The Restaurant Guys

Update: July 3, 2013

Hi There!

The holiday is upon us. Summer marches on. We do hope you can make New Brunswick at least a part of your Independence Day celebration. We've a lot going on this week. And whenever it stops raining, the sidewalk cafe is a lovely place to dine.

As I reflect upon this 22nd Independence Day since we started Stage Left, I remember the cityscape of New Brunswick 1992 when we opened. Digging a little deeper into the reaches of memory, I recall the cityscape of New Brunswick 1985, when I first moved to this fair city.

When Mark and I first came to town, it's fanciest restaurant had a locked door and patrons had to be buzzed in. That wasn't for faux speakeasy exclusivity, it was for security. My heart is filled with thanks to those who dared to dream the ridiculous dream that one day, people would want to sit out on the sidewalks of New Brunswick late into summer evenings, among flowers, to drink wine and dine al fresco.

Col. Neilson was an American hero and it's fitting he read The Declaration of Independence here on the street that now bears his name. It's fitting that New Brunswick was home to the first Independence Day ever, ordered by George Washington himself; but New Brunswick has a long line of heroes and a long history of plucky independence, including those early urban pioneers who would not be dissuaded from staking out their place on New Brunswick's Streets in the early days, fork and glass in hand. There are many different ways to liberate the streets of a city.

Happy Independence Day Everybody!

Independence Day Weekend: Sunday, July 7

• Free Film Screening of 1776
• Free Pocket-Constitution
• Reading of The Declaration
• Jack Daniels Pig Roast
• New Brunswick Fireworks

The 1972 film of the musical 1976 is one of my favorites, Mark's too. I kid you not that Mark and I sometimes spontaneously burst out into a couple of verses from the score. This annoys our staff a great deal, but our patriotic musical spirits are rarely deterred. There is so much that is cool (dorky) about this film. I love it. I was seven when I first saw it and the networks aired it every July for a decade thereafter.

William Daniels delivers a marvelous an memorable performance as John Adams. When several years later, Daniels become the voice of David Hasselhoff's talking car KITT in Knight Rider, I could not help but conflate the two characters. It always seemed to me that the reason KITT was so cool is because it contained the soul of John Adams. How cool was that? Founding father and talking car!

• The State Theater is showing 1776 for free at 5PM. That's right, free. No tickets. No reservations. Free. The first 100 attendees get a free copy of The Constitution.
• After the film, at 8 PM, there will be a live public reading of the Declaration of Independence right across the street in Monument Park.
• We're hosting a pig roast all afternoon, sponsored by Jack Daniels. Pig will be roasting on Jack Daniels Charcoal and Whiskey Barrel pieces and come off the fire at 3:30 PM. We'll Toast the Pig and The Birth of Our Nation with a complimentary beverage. Our regular Stage Left menu will also be available.
• We'll be open after the film as well. The fireworks start over the river at 9:15. You will need to get down to Boyd Park at the river in order to see them well.

Colonel Neilson stood on a tavern table right here 237 years ago (and you know he had a drink in his hand). So come reenact that part with us. No standing on tables please. We'll have some colonial era punches, great beer and wine and great cocktails to boot, mostly featuring that all-American Jack Daniels Tennessee whiskey.

Check a scene from the film here. I'm not kidding. It's great! (skip the video to 1:58) Come for the Stage Left pig roast (Seating from 1:30 PM), reserve here or at 732-828-4444.

And just for fun: Knight Rider.