Many restaurants have agreed to donate at least 10 percent of their proceeds on Oct. 11 to a fund for the families of food-service workers who perished at the World Trade Center.
By: Pat Tanner
As relief efforts continue for the families of the victims of the World Trade Center attack, Princeton-area restaurants will be doing their part by participating in an event on Thursday, Oct. 11, called "Windows of Hope."
On that day, restaurants across the country have agreed to donate at least 10 percent of their proceeds to a fund established for the families of food-service workers who perished that day.
All that the public is asked to do is to dine out that day at a participating restaurant.
The effort was begun by Michael Lomonaco, who was executive chef of Windows on the World until Sept. 11, and David Emil, its owner. The restaurant lost 78 employees that day, but there were at least 40 other restaurant and food service concerns in the Twin Towers.
Funds collected from "Windows of Hope" will provide immediate relief to the families, as well as future scholarships.
"Many of the food-service workers at the World Trade Center were, by and large, wage earners with the least financial and other resources available to them," said Mr. Lomonaco.
"Windows of Hope" is being supported on a national level by Julia Child, the Culinary Institute of America, the James Beard Foundation, Share Our Strength and just about every major restaurant in New York City. But Princeton area residents can take part by dining out close to home.
Among the first Princeton restaurants to sign on were Tre Piani, in Forrestal Village, and those belonging to T2 Ventures, owned by brothers Carlo and Raoul Momo, which include Mediterra, Teresa’s Café Italiano and Witherspoon Bread Company, as well as the Winepress in Kingston, Nova Terra in New Brunswick and Café Colore, which recently opened in South Brunswick.
Calls to other area restaurants last week disclosed that many had not heard about the "Windows of Hope" effort, but several immediately signed on upon learning of it.
"Why would we not want to be a part of this?," asked Sue Simpkins, owner of the two Main Street enterprises: the bistro-bar in Princeton Shopping Center, and the bakery in Kingston. "We’ll be with them all the way," she concluded.
Steve Murray, manager of the Blue Point Grill, said, "Thank you for pointing us in the right direction. We will definitely be participating."
At Rat’s, the restaurant at Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, both Eric Martin, the executive chef, and owner J. Seward Johnson, Jr., readily agreed to take part.
Will Mooney, whose Brothers Moon restaurant opened in Hopewell in March, is also on board, although he expressed frustration at not being able to leave his small operation to personally help out with supplying food to the rescue workers. But, small as it is, at least two of his crew are doing just that.
MarketFair’s Big Fish restaurant had already planned two fund-raisers for October, before the events of Sept. 11, said General Manager Richard Moscovitz.
A portion of the proceeds from MarketFair’s first annual oyster festival, to be held on Saturday, was originally earmarked for Angels Wings, a Trenton-based charity that specializes in assisting displaced children.
Now, Mr. Moscovitz said, the proceeds will be split between Angels Wings and the American Red Cross Sept. 11 relief fund. And during the entire month of October, $1 of every fresh fish entrée will also go to the American Red Cross.
Restaurants in and around central New Jersey that will be participating in "Windows of Hope" include the Ryland Inn in Whitehouse, Jake’s Restaurant in Flemington, the Opah Grille in Gladstone, Restaurant Serenade in Chatham, and several Jersey shore restaurants, including Doris & Ed’s in Highlands.
It isn’t often that the simple act of dining out can do so much good for so many people.
And with government officials urging us to return to everyday activities, it is even more unusual that patronizing our favorite restaurant can be considered an act of patriotism.
Princeton-area restaurants participating in "Windows of Hope" on Thursday, Oct. 11:
- Big Fish, Princeton.
- Blue Point Grill, Princeton.
- Brothers Moon, Hopewell.
- Café Colore, South Brunswick.
- Main Street European Bistro-Bar, Princeton.
- Mediterra, Princeton.
- Nova Terra, New Brunswick.
- Rat’s, Hamilton.
- Teresa’s Café Italiano, Princeton.
- Tre Piani, Forrestal Village, Plainsboro.
- Winepress, Kingston.
- Witherspoon Bread Company, Princeton.