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House Beautiful — Online

Art for Good

Summer Camps

The Historical Society of Princeton presents its traditional house tour in an interactive, virtual format.

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France-born Princeton-based artist Carole Jury exhibits her works to benefit the nonprofit Share My Meals.

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Summer programs promise to get kids outside and playing with new friends in safe environments.

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LEADING OFF Editor’s Note: Central Jersey-based nature photographer and painter Anna Gerwel writes on her website that “Looking at soothing images of nature evokes serenity, relieves stress, and stimulates positive feelings.” Below she reflects on springtime beauty on the Princeton campus, which inspired her painting pictured at right.

Beatrix Farrand’s Canvas at Princeton University

By Anna Gerwel

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garden, large or small, must be treated in the impressionist manner. Plants are to the gardener what the palette is to the painter.”

— Beatrix Farrand, 1907 Strolling through the Princeton University campus in the spring is a “spectacle extraordinaire.” Espaliered wisteria adorns the collegiate Gothic buildings throughout the campus. Its blooming soft pink flowers beautifully accentuate the stone walls of brown and yellow hue.

Japanese yews planted along the old Dinky Station and the Blair Walk, Chinese magnolias in Pyne Hall courtyard and masses of forsythia welcome you to the university in grand style.

These are just a few examples of the genius of Beatrix Farrand, Princeton’s first consulting landscape architect in

the years 1912-1943. Her style is characterized by trees used to complement and emphasize the architecture of the neighboring buildings and lawns to create open spaces. Personally observing where students most often walked, she designed countless pathways. Farrand planned her blooms and colors for the winter, fall, and spring, when the university was in session. Even in the coldest months, red berries abound. She also pioneered the use of native trees, such as sugar maples and beeches that are planted among more exotic species. Farrand’s motto emphasized practicality, simplicity, and the

ease of maintenance.

In February, 2019, Princeton University honored Beatrix Farrand by naming a courtyard between Henry, Foulke, 1901, and Laughlin halls after her. In a small garden installed some time ago, a stone bench inscribed with “Her love of beauty and order is everywhere visible in what she planted for our delight” can be found on the northern side of the university chapel.

Born in 1872, during the Gilded Age in New York City, Beatrix, a niece of Edith Wharton, grew up surrounded by artists and writers. She developed her love for garden design at the age of

11 while observing landscape planning at Reef Point, her family summer house in Bar Harbor, Maine. Having five generations of garden lovers in her family served as a great inspiration.

At a time when women were not allowed to obtain a university degree, the determined Beatrix hired tutors in the fields of surveying, sketching, and design. Under the tutelage of the acclaimed botanist Charles Sargent, she acquired knowledge and skills and designed gardens in Bar Harbor, Maine, among others. Farrand’s talent, skill and attention to detail were evident early on. Recognizing Beatrix’s inner gift, her mother took her on a world tour, where she visited and took extensive notes on 150 gardens. In 1899, Farrand was the only woman invited to be one of the 11 founding members of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Farrand’s collaboration with Princeton University began by designing landscape at the Graduate College. Most of her plantings are still intact today.

As you approach the Cleveland Tower of the Graduate College, it gradually appears and disappears from behind the planted trees, symbolizing the never-ending quest for the truth.

“One may discover the essence of the Graduate College in the dialog between the architecture (intended to inspire) and the landscape (intended to sooth) between stone and leaf, and between the rational and the romantic.” — Robert Spencer Barnett

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May 2021 | Princeton Echo3

REAL ESTATE

Princeton Historical Society offers virtual house tour

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he Historical Society of Princeton has long been known for its annual house tour featuring architecturally and historically significant Princeton homes. This year, for the first time, the tour will be presented in a virtual format, allowing visitors access to on-demand multimedia content for a full month beginning Saturday, May 15.

The tour features four unique homes, and one house will be released weekly and remain available through June 15. Every house will offer an in-depth portal where participants can dive into videos and descriptive details roomby-room, including spotlights on the house’s history, distinctive furnishings and artwork, impressive remodels and restorations, and extraordinary architectural features. Interviews with designers, architects, and artisans will

shed light on the decision-making and painstaking work involved in preserving and updating a historic home.

This homes featured on the tour are described by the Historical Society as follows: 2 Boudinot Street: Prolific Princeton builder-architect Charles Steadman likely built this Federal/Italianatestyle house in the 1850s at the corner of Nassau Street and University Place.

As the university and town expanded, the house was moved twice before landing at its current location. House moving was a common practice in Princeton in the early 19th and 20th centuries, and nearly 200 buildings were moved during this period.

Once home to Princeton University professor Christian Gauss, beloved mentor to F. Scott Fitzgerald, the house has been completely renovated and re-

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From above left, houses included on the Historical Society’s virtual tour include 2 Boudinot Street, 20 Boudinot Street, and on the opposite page 8 Evelyn Place, top, and 600 Pretty Brook Road.

stored by the current owners, creating a new sunlit kitchen and master suite, while also meticulously restoring period details, like intricate metal knobs and hinges, stunning pocket doors, marble fireplaces, and gas lighting petcocks.

Creative décor and furnishings include delightful surprises, like a salvaged armoire used as a bar and pops of exciting wallpaper. Two historic cupolas bring even more light into the already sundrenched home. New landscaping and stone hardscaping surrounding the house create a charming, Charleston-inspired retreat for the homeowners.

20 Boudinot Street: This English manor-style house was originally built in 1924 for the family of Charles Erdman, mayor of Princeton Borough and an influential supporter of many local institutions.

The current owners, only the third family to own the home, undertook stylish updates throughout the house and completed renovations that enhance the flow for a 21st century family. They converted a garage into an elegant dining room, installed a new kitchen, and merged bedrooms to create a master suite with a sitting room and his/hers dressing rooms. Third floor servants’ quarters were combined to create a unique bedroom with custom cabinetry and closets built into the original dormered ceiling.

The house exudes storybook charm, and original details, like moldings, French doors, and the 1920s doorbell, remain. Incorporated throughout the

house are remarkable pieces of Asian art and furnishings from the family’s time living in Hong Kong. Outside, a picturesque loggia leads into the garden where the original garage doors, complete with Roebling hardware, form a focal point.

8 Evelyn Place: This semi-detached home is steeped in Princeton’s women’s history. Dubbed “The Pines,” the sprawling Victorian was once home to Evelyn College for Women, the first women’s college in New Jersey, founded in 1887. Later, Princeton’s first female mayor of Princeton, Barbara Boggs Sigmund, lived there until her death following a battle with cancer.

The current owners undertook major restoration work and modernized the interior to allow for an open kitchen gathering space, a spacious master suite, and a third-floor recreation space with expansive views of Princeton.

The renovation also breathed life into stunning historic details like largescale double doors, a striking Japanese porcelain tile fireplace, clawfoot tubs, and original wood floors. The overhauled front and back yards create a number of unique spaces for outdoor lounging with lush plantings and urns salvaged from the New York Botanical Garden, where the homeowner’s grandfather was a landscaper.

600 Pretty Brook Road. A specimen of Princeton’s early colonial history, “The Bouwerie” was the homestead for a Dutch farming family. Among other distinctive details, the original 1770 house features a remarkably well-preserved large hearth fireplace

with beehive oven, hand-hewn beams, half-timberwork, and a “Jersey winder” staircase. The 19th century dining room showcases a magnificent Delft tile fireplace.

The current owners completed a thoughtful addition to the original structure in 1991, which quadrupled the square footage. In the addition, reclaimed wood meticulously matches the original wide plank floors.

The spacious new kitchen continues the historic farmhouse aesthetic, including an Aga cast-iron range and a breakfast nook enclosed with handmade wooden animal moldings. A breathtaking stained glass skylight graces the new foyer and skillful trompe l’oeil painting of floors and walls is an exciting element throughout. Outside, the expansive property includes large patios, a pond, and an infinity pool that falls into a grand English knot garden.

“The virtual format is so exciting because it allows us to bring visitors closer than ever to the stunning details of each of these wonderful properties, and to provide insights from experts that truly enrich the experience,” said HSP Executive Director, Izzy Kasdin.

“Princeton’s architectural heritage is extraordinarily special, and we are so pleased to be able to recognize homeowners who carefully steward this legacy. This year’s collection of houses is really not to be missed.”

Tickets for the event start at $20 per scree. www.princetonhistory.org or 609-921-6748, extension 100.

Zoning Board updates

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he Zoning Board heard the following applications at its April 28 meeting: 35-37 South Harrison Street. Brook Brown, applicant; Martha S. Rinehart and Charles H. Wampold, appellants.

The board heard an appeal of the Historic Preservation Plan Review for the residence in the Jugtown Historic District and sent the application back to the Historic Preservation Commission for further review.

15-17 Edwards Place. Application of Chabad Lubavitch on Campus – Princeton, Inc. The applicant presented a site plan with variances required for garage demolition, a building addition, and other improvements that was approved with conditions.

304 Ewing Street. Lionel Ruggieri and Burcu Tezcan-Ruggieri, owner and applicant. A D4 Floor Area Ratio variance is requested to permit construction of a carport and a storage shed in exception to the required FAR. Bulk variances for side and front yard setbacks are requested as well. The application was approved.

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May 2021 | Princeton Echo5

Princeton eBikes sets wheels in motion for a good cause

By Richard D. Smith

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o, asks a drop-in visitor to Princeton eBikes: Is this a bicycle or a motorcycle?

Princeton eBikes founder and copartner Russ White assures the man that despite its compact but formidable-looking electric motor and battery, and its assertive design (part curvaceous retro, part sharp-edged futurism) the device he’s eying — like all the others lining the recently opened store in the Lawrence Shopping Center — is indeed officially and legally a bicycle.

And — with a sales pitch as understated as the operating whirr of the vehicle’s motor — White adds that all sales proceeds at Princeton eBikes after store expenses benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Mercer County.

The Mercer chapter of the national service organization for young people has already been benefiting from another cycling-related, nonprofit business brainchild of White’s: the Boys & Girls Club Bike Exchange, located in the Capitol Plaza shopping center.

And now both stores are themselves benefiting from a largely unforeseen consequence of the COVID-19 crisis — a sudden increased demand for bicycles as recreation and fitness options, when quarantining and at-home work became almost claustrophobic but many gyms and other exercise outlets remained closed.

With e-bikes, an additional trend is pumping up the action. Namely, the appeal for aging cyclists of motor-assisted bikes that can still allow enjoying fairly lengthy or hilly rides (from 25 to 75 miles before recharging, depending on how much pedal power the rider contributes and how much energy-intensive climbing is encountered). And citizens “going green” welcome e-bikes as alternatives to gasoline-powered cars for light shopping trips and other local errands.

Also notable are the innovative business models of both the BGC Bicycle Exchange and Princeton eBikes: They lower costs by using dedicated volunteer staffers and being open only one or two days a week.

Self-described as “a pretty serious cyclist,” Russ White’s road to bike sales for fundraising has been like a good day’s ride: Even when seemingly seemed improvised, even whimsical, it’s been motivated by an unflagging determination and an intent as specific as any printed route cue sheet.

Born in 1940, Russ White had a normal American childhood — literally.

He grew up in the heartland town of Normal, Illinois, where his father was a Methodist minister and his mother a home maker who later became an elementary school art teacher. White earned a degree in physics at University of Illinois, then became professionally involved in computers during the old

6Princeton Echo | May 2021

IBM mainframe days. He started at the Jay Wrobel, left, Russ White, Matthias Paschetag, and Theresa Wrobel stand Esso corporation (today, Exxon-Mobil) Inside Princeton eBikes’ Lawrence Shopping Center storefront. in operations research. A major pioneering project was making computer Boys & Girls Clubs, also came highly And it’s all run by volunteers.”

That figure was per usual for annual models of oil tankers to determine the recommended as an innovative and effective executive. An early conversa- Exchange sales, but then the mix was most efficient designs.

He worked in computers from 1962 tion involved an ongoing nonprofit op- suddenly quite different. From a rato 1980. Then, until 2000, he focused eration in which citizens could donate tio of adult to child bicycles of about on publishing and was involved with used bicycles to be repaired and resold, 60/40, it tilted to 80/20 as home-bound grownups were eager, even desperate, transitioning a major construction in- the proceeds benefiting the Club.

Thus was born, for wheels. dustry subscripThe Mercer Boys & Girls Clubs are tion newsletter ‘Russ saw the possibilities in 2009, the Boys & Girls Clubs grateful for the income. The organizafrom print to digi(BGC) Bike Ex- tion had been primarily offering aftertal. of e-bikes taking off in change. Says An- school programs and services. With Approaching rederson, “Russ and COVID-19, education went essentially tirement in 2001, this area. They’re gaining I discussed what online. But few low-income families Princeton resident acceptance everywhere his vision was, have reliable internet access. And most White was already and how can we of the parents did not have the relative thinking of char- due to ‘going green’ create a [charity luxury of remote work options. They ity-related activibusiness] model had to keep showing up at a place of ties “and finding and bikes in general around that?” employment, unable to leave young an organization I for recreation due to White notes children home alone. really wanted to that the Exchange Now, instead of only having some work with. Some- COVID-19,’ Jay Wrobel thrives because it children at 3:30 p.m. for after-school one introduced me answers two fre- programs, Club locations have a total to the Boys & Girls says. quent questions: of about 200 youngsters per day startClubs of Mercer.”

“What can I do ing at around 7:45 a.m. They’re providNot only was he was impressed with the large but com- with my old bike?” and “Where do I get ed with internet services and helped to access remote learning sites. Activities passionate and efficient organization: a good used bike?”

At the outset, Dave Anderson’s son, continue into late afternoon when par“The best thing you can do with your time and money is to help kids at risk.” as a bar mitzvah project, collected ents can come by for them. That means He volunteered at the Boys & Girls some 200 used bikes, demonstrating numerous extra expenses for the Club Club location on Trenton’s Spruce that the regional community could be a (including some 2,000 lunches and snacks per week).

Street — right across from the Capitol productive source of donations.

But no one imagined that in the slipBy happy circumstance, Russ White Plaza where the Bike Exchange would one day be established. White had al- stream of the novel coronavirus of 2019 was already developing the concept of ready taken a part-time cycle shop job would ride a powerful demand for bi- selling brand new bicycles — specifito learn how to fix bikes; he also co- cycles, new or used. By mid-2020, the cally, the increasingly popular e-bikes founded Sourland Cycles in Hopewell, BGC Bike Exchange was drawing cus- — as a second donation stream for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Mercer County. seeing a business opportunity for a tomers from as far away as Brooklyn.

“In one day, we could sell out most (To concentrate on developing Princfirst-class bike shop in one of Central of our supply,” Anderson says. “People eton eBikes, White sold his share in the Jersey’s most popular riding regions. well-established for-profit Sourland He deflects a suggestion that impuls- needed bikes.”

The Exchange sold some 2,000 low Cycles to his partner.) es to charity and working with youngWhite and BCG Mercer CEO Ansters are in his genes from a clergyman cost used bikes last year — which, Anfather and teacher mother. “It’s fun to derson says, with both a laugh and ab- derson were soon, so to speak, in solute seriousness, “probably makes us tandem on the concept. As Anderson help the kids,” he replies.

Dave Anderson, CEO of the Mercer the biggest single bike shop in the state. notes, “The e-bike is not replacing the

Princeton eBikes mascot Raisin models the comfort and security of a cargo bike.

person-power bike, it’s expanding the marketplace.”

But their newness makes many new users understandably reluctant to buy them online. “People want to know what it’s like to ride them,” Anderson says. “And if there’s a problem, how do you return an online-purchased item that might weight 50 or 75 pounds?”

Another plus for the local store.

Finding a physical home for what Russ White named “Princeton eBikes” — and what is currently the only fully dedicated e-bike store in New Jersey — proved relatively straight forward.

He identified the Lawrence Shopping Center as a prime site. In addition to its convenient location between Business Route 1 South and Princeton Pike, “it’s a big center. They’re getting a big food store and other new tenants. It’s really hopping after years of being almost dead.”

Seeing that Princeton eBikes is a nonprofit and would also generate additional shopper visits, center management offered the nonprofit an essentially perfect 3,000 square feet in a former financial services office space, plus a reduced rental rate — a win-win situation for center and store.

White is grateful to draw on volunteers from the BGC Bike Exchange, many of them also members of the Princeton Freewheelers bike club.

Among these are Theresa and Jay Wrobel, who joined White as partners in providing Princeton eBike’s seed funding.

“This store in Russ’s brainchild,” Theresa emphasizes. “It’s the joining of two interests: the Boys and Girls Club, and the emergence of e-bikes.”

Says Jay, “Russ saw the possibilities of e-bikes taking off in this area. They’re gaining acceptance everywhere due to ‘going green’ and bikes in general for recreation due to COVID-19.”

The Wrobels report particular interest in the larger “cargo bikes,” fitted with a sturdy rack over the rear wheel or a large open box in front of the cyclist, safely carrying everything from groceries to kids. (One Princeton eBikes customer now transports her 5, 7, and 9-year-old children four miles each way to school with one.)

T

he variety of e-bike makes and models featured at Princeton eBikes fill a variety of other adult cyclist needs. A couple came in because the husband had developed some limiting health issues; now an e-bike helps continue the cycling recreation they enjoy together. And a woman from Lawrenceville especially enjoys biking around nearby Mercer Meadows; but a daunting uphill grade must be conquered to get there. Her new e-bike’s motor assistance keeps the loop well within her capabilities.

of their work travel by train: After pedaling from a station to the workplace, these e-bikes can be refolded, carried onto an elevator, and stored in an office or cubicle.

White offers an historical perspective on today’s e-bike boom: “It’s like the car market was in 1900. Most of [the manufacturers] are not going to be in business in 10 years. Where are you going to get parts and service? We service them now, and we’ll be here to service them.” Indeed, along with fundamental quality and value, Princeton eBikes buys from manufacturers most likely to keep providing bikes and parts for years ahead.

Currently at Princeton eBikes, the least expensive model is about $1,500, with many in the $2,500 range, and up to $4,500.

Dave Anderson, the Wrobels, and volunteer workers are quick to praise Russ White’s development of a wise, workable business model for Princeton eBikes. And by drawing on a pool of dedicated volunteer staffers, the expenses of (and record-keeping time devoted to) salaries, insurance, and tax withholdings are eliminated.

As White discovered with the successful BGC Bike Exchange, such a shop need not be open six days per week. Customers seeking high-quality units are fine with scheduling their visits for a Friday or Saturday on which the store is open. (Appointments can also be made.)

B

Says Jay: “One of the questions many people have is, ‘Do you still get exercise?’ The answer is, the amount of exercise you get is up to you. You can put it in a lower power setting and get more.”

Jay came to the project already favorable to e-vehicles. “We have an electric car [which] piqued my interest.” He subsequently purchased a Gazelle, one of the most popular of the makes sold at Princeton eBikes.

A full e-bike tutorial is not possible here. The reader is encouraged to do a web search and/or consult with a shop like Princeton eBikes. Or, of course, regular bicycle shops also carrying e-bikes (although floor and storage spaces already devoted to the variety of non-electric bikes can limit how many e-bike makes and models they currently offer). (Readers can also consult the July, 2017, Princeton Echo article featuring White’s first foray into e-bike sales at Sourland Cycles.)

Among main e-bike differentiating factors: Most e-bikes feature mid-

mounted motors, taking advantage of the bike’s gearing system and providing good overall balance. Rear mounted motors (which directly drive the rear wheel) have acceleration advantages; but because the motors do not operate within the pedal-and-gearing system, they can be challenged, even harmed, by very steep or prolonged hill climbs to which the rider is not contributing significant pedaling force.

E-bikes also differ in whether the motors automatically turn on and assist based on the intensity of rider pedaling, or if the rider must activate and regulate the motor via throttle switches on the handle bars.

Most e-bike designs place the battery on the downtube (front-central frame support) or on a carrier rack above the rear wheel. Central positioning of the battery and motor benefit the bike’s balance.

Specialties span a spectrum from the comparatively large-framed cargo bikes to small folding bikes, ideal for commuters who complete a major part

ut it’s not a real cycling tour without twists and turns in the road, and so it was with Princeton eBikes.

Its nonprofit operation and charitable donations notwithstanding, the store is buying new products at wholesale and selling them at retail. Hence it cannot operate as a nonprofit entity. So, Princeton eBikes is officially an LLC (limited liability corporation).

There is growing speculation about — and agitation for — federal tax credits on e-bike purchases. In February, a bill was introduced in Congress colorfully called the “Electric Bicycle Kickstart for the Environment Act.” As written, it would allow a tax credit of 30 percent (capped at $1,500) of a new e-bike’s purchase price (maximum $8,000).

Just as no world class cycling team can succeed without top mechanics, Princeton eBikes benefits crucially from a highly skilled technician — Matthias Paschetag. As Jay Wrobel says, “The whole shop is so well set up because of Mathias,” who has created the data system that tracks the bikes, important not only for inventory and sales but for warranty and service purposes.

Born in Germany, Paschetag grew up near Hanover. At age 15, he opted to get a bicycle instead of a moped. “I haven’t stopped pedaling since,” he says with a smile.

See BIKES, Page 8

May 2021 | Princeton Echo7

BIKES, continued from page 7

A computer systems expert with a specialty in retail, Paschetag earned a degree in business engineering at the University of Karlsruhe. He has worked in his native Germany, the United States, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

He returned to America when his wife accepted an executive position with Church & Dwight, and the couple settled in the Princeton area.

Not surprisingly, e-bikes have computer systems more extensive and operationally central than the small mileage, speed, and pedaling cadence measurers of regular cycles. “You have to do updates and diagnostics on e-bike computers,” Paschetag says, but adds that the diagnostic equipment needed by e-bike mechanics can be surprisingly inexpensive. “You can buy an interface box for about $100.”

Last year, Germany had a 40 percent increase in e-bike sales. “Now there are more e-bike sales than standard bikes in Germany,” Paschetag reports. The United States might seem on track for e-bikes to win the yellow jersey of cycling popularity here, too: A halfmillion were imported in 2020, fully double from 2019. However, Paschetagcautions that American culture may not embrace e-bikes (or bicycles in general) in the way that Europe has.

For example, frequent — even daily — food shopping is a consumer norm in many European countries. Ameri-

A Quick Taste of Road Testing

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journalist who’s also a fairly serious cyclist test-rode two models at Princeton eBikes: a Gazelle Medeo T-10 and a Bintelli Trend. The Lawrence Shopping Center parking lot didn’t allow for a hill climbing test, but even the limited experience was instructive — and enjoyable.

The mid-motor Gazelle ($2,999 at Princeton eBikes) felt more balanced. The rear-motored Bintelli ($1,900) seemed somehow a sportier ride but had a slight but noticeable “sprint” factor when setting off from a standstill (analogous to a horse that

cans tend to make more infrequent shopping trips, but return home with much greater weights and volumes of purchases. Thus, even cargo e-bikes cannot handle our typical food shopping patterns. However, Paschetag ventures, a cargo-style e-bike could replace a second car for many Americans.

He offers another intriguing insight.

Not surprisingly, the best-established manufacturers of bicycle components are also into e-bikes. (For example, the Shimano company of Japan, a leading provider of gear-shifting component systems for major bicycle manufacturers, is also widely selling its hardware

SPRING FLING

suddenly trots off as soon as the rider mounts). Although disconcerting at first, the test rider quickly became used to it and felt in control when setting off on the Bintelli.

Using pedal power alone (no electric motor assists), the journalist was able to hit 18.5 m.p.h. on both within fairly short distances. (Of course, the riding surface was completely flat, the bikes carried no additional loads, and the rider was in fairly good condition.)

Both the Gazelle and Bintelli seemed well-designed and sturdy.

All components — including the shifters, power throttles and brakes — operated smoothly and flawlessly.

— Richard D. Smith to the e-bike industry.) But Bosch, the German company best known for automobile electrical system components, has nimbly applied its expertise to making rugged and reliable e-bike motors.

“A lot of car parts manufacturers have gotten into e-bikes,” says Paschetag. “E-bikes are a big revenue stream.

They can’t afford to miss it.”

And given today’s demand for bicycles but concurrent uncertainties about manufacturing capacities and shipping chain reliability, neither can Princeton eBikes afford to pass up opportunities to bulk up inventory.

S

A

As White says, “We buy bikes when they have the bikes because I know we can sell them.”

The e-bike-buying public may be expanding in non-traditional ways, too.

On a recent weekend, another curious drop-in visitor to Princeton eBikes is a heavy-set man in non-cycling clothes.

His decades-old Raleigh is secured outside with the effective but low-tech (and to cycling elitists, surely déclassé) combo of a heavy chain and a bulky, key-operated Master lock. Russ White answers all his questions fully and with attentive cheerfulness. The man leaves, clearly impressed.

“He’d never go into a [regular] cycling shop,” says White, optimistic that the fellow will return someday soon for that all-important introductory ride.

And when he does? As store mechanic Paschetag says, “When people come back from a test ride on an ebike, they’re all smiling.”

Princeton eBikes, Lawrence Shopping Center, Unit 13, 2495 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence Township. info@princeton-ebikes.com. 646-283-7883 or www.princeton-ebikes.com.

Boys & Girls Clubs (BGC) of Mercer County Bike Exchange, Capitol Plaza Shopping Center, 1500 North Olden Avenue, Ewing. Bikeexchange@ bgcmercer.org. 609-571-9476 or www. bgcmercer.org/bgc-bike-exchange.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Mercer County: www.bgcmercer.org/home.

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SIX09 Arts > food > culture

The American menu Author David Page talks “Food Americana,” Page 4

thesix09.com | May 2021

what’s happening

HomeFront’s Free Store open for business A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held April 22 to celebrate the grand reopening of HomeFront’s newly renovated FreeStore, located at 1000 Division Street.

HomeFront celebrated with Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora, who cut the ribbon. In a press release, the organization said it was grateful to the City of Trenton for its support. Thanks to a Community Development Block Grant awarded from Trenton’s Housing and Economic Development Department, HomeFront’s FreeStore will now have a brighter interior, an improved HVAC system, and handicap accessibility.

HomeFront’s Celia Bernstein, who oversaw the renovation project, spoke to the importance of the FreeStore in a community where housing costs are high: “For a local family to afford a modest two-bedroom home, they must earn an hourly wage of $28 [per hour],” Bernstein said. “If housing is this difficult to afford, where do you find money for clothing for your growing children or work clothes for a job interview, or sheets and towels?”

Stocked with donations of gently

used clothing and household goods, the FreeStore provides community members the opportunity to shop for essential items at no cost.

As many continue to face financial challenges during the pandemic, the FreeStore offers a crucial lifeline for local low-income families. The FreeStore has seen over 78,000 visits since its inception in 1999. Consistent with HomeFront’s mission of helping families achieve independence, the FreeStore prioritizes work and school appropriate clothing, including plus-sizes.

Through the tireless efforts of FreeStore Manager Maria Sierra and her crew of amazing volunteers, the FreeStore will now greet HomeFront’s families with a beautiful, welcoming interior. Much like a department store, the FreeStore offers a wide variety of clothing and other items every household needs. In addition to work and school attire, the FreeStore provides clothing for job interviews and special occasions.

The bedding and linens department provides towels, sheets, blankets and pillows, while the housewares department has kitchen items such as pots and pans and small appliances.

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trenton Mayor reed Gusciora cuts the ribbon at Homefront’s newly refurbished freestore on thursday, april 22, joined by Homefront chief operating officer sarah steward, freestore manager Maria sierra and Homefront director of construction celia Bernstein. (Photo by Meg cubano.)

“When you think about a family in Trenton—half of which live under the poverty line—they need a place after they finish buying food for their families, after they’ve found a home, they need to furnish it and they need to get clothing,” Gusciora said. “The FreeStore really is the place for so many families, particularly in the Chambersburg area, that just need a lifting hand.”

For families struggling with home-

lessness or living in its shadow, the FreeStore provides a sense of ownership and control that comes with choosing items for themselves and their families.

Your donations give HomeFront’s families the security and stability they need to live with dignity.

For information on how to volunteer or donate, send an e-mail to getinvolved@homefrontnj.org or call (609) 989-9417.

SIX09

EDITOR Sam Sciarrotta (Ext. 121) ARTS EDITOR Dan Aubrey FOOD & DINING COLUMNIST Joe Emanski AD LAYOUT & PRODUCTION Stacey Micallef SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jennifer Steffen (Ext. 113)

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from the cover

Discovering American cuisine Writer takes readers on cross-country food journey in book

By Sam Sciarrotta

David Page has a long history of going places.

The writer and producer has followed jobs to Wichita, Houston, Atlanta, Phoenix and Chicago. As a news producer for NBC, he bounced between London and Frankfurt, Budapest and Berlin, Africa and the Middle East.

His travels eventually led him back to the States, where he formed his own production company and did work for Al Roker on the Food Network—but he’d soon be back on the road. Page pitched and created Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, the Guy Fieri road trip-style food reality show.

Now, though, the Long Beach Island resident is following a new path. Page’s book, Food Americana, is out this month. It covers his crosscountry journey to find out what dishes and recipes make up the Amer-

ican menu—what we eat as a country and why we eat it.

Six09 editor Sam Sciarrotta talked to Page about his career, food and the perfect Jersey tomato. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Six09: What is “Food Americana “to you? What is American cuisine?

David Page: Well, as I say in the book, American cuisine is a bit of many other cultures’ or countries’ cuisines modified to our palates or preferences and melded together.

Six09: That also kind of sounds like an accurate description of just New Jersey, too. I think the intersection of food and New Jersey culture is pretty powerful.

DP: It is, although day-to-day cuisine in New Jersey actually goes in many cases far beyond what I’m defining as American cuisine. New Jersey eaters, in many cases, I think are more adventurous and are open to cuisines from other countries that have not yet been accepted as a day-to-day part of ours. I refer specifically, for example, to the Ironbound area of Newark, where the Portugese food is terrific,

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4SIX09 | May 2021

David Page pivoted from producer to author to write Food Americana, a book about what we eat as a country and why we eat it.

food from Peru. Those remain in the minds of most Americans, I think, still “other,” as opposed to sushi or Chinese food or something along those lines, that are so common all across the country that they’re now thought of as American.

Six09: Have you always been interested in food on this level?

It seems to be kind of a central theme of your career.

DP: I didn’t get into food in this way until NBC sent me to Europe.

I worked in Europe, Africa and the Middle East and began to realize the national and especially regional differences in food based on tradition and societal makeup and, of course, the availability of specific ingredients.

It was there, as I was trying to understand a number of other cultures, that I realized that the gateway to those other cultures is the food.

I had some amusing experiences, such as, on my first trip to Vienna, I asked the support staff there to take me where they like to go and eat. And they took me to a Texas ribs joint.

Six09: Why were you in Europe to begin with?

DP: I’ve been a journalist in one form or another since I was 15 or 16.

I started working on the radio when I was in high school. I followed jobs around the country—went from radio to television in Wichita, Kansas, worked in a number of local television stations in Houston, Atlanta, Phoenix, and eventually got picked up by NBC and placed in their Chicago bureau as a producer.

After a couple of years there, they sent me to Europe, first to London and then, at my request, I moved to Frankfurt. The London bureau was awfully big and, frankly, one plane flight too far from the action. In Frankfurt, which was a smaller bureau, it was easier to get things done. We could

call New York and say “We’re on the way” before London could get someone to Heathrow to get to us to get to where we were going.

I worked in Frankfurt for quite awhile, and then I moved to Budapest in advance of what were clearly going to be the impending communist revolutions. I covered the Hungarian revolution and the collapse of the government of Czechoslovakia. Then, I moved back to the states and became a show producer on the weekend Today Show. I ended up as the senior investigative producer of 20/20 over at ABC, and then as a line producer at GMA. While I was there in the lifestyle arena of Good Morning America, I ended up putting a number of food segments on the air, including segments with Emeril (Lagasse). I enjoyed it very much. When I ended up leaving network television and forming my own production company to try to make a buck or two, on the one hand, I had taken a great new step. On the other hand, I was technically unemployed. So, I called Al Roker who had actually worked for me when I ran the weekend Today Show.

He had a production company, so I called and asked if he needed any freelance work. I ended up doing work for him for the Food Network and later began to pitch them directly for projects of my own.

Six09: Is that how you ended up with Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?

DP: At first, I got absolutely nowhere. It was a festival of rejection, until one day, I’m on the phone with a development executive who was kind enough to take my calls but kept saying “No.” She said to me, “Don’t you have anything else on diners?” I had done a documentary on diner history for Al, and I said, “Sure, I’m developing this show called Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”

She said, “We have a development meeting on Tuesday. Get me a writeup by Monday.” The problem was I was not developing a show called Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. I had just pulled that phrase out of whatever part of my anatomy. I spent the next few days working feverishly, pitched the show, and they picked up a one-hour special, I think to keep Guy Fieri’s face on the air while they tried to figure out what to do with him in primetime.

He had won their Food Network Star competition. They wanted to try to make something of him. They had a couple of very big names working on proposals for a primetime vehicle for him. Much to their surprise, when those proposals came in, they didn’t like them. The specials had done well, and they decided to take a chance

Poached black cod with Jiu Nian Lee’s spring asparagus is served at the Eight Tables restaurant, which is featured in the “Made in America—Our Love Affair with Chinese Food” chapter of Food Americana. (Photo by Robert Birnbach.)

on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives as a series, although they told me in the first couple of weeks when the first couple of episodes scored very well, they did confide in me, “This thing’s not going to have legs. There just aren’t that many restaurants.”

Six09: Did you ever imagine that it would explode the way that it did?

DP: I had no idea. I had been trying for quite awhile to land a show of my own. At that point, the initial feeling of success was just getting something bought and put on the air. I did not expect it to become the national phenomenon it did, although, at the risk of sounding egotistical, I had a deep belief in doing the show in a certain way, a way that held to my editorial standards, the same ones that I used when I was running investigations on 20/20.

I had a certain vision for how to cut it, how to put it together, how to make it look. The fact that it became such a big hit in retrospect, some of it is lightning in a bottle. Some of it is that Guy is an incredible television character.

But I’m very delighted to see that the show that became hit was the show that I put together according to a certain vision.

Six09: It does seem that the show and Food Americana kind of share some common themes. Did the show help you segue into writing? Did you take anything from the show with you while you were writing the book?

DP: Yes—a continually growing appreciation for the role that real food plays in America, and the role it plays, especially brought out doing this pandemic, in bringing us together.

It’s been more than a year now, and I think people are yearning to sit across a table with each other and just talk.

More than anything, I think I was pleasantly surprised by the nature of people who put their all into independently owned restaurants. That community has just been massively hit by lack of business, and many, many independent restaurants have gone out of business.

Six09: Tell me a little bit about the intersection of food and pop culture. Why do you think people are so fascinated with shows like Triple D, things like your book, firing off hot takes about food? What allows that to really grab people?

DP: The invention of the smartphone. We all have cameras. There has been a “foodie culture” for sometime, not a word I like, but there’s been a core group of people who use food to make them part of the cool crowd.

“I understand the difference between this dish and that.” as we spend more of our lives talking to people online, it makes perfect sense to start posting our pictures.

As for interest in it on television, clearly, that was the creation of the celebrity chef because, at its heart, TV is about hanging out with people you want to hang out with. Food is a constant in our lives. We have to eat. We have to interact with food. I think it’s a topic that has continual legs.

Six09: What was the research process for Food Americana? Were you inter viewing people? I’m sure you tried a lot of amazing dishes.

DP: First, I read more than 200 books. That number is not a joke. I read some cover-to-cover. Others I used as references for specific points.

I talked to a remarkable number of people, and it started with food historians and academics, because I really wanted to understand the structure behind each food and how each food developed to the place it is today without making it a boring history lesson. To make sure it wasn’t a history lesson, I sought out people vibrantly involved in where food stands today and told the stories through them as much as possible.

Six09: Did you travel?

DP: I did some traveling—one big trip, especially, to San Francisco, where I was able to meet Cecilia Chiang, probably the most influential voice in Chinese cooking in America over the last century, in her home just months before she passed away. She was 100.

See AMERICANA, Page 6

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Buffalo Chicken Wing Festival, took place before COVID broke out. Once COVID was here, big events were over.

Six09: Did you have any favorite inter views, recipes that you discovered or interactions with people throughout this process?

DP: Sure. To mention one or two is to slight all the others, but meeting Cecilia Chiang was a pretty remarkable thing. I walked into her apartment, high up in a building in Pacific Heights in San Francisco with a glorious view out the window.

This 100-year-old woman, put together like a fashion model, greets me wearing pearls. I had messed up the interview time, so she didn’t realize I was coming on this day, and she had a lunch ahead of her that had been scheduled, and yet, she graciously invited me in, and we talked for quite awhile. She went into the other room and came back with a manila envelope and pulled out an original menu from her restaurant, The Mandarin, show-

AMERICANA continued from Page 5

YEARS

I also went to pizza school out there. I went to a $1,000 Chinese dinner which, thankfully, we had been invited to by the owner of the restaurant, Eight Tables, which is an example of the developments in Chinese food in America right now. What he does is a sort of hybrid of the tastes and flavors of China reworked into incredible new dishes. It’s phenomenal. I went to an oyster farm on the Delaware Bay. I went to the 2019 Memphis in May barbecue competition, which many in the barbecue world consider the Super Bowl, to shadow a team that had won the previous year and was trying to repeat—the folks from The Shed down in Mississippi.

If you want to find out if they won, you can buy the book. In many other places, I used freelance journalists to experience things that I could not get to, such as going out on a lobster boat or visiting a sushi restaurant in an Oklahoma gas station. I was lucky that most of the big events, like Memphis in May and the

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Pizza school with Tony Gemignani, he is a remarkable figure and one of the leading lights in american pizza.

That was eye-opening and absolutely delightful.

I also enjoyed Memphis in May. The Orrison family, owners of The Shed, have been delightful, really lovely people since we first talked to them for Diners early on. I was welcomed with open arms and got to eat some of the finest pork I’ve ever had in my life.

Six09: What are some of your favorite Jersey restaurants or dishes?

DP: I actually included LaBamba, a Mexican restaurant here on LBI, because they make an incredible mole. The owners are from Puebla, which is one of the mole centrals in Mexico. Their mole on chicken is unbelievable.

I love the pizza at the Star Tavern in Orange. I used to live up in Glen Ridge. It is a perfect example of what a bar pie should be. It’s just something special. I love the various international restaurants in Newark. I love going to that area and deciding what kind of food I’m going to have.

There’s another restaurant here on LBI that’s extraordinary, The Gables.

It’s in an old house, and they do food that would be competitive with the priciest restaurant in New York City.

Just remarkable, high-end, not prohibitively expensive, really, really fine cooking.

Six09: How long have you lived on LBI? DP: We’ve had a house here for 25 years or so. When my daughter went to college, which was about 10 years ago, we moved here fullt-ime because it’s a great place to live, especially in the winter when the traffic lights are blinking and the speed limit goes back up.

Six09: Did you grow up in New Jersey?

DP: I was born in New York, grew up in western Massachusetts. I will admit something ugly. When my wife and I were newly married and living in New York City, she said, “We need to go someplace for vacation this summer.

How about the Jersey Shore?” I said, “New Jersey?” My only view of New Jersey was driving into New York to see my grandparents and passing refinery after refinery. The air smelled like something noxious. I said, “What are you talking about?” She said, “You don’t know New Jersey.” We came down here to LBI and rented half a house for a couple of weeks, and I was hooked.

I also firmly believe, having been lucky enough to dine all over Europe, Africa and the Middle East, that Long Beach Island still produces one of the finest single food items on the face of the Earth. I believe that the scallops brought in here are absolutely the pinnacle. They’re remarkable.

Six09: What about the scallops makes them so good?

DP: Well, they’re sweet as hell, firm, if you cook them up nice and simple, just

The pulled pork sandwich from The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint, which David Page says is the best he’s ever had. (Photo courtesy of The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint.)

a little butter. By the way, people flip scallops. You shouldn’t flip scallops. They’re small enough that once you’ve gotten enough heat to caramelize a crust on one side, take them out of the pan. They’ll continue cooking on their own. One of the things I hope people get a sense of from the book is that the best food is the food of a place.

When I go somewhere, I want to eat what they produce, that they have been cooking for years. We have great food on LBI. Tuna, monkfish, terrific crab.

Locality has become a buzzword of food trendiness, but it isn’t trendiness, in my view, if you’re smart enough to eat what’s best where it came from. For example, most people eat tomatoes that have been genetically modified to be perfectly round so they can fit into uniform packing containers. I prefer an ugly, misshapen Jersey tomato, which came out of the ground not that far from me and which I will put up against any of the best tomatoes from Italy. A good Jersey tomato, which is only available around a certain time of year, is a remarkable experience.

Six09: That’s exactly why my mom and stepdad grow their own.

DP: You get a good Jersey tomato, some fresh mozzarella, olive oil, basil, and you’ve got a caprese to kill for. It’s just a wonderful thing. I was in Iraq for NBC before the first Gulf War, and not a lot of people wanted to go in. The hours were long, the work was very difficult, the conditions were terrible. By the time the government kicked me out, I was fried. I asked the Rome bureau to book me back to Frankfurt with a layover in Rome, specifically at the Hassler Hotel.

It was the kind of place that was used to odd requests.

I asked the bureau to tell them that I hadn’t had a fresh vegetable in weeks, and that after I checked in, could they please deliver a caprese to my room.

Nanoseconds after checking in, there’s a rap on the door. Room service comes in with a massive silver tray. He puts it down and takes off an equally massive cover, and there must be 30 pieces of caprese. I said to myself, “I’ll never eat all of this.” And guess what, I did. There was tomato glop dripping down my chin, but I felt like I was back in the world.

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Tipple and Rose brings tea time to Pennington

By Joe Emanski

Pennington got a welcome and unexpected jolt last summer when Doria Roberts and Calavino Donati popped up with The Pig + the Pit, a new restaurant offering a unique mix of southern and vegan cuisine.

The response was so strong at times that they sometimes had to take the phone off the hook — or more accurately, disable the online ordering form — to keep up with the high demand.

The Pig + the Pit was the first business that the couple opened after they moved from Atlanta to New Jersey at the end of 2019. This year they have introduced a second, and this time it’s a concept that they brought with them.

Tipple and Rose Tea Parlor and Some of the many varieties of tea on display and available for purchase Apothecary, at 12 N. Main St., opened at Tipple and Rose Tea Parlor and Apothecary. in February, just a few doors down from The Pig + the Pit. In Atlanta, Tipple and Rose became the country for traditional English-style day when she can recreate the tea parlor experience for customers in the new known for its selection of whole and afternoon tea service.

Because of the ongoing coronavirus space. loose leaf teas and its scones and macarUntil that day, Tipple and Rose is ons, as well as for its tea-brewing acces- pandemic, Tipple and Rose isn’t seating sories, honey, candles, bath and body customers for afternoon tea. However, it offering take-out as well as tea-service products and more. It also gained rec- does have just about everything else it catering. For special occasions, like ognition from Travel and Leisure maga- had become known for in Atlanta — and Mothers Day, the store will have gift zine in 2018 as one of the best places in Roberts says she looks forward to the boxes and other specials.

8SIX09 | May 2021

Everything available in the shop skews toward the artisanal and the small-batch. Roberts makes the scones herself. Honey comes from Zach and Zoe Sweet Bee Farm in Hunterdon County or Savannah Bee Company in Savannah, Georgia. Candles come from Yo Soy Candle of Portland, Oregon and Wax Apothecary of Idyllwild, California, among other purveyors.

There are handmade kitchen towels from The Coin Laundry in Bozeman, Montana and room sprays from Commonwealth Provisions of Fredericksburg, Virginia. Also popular has been their selection of nonalcoholic gins and whiskeys. Roberts sees herself as a curator, filling the store with boutique items that she likes that make homes homier or that would make great gifts.

But the heart of the business remains the teas, of which they are some 140 kinds available for purchase. There are black teas, green teas, white teas, oolong teas, herbal teas, fruit teas, chai — basically any kind of tea one could want. Each tea on the shelves is accompanied by an ingredient list with tasting notes, and customers are welcome to take a whiff of any that they think might be to their liking.

anybody was going to come. I thought I’d be sitting in the corner, drinking tea and writing in my journal. But we ended up getting really busy, really fast.”

Afternoon tea service — often (improperly) referred to as high tea

by Americans — turned out to be just what Atlanta was looking for. As is traditional, Tipple and Rose’s afternoon tea would be served with three courses on a tiered platter. One tier for savories and sandwiches, one for scones and one for sweets, including macarons.

“I have to say it was a lot of fun, just a nice afternoon,” Roberts says. “You could come in and have a quiet lunch in an elegant space. That’s what we wanted, to create something a little different, but still affordable and accessible.”

By 2018, the tea parlor was successful enough to gain national recognition from Travel and Leisure Magazine as an afternoon tea destination. But in December 2019, after Roberts’ mother had suffered a heart attack and a stroke, RobCandles and teapots on display at erts and Donati closed all their Atlanta restaurants and moved north to be Tipple and Rose. nearer to her.

Only once Roberts’ mother was sufGreg Powers The store also sells a variety of tea- ficiently recovered did Roberts and pots, tea presses, infusers and other Donati start looking for a place in the HIC#13VH10598000 HIC#13VH06880500 supplies designed to help make the per- area suitable for starting their restauCOMPLETED STONEsays FIREPLACE rant group back up OUTDOOR again. Roberts fect cup of tea. Occupancy is limited toRECENTLY 10 customers because of the pandemic, that after they took a look at the culiand masks are also required, but Rob- nary landscape in the area, they decided erts says it is possible to smell the teas that Tipple and Rose would be the easithrough any but the most heavy-duty of est concept to transition from Atlanta to New Jersey. They even trucked all the masks.

Shoppers who do not feel knowledge- decor up from Georgia with plans to re• ReNew Masonry Patio design and construction able enough to choose teas on their own create the old shop.

Then Covid-19 hit, throwing everycan ask for assistance from a member • 25 years doing the same work-masonry design, construction, of Tipple and Rose’s trained staff. “We thing up in the air. Instead of going restoration, and repair always tell people there’s somebody ahead with Tipple and Rose, Donati • Our patios and brick paver driveways are guaranteed not to settle here willing to follow you around, or not, and Roberts chose to sublet the former and if you have a question or need a little Eclair Café at 20 N. Main St., which had and backed by our LIFETIME WARRANTY help, everyone is well versed in every- closed at the start of the pandemic.

• Outdoor kitchens, outdoor fireplaces, private courtyards, lighted There they created an entirely new thing, so just ask.” concept, The Pig + the Pit, which will cel*** pillars Roberts grew up in Mercer County ebrate a year in business in July and has • We offer a huge selection of concrete pavers for patios & driveways and graduated from Princeton Day been successful enough that they have School in 1989. She went on to attend the officially taken over the lease.

• We offer over 30 varieties of natural stone for unique patios Though they are planning a special University of Pennsylvania, then spent • 99% of the time, you call me and get me live...no answering many years on the road as a singer-song- event to mark the anniversary, Roberts machines! If I’m on the phone, you get an immediate call back. I’m writer, performing on her own and with says it is too early to provide any details. headliners like John Mayer, Indigo Girls However, she says that customers can punctual and on time! look forward to some new things from and Sarah McLachlan.

• View some of our work and customer testimonials at ReNewMason.com She met Donati, already an estab- The Pig + the Pit this summer, possibly lished chef-restaurateur, in Atlanta, and including barbecued meats in bulk.

• I have long term employees for over 20 years.

As they plan for parties and new prodin 2008, she took a step back from music • We love what we do and would love to hear your ideas! and a step into Atlanta’s highly competi- ucts at The Pig + the Pit, they also continue to develop and refine Tipple and tive culinary scene.

After seven years of that, during Rose as it settles into its new home.

We fix all masonry problems...

“It took a lot of time to curate what’s which Roberts and Donati had opened, operated and expanded several popu- here, and we are still learning about the it’s our passion! lar and well reviewed restaurants, she neighborhood and the market, still seewas ready to try something a little less ing what people want,” Roberts says.

MASONRY RENOVATION REPAIR Repair | Rebuild AND | Restore “We have pretty merchandise and peointense.

“I was like, ‘I just don’t want to do ple are finding lots of interesting and We fix all masonry problems... it’s our passion! another restaurant,’” Roberts says. “I unique stuff. Folks have been enjoying Repair | Rebuild | Restore had transitioned from full-time music to finding a little bit of something to get as doing the restaurants and found it wasn’t gifts for family and friends.”

Steps • Walls • Patio • Concrete Greg Powers Tipple and Rose Tea Parlor and really my personality.”

Loose Railings • Blue Stone Specialists They opened in the Virginia-Highland Apothecar y, 12 N. Main St., PenningHIC#13VH10598000 HIC#13VH06880500 Basement Waterproofing neighborhood in 2015. Roberts wasn’t ton NJ 08534. Web: tippleandrose.com.

Brick Driveways • Belgian Block RECENTLY COMPLETED OUTDOOR STONE FIREPLACE 303-0277.

Open Tuesday certain that Tipple and Rose would be Phone: (609) Walkways and Patio Construction a smash, and she also wasn’t especially through Thursday, from noon to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 concerned if it was.

Replacement of Cracked Limestone Steps “I wanted it to be a calm sort of por- p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. tion of our restaurant group, something Customers at Tipple and Rose get disGreg Powers that I could find emotionally manage- counts on orders at The Pig + the Pit, HIC#13VH10598000 HIC#13VH06880500 able,” she says. “Honestly, I didn’t think and vice versa.

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Loaves, sandwiches and more at Bread Boutique

By Joe Emanski

Princeton’s carbohydrate-indulging population welcomed Eclair Café when it opened on Witherspoon Street in July 2019.

Not a year later, the French-inspired bakery-bistro was gone, a casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic. Owner-operator couple Marie-Mathilde Laplanche and Ron Suzuki shuttered both their Princeton and Main Street Pennington locations after the pandemic began, never to reopen.

Both locations are once again occupied: the Pennington store is now The Pig and the Pit barbecue (see story, page 8), and since February the Witherspoon Street location has been the home of Bread Boutique, the latest venture from the steadily growing Genesis Hospitality Group suite of restaurants, bakeries and cafés.

Hamilton-based Genesis is the force behind Bread Boutique, Chez Alice in Palmer Square, the Perch at Peacock Inn, Proof Pizza on Nassau Street, DiBartolo Bakery in Collingswood, and more. Genesis is also the owner of the building at 41 Witherspoon Street vacated by Eclair Café.

But Eben Copple, culinary director of Genesis, says that after Eclair Café closed, the group decided to make use of the storefront rather than lease it out again.

Genesis operates a central commissary in Hamilton where baked goods are made every day for all their restaurants, under the watchful eye of lead baker Ernesto Gonzalez, formerly of Eataly in New York.

Bread Boutique on Witherspoon Street in Princeton offers 12 to 15 different loaves of bread and eight types of rolls each day.

“Ernesto is very talented. He makes great bread. We knew we could handle more production than we could produce for the restaurants. Eclair Café left due to Covid, so we found the space empty, and thought it would be the right size for us to put together a retail front,” Copple says.

Bread Boutique sells a variety of bread loaves and rolls, including regular baguettes, seeded baguettes, sourdough bread, focaccia, multigrain and more. “Every day, we probably have 12 to 15 varieties of whole loaves of bread

and eight varieties of rolls,” Copple says.

“It changes as the week goes on, but there’s a pretty steady core of products that we have regularly.”

The café rotates in other breads like zucchini bread, challah and babka, seasonally or on weekends. Also regularly on offer are their viennoisseries like croissants, pain au chocolat, and cheese danish, which Copple says have been very popular.

Bread Boutique also does a brisk sandwich business. The shop has 10 to 12 different sandwiches available for purchase

every day, including breakfast sandwiches like pork roll, egg and cheese on a croissant ($7). Other sandwiches on offer include roast beef and cheddar on baguette ($9), cured meats and mozzarella on focaccia ($10), pastrami on rye ($10) and egg salad on brioche ($7).

Soups, egg salad, tuna salad, chicken salad are also available by the half pint and pint.

Witherspoon Street has become quite the destination for carb loaders in the past decade. Terra Momo Bread Company (formerly Witherspoon Bread Company), House of Cupcakes and Olive’s of Princeton already offered a wide variety of baked goods and have loyal followings.

But Copple says business has been steady, especially on weekends, and he says more than 40% of customers return.

“It’s humbling to see,” he says. “We had an idea for something that we liked and it’s really great to see people enjoying what we’re putting out there.”

Copple says this may be just the start of something as far as both Bread Boutique and Genesis’ baking operations go.

“I was a chef for many years in the area, and there aren’t really any local bread wholesalers selling high quality artisan bread any more,” he says. “That’s something that we’re really looking into, because we have the capacity to do it.”

Bread Boutique, 41 Witherspoon St., Princeton NJ 08540. Web: bread-boutique.com. Phone: (609) 423-2096. Open Saturday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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May 2021 | SIX0911

mercercamps The Central New Jersey Ballet Theatre Great Dance Instruction in a State-of-the-Art Studio How do you make a great dance academy even greater? Create a premier space where dancers, performers, and dreamers can soar even further. The Central New Jersey Ballet Theatre has done just that and is proud to announce summer at its state-of-the-art location at 221 Broad Street, Florence.

This year CNJBT will be offering three exciting summer programs!

Dance Camp for ages 6 to 12 years, July 12 through 23, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Summer Intensive for the intermediate to advanced dancers in August with three weeks to choose from: August 2 through 6 and August 9 through 13, 5:15 to 9 p.m., and August 16 through 20, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Students can sign up for one, two or all three weeks! Master instructors from national-level companies from

Philadelphia and New York! For the levels offered CNJBT is the LEAST EXPENSIVE in the area!

Last year our master teachers were Pennsylvania Ballet principals Sterling Baca and Lillian DiPiazza, some of the best dancers in the country!

This year’s musical theater camp

is Disney’s The Lion King Musical for ages 6 1/2 to 14, August 2 through 13, Monday through Friday day camp! All camps are at limited enrollment, are socially distanced, and follow the CDC guidelines to keep all campers safe!

Auditions for lead roles for Lion King will be on Saturday, May 15, starting at 3 p.m. at the CNJBT. Students are to contact the CNJBT if they wish to audition, though everyone registered will receive a role! Can’t make the audition?

Video auditions are welcome!

The musical will be performed on Friday, August 13, in Florence.

For both the Disney’s Lion King and Dance Camp, there is before and aftercare available for an extra cost. Dance Camp will consist of classes in ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, hip hop, and more! Summer Intensive will have a variety of instructors from world-renowned companies and programs teaching ballet, pointe,

contemporary, and more!

Owner and Artistic Director Alisha Cardenas expresses the excitement that the new space has created. “The 4,500-squarefoot space, in Florence, allows us to expand and improve our programs and still be local to our core community of Bordentown, Chesterfield, Hamilton, Hamilton Square, Trenton, Princeton, Burlington Township and City, Yardville, Mount Laurel, Mount Holly, and Columbus. We are in the heart of town and now have a 4,500-square-foot room that can be opened into a state-of-the-art performance space. The studio is convenient to both the NJ Turnpike, I-295, Highway 206, Highway 130, and the Pennsylvania state line via the Turnpike Bridge.

“There will be something offered for everyone! Our new facility is dedicated to my late mother, who was my inspiration, naming it the Christine Cardenas Center for Performing Arts Education.

She encouraged so many artists, dancers, and dreamers,” says Cardenas. “We are particularly proud to have one of the area’s only professional-quality sprung dance floors. For the summer intensive we bring in professional dancers from major companies that are based out of New York City and Philadelphia!”

CNJBT is also registering for fall dance!

For more information and to register please call the CNJBT at 609-424-3192 or through the website: www.cnjballet.com.

Central NJ Ballet Theatre 221 Broad Street, Florence 08518.

609-424-3192 www.cnjballet.com.

See ad, page 13.

Summer is for Singing at Camp Westrick!

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12SIX09 | May 2021

Camp College Register now for Mercer County Community College’s Camp College Summer Youth Camp!

Camp College’s summer camp program is located on the campus of Mercer County Community College in West Windsor, New Jersey. Camp will begin June 21 with in-person camp activities for children ages 6 to 16.

Mercer County Community College’s Camp College mission is to provide the finest camp experience for children — one that will be remembered for a lifetime.

Camp College’s top priority is to keep everyone healthy and safe while having fun. They are prepared to follow the Board of Health safety guidelines to make this the best summer possible!

Camp College created a NEW and exciting Campus Kids Pods program format this summer. The pods include a variety of courses sure to please every camper. The Campus Kids Pods Program is divided into two sessions and operating MondayThursday (four days per week) from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

First session is from June 28 to July 15 and second session is July 19

to August 12. Campers will choose a specific age-appropriate pod per session, while staying together in small groups throughout the day.

The new Specialty Camp model is scheduled to specifically pair courses to create a weekly (Monday- Friday) full day experience, with some limited programs offered as a half-day option. Campers combine study in a variety of stimulating subject areas that emphasize intellectual growth and skills development with the fun of recreational activities.

A sampling of Specialty Camp courses being offered this summer include: DIY MOSAIC TABLETOP What could be better than learning

a ton of different painting styles and then creating your very own ceramic table? We will be working on a variety of ceramic and mosaic techniques as we create this awesome side table. We will use specialty painting techniques and work on creating a theme that brings all pieces into a coordinated finished piece.

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PHYSICS, FLIGHT, ROCKETRY & MINI DRONES Have fun playing with all things having to do with the science of flight, physics and rocketry. We will build a variety of strange flying gadgets using household materials, make gliders, helicopters, paper airplanes, and unique toys that fly. We will learn about the forces of flight by flying minidrones. Students will build, launch, and experiment with water, air, and other types of rockets. All students will take home a mini-drone, balloonpowered rocket buggy, and flying “things” made in class.

And don’t forget Counselor-inTraining, Acting, Music, Culinary, Academic Prep and so much more!

Space is limited, so register early to avoid disappointment!

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SUMMER DANCE AT THE CNJBT! TO SOCIALLY DISTANCED, SAFE AND FUN! IN PERSON ANDTODAY VIRTUAL OPTIONS! ENROLL SIBLING DISCOUNTS! FOR FALL! REGISTER AND PAY BEFORE MAY 1ST BoysSTUDENT! and Girls! & TAKE $50 OFF PER Ages 3 and up Ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, hip hop,

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The Central NJ 6Ballet Theatre presents Beginners Ages thru 12 The Nutcracker 2017!

July 12th thru 23rd AMonday traditional holiday ballet for all ages! thru Friday 9am to 3pm Cost:1 week $399 • 28th weeks $499 December @ 7pm Villa Victoria Academy Theater, Ewing, NJ

Summer Tickets Intensive $20 adults, $15 kids Ballet, Pointe,Variations and Contemporary Intermediate to Advanced Ages 10 and up Master Instructors from National Level Companies Cost: 1 week $549 • 2 weeks $699 • 3 weeks $799

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Week 3: August 16th 10th thru @ 20th 9 am to 2pm Cost: $499 and $299 each additional sibling!

December 2pm Carslake Community Center, Bordentown, NJ Sponsored by Bordentown Home for Funerals

609.424.3192 • W: www.cnjballet.com • 221 Broad St, Florence, NJ 08518 Group tickets available though Central NJ TheP:Central NJ Ballet Theatre presents Ballet Theatre or Donations at theMay door!2021 | SIX0913 The Nutcracker 2017!

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CAMP COLLEGE IS OPERATING INPERSON THIS SUMMER AND ENROLLMENT IS NOW OPEN! NEW this year at Camp College: “Campus Kids Pods” includes courses sure to please every camper. ‘Pods’ stay together in small groups throughout the day.

“Specialty Camp” specifically pairs courses to create a full-day experience, with some limited programs offered as a half-day option.

Camp College’s top priority is to keep everyone healthy and safe this summer. We are following the College, CDC and Board of Health safety guidelines/precautions to make this the best summer possible!

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14SIX09 | May 2021

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WANTED TO BUY HappyHeroes used books looking to buy old Mysteries, Science Fiction, Children’s Illustrated, Signed books, kids series books (old Hardy boys-Nancy Drew-Judy Bolton-Dana girls, ect WITH DUST JACKETS in good shape), old postcards, non-sports cards, good conditioned pre 1975 paperbacks, old COSMOPOLITAN 1920’s-1940’s. Call 609-619-3480 or email happyheroes@gmail. com.

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Location: Zoom Meeting Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States, but many people don’t realize it is both preventable and treatable. Join DR. DANIEL LANDAU, a board certified and fellowship trained vascular neurologist from Capital Institute for Neurosciences, for an informative discussion of the signs and symptoms of stroke, how you can decrease your risk, and why time is critical if you or a loved one have a stroke.

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May 2021 | Princeton Echo9

THE ARTS

‘Reinvention’: Carole Jury shares her art for Share My Meals

P

rinceton-based artist Carole Jury exhibits a retrospective of her works at 19 Hulfish Street from May 4 through 9 in a show titled “Reinvention - Act. #1.”

“Reinvention” is an appropriate name for the exhibit that will benefit the Princeton-based nonprofit Share My Meals. The all-volunteer group started in early 2020 with a mission of reducing restaurant food waste and food insecurity in Princeton by collecting leftover meals and delivering them to individuals and families in need.

But when the pandemic hit, the nascent nonprofit shifted its operations to address a new need: helping the struggling restaurant industry and its employees. Share My Meals agreed to pay restaurants to prepare a certain number of meals that volunteers then collected and distributed to its clients.

The nonprofit has recently expanded its operations to include restaurants and clients in Lawrenceville, Montgomery, and Trenton.

“It was supposed to be a small activity, and all of a sudden there was larger visibility,” Share My Meals founder Isabelle Lambotte told U.S. 1, a sister paper to the Echo, in December. “Originally we started thinking of a budget of $50,000. This year we reached $300,000” — including support from the Princeton Area Community Foundation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, Sodexo, Blackrock, and the Merancas Foundation, which provided a matching grant.

The brainchild of Belgium-born Lambotte is now adding to its visibility with support from France-born artist Jury. Originally from Lyon, France, Jury has lived in Princeton for the past seven years with her husband, who came to the U.S. for his job in the

Artist Carole Jury, right, and images from her ‘Time Goes By,’ above left, and ‘Metal Song’ series.

chemical industry, and their three children. Her work combines photography with abstract painting.

In a statement on her website, caroeljury.com, she notes, “ “A painting needs to be made one’s own. It’s a kind of secret space where everyone can find one’s own personal refuge. Through painting, I feel anything is possible…

The viewer can imagine anything and everything he wants. My reliefs and colors allow for countless interpretations. Then, the viewer will have made my painting his own.”

The Princeton exhibit will be a retrospective of sorts, with works highlighting different series Jury has pursued over the years. The exhibit, curated by Nicole Bonifay of Gallery des Artistes in France, will move from Princeton to Jury’s hometown of Lyon for a threeday show in late June.

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The show at 19 Hulfish Street is and Sunday, May 9, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. free and open to the public Tuesday For more information on Share My through Thursday, May 4 through 6, Meals, visit www.sharemymeals.org. from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday and SatFor more on Carole Jury, visit www. urday, May 7 and 8, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; carolejury.com.

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May 2021 | Princeton Echo11

fthought od

Ficus Bon Vivant debuts seasonal art exhibitions

F

for

A note from Blue Bears Special Meals on its second anniversary

D

uring this ever-so chaotic year, belonging to a community has been essential in holding on to meaningful relationships and a purpose. As we all look forward to reunion, Blue Bears is planning a special celebration for our second anniversary of enabling young adults facing intellectual and development disorders to work and learn in a meaningful environment.

For our celebration ending on May 22, we will display a gallery of blue bears created by you, the exceptional talent in our community. How do you express your creativity? Will you sculpt a blue bear? Will you paint a blue bear? Will you knit or write a story or author a play or sew a blue bear costume? Let us finish out our isolation with creation!

Submissions are being accepted until Monday, May 10. Your blue bear can be quarantined on the shelving in our lobby if you are coming to visit us. You

may also virtually submit your blue bear to info@ bluebears.org. Our esteemed judges (our young adult team) will meet in time to announce the prize winners at our grand celebration on Saturday, May 22.

Prizes will be gift certificates for our special meals of international food. You may also see your creation on our social media channels under the hashtag #bluebearscelebration. We look forward to our reunion, your entry, and our grand celebration.

Blue Bears Special Meals is located in the Princeton Shopping Center and is open Mondays through Saturdays for dine-in eating and curbside pickup.

Visit www.bluebears.org.

icus Bon Vivant, which opened its ground-level cafe on Nassau Street last year, is presenting its first art exhibit as it prepares its upstairs space, Ficus Above, for fine dining.

The restaurant will host an open house for the first of its seasonal art exhibitions on Sunday, May 16, from noon to 3 p.m. Light refreshments will be served at the BYOB reception. Attendance is limited to 50 guests, and free tickets are available online via EventBrite.

The exhibit, titled “Serendipity,” features the works of Yardley-based oil painter Renee Egan; Skillman mixed media artist Spriha Gupta, who mixes colors and textures to create organic forms on canvas; Hopewell-based sculptor and photographer Rory Mahon; and Princeton resident Helene Mazur, who works primarily in oil paint. It is on view through August 4.

In a statement, the restaurant explains its vision for the upstairs space: “This multi-room space is where patrons can take in artwork that changes over to a new exhibit each season. The dining experience at Ficus is enhanced by both visual arts, displayed on feature walls with high ceilings, and a culinary art experience due to a modern, open kitchen design where chefs can be seen preparing food, enticing our aroma senses. Not only do the patrons show more appreciation for the food they see being cooked, but the chefs perform better and find inspiration from seeing the diners enjoy their dishes. This is where artwork, chefs, and customers can see eye to eye.”

Ficus Bon Vivant, 253 Nassau Street. www.ficusbv. com.

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The Princeton Parklet returns

T

he fifth iteration of the Arts Council of Princeton’s “parklet” has been installed, this time outside of Chez Alice at 5 Palmer Square West.

The original parklet was installed outside of Small World Coffee on Witherspoon Street in 2015, and in 2017 JaZams toy store hosted the interactive “energy playground parklet.” The parklet returned to Small World in 2018 and 2019. 2020 saw the pandemic-induced transformation of Witherspoon Street into a one-way road with many

parking spaces repurposed to accommodate outdoor dining.

That change persists in 2021, so the same parklet designed by architect James Hobart Weiss in 2017 has found a new home. Chez Alice has added its own flair to the space, with dangling wisteria and French bistro-inspired furnishings.

“After a year of keeping our distance, we’re ready to enjoy the simple pleasure of having a coffee with a friend in the fresh air and sunshine”, says Arts Council artistic director Maria Evans.

“We’re so happy to be back in 2021 to make some good memories in a beautiful new location.”

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HAPPENING M

For complete listings of upcoming events visit www.princetoninfo.com/ events.

B

uilding on the success of its March “Art of the Perfect Cup” presentation in partnership with Small World Coffee, the Arts Council of Princeton has two more events at the intersection of art and food on the calendar for May. On Tuesday, May 11, at 7 p.m. the Lawrenceville-based “Kitchen Twins,” Emily and Lyla Allen, present “The Art of Teens in the Kitchen.” The 17-yearold cooks lead the audience in the preparation of an Instagram-worthy meal of gnocchi and dark chocolate pudding. Registration for the Zoombased, family-friendly program is $35.

To please the adult palate the Arts Council hosts “The Art of Wine Tasting with Kevin Zraly” on Saturday, May 22, at 5 p.m. Zraly, the recipient of a James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award, leads his famous “One Hour Wine Expert Course.” The “Wine Experience Package,” $500, includes four bottles of wine selected by Zraly as well as a cheese and charcuterie board prepared by Olsson’s Fine Foods in Palmer Square. Proceeds from the event ben-

Princeton Symphony Orchestra’s Brass Quintet performs May 27 at Morven.

efit the Arts Council’s outreach programs, which support seniors in community housing, low-income students, and homeless youth.

The Arts Council’s May exhibit honors the life and work of the late Leslie Kuenne, a long-time Princeton resident and supporter of the arts who died of ovarian cancer in 2019 at the age of 58. Kuenne, who served on the boards of the Arts Council and McCarter Theatre, worked in paint, pen-and-ink, and

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photography. A collection of her works will be on view from May 15 through June 19. www.artscouncilofprinceton. org.

M

cCarter Theater is taking the show on the road — to Palmer Square —where it is presenting a series of free outdoor concerts on Sunday afternoons from 4 to 6 p.m. through June 20. Performers scheduled for the five Sundays in May include country duo October Rose on May 2; the Esteem All Stars with rock, pop, oldies, R&B, and swing on May 9; Jersey Shore staple Pat Guadagno on May 16; the seven-piece Suyat Band on May 23; and the Jeiris Cook Trio led by singer/songwriter, producer, and R&B artist Cook on May 30. www.mccarter.org.

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14Princeton Echo | May 2021

cCarter Theater is not the only venue moving to the social-distancing friendly great outdoors. Princeton Symphony Orchestra has again partnered with Morven Museum & Gardens to present a series of Thursday evening chamber concerts outdoors at the historic residence.

The May 6 series-opening concert, “Springtime Strings,” showcases the PSO Strings. On the program are Jessie Montgomery’s “Strum” and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Serenade for Strings.”

On May 13 “Boyd Meets Girl” features the duo of Australian guitarist Rupert Boyd and American cellist Laura Metcalf. The pair are known for an eclectic and engaging range of repertoire.

Momenta Quartet performs May 20. The quartet’s artistic vision encompasses contemporary music of all aesthetic backgrounds alongside great music from the recent and distant past.

Its members are Emilie-Anne Gendron and Alex Shiozaki, violins; Stephanie Griffin, viola; and Michael Haas, cello.

Concluding the spring series on May 27, the “America the Beautiful” concert includes works by American composers performed by the PSO Brass Quintet. Quintet members are Jerry Bryant and Thomas Cook, trumpets; Lars Wendt, trombone; Jonathan Clark, horn; and Jonathan Fowler, tuba.

Performances begin at 6 p.m. at Morven, 155 Stockton Street. Pod seating is available for groups of up to four people. Tickets cost $35 per pod.

Masks are required at all times. www. princetonsymphony.org.

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hile Princeton University Art Museum remains closed as it prepares for construction to begin on its new space this summer (The Echo, April 2021), the museum is continuing to provide a range of virtual programming, beginning with its first virtual gala on Saturday, May 1. Tickets start at $250; or pay-what-you-can for access to the Zoom broadcast only.

Other highlights of the museum’s May calendar include a talk on Thursday, May 23, by Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan, two alumni from the Class of 1973 who are the authors of the new biography “Francis Bacon: Revelations.” The conversation with museum director James Steward takes place at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom.

The following evening, on May 21 at 5:30 p.m., Steward takes center stage with a presentation on Zoom titled “A New Art Museum for Princeton: A Hub for University Life.” Registration is required for these free events. artmuseum.princeton.edu.

P

rinceton Public Library, Not In Our Town Princeton, and the Princeton Civil Rights Commission are among the multiple Mercer County-area organizations hosting a virtual talk on school segregation in New Jersey on Thursday, May 13, at 6 p.m.

The featured speaker is Elise Bodie, a law professor at Rutgers who was recently appointed to the Commission on the Supreme Court. Bodie teaches constitutional law, civil rights, and state and local government law, and her research focuses on the spatial regulation of race and how dynamic systems perpetuate racial inequality. She is also the director of The Inclusion Project at Rutgers Law School. She was previously director of litigation for the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc., and serves on the boards of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice and the New Jersey Coalition for Diverse & Inclusive Schools.

Her talk, “Struggling for the Soul of Public Education,” will address the peculiar challenges of integration in the North and why school segregation is a threat to public education and to

democracy. After her talk, Boddie will be in conversation with Lynda Dodd, a lecturer in public affairs at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs, who specializes in civil rights and constitutional law.

The talk is free, but registration is required. https://tinyurl.com/BoddieDodd.

L

abyrinth Books wraps up its academic year programming with three presentations by authors from the faculties of Princeton University and the Institute for Advanced Study.

The first features Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Princeton director of creative writing Jhumpa Lahiri, whose new novel, “Whereabouts,” is her first in nearly a decade. Lahiri, who wrote the novel in Italian and translated it into English, appears in conversation with Bryn Mawr College Italian scholar and translator Alessandro Giammei on Monday, May 3, at 6 p.m. Tickets to the virtual event cost $28 and include a signed copy of the book.

Next up, on Tuesday, May 11, at 6 p.m. is Jonathan Haslam, a professor in the School of Historical Studies at the Institute. He appears in conversation with Rutgers history professor David Foglesong to discuss his new book, “The Spectre of War: International Communism and the Origins of World War II.” In it Haslam examines the influence of a global fear of communism on the outbreak of World War II. The virtual event is free, but registration is required.

Labyrinth’s final presentation features Princeton University classics scholar Dan-El Padilla Peralta in conversation with classicists Hannah Čulík-Baird of Boston University and Liv Mariah Yarrow of the City University of New York on Thursday, May 20, at 6 p.m.

The topic is Peralta’s book, “Divine Institutions: Religions and Community in the Middle Roman Republic,” which focuses on the ways in which religious ritual united a growing and diversifying Roman Republic. Register online for the free event. www.labyrinthbooks.com.

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