Northwest Bergen, NJ February 2022

F E B R UA RY 2 022 | TH E LO C A L LOV E I S S U E

Local Love A R T S + C U LTU R E

LES PAU L, ELECTRIFIED

JONAS K. SEIGEL Partner

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Volvo Cars Ramsey

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888 341 0609 VolvoCarsRamsey.com

February 2022 PUBLISHER

Marc Schwartz | marc.schwartz@citylifestyle.com EDITOR

Kris Pepper | kris.pepper@citylifestyle.com

LIFESTYLE LETTER

AD DESIGNER

We're Crushin' on Creativity This Month!

Matthew Endersbe

“There is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.” ― Vincent Van Gogh That quote from my favorite artist sums up our February issue. Artistic expression can communicate many thoughts and ideas, but what is more essential than love?

The message is timely after being subjected to two years of pandemic life. We’ve been sick, tired, frustrated, and confused. There is disagreement among us on how to deal with the issues. Schools and Broadway venues were closed, opened, then closed again. Frustration plays a role in our everyday interactions with the ones we love.

I want this issue to encourage our readers to take a break from the rigors of living in the pandemic and explore music, art, or another type of artistic expression. Creativity brings out the best in us all.

Music lovers—stop by the Mahwah Museum’s Les Paul exhibit and gain a new appreciation for this local pioneer of modern music and the solid-body guitar. A true “guitar hero,” Les Paul was an innovator who transformed rock n’ roll music to what we know today.

If brushes and canvases suit your style, you’ll enjoy meeting Eric Alexander Santoli. This accomplished young artist shares his talents with students of all ages and has some interesting insights on education and the arts.

As February is traditionally the month of love, we’ve compiled four “out of the box” Valentine’s ideas to shake up your typical date night. If you prefer a quiet evening at home, curl up with a good book. This month, Lucy Probert suggests four fascinating life stories to discover from your cozy reading nook. Pick one and read on. Pick a few and read until the spring thaw!

Wishing you warmth and love this Valentine’s Day!

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Sarah Flannery | sarah.flannery@citylifestyle.com, Little Nest Portraits, Ridgewood Donna Gould | donna.gould@citylifestyle.com STAFF WR ITER

Lucy Probert | lucy.probert@citylifestyle.com STAFF PHOTOGR APHER

Michael Malandra

Corporate Team CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt CHIEF SALES OFFICER Matthew Perry CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DeLand Shore CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Randy Radosevich CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER Bruce Ianni DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA Mindy Hargesheimer ART DIRECTOR Sara Minor OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Janeane Thompson AD MANAGER Chad Jensen WEB APPLICATIONS Michael O’Connell

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Proverbs 3:5-6 Northwest Bergen Lifestyle™ is published monthly by Lifestyle Publications LLC. It is distributed via the US Postal Service to some of the Northwest Bergen area’s most affluent neighborhoods.

Articles and advertisements do not necessarily reflect Lifestyle Publications’ opinions. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent. Lifestyle Publications does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. Information in Northwest Bergen Lifestyle™ is gathered from sources considered

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L I F E ST Y LE LE T T E R

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F E B R UA RY 2 0 2 2

inside the issue The Local Love Issue

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26

32

14

F E ATU R E D

D E PA RTM E NTS

14 Mahwah’s Les Paul

4

Lifestyle Letter

10

Business Monthly

14

Local Limelight

20

Maker’s Studio

26

Locally Sourced

32

Inspired By

A Musical Legacy

20 Eric Alexander Santoli Talent by the Brushstroke

26 Cupid’s Tips for Valentine’s Day Fun Think Outside the Candy Box

32 Life Stories Worth Exploring Four Inspiring Biographies

O N T H E C OV E R

Photography: Courtesy of the Les Paul Foundation Cover Photo: Les Paul

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A RTS + C U LTU R E A RTS + C U LTU R E ENT ERTA I NM E N T

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F E B R UA RY 2 0 2 2

business monthly A round-up of exciting news from local businesses.

Bubble Lounge Dog Spa Now Open in Ramsey The Bubble Lounge Dog Spa provides grooming services in a caring environment and safe haven for your pets. The salon provides owners and their companions with a safe, cage-free environment where every client is treated like family. Bubble Lounge carries only the highest quality and safest products, all made in the USA, and their staff is professionally trained for all breeds, temperaments, and ages. Stop by for a free coat evaluation and price quote. bubbleloungedogspa.com

Wish Upon a Pastry Opens in Midland Park Wish Upon a Pastry is located at 26 Goffle Road, Suite 6 in Midland Park. Michelle and Torre are professional, self-taught chefs, and owners/operators of the business. Specializing in a variety of creative cookies and cakes, Wish Upon a Pastry creates customized confections and will turn your pastry dream into an edible delight for any event. wishuponapastry.com

Cabana Coffee Company to Open in Glen Rock Cabana Coffee Co., a new coffee shop from Bruce Pettineo will be opening at 1014 South Maple Avenue in Glen Rock, replacing Sparkle Jewelry. Cabana offers specialty coffee beans roasted in-house from around the world, including bourbon barrel-aged coffee using empty barrels from distilleries. They will also offer barista-crafted espresso drinks, infused-cold brews, and more. The opening date has not yet been announced. cabanacoffeeco.com

If you want to be included, send us a message!

Visit CityLifestyle.com/NorthwestBergen to get in touch.

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LOCA L LIM E LIGH T | A RTS + CULTURE

Mahwah’s Les Paul A MUSICAL LEGACY

ARTICLE BY KRIS PEPPER PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL MALANDRA

The Les Paul exhibit at the Mahwah Museum is a must-see.

Northwest Bergen residents can soak in some of the storied history of rock n’ roll music without heading to its Hall of Fame in Cleveland—although Les Paul is featured there, too. The exhibit illustrates the many musical innovations that Les Paul introduced to the world throughout the mid-1900s. He is the only person to receive recognition in both the Inventor’s Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Ken Pokrowski, Member of Board of Trustees and Chair of Les Paul in Mahwah Committee at the Mahwah Museum, filled us in on the accomplishments of this local legend.

“Up until the early ’50s, guitars were all acoustic,” says Pokrowski. “They were used in folk music and acoustic blues numbers. As bigger bands gained a following, there was no CONTINUED >

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“The range of people he influenced ran from Bing Crosby to Paul McCartney, to Jeff Beck, and everyone in between.”

amplification for guitars, so they were just considered accompaniment, not the main feature of the band. They were never in the forefront of the band.”

Paul, along with innovators like Leo Fender and Paul Bigsby, experimented with solid-body guitars which could be amplified without feedback. This changed the face of music by putting the guitar front and center and introducing “guitar bands” to the masses through groups like The Beach Boys, Bill Haley & His Comets, and the Beatles.

“Les Paul was always looking for that perfect sound,” says Ken. “The range of people he influenced ran from Bing Crosby to Paul McCartney, to Jeff Beck, and everyone in between.”

Ken’s mission is to share the story of Paul’s legacy that sprung out of Mahwah, his home of 60 years. Paul made numerous contributions to contemporary music as a celebrity in his own right, but also through his inventions of multi-track recording and solid-body guitar design.

Audio-recording history is displayed, including Paul’s Ampex 300, which pioneered

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LOCA L LIM E LIGH T | A RTS + CULTURE

multitrack recording. Its predecessor, the Lathe, is also exhibited. This piece originated sound-on-sound technology because it could record music directly onto a record.

The museum also has an 8-track stack mixer on display which combined eight tracks into a single recording.

The permanent exhibit shares vintage photographs of Les Paul with Bing Crosby, David Bowie, Paul McCartney, and Joan Jett. One of Paul’s favorite performance guitars, a 69 Gibson custom modified with a microphone output, is on display along with many other classic instruments owned

by Paul. Are you looking for a memorable experience for your favorite guitar hero?

Paul’s legacy to the museum stipulated that his guitars would continue to be played.

Call the museum and make an appointment to come in and play Les Paul’s guitar collection for only $25 for 45 minutes.

Expansion plans are underway to make the exhibit more experiential and kid-friendly. www.mahwahmuseum.org

The Lathe

Les Paul's Guitar Collection

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Eric Alexander

Santoli

Talent by the Brushstroke 20

M AK E R’S ST U D IO | ARTS + CULTURE

Talent flows everywhere throughout northwest Bergen County. Take Eric Santoli, for example.

A watercolor and drawing instructor, Eric is a Ridgewood resident who has international experience in the arts.

A 2014 BFA graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Eric also holds a certificate from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He’s currently a graduate student candidate for an MA in Studio Art at the Florence Academy of Art in Jersey City. He has taken classes in the Grand Central Atelier and has apprenticed in Anne Harris’s mural painting studio and Sotheby’s.

A 2018 trip to Spain and a visit to the Museo Sorolla in Madrid inspired his love to paint en plein air, meaning the artist paints directly from nature while being outside. “My inspirations are Claude Monet, John Singer Sargent, and Joaquín Sorolla,” says Eric. “Unfortunately, there’s a huge shift of artists who now paint strictly from photography, which means they are stepping further away from nature. Seeing the subject of a painting in person is different from working with a photo.

When I set up outside, it's 100 percent nature—as authentically as I can recapture it. A photo is a step removed from nature, and you’re missing something if you’re not doing it from life.”

Eric likens painting to journaling. “A big element of painting is creating a memory,” he remarks. “Like writing in a journal, I can look at a painting I created several years ago and remember where I was, what I was feeling, the weather, and the colors. That’s a big part of it for me.”

Along with teaching private lessons and classes at the Ridgewood Community School and Bergen Community College, Eric also paints commissioned works in oils and watercolors and enjoys both mediums.

“Watercolors are poetic and impressionistic,” he says. “They are easy to travel with and can be set up anywhere. Comparing watercolor work to painting in oils is like writing a poem versus a novel. Usually, commission or portrait work is done in oils, but I sometimes do a watercolor as a sketch first,” he says.

Growing up, Eric enjoyed athletics, especially tennis and squash. And, he liked to draw. “When I was in high school in Ridgewood, my classes got CONTINUED >

ARTICLE BY KRIS PEPPER PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARAH FLANNERY FEB R UARY 2 0 2 2 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/N ORTH W E ST BE R G E N

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“Creativity provides an escape—it takes your mind away from negativity. Whether it’s quilting, woodworking, or painting—any artistic outlet allows you to release your frustrations and emotions,” -ERIC SANTOLI

unexpectedly switched around. I ended up taking Denise Sivulich’s acrylic class, and she opened my eyes to the magic of painting. It clicked with me, and I realized it was what I wanted to do as a profession.”

Eric was recently awarded the Versailles Foundation's prestigious Munn Fellowship Artist Residency Award, allowing him to live and work in Claude Monet’s house and gardens in Giverny, France, for three months in 2023.

“I applied, not expecting to get accepted,” says Eric. “It was paradigm-shifting for me. It opened doors for me to exhibit in galleries and focus on my own painting. Many people took notice when I was awarded the fellowship.” This includes The Geary Gallery in Darien, Connecticut, where his work is exhibited.

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M AK E R’S ST U D IO | ARTS + CULTURE

As a lifelong student of art history, Eric has a passion for the stories of accomplished masters. “Many of us are familiar with the backgrounds of some of the major artists, but there are also fascinating stories of lesser-known artists, like Caravaggio, a prominent Italian painter who happened to be an outlaw and a murderer,” says Eric.

Knowing these more obscure stories can make art history more relevant to students today. Eric shares that he’s noticed that younger students are not self-conscious about their work. As they get older, that seems to change, and older teens become more inhibited about their creativity. “Many school systems are doing away with the arts.

I understand the reasoning, but I disagree.

You can use art as a platform to study other subjects, like biology or history.”

Artistic expression is even more critical at this juncture in time. “Creativity provides an escape—it takes your mind away from negativity. Whether it’s quilting, woodworking, or painting—any artistic outlet allows you to release your frustrations and emotions,” says Eric.

In addition to painting, Eric enjoys spending time outdoors, reading, writing, traveling, and riding his Triumph Bonneville T100.

“There are a lot of parallels between riding my motorcycle and painting,” he says.

Riding allows me to break out of my box in a similar way to painting. Both are a way of living in the moment.” ericsantoli.com

FEB R UARY 2 0 2 2 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/N ORTH W E ST BE R G E N

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Cupid’s Tips for Valentine’s Day Fun THINK OUTSIDE THE CANDY BOX

E L E VAT E Y O UR D AT E - GR AV I T Y VA ULT Does your significant other have you climbing the walls? Make good use of those skills with a date at the Gravity Vault indoor rock gym in Upper Saddle River.

Jamie Harpster, COO, recommends booking a staff-led belay climbing session that provides up to four climbers with the necessary equipment and individualized instruction for an hour of fun rope climbing, appropriate for all experience levels.

Belay group classes are also available. They comprise a two-hour session for students to learn how to manage the ropes independently. It’s perfect for people who want to climb at the Vault without an instructor.

Learn the basics and then climb with instruction during the second hour. Stay after class if you want to keep practicing.

More experienced climbers may want to try bouldering. This is a climbing technique that does not utilize ropes, notes Jamie. “Bouldering demands dynamic movement and a bit more strength, so it’s better for people who are already familiar with ropes climbing,” he says.

Climbing has become more popular with its introduction into the Summer Olympics and movies like Free Solo. “It’s an all-around workout, great for grip strength and balance,” says Jamie. “It’s also a good group activity since many members meet and climb in groups.”

If you’re at the end of your rope trying to come up with new and exciting date ideas, give the Gravity Vault a call! gravityvault.com Gravity Vault - Photo Courtesy Gravity Vault

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LOCA LLY SOU R CE D | EN TE RTAI NME NT

PL AN A ROBE AND SLIPPERS KIND OF D AY - T H E F O U N TA I N S P A Need a gift for that special someone?

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ARTICLE BY DONNA GOULD AND KRIS PEPPER PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARAH FLANNERY AND CONTRIBUTORS CONTINUED > FEB R UARY 2 0 2 2 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/N ORTH W E ST BE R G E N

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Bar Boutique - Photo: Sarah Flannery

Bar Boutique -Photo: Sarah Flannery

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LOCA LLY SOU R CE D | EN TE RTAI NME NT

SHAKE IT UP BAR BOUTIQUE Pour on the romance this Valentine’s Day at Bar Boutique in Ramsey.

Bar Boutique offers unique craft cocktails and a top-shelf wine list along with both savory and sweet light bites in partnership with B&M Market in Park Ridge and L’Arte in Ramsey.

Beautifully designed in a rustic, eclectic style, it’s the perfect spot for a splash of bubbly or an icy martini. Born out of owner Andrew Matarese’s love of wine and Level 3 sommelier certification, the Boutique offers tasteful selections for discriminating palates as well as for lovers who just want to share a romantic glass or two.

Those interested in tasting higher value wines ($100/bottle and up) may purchase a wine card for their unique wine dispenser. Load it with any dollar amount and use it to sample vintages from around the globe. Purchase a wine card ahead of time to insert into your Valentine’s card for a special surprise.

If you find a wine that makes your heart leap, you can buy it on the spot. Did you fall in love with one of Bar Boutique’s craft cocktails? Purchase the spirits from Bar Boutique and their mixologists will even provide the recipe!

A special pairing menu including cheese, and chocolate will most likely be on the menu at Bar Boutique this Valentine’s Day. Make it a date—and make reservations— they are sure to sell out! barboutiquenj.com

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Life Stories Worth Exploring

Four Inspiring Biographies

ARTICLE BY LUCY PROBERT | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARAH FLANNERY

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I NSP IR E D BY | ED U CATION

*TASTE: MY LIFE THROUGH FOOD STANLEY TUCCI

*ALEXANDER HAMILTON RON CHERNOW

Many who didn’t already know Tucci as an actor fell in love with him during Covid, when he posted a video on Instagram making a Negroni cocktail at home. In this memoir, the author of The Tucci Cookbook and The Tucci Table and self-professed "food obsessive" writes about his life growing up in an Italian American family in Westchester County who spent every night together around the kitchen table. Fusing his love of family, friends, and food, Tucci writes of his mother: “I can honestly say that on the four-burner electric stove she used throughout my childhood and on the gas hob that replaced it, she never cooked a bad meal.

Not once.” The Washington Post raves: “Reading this book will make you more attentive to the glorious--or modest--food on your table and to the people with whom you are privileged to share it.” Some of his favorite recipes are sprinkled throughout.

This acclaimed biography was what Lin-Manuel Miranda brought with him on vacation to Mexico in 2008, inspiring his Broadway musical of the same name, which went on to win 11 Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama. At 700 plus captivating pages, The New York Times says of Hamilton’s author: “Nobody has captured Hamilton himself as fully and beautifully as Chernow.” Meticulously researched and covering his entire life from his early years in the Caribbean to his famous death at 49 in a duel with Aaron Burr, Chernow delves deeply into his contributions to the Federalist Papers and his interactions with George Washington, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe. The Wall Street Journal calls it “impressively thorough and superbly written.”

*THE BEST OF ME DAVID SEDARIS American humorist and frequent New Yorker contributor David Sedaris’s talent for biographical and witty writing is on display in his latest collection of essays. Taken from previously published pieces, this retrospective spanning nearly 30 years includes his funniest and most thoughtful work, like recalling long-ago family vacations with his family of six siblings, including his actress/comedian sister and frequent collaborator Amy. From Kirkus Reviews, high praise for this storyteller: “It’s a lovely mélange by a modern Mark Twain who is always willing to set himself up as a shlemiel in the interest of a good yarn.” A great book to dip in and out of for insightful and incisive humor. For audiobook fans, this is a great listen.

*BROKEN HORSES: A MEMOIR BRANDI CARLILE Five-time Grammy award-winning singer and songwriter Brandi Carlile has a lot to say in her captivating new memoir: From her early years in the Pacific Northwest dealing with poverty, family struggles with alcoholism, and a bout with meningitis at age five which almost took her life, she holds nothing back.

Supported by her family and her small hometown as an adolescent, when a local pastor shunned her for being gay, Carlile started on a journey to a life of music, eventually collaborating with such musical giants as Elton John, Dolly Parton, and Joni Mitchell.

She offers a unique behind-the-scenes look at the music business, touring for 15 years and producing six studio albums while raising two children with her wife, Catherine Shepherd. Kirkus Reviews calls this book “an intimate life-affirming look at a musician whose artistic journey is far from over.”

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