The Restaurant Guys

The Quiet Man: A Staged Radio Play

Sunday, March 26th at 7 PM

Based on the 1952 Oscar winning film by John Ford, our program tells the story of a retired American boxer who returns to the Irish village where he was born. There he finds romance and rivalry, as he struggles to keep quiet his pugilistic past, begging discretion from a priestly fight fan who remembers his athletic achievements (including the brutal bout he hopes to keep hidden).

FEATURING: Laurence Mintz as Michaleen Flynn, Michael Jarmus as Will "Red" Danaher, Danielle Illario as Mary Kate Danaher, and starring Jeff Maschi as Sean Thornton. With Alex Dawson.

PLUS: Theatrical lighting! Period costumes! Golden Age radio equipment! Live music! And extensive sound effects!

We can't think of a better way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day (belatedly) than sipping some uisce beatha while listening to jazz vocalist Danielle Illario's soulful rendition of "Isle of Inisfree" and watching Jeff Maschi's knockout performance as Sean "Trooper Thorn" Thornton!

Have dinner at either Stage Left or Catherine Lombardi before, during or after the performance and the show is complimentary. A limited number of seats will be available for $25 and a two-drink minimum. Show run time is 55 minutes. Make a reservation at 732-828-4444 or [email protected].

Raconteur Radio stages theatrical presentations of vintage radio plays, classic works of literature, and pop culture parodies for live audiences throughout the Tri-State area. They've been called "family friendly guerrilla theater" by the New York Times, one of "the 7 best things to do in NJ" by the Newark Star-Ledger, "innovative and entertaining," by the Home News Tribune, and "a radio show on steroids," by the Courier News, as well as "epic!" by Lev Grossman (of Time Magazine), "amazing!" by Kyle Hartzell (of NPR), "dazzling!" by Megan Ryan (of wNYC), "spellbinding!" by Tom Lynch (of Theatre World), "thrilling!" by Barry Monush (of The Museum of Television & Radio), and "outstanding!" by Lee Pfeiffer (of Cinema Retro Magazine). For more info, visit www.RaconteurRadio.com

Do They Love You Like The Way We Do? - Melissa Etheridge Friday!

Perhaps one of the best angry-spurned-lover-rock anthems ever performed is Melissa Etheridge's Like The Way I Do. If you click on the picture below and watch her performance you will not be able to get that song out of your head. I double-dog dare you. She's a master of the genre. Similar Features, Refugee, Come to My Window (I'll Be Home Soon), I'm The Only One, Angels Would Fall all completely rock the house.

Well tomorrow, Melissa Etheridge is going to be performing at The State Theater and it's not quite sold out. I suggest to you that a great way to spend Friday Evening would be to dine at Stage Left or Catherine Lombardi (click on restaurant name for reservations) and go see Melissa Etheridge rock the house. Buy tickets here, while they last. $45-$95 You can dine before or after the show. Come see us. We'll Bring You Some Water, and much more!

The Twilight Zone: A Staged Radio Play by Raconteur Radio

Thursday, December 29 at 8 PM

We've had such great success with our friend Alex Dawson's staged radio plays that we've decided to do it again. People have been begging us to do another.

This time, we will take you to another dimension, to which you unlock the door with the key of imagination - to a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You will have just crossed over into the Twilight Zone!

Have dinner at either Stage Left or Catherine Lombardi before, during or after the performance and the show is complimentary. A limited number of seats will be available for $25 and a two-drink minimum. Show runtime is 55 minutes. Make a reservation at 732-828-4444 or [email protected].

Raconteur Radio stages theatrical presentations of vintage radio plays, classic works of literature, and pop culture parodies for live audiences. They've been called "family friendly guerrilla theater" by The New York Times, one of "the 7 best things to do in NJ" by the Newark Star-Ledger, "a radio show on steroids," by The Courier News, and "epic!" by Time Magazine, For more info, visit www.RaconteurRadio.com

Jacqui Naylor will return to Catherine Lombardi Sunday, November 27th

Long time readers of this email will recall that the night I met Jacqui Naylor, our favorite jazz singer, involved a rare and unusual bullfight in Madrid, an accidental invitation to dinner with The Marqués de Griñón, Spanish brandy, aged Cuban cigars and a beautiful Jazz singer. If you would like the details, click here (that link is an entry from a prior performance - disregard those dates). Jacqui has since gone on to release ten albums and tour all over the world to great critical acclaim. Sometimes, it's better to be lucky than smart. I'm cognizant of my own great good fortune in meeting Jacqui early on, and glad I can spread that good fortune to you by bringing this amazing Jazz singer to New Brunswick.

Jacqui Naylor will return to Catherine Lombardi Sunday, November 27th.

That's a perfect way to top off Thanksgiving weekend. Jacqui and her quartet will perform at 7:15 in the dining room. We will seat for dinner until 6:15 so that you can enjoy dinner before the show. We will serve cocktails through the performance and after.

Jacqui's album have made the “top ten” lists of USA Today, Jazziz & Washington Post.

"Naylor remains one of the most superbly arresting vocalists around. " — JazzTimes

"Naylor excels as a sensitive song interpreter with unerring intonation. " — DownBeat

"Jacqui has a sumptuous voice, knack for scratchiness, and an ability to sweeten those bluesy bent notes. " — Village Voice

Tickets to see Jacqui are $39 with a 2-drink minimum (or equivalent).
With dinner, tickets to the show are just $25!

[email protected] or 732-296-9463

We will feature wine by The Marqués de Griñón and The Jacqui Naylor Cocktail, a smoky affair involving scotch, orange juice and fine old vermouth.

Penn & Teller at The State Theater: Thursday, October 27th at 8 PM

They're almost sold out & most good seats are gone but we have just a few premium tickets put aside for our guests. Dine before or after the show.

[email protected]
[email protected]

They won't last.
Tickets are $99 and in limited supply and will sell out.

Halloween Weekend: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
A Staged Radio Play by Raconteur Radio
FEATURING: Jeff Maschi, Laurence Mintz, Danielle Illario, and Alex Dawson
Friday, October 28th at 8 PM

The young Robert Louis Stevenson suffered from repeated nightmares of living a double life, in which by day he worked as a respectable doctor and by night he roamed the back alleys of old-town Edinburgh. In three days of furious writing, he produced a story about his dream existence. His wife found it too gruesome, so he promptly burned the manuscript. In another three days, he wrote it again.

"The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" was published as a "shilling shocker" in 1886, and became an instant classic. In the first six months 40,000 copies were sold. Queen Victoria read it. Sermons and editorials were written about it. An intriguing combination of fantasist thriller and moral allegory, the gripping struggle of two opposing personalities — one essentially good, the other evil — for the soul of one man. Its tingling suspense and sensitive portrayal of man's dual nature reveals Stevenson's great skill and originality. Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde retains the power to terrify and move over a century later.

WITH: Period costumes, theatrical lighting, Golden Age radio equipment, vintage commercials, fog fx, and, of course, extensive sound effects.

PLUS: Jazz vocalist Danielle Illario sings the period ballad, Roses of Picardy.

Raconteur Radio stages theatrical presentations of vintage radio plays, classic works of literature, and pop culture parodies for live audiences throughout the Tri-State area. They've been called "family friendly guerrilla theater" by the New York Times, one of "the 7 best things to do in NJ" by the Newark Star-Ledger, "innovative and entertaining," by the Home News Tribune, and "a radio show on steroids," by the Courier News, as well as "epic!" by Lev Grossman (of Time Magazine), "amazing!" by Kyle Hartzell (of NPR), "dazzling!" by Megan Ryan (of wNYC), "spellbinding!" by Tom Lynch (of Theatre World), "thrilling!" by Barry Monush (of The Museum of Television & Radio), and "outstanding!" by Lee Pfeiffer (of Cinema Retro Magazine). For more info, visit www.RaconteurRadio.com

Have dinner at either Stage Left or Catherine Lombardi before, during or after the performance and the show is complimentary. A limited number of seats will be available for $25 and a two-drink minimum. Show run time is 55 minutes. Make a reservation at 732-828-4444 or [email protected].

Dinner and a Movie: Chef!

Eater.com says Chef is one of the top 13 movie chefs of all time!

On Friday, August 26, we will show Chef in the private screening room of The Heldrich Hotel, right across the street. Afterwards, we will offer communal seating for a special tasting menu in Stage Left, inspired by the film. Of course, if you would like to just see the film and dine with us a la carte, that works too.

The screening is complimentary with dinner either way.

Chef: Dinner

Grilled Cheese
Humboldt Fog and 3yr Aged Vermont Cheddar

Cuban Sandwich
Pork Belly and Jamon Iberico de Bellota
House-made Pickles

50-Day Dry Aged Ribeye Steak
Yucca Fries
Plantain Sauce

Dessert
Berries with Sweet Cream
Molten Lava Cake

$79

Big Night! Dinner and a Movie

Tony Shaloub, Stanly Tucci, Mark Anthony, Minnie Driver, Isabella Rossellini, Liev Schreiber

A Private Screening of Our Favorite Food Movie
Then we serve the feast from the film
Friday, August 12th
[email protected]

Our favorite food film of all time, Big Night, came out in 1996. A cult classic, it's a hysterical account of the sometimes heated relationship of two brothers who open a very authentic Italian restaurant in not-so-worldly New Jersey of the 1950's. The cast is stunning. The music, the dialogue, the cinematography, is all just perfect. At the center of it all though, is the food: A huge feast and all the love and care and drama that goes into it.

We will screen the film in the private screening room at The Heldrich across the street, beginning at 6:30, truffled popcorn included. Immediately afterwards, we will recreate the feast from the film in the dining room of Catherine Lombardi. We will dine at large communal tables and great fun will be had by all.

This year, we've partnered with the folks at Farnese Vini in Southern Italy. This dynamic group is producing some remarkable and rule-bending country wines that are absolutely delicious and stunning values. We will offer a complimentary tasting of the Farnese portfolio of wines before the film (any time between 5:30-6:25).

Our Big Night: Friday, August 12

1. Wine Tasting

Stage Left
5:30 - 6:25

2. Film

The Heldrich Hotel
6:30

3. Dinner

Catherine Lombardi
Immediately Following

The Menu

Italian Wedding Soup

Trio of Traditional Risotto

Timpano Stage Left Style

Mixed Family Style Feast
Roasted Organic Chicken, Whole Roasted Branzino,Roasted Suckling Pig,
Zucchini Flowers, Roasted Garlic with Broccoli Rabe and our famous Garlic Bread

Flambé Pascal

Dinner and the movie and pre-show wine tasting is $99.
Dinner with wines (by Farnese) $139.

Reserve by calling 732-296-9463
This always books up, so please reserve as soon as possible.

March Mania at the State Theatre

Howie Mandel, The Chieftains, 42nd Street, Rhythm in The Night: Irish Dance Spectacular, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Alice Cooper, Glen Burtnik's British Invasion, Moscow Ballet-Swan Lake, Love on Broadway, Abba-The Concert, Robby Krieger, NJ Symphony Orchestra, Bobby Bandiera's Tribute to Jersey Rockers

Click here to check dates and book tickets.

Then click for reservations at Stage Left or Catherine Lombardi. Dine with us Before or After The Show

Jacqui Naylor at Catherine Lombardi (An Alternative to the Superbowl on Superbowl Sunday)

Sunday, February 7 at 7:15 PM
Dinner Before Brought to you by El Dorado Rum

It was one of those lucky things. I happened to be in Madrid, and a friend invited me to tag along to dinner at the estate of The Marqués de Griñón, Don Carlos Falcó Fernandez de Córdova. It was a heady day that started with churros and coffee in the Puerta del Sol, and went on to include one of the best rejoneo bullfights I've ever seen, dinner with the Marqués, and chitchat with various other Spanish nobility. King Felipe, the crowned prince back then, had been a guest just the week before in the very room where I sat. My Spanish is far from perfect, but I was called upon to serve as a translator. I remember talking to a woman who was a cousin of both the King and Don Carlos. I translated a question from one of my companions which was something like, "Have you known Don Carlos long?" I remember her sly smile at our American ignorance when she answered, "Our families have been friends for more than 500 years." So much for my career in the diplomatic corps.

But the highlight of the day was when Don Carlos introduced Jacqui Naylor, whom he had engaged to sing for us after dinner. She was a rising star in the West Coast jazz scene and had flown all the way from San Francisco to sing for us. The Marqués arranged for one of the finest Flamenco guitarists in Toledo to accompany her. It was immediately apparent to all assembled that we were in the presence of a great talent. She broke my heart about seven times that night, as she sang in the "barn" of the estate, while we smoked Cuban cigars and drank very old Spanish brandy from Don Carlos' cellar. I have been a fan ever since.

Jacqui has gone on to achieve success and great critical acclaim

"Naylor remains one of the most superbly arresting vocalists around. " JazzTimes
"She excels as a sensitive song interpreter with unerring intonation. " DownBeat
“Naylor has a sumptuous voice and a knack for scratchiness.” Village Voice

Jacqui returns to Catherine Lombardi following sold-out tours in Italy, Germany and the United States. Naylor’s albums have made the “top-ten” lists of USA Today, Jazziz and The Washington Post and she is recognized for her wide vocal range and ability to mix and “smash” multiple genres and generations of music. At her concert, Naylor will perform music from her current album and revisit requested favorites from earlier releases.

She is currently touring supporting her 10th album. Her recordings are available throughout the United States, Europe and Asia and she tours regularly in these regions at esteemed venues and festivals, including Ronnie Scott's London, all Blue Note clubs worldwide, Birdland New York, San Francisco Jazz Center Auditorium, Monterey Jazz Festival, Jazz at Aspen-Snowmass and more.

On Sunday February 7, Jacqui will sing for us all in the lush red dining room of Catherine Lombardi. Jacqui's vocal stylings in our lush red dining room will transport you back to another era of Jazz and cocktails. With the fireplaces roaring and the church through the windows as a backdrop and our extraordinary cocktails and menu, you will feel like you are in the swankiest of supper clubs of a bygone era. Jacqui and her trio will perform at 7:15 in the dining room. We will seat for dinner from 4 PM until 6:15 so that you can enjoy dinner before the show. We will serve cocktails through the performance, many featuring the excellent El Dorado Rum.    

Tickets to see Jacqui are $39 with a 2-drink minimum (or equivalent).
With Dinner, tickets to the show are just $25!

To make a reservation and for tickets, please call 732-296-9463 or email [email protected].