John Tredrea

By: centraljersey.com
When folks in Pennington Borough want to know what’s cooking in town, they’re likely to ask Mayor Anthony Persichilli.
But they might not get the sort of answer they expect, because the mayor is a talented chef in addition to being top dog in local government. In fact, his meatballs just won a prize in a charity cook off.
One of the judges at the event was Emily Matticoli, of Emily’s Cafe and Catering in Pennington. Emily’s is just across North Main Street from Borough Hall.
"It began as a discussion at the annual St. Francis Medical Center Medical Staff Dinner about whose mother made the best meatballs," Mayor Persichilli said. "It evolved into a challenge in which 10 individuals, including myself, participated. It was a great event for a worthy organization."
On March 6, the first annual Meatball Cook-Off to benefit St. Francis Medical Center was held at Lawrence Lexus on Route 1 in Lawrenceville. More than $11,000 was raised at the event, which drew over 200 people.
"It was a perfect mix of friend-raising and fundraising. It’s exciting to kick-off something new and fun," said Jerry Jablonowski, president and CEO of St. Francis Medical Center. "We thank our gracious hosts Brian and Miki Bennett and Lawrence Lexus. We are very appreciative to the friends of St. Francis Medical Center who came out to support this event,"
Ten amateur chefs cooked up their best meatball recipe and were judged by "celebrity" judges, including Emily Matticoli.
The official results, which were tabulated by Matthew Pribila, were: winner of the "Top Chef" award, Freeholder Pat Colavita; winner of the People’s Choice Award, Chefs Dianne Clair, Michele Costanzo and Eileen Meagher; honorable mention, Mayor Persichilli; and honorable mention, Chef Christy Stephenson and Chef Camille Amadio.