Lauren Weiss Turns Love of Food Into A Town Blog

It’s spring break here in Westfield and it’s a busy time for everyone. The weather is getting warmer, the spring athletic teams are working hard to prepare for the season and  we're all outside trying to figure out what to do with our beat-up yards. But as you figure out whether your rhododendron survived the harsh winter, our top story about the town food blogger will be a pleasant distraction. 

Today I’ve got a great profile about a local foodie and some news about the local crew team and a note of condolence about a fallen hero. Here’s what is going on About Town.

WEISS LOOKS TO SHARE LOVE OF FOOD

Lauren Weiss was just like most of us, looking for a new creative outlet. During a trip to visit friends in the Napa Valley, she discovered that many women in northern California maintained blogs on various topics. So, along with some great wines, she returned home with an idea — and the Westfield Foodie Blog was born.

“I started it because I enjoy cooking and writing, but I also noticed that people are interested in talking about their cooking/dining/eating experiences and this gives us all a forum to share experiences,” Weiss said. “I started it as something for myself, as a hobby, like a public journal. Someone asked me if I made money from it.  I said, 'No,' and their baffled reaction was, 'That is so nice of you.' I didn't start Westfield Foodie to be nice, I was taking a step in a new professional direction. I absolutely love to read cooking magazines and look at the gorgeous photos. Some of my favorite books are about food (Garlic & Sapphires, Kitchen Confidential). It's someone to which everyone can relate.”

Weiss said she loves to write about food, to tell food stories and be the town food critic. She talks about recipes, new culinary selections at area restaurants and things to try in the kitchen. Right now, she's interested in writing about a new recipe.

“The corn dip recipe that my neighbor and I discovered and brought to town,” Weiss said. “We each made it for friends the following week and the recipe spread through Westfield faster than lice in a third-grade class. We call it Westfield Corn Dip.”

Weiss has a variety of favorite restaurants and entrees in town. She noted that her top three are Limani, Acquaviva, Mojave Grill and Vicki’s Diner. Outside of town, she favors Rosie’s Wine Bar in Garwood, Thailand Restaurant in Clark, Dillon’s in Mountainside and Pairings in Cranford.

“Then there are certain places where I really like some things but it's not my favorite restaurant. I think Jeffrey's bacon cheeseburger with sweet potato fries is my favorite comfort meal, and the vegetarian gumbo at Qdoba is outstanding,” she said. “Dillon's has the best crab cakes. Bensi has a pasta primavera with vodka sauce that is out of this world. I also love their chicken soup. Alan's Orchard's frozen yogurt is addictive and the cheesecake at Westfield Diner was so good I ordered 10 of them for my husban'd birthday party the next day. I wrote about that, and no fewer than three people told me how their cheesecake got them through their pregnancies.”

Weiss said she is thrilled to share her love of food and tips on places to shop for food, including King's, Trader Joe's and Alan’s Orchard. She also touts specialty items she's picked up in ShopRite and Westfield Farms. She’s even written about Krauszers and items she's found there.

“So there you have it...from Krauzsers to Chez Catherine, I'm a regular person trying to feed my family, one blog at a time,” she said.

CREW TEAM DOES WELL

Congratulations to the Westfield Crew Team for its strong showing Sunday in the third race of the Manny Flick series in Philadelphia.

The boys JV squad finished fifth. The squad consisted of Ryan Don, Alex Dumont, Matt Lazzoratti and Matt Huff; Lazzoratti and Dumont were competing in their first race. The girls JV squad also finished fifth, with Delia Annitsakis, Charlotte Dreizen, Anne Sexton and Sara Hoerner competing for the team. The girls varsity squad finished sixth. Amanda Adsit, Liz Driscoll, Jenny Amador and Megan Hoerrner competed on that team.

The crew team will next compete on Saturday in Kearny and return to Philadelphia on Sunday.

DANNY MAGLIONE, RIP

Firefighters in this town do so much for all of us. They work long hours and help keep the town safe, something we saw early Monday morning over on Mountain Avenue. I wanted to mention the passing last week of Firefighter Danny Maglione, who lost his battle with cancer. While I did not know Firefighter Maglione, I wanted to mention him and his courageous battle and dedication to our town. He will be missed. A town's love goes out to his wife, Katie, and their daughters, Mariesa and Tallia.