{ BERGEN BUZZ }
WHAT’S COOKING? We’ve known for a while now that he’s one of New Jersey’s best chefs, and now, the James Beard Foundation thinks so too. Often called the Oscars of the food industry, the James Beard Foundation is gearing up to present its annual food awards, and the recently announced list of semifinalists for “Rising Star Chef of the Year” includes one of Bergen County’s most notable new additions, Robbie Felice, partner and chef at Westwood’s Osteria Crescendo. Crescendo is Felice’s second venture; he opened his first restaurant, Viaggio in Wayne, in 2016 when he was just 26 before opening Osteria Crescendo in downtown Westwood three years later. Throughout the span of his career, he’s earned accolades from restaurant reviewers and diners alike for his modern takes on Italian fare with locallysourced ingredients. The James Beard awards will be presented on May 4 in Chicago, and this category in particular is reserved for chefs age 30 and under. Felice just makes the cut at 29!
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
WILL THEY SURVIVE? Survivor fans may have recognized a pair of local faces on the current season of the popular CBS reality show. Two former victors of the island survival competition who are back for the “Winners at War”-themed 39th season in Fiji hail from the 201: CrossFit trainer Natalie Anderson from Edgewater, who “survived” season 29 in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua; and Tony Vlachos, a police officer and two-season winner who competed in Cagayan, Philippines, and hails from Allendale. Will either of these Bergen contestants become the ultimate sole survivor? We’ll have to tune in and find out.
Earth Day is just around the corner on April 22, which means it’s the perfect time to rethink and reflect on how your day-to-day activities affect the environment. You’ve probably heard the golden rules of turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth and switching off the lights when you leave a room, but what else do you do in an age when almost every moment in your day relies on energy consumption? Alex Braunstein, public engagement coordinator at Tenafly Nature Center in Tenafly, suggests ways to reduce your carbon footprint: • Switch to LED light bulbs. Incandescent bulbs generate excess heat. Energy-efficient LED lighting generally lasts longer, making it good for the world and your wallet. “Making this switch will generally pay for itself within one calendar year,” Braunstein says. • Carpool. Traveling to the same place with a buddy? Hitching a ride or offering a lift to someone can cut back on car-caused carbon emissions big-time. “This also helps alleviate traffic, reducing slowdowns and idling on the major thoroughfares,” adds Braunstein. • Unplug your chargers. Whether it’s your phone, laptop, tablet or whichever other screen you scroll on, keeping your device’s charger plugged into a wall outlet while it’s not in use can be a major energy suck. Braunstein says the average iPhone only uses 12 cents’ worth of energy per year, but leaving its charger plugged into a port can significantly increase that cost over time. • Follow the “stars.” Thanks to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star label certification, it’s easier than ever to know how your electronics and appliances affect the environment over time. “Energy Star Appliances perform at a higher level than older appliances and do so with a greater efficiency of power use,” says Braunstein. He explains that buying new things in general comes with a high carbon footprint, and replacing appliances at the end of their lifespan is best for the environment.
BERGENMAG.COM
20
APRIL 2020