountiful harvest of apples this season.  njaudubon.org/event/apple-cider-fall-festival/2023-10-14/1/

OCTOBER 14TH

Bergen County Multicultural Family Fun Fest

SADDLE RIVER COUNTY PARK, WILD DUCK POND AREA, RIDGEWOOD, NJ | 11:00 AM

This October, you can appreciate the beautiful array of cultures in the Bergen County area with the Bergen County Multicultural Family Fun Fest! With music, dancing, arts and crafts, storytellers, giveaways, and much more, it's the perfect way to spend the weekend with family and friends! Bring your little ones and get ready to have an excellent time.

co.bergen.nj.us/component/rseventspro/event/801-bergen-county-multicultural-family-fun-fest?Itemid=783

OCTOBER 19TH

Christian Health’s A Celebration of Excellence Gala

THE VENETIAN - GARFIELD, NJ | 6:00 PM

Christian Health’s A Celebration of Excellence gala is the signature fundraiser honoring key community leaders with The David F. Bolger Award for Service and Leadership. Proceeds from the event benefit Christian Health’s 2023 Annual Fund to expand and enhance mental health services, especially for children and young adults. This includes support for Christian Health’s Good Samaritan Fund. christianhealthnj.org/foundation/special-events-fundraisers

OCTOBER 28TH

New Jersey Symphony: Jurassic Park in Concert

NJPAC PRUDENTIAL HALL | 8:00 PM

Experience Jurassic Park like you never have before this month at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Here, the New Jersey Symphony will be performing John Williams' incredible score live to picture, allowing you to appreciate the movie and the music in an entirely new way! Film buffs and dinosaur lovers alike won't want to miss this event. njpac.org/event/new-jersey-symphony-jurassic-park-in-concert-2/

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