Author Archives: cjaruck

As part of the weeklong July Fourth celebration of 2010, Wawa presented Morris Day and the Time for a free concert at Penn’s Landing. Linda and I traveled to Wayne PA to visit Linda’s cousin Peg and husband Frank. After a day at the Manayunk Arts Festival, we moved on to Center City for dinner.Continue reading “Morris Day Condensating”

One of the most satisfying aspects of my 20 plus years in the restaurant, was influencing and guiding an employee in their career path. During my first Head Chef position, at Conestoga Country Club, I was fortunate to have a young man who would continue his education at The Culinary Institute of America, (The CIA).Continue reading “The Baron and Baroness Cordially Invite You”

In the early Eighties I had the good fortune to have a friend whose brother had season tickets to the Philadelphia Flyers. These seats were on the blue line, two rows off the ice. One Sunday I and a lady friend ventured down to Philadelphia for a game. First dining at the Rusty Scupper, atContinue reading “A Mighty Wind”

Spending 20+ years in the restaurant business offers one a chance to meet a myriad of personalities. I have met some of the most intelligent, some of the most troubled, some of the most interesting and yes some of the strangest people. One scenario a chef often encounters, is a friend, boss, loved one, askingContinue reading “The Great Kitchen Caper, the 24 Hour Coma and Luis the Dishwasher”

In 1994, I was the Executive Chef at The Restaurant at Doneckers, a fine dining, French influenced restaurant in Ephrata PA. At that time, Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia, long considered one of the best restaurants in America, was named THE best restaurant in the U.S. by a Conde Nast Travelers Magazine reader’s poll. InContinue reading “King Georges Perrier and Kamikazes”

Our first house was in Millersville PA, a duplex at 1 Applewood Lane. A corner property, with a large side yard, separated from the street by a row of arborvitaes trees. There was an empty lot behind our property, beyond our row of trees, that allowed access to the side street, (Charlotte St.). Shelby wasContinue reading “Shelby and the Jogger”

In 2008, the Lancaster Barnstormers, the local pro baseball team, offered a Fantasy Day Camp for Father’s Day. The Barnstormers played in the three year old Clipper Magazine Stadium, named in 2021 as the best independent baseball stadium in the country. My children, Alicia and Jared, purchased a spot as my Father’s Day gift. ThoughContinue reading “Fantasy Day”

In 1998 I was the Executive Chef at the Lancaster Country Club. One of the perks was a trip to the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena CA. Housed in the former Christian Brothers Winery, in the heart of the Napa Valley, this was a continuing education institution and I was registered for aContinue reading “The CIA and Napa Valley”

When I was 19, in college, I was in need of a part-time job. My parents had divorced and I was responsible for part of the bills at our house. My mother and aunt were both working at Hess’s department store in downtown Lancaster. Hess’s was an upscale store, headquartered in Allentown PA, that wasContinue reading “Hess’s Department Store”

Melissa Joan Hart was the star of “Sabrina the Teenage Witch“, from 1996 to 2003. These years coincided with my son Jared’s adolescence. Like many boys of that age, Jared had a crush on the blonde star. In 2007 my daughter, Alicia, son-in-law and granddaughter, moved to Darien CT. This was not to far fromContinue reading “Melissa Joan Hart and Brad Paisley”