Category: Special/Sponsored Content

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Business Culture Lifestyle Perspectives Special/Sponsored Content

Sugar Plum Happy Mother’s Day Chocolate Collection Box wants mothers to enjoy their taste of happiness

Mom’s unconditional love deserves a little taste of happiness.

 

The Happy Mother’s Day Chocolate Collection Box is full of bright, luxurious chocolates that will sweeten Mom’s day.

 

With chocolate-covered pretzels, graham crackers, and sandwich cookies, she’ll be delighted with the perfect combination of sweet and salty flavors. The happiness continues with sweet and colorful strawberry delights and Linzer cookies filled with raspberry jam.

 

The Happy Mother’s Day Chocolate Collection Box is completed with an all-time favorite, nonpareils and a cheerful dark chocolate sunflower.

 

Show Mom you care with the beautiful and delicious Happy Mother’s Day Chocolate Collection Box! It is $58 at https://www.sugar-plum.com/products/happy-mother-s-day-chocolate-collection-box

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Business Culture Foodies/Tastylicious Lifestyle Special/Sponsored Content

Beyond St. Paddy’s Day, Sugar Plum Chocolates available for Easter celebrations, too

— Sugar Plum Chocolates are festive and delicious treats for St. Paddy’s Day and/or Easter. 

 

Sugar Plum Chocolates Happy Easter Box

 

The Happy Easter Chocolate Collection Box is bursting with chocolate-covered treats for your loved ones, including milk and white chocolate-covered pretzels, milk chocolate-covered cookies with pastel drizzle and milk chocolate-covered graham crackers with pastel drizzle. But this Easter Bunny keeps the Easter fun going, because the Happy Easter Chocolate Collection Box also includes chocolate bites, strawberry delights, jelly beans, and a milk chocolate Easter Bunny. Every bunny is going to love this sweet collection of chocolates and candies this Easter. Retails for $55 at https://www.sugar-plum.com/collections/easter/products/happy-easter-box

 

 

 

Fun Easter Basket Treat – Sugar Plum Chocolate Zombie Bunny

 

Zombie Peter Rabbit is Sugar Plum’s classic white chocolate bunny with a twist! Made of white chocolate and designed to be a one-of-a-kind piece that will make kids and adults alike scream and start running for the hills, our Chocolate Zombie Bunny comes beautifully wrapped in a cello bag with a festive bow and a gift tag. Don’t let Zombie Peter Rabbit hop…err…stagger away – order today! Retails for $29.95 at https://www.sugar-plum.com/collections/easter/products/chocolate-zombie-easter-bunny

 

 

 

Sugar Plum Chocolates Happy St. Patrick’s Day Box

This delightful assortment of delectable treats will turn your St. Patrick’s Day celebration into a truly magical and mouthwatering experience. This box is the pot of gold you’ve been looking for, as it features a sweet and whimsical Chocolate Shamrock Lollipop, rich Whiskey Nuts & Irish Stout Nuts (seasoned to perfection), yummy smooth and creamy Milk Chocolate Beer Mugs with Green Sprinkles, irresistibly sweet and crunchy Caramel Corn, salty and succulent White Chocolate Covered Pretzels with Green Drizzle, and whimsical and delicious Gold Chocolate Coins. Retails for $45.00 at https://www.sugar-plum.com/products/happy-st-patricks-day-box

 

 

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Business Foodies/Tastylicious Lifestyle Special/Sponsored Content

Eat a Sub: Be a Valerie Fund Hero

Jersey Mike’s Celebrates 14th Annual “Month of Giving”

 

MAPLEWOOD, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #becauseofvalerie — The Valerie Fund is joining forces with over 130 Jersey Mike’s Subs across the entire state of New Jersey for the 14th Annual March “Month of Giving” campaign to support local charities.

 

During the month of March, customers will have the option to round up their purchase to the nearest dollar or donate $1, $3, or $5 when placing their order.

The Month of Giving campaign will culminate with Jersey Mike’s “Day of Giving” on Wednesday, March 27, when local Jersey Mike’s restaurants will give 100 percent of the day’s sales – not just profit – to The Valerie Fund.

 

“We are deeply honored and immensely grateful to be chosen again as Jersey Mike’s charity partner for their Month of Giving campaign. The support from Jersey Mike’s has been tremendous. It is not just a partnership; it’s a heartfelt commitment of support for The Valerie Fund’s mission of providing critical psychosocial care to children with cancer and blood disorders, supporting the entire family at a hospital close to home,” said Barry Kirschner, Executive Director of The Valerie Fund. “This support will go a long way to helping The Valerie Fund meet the needs of the over 6,000 children who come through our eight centers every year.”

 

On Day of Giving, local Jersey Mike’s owners and operators throughout the country will donate their resources and every single dollar that comes in – whether in-store, online or through the app – to more than 200 different charities including hospitals, youth organizations, food banks and more. This March, Jersey Mike’s hopes to exceed last year’s record-breaking national fundraising total of $21 million and help local charities striving to fulfill their missions and make a difference.

 

“I would like to extend a personal invitation to you and your family to visit Jersey Mike’s Subs throughout the month of March, and especially on Day of Giving when 100 percent of sales – every penny – goes to help a great local cause,” said Peter Cancro, Jersey Mike’s founder and CEO, who started the company when he was only 17 years old.

 

Since Month of Giving began in 2011, Jersey Mike’s has raised more than $88 million for local charities. For a list of restaurants in your area, please visit our charity listing by state.

 

About Jersey Mike’s

Jersey Mike’s Subs, with more than 2,500 locations nationwide, serves authentic fresh sliced/fresh grilled subs on in-store freshly baked bread – the same recipe it started with in 1956. Passion for giving in Jersey Mike’s local communities is reflected in its mission statement “Giving…making a difference in someone’s life.” For more information, please visit jerseymikes.com or follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/jerseymikes), Instagram (instagram.com/jerseymikes), TikTok (tiktok.com/@jerseymikes) and X (formerly Twitter) (twitter.com/jerseymikes). Join in the conversation at #JerseyMikesGives.

 

ABOUT THE VALERIE FUND: After their nine-year-old daughter Valerie succumbed to cancer in 1976, Sue and Ed Goldstein were determined that no family should have to travel great distances to receive superior medical care. Along with a group of close friends, they began fundraising efforts from their living room – tireless work that would lead to the 1977 opening of New Jersey’s first pediatric oncology facility at Summit’s Overlook Hospital. Forty-five years later, The Valerie Fund’s mission remains that of supporting comprehensive health care for children battling cancer and blood disorders.

Contacts

Bunny Flanders

The Valerie Fund

973-761-0422 ext. 14

www.TheValerieFund.org

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Culture Government Lifestyle Programs & Events Special/Sponsored Content

CURE Insurance Arena invites you to President’s Day Weekend

Red, White & Brew Fest

Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024

In the late 1750s, George Washington inscribed a recipe “to make small beer” in the notebook he carried as colonel of the Virginia Militia during the French and Indian war.

That’s right – our founding father made a pretty revolutionary pint! Because of that moment in American history, CURE celebrates our founding fathers’ presidents’ weekend 2024 with a patriotic sampling event featuring over 50 styles from featured craft breweries, wineries, and spirits at the inaugural Red, White & Brew Fest!

You can party with good old George Washington himself and quench your thirst for freedom with unlimited samples, live music from Nine Deeez Nite, interactive games, contests, and more!

VIP Offer Includes: 1 Hour of early access (12 noon to 1p.m.) + 4 hours of sampling, 1 Parking Pass in Lot #1 (parking is first come, first serve), 1 Red, White & Brew Fest T-shirt, 1 Red, White & Brew Fest reusable tote bag, 1 Souvenir sample cup, 1 VIP Lanyard, 1 $10.00 Food Voucher for Concessions (must pick-up voucher at inside box office window – not valid on alcoholic beverages), Designated VIP Area with exclusive style craft brews.

GA Includes: 4 Hours of sampling + souvenir sample cup

Find a full list of Beer, Wine, and Spirit vendors by visiting REDWHITEANDBREWNJ.COM

TICKETS ON-SALE NOW – VISIT US AT TICKETMASTER.COM

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Business Culture Digital - AI & Apps Healthcare Lifestyle Perks Science Special/Sponsored Content

Paula’s Choice’s entire website is 20 percent off for Black Friday

Paula’s Choice, the home to the top dermatologist-recommended exfoliants, is having a huge sale on their site for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

 

The cult favorite brand is already ultra-affordable compared to most luxe skincare brands but loyalists claim that their products are just as good (if not better) than bold-faced brands with heftier price tags.

 

Right now, their entire website is currently 20% off. This means if you stock up on all your skincare essentials now, you can get their best-selling Gel Exfoliant for only $27 and Reconditioning Moisturizer for $9.60 — a total steal.

 

The Seattle-based skincare brand is loved by dermatologists for a reason. They pride themselves on being cruelty-free and fragrance-free, avoiding popular non-natural ingredients such as Dioxane, Essential Oils, Formeldahyde, Nanoparticles and Phthalates.

 

In addition to clean ingredients, Paula’s Choice also never tests on animals at any stage in development and use recyclable packaging to reduce their carbon footprint.

 

Plus, their stuff actually works. As a firsthand user of Paula’s Choice myself, I can say my skin complely changed after integrating their products into my skincare routine. Clogged pores, dry skin, white heads — I struggle with it all less since using their Pore Normalizing Cleanser every night.

 

Check out Paula’s Choice entire sale here, and the best products below. If you’re looking for more beauty steals, look through our roundup of the best Black Friday beauty deals here.

 

GEL EXFOLIANT

Courtesy of Paula’ Choice

 

 

This leave-on gel exfoliant removes layers of dull skin, shrinking clogged pores and diminishing wrinkles in the process.

RECONDITIONING MOISTURIZER

Courtesy of Paula’s Choice

 

Add instant moisture to your skin with this overnight sheer moisturizer, powered by superfoods such as flaxseed, wild cherry and arugula.

PORE NORMALIZING CLEANSER

Courtesy of Paula’s Choice

 

 

This gentle, acne-fighting cleanser removes excess oil, clears up clogged pores and removes makeup without drying the skin.

 

 

— Variety

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Culture Lifestyle Perks Programs & Events Special/Sponsored Content Travel & Leisure

Hot Wheels Monster Trucks LIVE ‘Glow Party’ on sale!

Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live™ Glow Party™

lights up Trenton, Feb. 9-11, 2024

Worldwide Tour Rolls into CURE Insurance Arena with a Thrilling Experience for the Whole Family!

Tickets On Sale Friday, Sept. 8, 2023!

Tickets and event information are available at Ticketmaster.com and www.hotwheelsmonstertruckslive.com.

Tickets are subject to convenience and facility fees.

Fans of all ages will experience the thrill of watching their favorite Hot Wheels Monster Trucks in the DARK! This one-of-a-kind show will visit the CURE Insurance Arena from Feb. 9-11, 2024 for four epic performances!

Show times are as follows:

Friday, Feb. 9, 7:30 PM/VIP, 4:30 p.m./Crash Zone, 5 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 10, 12:00PM/VIP, 9 a.m./Crash Zone, 9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Saturday, Feb. 10, 7 p.m./ VIP, 4:30 p.m./Crash Zone, 4 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 11, 12 p.m./VIP, 9 a.m./Crash Zone, 9:30 a.m. -1 0:45 a.m.

Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live Glow Party brings fans’ favorite Hot Wheels Monster Trucks to life including Mega Wrex™, Tiger Shark™, Demo Derby™, Bone Shaker™, Bigfoot®, Gunkster™, and introducing the brand new HW 5-Alarm™, the firetruck hero of Hot Wheels Monster Trucks! The Glow Party production features a laser light show, spectacular theatrical effects, dance parties, and Hot Wheels toy giveaways. Fans can also witness a special appearance from a transforming robot, plus the high-flyers of Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live Freestyle Motocross Team and the electrifying high-flyers of Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live, Freestyle Motocross! Special kids pricing is available for all shows providing a BIG value for the whole family! See the Hot Wheels Monster Trucks up close and personal, exclusively guided by the hosts of Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live in the pre-show VIP Backstage Tour! Experience what happens behind the scenes before all of the smashing and crashing goes down and then watch when the Hot Wheels Monster Trucks come to life. Each pass includes a VIP merchandise bundle exclusive to VIP Experience attendees! Passes are available to purchase while supplies last by adding them on to the ticket order at time of purchase.

The exciting Crash Zone Pre-Show Party will be held 2-1/2 hours before every performance. The unique experience provides fans access to the competition floor to see the outrageous designs and epic size of the Hot Wheels Monster Trucks, plus meet the drivers and get their autographs! Passes will be available to purchase while supplies last by adding them on to the ticket order at time of purchase.

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Culture Environment Lifestyle Local News Science Special/Sponsored Content

D&R GreenwayLand Trust announces fall 2023 Native Plant Sale dates for Sept.

PRINCETON, N.J. — D&R Greenway announces a wide variety of healthy local plants are ready for purchase at their annual Fall Native Plant Sale taking place on Friday, Sept. 22: 2:30 pm-5:30 pm and Saturday, Sept. 23: 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Carolina Allspice

 

Planting natives enhances home gardens in natural beauty, attracts butterflies and birds in the landscape, and contributes to protection of a healthy bioregion. The Nursery is on the grounds of D&R Greenway’s Conservation Campus at the Johnson Education Center, One Preservation Place, [off Rosedale Road] Princeton, N.J. 08540.  Native Plant Sale proceeds support D&R Greenway’s preservation and stewardship mission. www.drgreenway.org.

Tina Notas, Director of Land Stewardship for D&R Greenway, remarks, “Fall is a great time to plant natives!  Give them a head start for the next growing season.”

Noted biologist, professor and author Doug Tallamy, is a biodiversity warrior.  In the Summer 2023 issue of Saving Land from the national Land Trust Alliance, he is quoted as saying, “In my view, the only way to achieve E. O. Wilson’s dream of protecting the natural world on at least half of the planet, as described in his 2016 book “Half Earth,” is to coexist with nature, in the same place, at the same time. We must bury forever the notion that humans are here and nature is someplace else, for there are no longer enough “someplace else’s” to meet the need. We have persisted for the last century in the misguided belief that humans can only thrive when segregated from the natural world, and, as a result, the U.S. has formally protected only 12% of its land. We can achieve Wilson’s lofty goals without excluding the human enterprise, but the key to doing this is to practice conservation not only in protected wild lands, but also outside of parks and preserves: where we live, work, farm and play.”

 

Wild Geranium

D&R Greenway’s CEO Linda Mead encourages local residents to support D&R Greenway’s land protection work and biodiversity by purchasing natives for your backyard at the nonprofit organization’s Native Plant Sale, “This provides every one of us a way we can do good while helping D&R Greenway’s work to do well.”

D&R Greenway’s native trees, shrubs, perennial wildflowers, grasses, and ferns are grown either on-site or purchased from reputable local native-plant growers. Native Plant Nursery specimens are grown from locally sourced starter plants, and are free of harmful nicotinoid insecticides. Planting natives that evolved locally requires less maintenance, in terms of fertilizer, water and pesticides.  Possibilities include the popular Cardinal Flower, as well as Evening Primrose, Scarlet Oak, Sweet Joe Pye, and Trumpet Honeysuckle, among others. Visit our website at www.drgreenway.org

Swamp Milkweed

About D&R Greenway Land Trust: D&R Greenway Land Trust is an accredited nonprofit that has reached a new milestone of over 22,000 acres of land preserved throughout central New Jersey since 1989 and 44 miles of trails.

 

By protecting land in perpetuity and creating public trails, it gives everyone the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors. The land trust’s preserved farms and community gardens provide local organic food for residents of the region—including those most in need. Through strategic land conservation and stewardship, D&R Greenway combats climate change, protects birds and wildlife, and ensures clean drinking water for future generations. D&R Greenway’s mission is centered on connecting land with people from all walks of life. www.drgreenway.org; info@drgreenway.org. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

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Culture Foodies/Tastylicious Lifestyle Perks Special/Sponsored Content

Treats for Halloween, Thanksgiving & holiday snack calendars to be a hit

Top treat for Halloween parties: Sugar Plum Halloween Boo Box

 

 

Boo! Surprise someone with Sugar Plum’s Halloween Boo Box, a delicious box of Halloween treats! Chocolate-covered Halloween pretzels, chocolate-covered cookies and graham crackers, caramel popcorn drizzled in chocolate, chocolate-covered pretzel balls, gummy spiders and a white chocolate ghost lollipop…a bootiful collection of sweet and salty goodies all ready for the Halloween season! Retails for $49 at https://www.sugar-plum.com/products/halloween-boo-box

 

 

Must-have treats for thanksgiving

      — Sugar Plum Autumn Assortment Box

 

 

Fall for this delicious box of sweet treats, perfect for crisp, autumn days. Sugar Plum’s Autumn Assortment Box is full of all your favorite chocolate-covered treats and fall flavors, including an Apple Pie Milk Chocolate Bar, Pumpkin Spice Latte White Chocolate Bar, Maple Bourbon Pecans, Pumpkin Spice Almonds, Caramel Corn, Peach Hearts, Milk Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers, and Milk Chocolate Covered Sandwich Cookies with Orange Drizzle. Perfect to snack on while sitting around the fire pit on a brisk fall evening, or to gift to that friend who waits all year for the fall foliage, Sugar Plum’s Autumn Assortment Box is just the collection of treats you need to celebrate the fall season. Retails for $55 at https://www.sugar-plum.com/collections/all-products/products/autumn-assortment-box

 

 

 — Sugar Plum Apple Pie Bark

 

Just like classic apple pie, this deliciously flavored chocolate bark will make you nostalgic for your childhood. Sugar Plum has married mouth-watering, signature chocolate with delectable, organically sourced apple pieces and finely crushed graham crackers. Come take a bite of that sweet-smelling iconic taste of summer with Sugar Plum’s Apple Pie Bark Box. Retails for $35 at https://www.sugar-plum.com/collections/all-products/products/apple-pie-bark-box

 

 

Top Holiday gifts for foodies

 

   — Damn, Man 12 Days of Winter Wonder – Savory Meat Sticks and Nut Medley

 

The countdown begins at the most wonderful time of the year! Damn, Man introduces the 12 Days of Winter Wonder – Savory Meat Sticks and Nut Medley. Each day presents a new snack surprise of either gourmet nuts or savory meat sticks. With 6 tins of delicious, flavored nuts and 6 meat sticks ranging from original to spicy, you’ll get to enjoy a variety of salty and savory snacks, all packaged together in a winter wonderland scene straight from the Alps. You’ll think every day is a holiday with the 12 Days of Winter Wonder – Savory Meat Sticks and Nut Medley!

 

The countdown includes 2 oz. tins of Salted Pistachios, Honey Sea Salt Almonds, Salted Walnuts, Butter Cinnamon Pecans, Cranberry Nut Blend, and Lightly Salted Cashews, as well as 2 Pepper Meat Sticks, 2 Spicy Meat Sticks, and 2 Original Meat Sticks. Retails for $50 at https://dmsnacks.com/

 

 

   — Damn, Man 12 Days of Gourmet Nuts – A Winter Wonderland Selection

 

Inspired by après ski rituals, this calendar is the perfect companion for a cozy and indulgent moment after an exhilarating day of skiing. Picture yourself by the crackling fire, holding a steaming cup of hot chocolate, and savoring a selection of delicious nut snacks. This calendar is designed to provide a healthy and energetic treat, bringing joy and excitement to your après-ski experience, regardless of your beliefs or affiliations. Each day, you’ll unwrap a new nutty surprise, carefully curated to tantalize your taste buds and provide a satisfying crunch.

 

Inside this calendar, you’ll find 2 oz. tins of Salted Pistachios, Honey Sea Salt Almonds, Smoked Almonds, Cranberry Nut Blend, Coconut Curry Peanuts, Salted Cashews, Deluxe Mix, Butter Cinnamon Pecans, Sea Salt Walnuts, Salted Corn Nuts, Tap Room Mix, and Fireside Mix. This variety of premium nuts and delectable additions are sure to be a hit! The calendar retails for $50 at https://dmsnacks.com/

 

 

   — Sugar Plum Chocolate Holiday Bark with Peppermint 

 

‘Tis the season for peppermint and sweet treats! Sugar Plum’s delicious holiday bark with milk and dark chocolate drizzled in white chocolate and sprinkled with peppermint in a festive holiday box is the perfect gift for that special someone. Choose between milk or dark chocolate or buy the set for a little extra holiday spirit! The perfect gift to munch on through the season or to present at the holiday gathering, Holiday Bark with Peppermint will surely bring a little taste of happiness! Retails for $24.95 ea. or $45 for the set at https://www.sugar-plum.com/

 

 

     — Sugar Plum Chocolate Covered Cheer Set

 

With 10 milk chocolate-covered sandwich cookies, 10 chocolate-covered graham crackers, and 10 chocolate-covered pretzels, all complete with white chocolate drizzle, you’ll be sending a chocolaty sweet gift of holiday indulgence, in a festive holiday-themed packaging. These are great to bring to a holiday party or separate them for the perfect stocking stuffers. Comes in a variety of 3 packs, or you can select 3 of the same. Each tube comes with10 chocolate-covered sandwich cookies, 10 chocolate-covered graham crackers, or 10 chocolate-covered pretzels. The set retails for $65 at https://www.sugar-plum.com/

 

 

About Sugar Plum Chocolate

All of Sugar Plum’s delicious gourmet treats are lovingly hand crafted and made from their bakery and kitchen in Kingston, PA by mother and son team Frann and Neil Edley. As they say, food is the ingredient that binds us together. Sugar Plum’s vision has always revolved around being a creative, independent, female owned business. Their focus is to help make a difference in the lives of people by offering high quality and safe products that can be used for employee recognition, client appreciation, weddings, and numerous other events that touch our daily lives.

 

 

About Damn, Man

A mother and son duo, Fran and Neil, started Sugar Plum Chocolates in their small kitchen over 28 years ago. While they originally specialized in traditional chocolates, they soon realized that their customers had a craving for nuts and snacks. By introducing unique nut flavors in creative packaging, more and more nuts were being purchased as gifts for husbands’ birthdays and Father’s Day. And so the conclusion was formed…our customers want manly snacks! As a result, they launched a new company, Damn, Man…Snacks Guys Love. This new venture has been a success, and it’s all thanks to loyal customers like yourself who support small business endeavors.

Categories
Business Healthcare Lifestyle Special/Sponsored Content

Johnson & Johnson to participate in the Morgan Stanley 21st Annual Global Healthcare Conference

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) will participate in the Morgan Stanley 21st Annual Global Healthcare Conference at the Sheraton New York Hotel in New York on Wednesday, Sept. 13. , where Joaquin Duato, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer and John Reed, Executive Vice President Pharmaceuticals R&D, will represent the Company in a session scheduled at 10:10 a.m. ET.

 

This conference call will be available to investors and other interested parties by visiting the Johnson & Johnson website at www.investor.jnj.com.

 

A webcast and podcast replay will be available approximately 48 hours after the live webcast.

 

Contacts

Investor Contact:
investor-relations@its.jnj.com

Media Contact:
media-relations@its.jnj.com

Categories
Foodies/Tastylicious Special/Sponsored Content

Pasta, persistence and The Primadonna: ‘On the Rocks’ details famed restaurateur’s rise, fall and redemption

“The intangibles that enabled me to achieve my greatness also contained the seeds to my destruction.”

– Joseph Costanzo Jr., founder of The Primadonna

 

 

RINGWOOD, N.J. — Joseph Costanzo Jr. bought a failing restaurant in a declining neighborhood and turned it into an award-winning, nationally recognized destination for fine Italian dining that attracted the likes of  Danny Aiello, Jamie Lee Curtis and Tommy Lasorda.

 

The secret sauce? Most likely his larger-than-life personality posits his oldest daughter, Maria Costanzo Palmer.

 

“We estimate that over the 18 years that he was in business that a little over a million customers came through our door,” Palmer said in a recent interview. “His character really helped to build the empire that the restaurant became, and I think without that, I don’t think he would have been as successful.”

 

In their new book, On the Rocks, Palmer and co-author Ruthie Robbins open a door to the past and welcome readers into The Primadonna, an Italian restaurant with a Cheers-like atmosphere where Costanzo greeted neighborhood regulars by name.

 

Written from Costanzo’s perspective, On the Rocks dishes up heaping helpings of nostalgia, with entertaining stories of quirky characters, delectable dishes, great memories and enduring friendships from a time when dining out was an experience to savor.

 

Known for its signature Southern Italian dishes that nourished stomachs and souls, The Primadonna’s generous portion sizes were eclipsed only by Costanzo’s larger-than-life personality, explains Palmer.

 

“The moment that you walked in, regardless of how busy we were, my dad was at the front of the house, and he was greeting you,” Palmer recalled during a recent interview. “My dad was invested in customers. He wanted to be part of people’s lives. I think that’s what makes this experience so memorable. People loved being special.”

 

On the Rocks traces Costanzo’s unlikely rise from a postal worker with an impossible dream to owner of a nationally acclaimed restaurant, where the often 2-hour wait times only served to brew deeper connections, adding to the familial appeal of a community hotspot united by Costanzo’s drive to turn the blue collar burb of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, into a sought-out destination for fine Italian dining.

 

But Costanzo’s dream comes at a cost, and as the story unfolds, readers follow him from the day-to-day frenzy of a wildly popular restaurant, through a failed attempt to run for public office, to a stint behind bars.

 

“The restaurant was like his third child; it was the son he never had,” Palmer reflected. “He was at the top of his game when everything spiraled out of control. That’s what makes this story so rich. He really did the impossible. He took this nothing, failing business and turned it into this diamond in the rough. Then it all got pulled away. Just as fast as it rose, it fell.”

 

About the Authors

Maria Costanzo Palmer is a writer and Page Turner Award Finalist for her co-authored book, On the Rocks. She is also a regular co-moderator for the Food Is Religion Club on Clubhouse. A former host on L.A. Talk Radio, she was recently featured on Food and Beverage Magazine Live, a nationally syndicated podcast, as well as iHeartRadio. Her writing has been published in OC87 Recovery Diaries, and she has made a number of media appearances.

 

Growing up as the oldest child of an award-winning restaurateur, Palmer unexpectedly became a daughter of the incarcerated. This experience ignited an interest in working for Get on the Bus, a nonprofit dedicated to uniting children with their incarcerated parents.

 

Ruthie Robbins is an award-winning educator who worked for the Montour School District in the suburbs of Pittsburgh and for Johns Hopkins Talent Development Secondary. Robbins now teaches English and Language Arts in Buffalo, New York. Well-known as co-creator of a popular amusement park interdisciplinary unit, she is currently working on other books and is preparing to launch The Writing Factory Online, a comprehensive writing program for middle schools.

 

For more information, please visit www.mariacpalmer.com or www.ruthierobbins.com