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NBPAC Lecture Series: Culinary Conversations with Chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli

Monday, May 12, 2025 @ 7:30pm



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

Join us for an inspiring evening with Iron Chef, Food Network Star, and executive chef Alex Guarnaschelli 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 a Meet & Greet event at Stage Left Steak! Add an autographed cookbook to your ticket purchase (while supplies last).

About Alexandra: Chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli began her career in France, with her working in some of the country’s top restaurants, including esteemed chef Guy Savoy’s three-star Michelin kitchen. In 2003, Guarnaschelli became the executive chef at Butter Restaurant in New York City, where she created an American menu spotlighting local ingredients in dishes that allowed their flavors to shine. Today, Guarnaschelli is recognized as one of America’s most accomplished top chefs, acclaimed for her work in the kitchen, as an author, and as a popular television personality. In addition to being an Iron Chef, Guarnaschelli hosts three of her own primetime series on Food Network – Ciao House, Supermarket Stakeout, and Alex vs America. She is also a regular co-host on The Kitchen and a recurring judge on Chopped. Alex's cookbook, "Cook It Up: Bold Moves for Family Foods: A Cookbook," which she authored with her daughter, Ava Clark, was released in June 2023 to rave reviews and was on the New York Times Bestseller list. Her latest cookbook, “Italian American Forever: Classic Recipes for Everything You Want To Eat” was recently released in the Fall of 2024 and was a New York Times best seller. Learn more about Chef Guarnaschelli on her website.

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.



State

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.



Morven

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.



Faith

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

(ORADELL, NJ) -- Enjoy a touching and topical dramedy as love clashes with conscience in Bergen County Players' (BCP) production of The Cake. The play, written by Bekah Brunstetter, producer/writer for the hit TV series This Is Us, is directed by Carol Fisher of Teaneck. It opens March 14 and runs through April 11, 2026 at the Little Firehouse Theatre in Oradell.












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"We're home now for about a week until we start moving again," stated Selwyn Birchwood as he soaked up some home cookin' prior to hitting the road on March 20 in Delray Beach, Florida in support of his March 27 Alligator Records release called "Electric Swamp Funkin' Blues." 




This Week in Music

Here is a look at shows taking place this week along with our featured listings and a look at some upcoming shows. New Jersey Stage offers previews of concerts throughout the Garden State as well as select shows in New York City and Philadelphia areas