Church Street Café Kicks Off Month-Long Celebration of its First Anniversary
Kevin Peterson Appointed Executive Chef
Mussel Madness Now Available Every Night
MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY (August 5, 2005)—Defying the wilting heat, Church Street Café owners Cheryl & Greg Spinelli are having a whirlwind summer: They’ve appointed a new Executive Chef, Kevin Peterson, and are about to launch a month-long celebration of the Café’s first anniversary.
On Friday, September 9, Church Street kicks off the festivities with Montclair Time Out – Parents Who Rock. There will be eight performers that evening (rumor has it that Church Street’s Greg Spinelli is one). All are local parents with a variety of musical talents. Montclair Time Out is a music event that takes place every 3 months for a different charity. This time the beneficiary will be the local Early Intervention Program. The full dinner menu will be served; reservations are required. Call 973-233-0216
On Saturday, September 10, Church Street Café’s Anniversary Gala will rock the downtown scene with Chef Kevin Peterson’s brilliant tasting menu, live entertainment and other goodies. Reservations are required: Call 973-233-0216.
Chef Peterson, 28, was appointed executive chef effective July 5, 2005. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland and New York City’s Institute of Culinary Education. Just before joining the culinary team at Church Street in late 2004, he worked at Union Square Café.
The biggest hit on Peterson’s new dinner menu has been Mussel Madness, a $15 all-you-can-eat special originally offered only on Friday night. As part of the anniversary celebration, Mussel Madness is now extended to seven days a week. For $15 guests can enjoy limitless mussels prepared in their choice of three styles: Belgian Moules Frites; Mussels Marinara with Penne; and Mussels Fra Diavolo over Linguine. Additional recipes and specials are in the works.
“I’m thrilled at the opportunity to practice my craft in such a sophisticated dining community as Montclair,” Peterson said. “This town has so many terrific restaurants. It’s a lot of fun, as well as a professional challenge, to work in this environment. I love taking fresh ingredients and concocting a dish that is really pleasing to the palate and the eye. The relaxed style at Church Street really lets the food speak for itself. The open kitchen is an added bonus, because I get to see people’s reactions to the food as they dine.”
“Kevin’s promotion was the direct result of his hard work, commitment and creativity,” commented Greg Spinelli. “Kevin, Cheryl and I spent most of the spring deconstructing the dinner menu and looking for ways to refine our offerings. The process usually started with one of us saying, ‘How can we improve this dish?’ or ‘What if we added that new item?’ or “Does this item deserve to stay on the menu?’ Then it was up to Kevin to execute the dish. By the time the process was completed in late June the new dinner menu featured eight new items and four reworked dishes.”
Cheryl Spinelli added, “Greg and I are delighted to work with a talented young chef like Kevin, who shares our vision. With our backgrounds in luxury hotels and restaurants, we have always loved the idea of serving a wide variety of great fresh food. But we didn’t want the fussiness and ritual that just seemed to make it extra work for the guests. Our concept is great food in a comfortable environment without the charade. Kevin gets it.”
Prior to developing and opening Church Street Café, Mr. Spinelli had a successful career as a Catering Director at such notable venues as Tavern on the Green, The Russian Tea Room, Essex House Hotel Nikko New York and Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts. Mrs. Spinelli’s hospitality industry experience includes F&B management positions with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels, Stouffer’s and Hotels of Distinction.
Montclair Time Out – Parents Who Rock Friday, Sept. 9th at 8PM Church Street Cafe (12 Church Street, Montclair, NJ) $10.00 charitable donation Reservations required: 973-233-0216
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