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4/11 Book Reading: Westchester Resident’s Poignant Memoir, The Bridesmaid’s Daughter

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The Mental Health Association of Westchester (MHA) is thrilled to host Pound Ridge’s Nyna Giles and co-author Eve Claxton for the exclusive Westchester reading of their poignant and unflinching portrait of Nyna’s mother Carolyn, whose glamorous life was sidelined by mental health issues. THE BRIDESMAID’S DAUGHTER: FROM GRACE KELLY’S WEDDING TO A WOMEN’S SHELTER—SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH ABOUT MY MOTHER (St. Martin’s Press; on sale March 27, 2018) is a riveting investigation to unearth the lost pieces of Carolyn’s remarkable life story, as well as tell the tale of the daughter who reclaimed her mother’s memory.

To be held on Wednesday, April 11 at 7 p.m. at the Walker Center for the Arts at the Harvey School in Katonah, the book launch reading includes a Q&A, book signing and refreshments; tickets can be purchased at www.mhawestchester.org for $25. This special event – a rare occurrence to hear from both authors in person – raises awareness for mental health issues and benefits MHA, a community-based nonprofit that provides innovative, person-centered treatment.

“We are thrilled that Nyna has chosen to shine a light on the importance of mental health and getting the right help at the right time. MHA is honored to partner with both authors for this exciting reading of their new release,” said MHA CEO Charlotte Östman, LCSW-R.

“Telling my mother’s story in ‘The Bridesmaid’s Daughter’ has been a highly emotional journey – laying bare the heartbreak and devastation mental illness can cause a family,” said Nyna Giles. “This project was extremely painful at times, but ultimately was one of the most fulfilling events in my life. It illustrates the importance of early intervention and treatment, and has enabled me to find a tangible way to give my mother’s life meaning by helping others. I hope that by sharing her story, I can start many important conversations about mental health advocacy. This is why I feel The Mental Health Association of Westchester is vital to our community, ensuring that mental health services are readily available to those who need it the most.”

At 29 years old, Westchester native Nyna was in line at the supermarket when she looked down and saw the headline: “Former Bridesmaid of Princess Grace Lives in Homeless Shelter.” Nyna was stunned: her family’s private ordeal was front page news. The woman on that cover was her mother. The truth was, she barely knew who her mother had been before marriage. She knew Carolyn had been a model – arriving in New York in 1947 and rooming at the legendary Barbizon Hotel for Women, where she’d met the young Grace Kelly. The two had become fast friends, and Nyna had seen the photos of her mother at Grace’s wedding, wearing the bridesmaid gown that had hung in her mother’s closet for years. But how had the seemingly confident, glamorous woman in those pictures become the mother she knew growing up – the mother who told her Nyna she was too ill to go to school and kept her isolated at home?

Nyna Giles and Eve Claxton

THE BRIDESMAID’S DAUGHTER is a deeply personal memoir about friendship and motherhood, and a clarion call for improving mental healthcare. In telling her own and her mother’s story, Nyna aims to raise awareness for mental health advocacy so that no one else has to experience the issues Carolyn and her family did.

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PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

“A fascinating true story.”

—Good Housekeeping

“Celebrates a lifelong female friendship while shedding light on a powerful, if at times painful and complex, mother-daughter bond. A poignantly compelling memoir about family, mental health, and revisiting the past.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“This is a fascinating story of the toll of mental illness and a daughter’s search for understanding and forgiveness.”
—Booklist

“Here is the heart-rending story of two beautiful and glamorous women, and the spirals of disaster into which one of their lives tumbled. As daughter and detective, Nyna Giles writes with moving sensitivity about the dazzling Grace Kelly and her best friend — Nyna’s own mother. The book unfolds like a novel — a tragic and deeply moving saga. Read it   and weep.”

—Robert Lacey, bestselling author of Grace: Her Lives – Her Loves

 

“Straight from the heart, and told with great bravery, The Bridesmaid’s Daughter is a fascinating and powerful story of a daughter’s love for a flawed parent and the struggle to understand a tumultuous childhood.”

—Wendy Lawless, New York Times bestselling author of Chanel Bonfire

 

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

NYNA GILES is the youngest daughter of Carolyn Scott Reybold, a Ford model best known as one of Grace Kelly’s bridesmaids. Nyna has worked in advertising sales with leading media organizations such as Westchester Magazine, 914INC, Westchester Home, The Daily Voice, Record-Review and Westchester and Fairfield County Business Journals. Today she is COO of Giles Communications. She is also an advocate for the mentally ill, having served as a vice president on the board of The Association for Mentally Ill Children of Westchester for ten years. In the spring of 2015, Nyna and her husband, Peter, co-chaired The Mental Health Association of Westchester’s MHA On The Move 5K Run/Walk. Nyna lives in Westchester with her husband, and has three grown children and three stepchildren.

EVE CLAXTON is a writer, editor, and Peabody award-winning radio producer. Since 2006, she’s worked as an editor or co-writer on popular non-fiction books for major publishers including the memoir “He Wanted the Moon,” co-written with Mimi Baird, described by The New York Times as “utterly impossible to put down” and currently being adapted for Brad Pitt’s Plan B with a screenplay by Tony Kushner. Eve is also the editor of The Book of Life an anthology of the best memoir writing throughout the ages.

ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF WESTCHESTER

For more than 70 years, The Mental Health Association of Westchester has promoted mental health in Westchester through advocacy, community education and direct services. MHA offers a range of services that are recovery-oriented, trauma-informed and individualized to promote recovery and wellness. To learn more, visit www.mhawestchester.org.

Local Joe: Many Area Residents Prefer Independent Purveyors

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They’re ubiquitous – the chain stores that make a business of selling coffee.

Yet in our area, independent coffee shops are outright thriving – and Chappaqua and Armonk both boast several different places to get the beverage by patronizing hometown businesses.

On a recent weekday afternoon, Tazza Cafe in Millwood was a hub of activity. Tables were full of chatting pairs, groups of young women were ordering food, and several employees were busy behind the counter.

Tazza Cafe at this past summer’s Armonk Outdoor Art Show

James Monica, owner of Tazza Cafe in Armonk, Millwood, Katonah and Ridgefield, credits much of his shops’ success to employees like these. “Really a big part of it is the people who work here,” Monica said. He’s been able to retain many workers which he says makes a big difference. Longtime employees “provide a personal touch and connect with the customer more.”

Julie Dickens, owner of Beascakes Bakery and Breads in the Armonk Town Center, has similarly attentive employees. “We have regulars and we have their coffee ready at the cash register as they get out of their cars,” she said. At Beascakes, they sell Lavazza, an Italian coffee.

At Chappaqua Station, 1 Station Plaza, where coffee’s served starting at 4:30 am during the week, better, faster service help them maintain a devoted and large customer base, even though the business is quite close to two large chain purveyors of coffee, manager Erik Gonzaga said. “We do have two big competitors here in town but our business keeps picking up,” Gonzaga said. The coffee is La Colombe, a premium brand from Philadelphia and hundreds of customers are served each day.

During the morning rush, there are usually no less than four employees working hard to ensure quick service: one at the register, one making specialty coffees, one filling and restocking and one handling pastry and other food orders, Gonzaga said, “We have our regular customers and once they come through the door it’s ready waiting on the countertop,” Gonzaga said.

Employees build relationships with customers but that community feel is, of course, accompanied by a serious focus on the coffee itself. “From the beginning we took the coffee very very seriously – from the way we grind it – and the amount we use is probably a bit more than typical,” Monica said. Purveyors like Monica can’t have the economy of scale the nationally-known shops do, yet they inspire loyalty and according to owners and managers, business just keeps on growing.

At Armonk’s Market North, at 387 Main Street, “all of our coffee is from artisanal roasters,” Stephen Mancini, one of the owners, said recently. Mancini and others, such as a chef and manager, regularly taste new coffees in blind taste tests called ‘cuppings’ and currently use beans roasted from Port Chester (Path Coffee Roasters) to Maine. “We try to find small-batch and responsibly-sourced,” Mancini said. Perhaps that’s why at Market North, customers often express praise for the coffee and types of coffee available. “When we change coffees or try different roasters there’s excitement about that,” Mancini said.

The appreciation of Mancini’s customer base is no anomaly. According to the National Coffee Association, an industry trade group, 59% “of coffee cups consumed daily are classified as gourmet,” and “out-of-home coffee consumption reached a high of 46% in 2017.” That’s a lot of coffee purchased in shops, and more and more, it’s very good coffee.

Tazza’s customers can tell the difference, Monica said. “A lot of them would say they would never go to a chain store because the coffee is so much better here.”

Local coffee spots also focus on the quality of other ingredients. “In order to make a really great latte you have to start with the milk. Seventy percent is the milk,” Mancini said, “All of our milks are Hudson Valley milks.” Cashew and almond milks are made in house. Perhaps that’s why one Armonk-based customer wrote on Yelp that Market North has “the best latte in Westchester.”

At Beascakes, details are also attended to. “We’re known for our iced coffee because we make our own coffee iced cubes so we have a real following,” Dickens said. Customers avail themselves of fresh cake doughnuts, scones or pastries or on Sundays, Boston cream or jelly doughnuts. “You know, you got to have coffee with your doughnut, right?” Dickens said.

And these days, more people prefer to shop locally. “People appreciate having mom-and-pop places to go,” Dickens said. “We know when a baby’s due, we know when a first birthday is, we follow the families.”

“From the very beginning I definitely tried to focus on and put an emphasis on the quality of whatever we serve – sandwiches, baked goods and coffee,” Monica said. “The people have been very responsive, and I never take it for granted.”

Discover The Staying Power of the Saw Mill Club

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Plus 10 Tips on Getting & Staying Healthy Through the Holidays

(L-R): Yoga Director Michelle Briks, Fitness Director Billy Goda, Media & Creative Director Barbara Accetta, Regional Director of Membership & Sales Terry Lanza, and Director of Group Exercise Kathleen Goldring  (photo by Janine Haynes)

Since 1973, Saw Mill Club (SMC) of Mt. Kisco has been a cornerstone for fitness and health in the Westchester community. The club started out as a small indoor tennis facility and has been expanding ever since. The family friendly club currently has more than 7,000 members who live within a 10-mile radius. SMC opened a separate facility, Saw Mill Club East (SMCE), located at 333 North Bedford Road in Mt. Kisco.

“Saw Mill Club is your friendly neighborhood everything club, meaning we offer everything fitness including boutique studios for barre, yoga, group cycling, and award-winning tennis and aquatics departments,” says Media & Creative Director Barbara Accetta. In addition, SMC offers numerous in-house services like massage therapy, brows and facials by Ileana Fanita, chiropractic care by Dr. Eric Drucker at Saw Mill East, Dr. Louis Campbell, and Spa Chiara, a full-service medical spa founded by Dr. Sharon DeChiara, a board certified plastic surgeon. “There’s also a focus on family at Saw Mill Club, and our Children’s Center provides daycare, summer camp, and preschool,” says Accetta. “My toddler loves it, and I love that I can squeeze in a barre class and some pampering between work knowing that she’s well taken care of and happy,” Accetta adds.

Joining a Health Club vs. a Gym

Joining a club is different from just joining a gym. SMC is a micro-community that reaches beyond the fitness aspect. We all know the physical benefits to getting fit–lower blood pressure, lower risk for Type 2 diabetes, lower body fat, increased muscle mass, etc. However, being active is an important component to our mental health as well and can reduce the risk for depression and help lower anxiety and stress levels. In addition, studies show that interacting socially can increase lifespans and add to quality of life–especially in seniors. SMC acknowledges this social component and extends its reach into the community via social outings and activities for seniors, fundraising events for breast cancer, tennis programs for special needs groups–just to name a few.

“This is who we are,” says Terry Lanza, Regional Director of Membership & Sales. Lanza brings along 22 years of experience in fitness. She’s passionate about the Saw Mill Club and what it has to offer its members. “People join our club for many different fitness goals, but, recently, I’ve been meeting with a lot baby boomers who are caring for their aging parents, and they realize the importance of taking care of themselves as a whole going forward,” says Lanza. “Saw Mill Club is unique in that it’s a family-owned facility. The owner, Rick Beusman,  has continually kept up with the times and, recently, acquired approximately $500,000 of state-of-the-art equipment,” says Lanza. Kinesis from TechnoGym allows for over 250 exercises and movements that improve strength, flexibility, and balance. SMC exclusively offers ARTIS, TechnoGym’s cardio equipment like treadmills, ellipticals, steppers, and cross-trainers.

In every area of fitness, SMC’s highly-trained staff is accessible. The club provides various approaches to getting fit and staying healthy. With their Smart Start program, new members are given a choice of two free private sessions. For example, you can work with a personal trainer or brush up on your swim stroke or tennis swing.

Research shows that changing things up in your workout and using different muscle groups gets better results. With the wide range of options, you can always change up your workout from being a mundane routine. Some members may be drawn to classes in the Soft Studio including yoga, pilates, barre, and fusion classes. Others may prefer the Aerobic Studio like Zumba or their Fire it Up cardio and strength workout. While others may be attracted to swimming, group cycle, or the Kinesis or TRX suspension training equipment.

10 Tips for Getting & Staying Healthy Through the Holidays

Fun-filled holiday gatherings bring temptation. Eating healthy and staying on a fitness plan during the holiday season is, no doubt, a challenge. The busy holiday season can bring along stress as well, and we can find ourselves less motivated to stick to an active, healthy regimen.

Below are just a few tips from the fitness staff.

1. Get a Jumpstart

Fitness Director Billy Goda shares some tips from his book, The Personal Trainer’s Roadmap to Success. “Set your fitness goals before the holidays. Typically, we see a spike in membership after the holidays with New Year’s resolutions, but starting a fitness plan before the holidays will give you an advantage,” says Goda.

2. Ink It

Another tip in Goda’s book: Ink It. “You have to put it in ink. So, at the beginning of the week, you need to pull out your calendar, choose three days, and write it in….It’s all about consistency,” says Goda.

3. Changing It Up

Once you’re consistent with your schedule, your workout routine should never be the same. Working different muscle groups and changing up your workout is the key to overall success. “You’ve got to wake up those muscles,” says Goda.

4. Creating Realistic Goals & Forming Healthy Habits

“Shoot for three days a week to work out. If you do more, great. If you can only make it two days, that’s okay,” says Goda. “I don’t care what kind of gains you make in the first couple of weeks….What I care about is what happens further down the line—three, six, nine months from now. By then, you’ve formed the proper habits….You’re going to feel better, sleep better, and have more energy.”

5. Staying Centered & Grounded

The mind-body connection is what yoga is all about. Yoga improves your posture, helps remove tension from the body, improves your mood, sharpens your mind, and boosts your immune system.

“The most important approach for the holidays is to stay centered and grounded. This is what we practice in yoga–poses, stability, balance, focus, and breathing,” says Yoga Director Michelle Briks.

6. Set an Intention

“Even before you get out of bed, set an intention for the day,” says Briks. Maybe your intention is staying focused on a project or learning to take a step back and breathe when you’re feeling stressed. “Focus on something you want to achieve for the day, and remind yourself and connect back to that intention during the day.”

7. Staying Hydrated

“Staying hydrated is important. Many people forget to stay hydrated in the fall and winter months,” says Briks, who is also a nutritionist. Also, starting your day with a half of a lemon squeezed into a 6 oz. cup of hot water balances the ph levels in the body, reduces cravings, eliminates toxins, and aides digestion. “Drinking room temperature water instead of cold water keeps the metabolism strong and running smoothly throughout the day,” says Briks.

8. The Ayurvedic Approach to Eating

Adding spices to warm, whole foods that come from the ground like squash, root vegetables, and leafy greens vegetables not only helps to satisfy our appetite, but has added health benefits. According to the Ayurvedic approach to eating, each meal should contain six flavors–sweet, sour, salty, bitter, astringent, and pungent. For example, cinnamon can help regulate blood sugar levels, cardamom helps eliminate waste through the kidneys, turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory, and ginger aides digestion.

9. Group Exercise Creates a Social Circle & Support System

“Seeing a person as a whole is very important,” says Director of Group Exercise Kathleen Goldring. “We are all unique,” she adds. Group workouts do more than just get you in great shape. The social component of group classes is a terrific way to meet new friends who share your fitness goals.

SMC offers a wide-range of group exercise programs for all ages including seniors. Party Cycle is a non-intimidating cycling class disguised as fun, yet there are also more intense cycling classes for seasoned spinners. Power Shred uses a combination of functional movement and light weights for full body results, and oftentimes the class is led by a live DJ. Saw Mill Club even offers Express Classes, 30 minutes in length, for those who may be in a rush but crave a group workout. There are over 200 group exercise classes weekly between SMC and SMCE–all of which are offered for various skill levels and interests including boot camp, strength training, cardio and core, and Zumba.

10. The Nonjudgmental Approach

We all have our challenges and are at different phases in life. We come with our own fitness goals in mind. Some may have body image issues. Some may have injuries they’re working through, or some may be dealing chronic illnesses. “The key is not to feel intimidated. We try to create a nonjudgmental, all-inclusive atmosphere to help members feel motivated and empowered,” says Goldring.

For a tour of Saw Mill Club, please contact Terry Lanza at tlanza@sawmillclub.com or call 914-241-0797.

Le Jardin du Roi: Exceptional Meals and Distinctive Drinks in a Gorgeous Garden

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Joe Quartararo, Cristiaan Lorson, Chef Rudy Beltran-Prats and Wendy Egan                  NOELLE MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Running a successful restaurant is both a science and an art. Le Jardin du Roi combines elegant service, laid back style and twists on classic culinary creations.

Originally opened as a white table cloth French bistro with his brother-in-law, Joe Quartararo has morphed this excellent little restaurant tucked away on King Street into a “French-BBQ-Latin Fusion-Café-Bar” food experience. A favorite among locals, Le Jardin du Roi is not too fancy, but not too casual. “We want patrons to feel like our restaurant is an extension of their home” says Wendy Egan, restaurant manager. We are so fortunate to have a core business of mainly families who come for brunch, birthdays and holiday meals.”

Customers love to linger over breakfast, lunch, cocktails and dinner in this serene setting awash with color. Joe’s wife, Donna, has designed the gardens to be a feast for the eyes throughout the seasons. Sumptuous weekend brunch is often accompanied with a live jazz band. As the outdoor patio business winds down with the cooler weather, the inside dining room is warm and inviting.

While “Les hamburgers” are very popular (try the Burger du Roi, topped with fried egg, bacon and Swiss cheese), there are occasional wine dinners with food pairings, all day breakfast and authentic, award winning BBQ. Lobster roll sliders and soft shell crabs appear seasonally along with traditional French cassoulet and coq au vin as the leaves start to fall. Take-out orders are available for pick up anytime.

Joe is always open to customer’s suggestions. “We added meatloaf and chicken milanese as a special because customers asked for comfort food.” While there is no kids’ menu, the menu is kid friendly and parents should feel free to ask for chicken fingers, pasta with butter and pancakes. The word “no” doesn’t come out of our mouth unless we don’t have the product”, says Joe.

BBQ ribs, brisket, pulled pork, pulled chicken, chicken wings and house made pigs-in-a-blanket made their debut for Super Bowl 2008 and is now the heart of Le Jardin’s catering business. Cristiaan Lorson, Joe’s business partner and resident Pit Master, learned the art of smoking BBQ from his brother Ted, of Q Haven BBQ of Orange, C.T. Together the brothers have competed in the Jack Daniels BBQ World Championship, the top BBQ contest in the United States. The success of BBQ on the menu has expanded Le Jardin du Roi’s business plan to include full scale catering for weddings, family parties, holidays and corporate events.

Le Jardin du Roi participates in the Hudson Valley Restaurant Week in the fall and spring, a two week regional foodie extravaganza where restaurants offer prix-fixe menus to showcase their dishes and drinks. “People hear “French” and “Chappaqua” and they might be intimidated so this is an opportunity to draw them out,” says Cristiaan.

Joe is grateful to become part of the greater Chappaqua community, generously supporting local charities and education organizations over the years. “This is more than a job, it’s a lifestyle, it’s like a family. We have met so many people and have seen their kids grow up. We’re glad to make a difference here.” He adds, “When we give a donation to an organization, it comes back to us ten-fold.”

A cozy destination in the downtown, Le Jardin du Roi celebrates its 17th year on January 25, 2018. Joe, Cristiaan, Wendy, Chef Rudy, the kitchen team and the waitstaff are optimistic about the current revitalization plans and anticipate more foot traffic to all the local businesses. Their simple approach to dining is to remain easy and approachable, offering consistently good food and distinctive drinks.

Le Jardin du Roi is a warm, welcoming neighborhood spot that opens daily at 8 a.m. to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week.

Wendy’s Granola Recipe

Wendy Egan, Le Jardin du Roi’s restaurant manager for 16 years, shares her tasty homemade granola recipe. It is simple, full of crunch and always available at Le Jardin.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup toasted chopped nuts or seeds
  • 1/2 cup dried fruit (i.e. raisins, cranberries, chopped mission figs, chopped apricots)
  • 1/4 cup toasted coconut flakes
  • 3 cups old fashioned oats (not instant)
  • 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees and arrange a middle rack.
  2. Place oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl and toss to combine.
  3. Mix honey, oil and vanilla in a bowl and mix, pour over oat mixture and stir until oats are well-coated.
  4. Spread mixture in a thin even layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
  5. Take baking sheet out and stir granola.  Bake for 5 minutes more or until oats are a light golden brown.
  6. Cool for about 20 minutes then transfer to bowl. Place in a bowl and add nuts, seeds, dried fruit and coconut.
  7. Place in an airtight container or zip lock bags.

DeCicco & Sons: Where Quality & the Customer Always Come First

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The wine and beer tasting bar is a popular feature at the Millwood location. PHOTO BY STACEY PFEFFER

Before you even enter the DeCicco & Sons supermarket in Millwood, you’ll notice that things are done differently at this grocery store. The shopping carts are lined up orderly, each one gleaming with wheels that glide smoothly along the immaculate floors. The outside display features seasonal mums attractively lined up. As soon as you step inside, you can see fresh-cut flower bouquets and a beautiful bounty of the freshest produce with many products purchased in partnerships with local farms. It’s an attention to detail and an emphasis on quality first that puts this beloved supermarket at the heart of the community.

It all began with John DeCicco Sr. who started his career working in the food industry as a 12-year-old immigrant from Calabria, Italy. As a part-time employee in a fruit store on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village, John Sr. honed an appreciation for quality products and customer service. When the opportunity came up to purchase a bankrupt supermarket in the Woodlawn section of the Bronx in 1972, he jumped at that prospect and began purchasing other supermarkets with family members. Today there are currently seven DeCicco & Sons store in Westchester and his sons John Jr. and Chris play an integral role in the management and operations of all locations.

The DeCicco family celebrates Chris DeCicco’s knighthood at Belgian Beer Weekend 2017 (L-R) John DeCicco Sr., Chris DeCicco, John DeCicco Jr. and Marie DeCicco
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS DECICCO

A Commitment to Health

The family cares deeply not only about the quality of the products available but also about improving their customer’s health. They have revamped all of their prepared items and are eliminating vegetable oil and corn oil replacing it with olive oil. They use sea salt instead of regular salt without compromising on taste and that’s just the beginning. All of their meats (chicken, pork and beef) in their prepared items are antibiotic and hormone-free and purchased from local farms. They try to source wild fish and fresh fish (not frozen or farmed). They also have relationships with local farms to secure in-season produce.

Customer Service is King

The DeCicco family places a premium on customer service, which is evident to any shopper that enters the store. The cashiers are friendly and courteous and the staff goes out of their way to help customers looking for products. “We only take 15-20% of employees that apply for jobs and we have an intensive training process where we emphasize customer service. We are on top of customer service every day. It’s not something you can let go,” explained John Jr. The family is also dedicated to improving employee satisfaction and regularly conducts surveys and meetings to ensure that any staff concerns are addressed.

Giving Back to the Community

“We live in these communities ourselves so we always want to do the right thing,” explains John DeCicco Jr. And indeed they do by supporting many philanthropic causes over the years. The stores have a community school rebate program, which donates 1% of pre-taxed sales to local PTAs and allows them to allocate funds appropriately. Customers at the Millwood location can stop by customer service and link their reward card to the Chappaqua PTA. The DeCicco family also supported a breast cancer walk at Manhattanville last month. In addition, they donate 250 Thanksgiving meals to local families in need annually.

Creating a “Green “Supermarket

After receiving the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Platinum Green Chill Certification for their Larchmont location, they knew they wanted to install a similar HSF-free refrigeration system in the Millwood store, which would use less electricity and less reliance on fossil fuels than traditional supermarket refrigeration systems. But first they needed a complete gut renovation of the former A & P store. Construction began on August 20th last year and the store opened on December 30, 2016. “The town was very supportive and it was the quickest we had ever done a store. The supermarket is “green” as can be” and also received the EPA’s highest certification: the Platinum Level Green Chill Certification. “The fact that we are doing this as an independent grocery store is remarkable- Whole Foods only has one in the whole state!” noted John DeCicco Jr.

Heaven for Beer Lovers

“Everyone in the Hudson Valley knows if you want good beer, you go to DeCiccos,” exclaims Chris. The family got into craft beers early in the 1990s before it was a trend.

“The industry has grown as we have grown. We have the biggest selection,” Chris continues. The family imports a lot of beer from Europe and they have great relationships with brewers. In fact, they are so well-known and knowledgeable about the beer industry that Chris was recently inducted as an honorary knight in Belgium in a 13th century tradition called the Knighthood of the Brewers’ Mash Staff that took place at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels. The hour- long ceremony includes two priests and a bishop consecrating a cask of beer. The DeCicco family was all in attendance to watch this great honor.

PHOTO COURTESY OF “Belgian Brewers-Lander Loeckx”

Distinct Features & Thanksgiving Offerings

Although there are several DeCicco & Sons supermarkets throughout Westchester each supermarket has distinct features and the Millwood location features a beer and wine tasting bar and dining area that is a popular spot for lunch. The fresh sushi bar is a hit with customers. In addition the store offers full-service catering which is helpful for the upcoming holiday season.

With the holiday season arriving shortly, the Inside Press had to inquire about what Thanksgiving is like at the DeCicco family’s celebration. “Thanksgiving in our home features a 25-30 pound turkey, stuffed artichokes, Italian antipasto, and an insane amount of pies and desserts. We make a traditional American Thanksgiving with an Italian flair,” said John DeCicco Jr. Envision all the traditional Thanksgiving items combined with scrumptious Italian delicacies such as roasted peppers with mozzarella, stuffed artichokes and antipasti. And to top it off a dessert table to envy with pies and cakes galore. Customers can replicate a DeCicco Thanksgiving feast simply by calling their catering department and placing an order. For additional information, please visit: www.deciccoandsons.com.

Stacey Pfeffer is the editor of Inside Chappaqua and Inside Armonk Magazines.