Sally Miller talks style, and settling in Milltown

While opening a store in the late summer of 2008 may not have been the most propitious timing, designer Sally Miller's boutique on North Main Street is weathering the difficult economic environment with her trendy clothes for tweens.

Miller defines tweens as kids between the ages of 8 and 14, or those in second to seventh grades. And word on the street is that the world's most famous tweens, who reside at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., have recently donned her clothes.

Sold under the Sally Miller and Sally Miller Couture labels, the clothing is available in high-end retail shops and department stores such as Neiman-Marcus, Bloomingdales and Nordstrom. Young girls sport her fashions in Russia, Japan and Europe. Miller described her line as hip, comfortable, trendy clothing that fits well, is made of high-quality materials and always age-appropriate.

"Parents feel safe with my clothes. They know it will be appropriate," she said.

When asked what is in style right now, Miller noted that everything has gone to color, and black is not as popular.

"Details are important," she said, pointing out a basic tank top with some added neon and antique brass snaps. This fall, menswear plaid and checks will be seen in tween clothes, with pleating and ruffles, very "Gossip Girl," she said.

Miller, who has been designing for tweens for over 20 years, said her inspiration comes in spurts, and she may design for three days straight and then not again for a while. Much of her work is intuitive, and being considered a tween expert means being one step ahead.

"I've always been able to spot trends ahead of time," she said. Miller does a lot of online research, and pours through teen and contemporary magazines. She spends time shopping, but said her shopping cannot be differentiated from work, as it is also a source of inspiration.

Today's tweens are far more technologically and media-savvy than they were when Miller started in the market.

"Emotionally, they're still the same, with boys on one side and girls on the other at dances," she said. "There's a false sense of courage due to texting. They move in and out of relationships faster due to texting." She advises tweens not to text anything they would not say face to face.

A divorced mother of two tween daughters, Katie, 11, and Lily, 10, the Philadelphia native spent 18 years working in New York City before settling in Milltown seven years ago. She and her former husband got lost while driving and saw a home for sale in the borough that was having an open house. They loved the property and purchased it.

Miller has since become active in the community, helping to fundraise for her daughters' school and for the Fourth of July festivities. On a wider scale, her company has donated clothing to Kids in Distressed Situations (KIDS) and is involved with Love Heals, a New York City-based charity for people with AIDS.

Jane Meggitt
The Sentinel

A Sneak Peek at Lucky's Café American
May 4, 2007
 

My wife and I were invited to get a special sneak-peek at Milltown’s newest (and only?) hot spot; Lucky’s Café American, a 1920-1930s Parisian-style cafe on Main Street. The classic throwback decor includes antique American fixtures, light jazz music, film Noir and a cozy atmosphere.

We were greeted by George and Anthony, co-owners of the Café, who were excited to show us around and share some stories of their past accomplishments as well as some of their future goals. The origins of Lucky’s had a simple genesis, "I woke up one morning and I wanted to get a cup of coffee, and I wanted to sit down and read the newspaper, and I really had no place to go," George said. "And I was like, you know what? Maybe it's time."

As we were talking with Anthony, George went off into the kitchen to create two different desserts that will be on their menu. I should have taken better notes on what these desserts were called, but I was too busy eating them. The first was a kind of chocolate sandwich served in tasty Ciabatta bread with a side of vanilla ice cream. The second dessert was a warm chocolate soufflé that was literally one of the best desserts I have ever tasted.

The menu at Lucky’s will feature an assortment of desserts and pastries, with all their baked goods being delivered daily from some of the best bakers in New York City. Freshly made fruit smoothies and a coffee bar that is second to none will round out their menu ‘til fall. At that point they plan on expanding the menu to include salads and specialty sandwiches.

"The people of Milltown have a very individual approach to things," George said. "[My] intentions are purely just to kind of bring something that I think people will enjoy, and people will love, and bringing back kind of like that home-style cafe."

Keep an eye out for the opening of this unique café which is sure to add to the charm that Milltown is known for. And when you’re inside, see if you can find the inspiration that led to the name Lucky’s.

I know that we'll be back.

Lucky's Café American is located at 60 North Main Street, Milltown. For more information call 732-246-5745 of visit them online at www.luckyscafeamerican.com

Chris Grotkopf
The Milltown Voice

Shanahan's Goes for Bigger, Better, and Thin-Crust Pizza  
July 14, 2008
 

Colm Shanahan had no way of knowing when he reopened his family's bakery in 2006 after a few years' hiatus, whether it would be the popular destination it had been for nearly four decades.

The business would have to contend with new competition, and would be scaled back in a smaller space at the rear of its original North Main Street building. A hair salon was now operating in the front space.

"I wanted to give it a shot ... to see if things would work out, which they have," Shanahan said.

So much so, that the bakery has recently expanded in terms of both physical space and the types of food it serves. In fact, at 900 square feet, the place is bigger than ever, with room for tables now, a bar for customers to eat at, and display cases for new offerings such as pizza.

Yes, pizza, at Shanahan's. Historically known for its cookies, cakes and breads made from scratch, the bakery now sells thin-crust pizza, also made entirely on premises.

Selling such foods not typically associated with bakeries, Shanahan noted, helps to keep business going beyond weekends and holidays such as St. Patrick's Day, when the shop sells thousands of Irish soda bread loaves.

"You go from holiday to holiday with the bakery business," said Shanahan, who at age 12 started working at the bakery his father, John, bought in 1969. "That's why I wanted to break out into food, it's more of a steady thing."

Pizza was a natural choice for Shanahan, who over the years would often make pizza for his staff to eat on lunch breaks, and would also make them for family parties.

"People have been telling me for years that I should make it in the store and sell it, and I'd say, 'I'm a bakery chef,'" Shanahan said with a laugh. But he saw other bakeries starting to serve pizza, such as in Brooklyn and Princeton, and decided it was worth a try. "It's a steady business. People eat it year-round. Everyone loves pizza."

And though Shanahan's still closes at 6 p.m., before many eat dinner, the thincrust pizza has taken off since being added to the menu just a few weeks ago. Customers are comparing the pies to those served at Federici's in Freehold and De- Lorenzo's in Trenton.

Shanahan, who is now considering staying open later, shrugged off the idea that he's onto some huge secret.

"It's not rocket science," he said. "I don't understand why regular pizza places don't make good pizza."

Regardless of the subtle changes, much remains unchanged at Shanahan's. The old-time favorites, such as butter cookies, scones and kifleys, are still offered, and it's still the same family-run business. Colm's parents, John and Kathleen, who live upstairs, still help out in the kitchen, along with Colm's wife, Dawn, and their daughter, Mallory, who just graduated college.

After nearly 40 years, the family is happy to continue serving up its recipes, as long as customers want it.

"People love the fact that it's still oldstyle and that everything is still made from scratch," Shanahan said.

The store is open Tuesday to Friday, 8am-6pm, Saturday 8am-5pm and Sunday 8am-2pm.

Brian Donahue
The Sentinel

Female Barber Happy to be 'One of the Guys'
May 4, 2007
 

Scala's Barber Shop has all the usual accouterments one would expect of such an establishment.

These include the tools of the trade, complete with straight razors, the usual banter that occurs among gentlemen, and good, old-fashioned hair-cutting.

The only thing that might surprise new clients would be seeing Holly White's smiling face waiting for them where they might expect to find a man.

"I want to keep the old-school barbershop alive," White said. "Being a woman in this business, I get old guys saying, 'I've never had a lady do this before.' I did get some men who said, 'I'm not sitting in her chair, she's a woman.' Now I'm one of the guys."

About 10 years ago, White left her life as a women's hairdresser behind to enter what has traditionally been a man's world. At a now-closed shop in Spotswood, White learned her skills from a veteran of the trade.

"He was like a drill sergeant with me," White said. "I always hear his voice in my head."

Her most recent stint was at Rocco's, a Milltown landmark since 1968 that closed about a year ago.

"[Rocco] gave me a break by hiring me," White said. "The guys all disappeared, so that's why I had to open my own place."

Wielding the scissors at Rocco's made White the first-ever female barber in Milltown. With the opening of her new shop April 26, White has become a trailblazer in another way, as the first female owner of a barbershop in town.

"My kids are getting older now," White said. "Now, me opening my own shop in Milltown, this is my baby."

White has lived in Milltown for about 20 years. She resides with her husband, Frank. They have two children - Frank, 20, and Heather, 18.

"They're really proud of me," White said. "It's always been a dream of mine to have my own barber shop."

Though Scala is her maiden name, White said she wants to keep the tradition of the old-fashioned, Italian barber shop alive. She also had a second reason for naming the shop Scala's.

"If they see Holly's Barber Shop, they might say, 'Oh, it's a lady's place,' " White said. Though her shop is new, White said she already has a large clientele.

"What I did was, I kept contact with all of my customers. I'm reclaiming them now."

Among White's regulars are a number of police officers and firefighters, to whom she gives flat tops and fades, she said. While she serves men and boys of all ages, White said she no longer does women's hair - unless, of course, it is very short.

Working around men exclusively has exposed White to conversations that are normally kept strictly among the boys, she said, noting that the men would sometimes tell risqué jokes about women.

"I never really took offense to it," White said. "To be honest, I laughed right along with it. Actually, I started telling the jokes. I have seen a whole other side of the man's point of view, about everything from dating to politics. It's nice hearing their view."

The inside of Scala's evokes images from the past, with Norman Rockwell prints adorning the walls, and an old razor strop on display. On the outside, customers might find White's Harley-Davidson motorcycle holding court, sort of a testament to her status as one of the guys.

White is the sole barber at her shop, but if things go well, she may hire others.

"Milltown is an old-fashioned, Norman Rockwell kind of town," White said. "It's such a cute little town."

Scala's Barber Shop is in the same building as Milltown Hardware, at 66 North Main St., in the rear. Hours of operation are Tuesday 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Wednesday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Thursday 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Men's haircuts are $14, and for boys under 10 they are $12. A beard trim is $8. For more information, call 732-619-9114.