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NBPAC Lecture Series: Culinary Conversations with Chef Rocco DiSpirito

Friday, March 14, 2025 @ 7:30pm



New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC)
11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Join us for an inspiring evening with James Beard Award-winning American chef Rocco DiSpirito in a moderated interview by New Brunswick's own The Restaurant Guys, Mark Pascal and Francis Schott (Stage Left Steak and Catherine Lombardi)!  A portion of the ticket sales proceeds will benefit the Elijah's Promise - Promise Culinary School.  Limited VIP tickets are available, including preferred seating and a Meet & Greet / After-Party at Catherine Lombardi. Add an autographed cookbook to your ticket purchase (while supplies last).

 

About Rocco:  Chef Rocco DiSpirito is celebrated for his outstanding culinary skills, television personality, and authorship of fourteen cookbooks. Rocco was working globally in Paris, France and NYC alongside legendary chefs Gray Kunz, Dominique Cecillon and David Bouley by the age of 20. His restaurant, Union Pacific, received three-stars from The New York Times. DiSpirito appears on shows like, “Top Chef”, “Rocco’s Dinner Party,” and his time spent on “Guy’s Grocery Games” and “Tournament of Champions” both as a judge and contestant earned him top prize. His cookbooks, “Everyday Delicious”, “Now Eat This!” “Pound a Day Diet,” and “The Negative Calorie Diet,” reflect his dedication to living a healthy lifestyle and making nutritious food accessible to everyone. His book “Flavor,” earned him a James Beard award. Rocco has been featured in Food & Wine, Bon Appetit and Gourmet and on The Today Show, GMA, Oprah and more. Rocco has been advocating on behalf of missions for City Harvest, Downtown Alliance, Health Corps, God’s Love We Deliver, Feeding America and more.  Rocco currently lives in New York City with his family and two Shiba Inu. Connect with Chef Rocco on his WebsiteInstagram and Facebook pages.

About The Restaurant Guys: Mark Pascal and Francis Schott are possibly the original food podcasters. They started interviewing the most interesting people in Food, Wine, and The Finer Things in Life at the dawn of podcasting in 2005.  After 8 years they took a break from 2013 until just last year. Jacques Pepin helped The Restaurant Guys Podcast relaunch in July of 2024. They are now downloaded in 70 countries and host extraordinary culinary guests every week. This will be the first Restaurant Guys Podcast recorded in front of a live audience.

Mark and Francis are two of New Brunswick's own. They have operated Stage Left Steak and Catherine Lombardi Restaurants right next to NBPAC since the 1990s.




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UPCOMING EVENTS




 

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EVENT PREVIEWS

(NEWARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) presents a Spring Season of Jazz with free monthly jazz jams at Clement's Place and two special concert events inside the Victoria Theater. This series, running from September through June, is co-presented by NJPAC's Jazz Advisory Committee and Rutgers University–Newark's Institute of Jazz Studies (IJS). Immerse yourself in the relaxing sounds of jazz music that stimulate the players’ and listeners' minds.



PBS'

PBS' Independent Lens Launches 20th Season of Free Pop-Up Screening Series in Teaneck and Nationwide

(TEANECK, NJ) -- The award-winning PBS documentary series, INDEPENDENT LENS, presents the launch of the upcoming season of Indie Lens Pop-Up in partnership with the Teaneck International Film Festival and the Puffin Cultural Forum. The season kicks-off on February 4, 2026 with The Librarians and continues through May. The series is free for all but sign up is required.



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State Theatre New Jersey presents The Sound Studio Series 2026

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey proudly presents The Sound Studio Series, an immersive musical experience that places concertgoers at the very heart of the performance. Held in STNJ's intimate Studio space, limited to just 80 attendees, The Sound Studio Series features a dynamic mix of both classical and rock performances. Each concert concludes with an exclusive post-show meet-and-greet with the artists, offering fans a rare opportunity to connect directly with the performers. Tickets for the series are $20-$30.



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Morven Museum & Garden's Grand Homes & Gardens returns with a new series for America's 250th

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Morven Museum & Garden's popular speaker series Grand Homes & Gardens returns for 2026. Coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Freedom at Home: Telling the Full Story of America's Founding Homes and Gardens examines four estates belonging to five signers of the Declaration: William Paca, Richard Henry Lee, Francis Lightfoot Lee, Thomas Jefferson, and Arthur Middleton.



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Faith and Frosting Collide in "The Cake" at Bergen County Players

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