Calling All Cars! Servers Go Off-line Forever

Remember that David Jaffe love project, Calling All Cars!, he made after he leaving the God of War franchise? It was a cartoony, downloadable game for the PSN that was in the same vein of Twisted Metal, and it had a pretty steady fanbase.

The game, which had you driving around and blasting other vehicles and capturing escaped convicts, has been around since 2007, so the beginning of its decline in online players really isn’t that big of a shocker. But it’s still pretty sad to see a game like this go. I remember playing it at my friend’s house when it first came out. It wasn’t God of War amazing, but it was still fun.

Well, the dream is over and Mr. Jaffe, probably jokingly, calls it “the beginning of the end” of his career. No word yet on what Jaffe plans to do next, but hopefully, it’s another Twisted Metal.

Fine food with a 'Publick' ambience

The Publick House Tavern & Inn was built on Main Street in Chester way back in 1810, and while it's now time to commemorate the building's bicentennial, there are plenty of other reasons to celebrate the place.

"We're going to have a plan for 2010," says general manager Abraham Ghebreal.

The Publick House recently opened a new banquet hall, and there are plans to open the upstairs inn portion of the building, which has been undergoing a three-year renovation.

"We try to advertise more for the banquet room, which can serve weddings and other special events," Ghebreal says.

"When the Inn opens, we're going to have deals, like one-night sleep-over deals with kids and families and a dinner, because we want people to come from different towns to Chester," he says.

"We try to bring the soul and the life of Chester back, especially to Main Street, where there are a lot of closings," he says.

A major reason the restaurant does so well is because of the food served in its multistory, brick-layer interior.

"Mostly, the people compliment us about the menu and the idea," Ghebreal says, "People believe in us, and I think this is why the business does well, especially in an economy like this."

The menu is a combination of old-fashioned American, including steaks, crab cakes, and burgers, and old-style Italian, with pasta dishes including penne with chicken, which has artichokes and sundried tomatoes on it. Even the pizza is much beloved here.

"It's old-style pizza, and people love it," Ghebreal says, "It's a personal pizza."

Also on the Italian portion of the menu is grilled chicken risotto porcini, which has arborio rice with porcini mushrooms topped with grilled chicken, and fusilli Siciliana — eggplant and tomato topped with melted mozzarella.

"The Italian influence is very hard to find here," Ghebreal says, "It's a mix of Naples style and Milanese."

On the American side are some great meals, too, such as the Publick House Angus burger served with house fries, and the Maryland crab cake, which is two jumbo crab cakes served with lemon butter, vegetables and the starch of the day.

Also on the first floor is the tavern portion of The Publick House, which offers a well-stocked bar.

"It's a full bar, it has all the hard liquors, and we have mostly California wine because I believe in California wine more than anyone else," Ghebreal says, "Our wine list is not expensive, so people can come buy it for an affordable price."

In addition to the building, one of the things Ghebreal loves most about working here is the town of Chester: "It's fun, and the way we communicate with the public, is nice. People like us here."

KC's Coffee Place: A friendly place with good coffee, healthy food

At KC's Coffee Place, which recently celebrated its 10 anniversary in downtown Chester, it's never been just about the coffee, even though the coffee is highly praised by the locals.

Really, it's always been about the homey atmosphere of the place, and it's something that owner, Kimberly "KC'' Costello, really prides herself in.

"You make really great relationships here,'' KC says, "People [are] meeting people, and you see the kids growing up, and it's just so nice.''

The space, while small, never seems closed in. There are vibrant pictures and funny little signs adorning the walls, and it's a purely cozy environment just right for a slice of conversation with your morning or evening cup of Joe.

"It's kind of like a modern day general store,'' KC says while taking a sip from some of her own coffee and smiling. "You have people meet and greet, and I network with people. Someone [might be] looking for a job, whether it's babysitting, or landscaping or anything like that, and it works out well. I enjoy the people. It's fun.''

The place sells the kinds of beverages you would find in your typical coffeehouse, so whatever your tongue is slapping at the roof of your mouth for, KC's likely has it.

"I open at 6:30 in the morning, and we're on the right side for traffic, and that's good, so people can just pull over and run in because there's no shops open,'' KC says, "So they can just run in and get a coffee, an espresso, lattes, cappuccinos, and chai tea is probably one of our biggest sellers. We do a really good chai latte.''

But what kind of modern-day java joint would be worth its bag of coffee beans if all it served was Joe?

KC, a former cosmetologist who worked many jobs before, all of them involving people, acknowledges this fact, too. And that's why she's brought on one of her good friends and chef, Paul Viggiano, who has appeared on the Food Network show "Chopped,'' for his stellar cooking abilities.

"We try to do sandwiches that people really, really like, but a little different,'' says
Viggiano, who makes sure that all of the food he prepares is all-natural and delicious. "We gotta keep it healthy, right?''

Some of these healthy but sumptuous sandwiches include the unusual, such as salami with apple butter, and more traditional, such as another with roasted red peppers and mozzarella and a tarragon spread.

"Food is who we are, and we have to be as close to nature as possible, as far as eating,'' Viggiano says, "I mean, we have it available to us, in Jersey. So there's no reason to buy processed peppers.''

Along with great sandwiches, KC's also makes great soups, and what better way to cap off a stellar sandwich than with an outstanding soup?

"Yes, [we do] soups and we do little small sandwiches,'' KC says, "And with everything going on, with stuff being expensive, we're doing a lot more stews, like heartier soups, and we're doing the 12-ounce cup for $3.50. And then, [there's] the little sandwiches for $2.50. Together, we make it five dollars, and where else can you get soup and a sandwich for five bucks? Plus, it's good, and it's all homemade.''

KC's also offers some its cooking outside the restaurant.

"We've done a lot of parties, [and we] even [have] intimate cooking lessons in people's homes,'' KC says.

But if there's one message that KC would like customers to leave with when they exit her shop, it's this:

"You can get a little pick-me-up [here], you always have somebody to talk to, and it's cozy,'' KC says, as she caps off her own cup of coffee and offers a friendly grin.

Sammy's offers a blast from its illicit past

At Sammy's Ye Old Cider Mill, a red and white building with no sign, right across the street from the actual cider mill in Mendham Township, the meals are as memorable as the restaurant's history.

It was a speakeasy during Prohibition, where local folks sipped illegal suds only a few years before it became a full-time restaurant.

"The cider mill was affiliated with the restaurant in the early days. It was a distillery for applejack whiskey, and then Prohibition came along and they couldn't sell it, so they built the bar downstairs and during Prohibition, they served," says Phil Fornaro, who owns the place with his sister, MaryAnn, and his brother, Sam.

"After (Prohibition), you could get a license to produce and serve," Fornaro says, "So my grandfather closed the mill and established a restaurant, and that's why we (as a restaurant) established in '33."

Interesting history aside, there's a reason why people keep coming back to Sammy's Ye Old Cider Mill time and time again, and it's because of the amazing food, which ranges from phenomenal steaks to a sensational pasta with vodka sauce.

"We basically have an American Continental menu," Fornaro says, "We serve dry-aged T-bone, an 11-ounce filet, a ribeye, which is also called a cowboy steak, veal chops, lamb chops, double-cut lamb chops, Maine lobsters, a version of shrimp scampi, and we (also) have a couple pasta dishes. We're known for a vodka pasta penne — we have people who have been to Italy, all over the world, and they say ours is the best."

And judging by the types of top-notch celebrities and sports stars who have found their way to a table at Sammy's (Did I mention the place doesn't even have a sign and it's purely populated by people because of word of mouth?), he must be telling the truth.

"Joe Piscopo was in last week. Scott Wolf, he was in 'Party of Five,' he's from New Jersey, he's been here," Fornaro says, casually counting off names of the many famous folks who have stepped into his restaurant to eat. "Malcolm Forbes, Jackie Onassis, Merv Griffin. They all used to come in here. Mike Tyson was in here, and that was when he first took the title."

But as much as the celebrity presence is nice in the building, which still looks very much like how it did back in the 1930s and 40s, Fornaro always smiles when talking about his local customers.

"We have a lot of repeat clientele, and when they move in, some of the Realtors are like, 'You gotta try Sammy's,' " Fornaro says, "So we get new customers, (too)."

Fornaro also brings up how the restaurant is more than just a place to get a great steak or pasta, but also a place where people come to meet and talk.

"If you look at (our business) card it says, 'Where Friends Meet,' and that was part of my grandfather's thing," Fornaro says, "We'll get people who come in . . . and they'll start talking to somebody, and the next week, they'll come in and have dinner with those people."

The building, which has the restaurant upstairs and the historic bar downstairs, has a very distinct look. On the exterior, it looks like it's just a house on the side of the road, so if you don't know what you're looking for, you already missed it. On the inside, the walls upstairs are adorned with a hand-painted mural of palm trees.

"An artist came around (during the '40s) who painted roadhouses," Fornaro says, "He was supposed to paint the surrounding areas, the mill across the street, but he drank a little bit and he painted palm trees."

One thing is certain. After 75 years of existence, from Prohibition times to now, people still love Sammy's.

"We have fourth-generation people coming in, and they come in with their grandchildren, and they remember the place from when they were kids," Fornaro says. "The place hasn't changed, and that's what they like about it, because it brings back the memories."

A healthy dollop of history tops great food

The Lamplighter Restaurant & Pub in Chester is an Italian-American restaurant with a pub attached to it, so customers can get the best of both worlds — from sandwich and burger pub fare to pasta dishes and roast lamb.

"We have a rack of lamb that's popular," owner Bob Brady says, "That's not so much Italian. We also have a fettuccine Alfredo with blackened chicken. That would be one of our popular pastas."

There are other items on the menu that you might find in a variety of restaurants but usually not under the same roof.

"Chicken pepperchini is another popular dish," Brady says, adding, "We always sell steaks and hamburgers too. In the bar, there are sandwiches that are popular for lunch and later, like Reubens."

Managing two virtually separate restaurants under one roof seems like a lot of work, and that's why Brady has enlisted his family to help.

"My brothers, Ronald and Gary, are in the kitchen," Brady says, "and I work on the floor."

Brady even has his son, Tommy, on board.

"He works in the kitchen. There's a lot of family involved." Brady says.

Brady and his brothers have been working here for more than two decades.

"We've had this place for like 27 years," Brady says, "We've had other restaurants — one in Florham Park and one in West Orange. They were pretty much the same as this, Italian American."

The restaurants have additional assets. One of the most noteworthy is the antique vibe of the building. Lining the walls of the restaurant area are pictures of important-looking people with big mustaches. The pub area has more of a sports theme — not current sports heroes such as Lebron James or Derek Jeter, mind you, but older photographs, of boxing and horse racing, which highlight the antique vibe.

The first photo that went onto the walls was of a boxer who was one of restaurant's early customers, Brady says. He brought in the photo while the building was being renovated, and when when the carpenter saw it he said, 'That's perfect, we're going to frame it and put it up.' " Brady says.

The boxer had a whole story about the bout that took place the night the photo was taken. There are many other stories in the Lamplighter, as regular customers have been coming here for years, sharing their stories and pictures.

Old Mill Tavern: 'We want people to feel at home'

Do you ever just want to watch a football game, toss back a few drinks and enjoy a good, hearty burger? Do you ever just want to go to a restaurant where you can take the children, enjoy a great meal and not feel strapped for cash?

You can do both in the same restaurant, if you go to the Old Mill Tavern.

"It's just a rustic, comfortable place," owner John Gutowski says. "The atmosphere and the theme here is that we want people to feel at home."

The Old Mill Tavern sits comfortably on the side of Route 24. The site's original structure was a post office. When it was rebuilt, it became a restaurant. Now the place has it it all — great food, friendly atmosphere and great prices — all under one roof.

Its attributes don't go unnoticed. Even in these trying times, the Old Mill Tavern stays busy.

"In this difficult, economic time," Gutowski says, "our focus has been to make the quality the best it can be, and we're proud of that, because people are responding to that — our numbers are up."

Maurice Ching, who has worked at the Old Mill Tavern for more than 14 years, attributes a lot of that success to a few key items on the menu.

"You know, chili — we make almost like 40 gallons a week," Ching says, obviously proud of the Mill's recipe by the way he's smiling. "That's like one of the main things we sell here. Well, the burgers are big here, too, you know. We use more than 200 pounds of ground beef a week. Everything is homemade."

But it's not just the stellar burgers and chili: "People come for our wings," Gutowski says. "They enjoy the different varieties, from mild to suicide."

Not only is the food homemade, but it's ingredients come from local sources. Gutowski is trying to help the area by giving business back to it, and he does that by purchasing all of his raw materials from nearby vendors.

"One of the grassroots things about the Old Mill Tavern is that it's a local, hometown place, so it's important for us to tie the local butcher as well as the local farms into our business," Gutowski says. "And that's why, because our local butcher is a hometown guy. We're buying fresh food from him."

The restaurant has a special every night: all-you-can-eat crab legs on Monday nights, Mexican food on Tuesdays, pasta on Wednesdays and others for the rest of the week.

"I came up with that to grow business and to give to the customers something different, you know," Ching says. "Now, they not just coming for the burger, they're coming for pasta night, too. People really like it."

Another of the tavern's draws is the building itself. In one corner, there's a video game arcade that children can play while they wait for their parents to finish their meals. Patrons can drink a beer from one of the 24 varieties on tap. And the TVs are tuned to whatever big games are being broadcast.

"Saturday, we get all the college football games," Gutowski says, "Not just the Big Ten. We're on the ESPN GamePlan, so you can watch 11 different games. Wherever you're sitting, we'll give you what you want to watch."

Along with the excellent food and atmosphere, the Old Mill also tries to do something for the older crowd: "We offer 10 percent discounts for seniors on various nights," Gutowski says.

Gutowski, who has lived around the Chester area since 1977, thinks the success of his business stems from the great people who live here.

"Chester is a great place to be," he says. "It's a very quaint town, and the people are really genuine, and down to earth. It's a great place to live."

Fences wreathed in charitable effort

When JoAnn Burg, community outreach deacon of the Long Valley Presbyterian Church, took the helm of the annual Sponsor a Wreath fundraiser in Washington Township, she said she did it as a personal way to help out people in the area.

Sponsor the Wreaths "is a very real way to assist people in the local community," she said.

Donors pay $20 to sponsor for wreaths, which are hung on one of the white fences that line roads in Washington Township. The money supports a local food pantry. Volunteers already have started hanging this year's wreaths.

The Interfaith Community Outreach for Washington Township Area, or ICOWTA, is a coalition of 10 churches that administer the Residents Emergency Fund and the Food Pantry. A member of the group, Burg said believes that the groceries that are bought through the fundraiser are a "hand-up" rather than a handout.

"I think a handout sounds like people are just waiting there (to collect something0," Burg said. "The people we're helping either have jobs or just lost a job."

"When someone donates $20, there is no administrative cost behind it, and nothing gets deducted," she said. "It all goes back to the food pantry."

Sponsor a Wreath was created six years ago by neighbors Sam and Laurie Aiken and Harvey Ort Jr. as a way to help residents in need. All of the money raised is used to buy groceries and help those in need. By the time all the money is in, 4,500 bags of groceries will be distributed out to more than 70 families this holiday season.

Volunteers and church members say they feel the program is a great annual event because it allows many from the community get involved in it every year. For example, the Washington Township Library conducted a Food for Fines campaign in which people could substitute paying late book fines by donating food. Curves of Chester, Weight Watchers of Long Valley and Chester and Washington Township Scouts get involved, acting as collection conduits for the food drive.

"It's amazing," Burg said about all the support the fundraiser gets in the community. "Most of them come to us."

One of the most visible highlights of the event is when the wreaths are hung on the fences, providing a seasonal decoration with a definite cause behind it.

Donations for wreaths can be mailed to ICOWTA c/o Long Valley Presbyterian Church, 39 Bartley Road, Long Valley, NJ 07853.