The sign that welcomes you to this local breakfast and lunch establishment
I was visiting New Vernon, NJ for the annual ‘Pathways Tour’ that the Morris County Historical Board sponsor’s twice a year. While visiting the Tunis-Eckllis House around the corner, I passed the Village Green Deli, a popular local sandwich shop while driving through this small downtown area facing the Village Green. I made note of it as it was getting closer to lunch time.
After the tour, I stopped by the deli, read the wonderful TripAdvisor reviews online in the parking lot and headed inside for lunch. I really liked the vibe of this small town deli where the owners knew everyone by name and I felt like an interloper at a private party.
The inside of the Village Green Deli
The deli has that small town feel to it, with local art and sports paraphernalia in the walls. The woman who worked the register was greeting everyone by name and the guys that worked the grill seemed happy to see me.
Looking at the menu at the grill
I looked at the extensive lunch menu of popular sandwiches and some wonderful combos. You could even still get breakfast as I saw some of the guys at the counter devouring as I decided on what I wanted to order.
The deli has a wonderful selection of sandwiches, hero’s and other delicious sounding items.
There were so many things I wanted to try that day that it was hard to choose. Was it a breakfast sandwich with local sausage? The Thanksgiving ‘Gobbler’ sandwich with turkey, stuffing and cranberry relish, that sounded so good? I decided on an Italian hero sandwich with a selection of deli meats with fresh lettuce, tomato and onion. The hero was excellent!
The Italian hero with a pickle
The sandwiches here are huge! One half of a sandwich a normal person could eat for lunch and save the rest for another meal. The sandwich was loaded with salami, bologna, ham, Swiss Cheese and fresh veggies. I could barely fit it in my mouth.
The sandwich was excellent
I was able to eat about half of the sandwich before I told myself I was finished and not to push anymore. I wrapped the rest up to go and went back to study the menu before I left. I definitely want to come back and try more. The food and the service were both excellent.
After lunch was over, it was such a beautiful sunny day and I walked over to the historic Green across the street and looked over the artifacts in the park. New Vernon is a very picturesque and beautiful little town.
The New Vernon Village Green in the early Spring
It was nice to have a place to walk and digest after that wonderful meal. It is worth the trip to visit this wonderful little deli in the small town. I really enjoyed my meal and the afternoon that followed.
The New Milford Village Green
I have to come back. There are so many sandwiches to try and I want to visit the Great Swamp which is a mile away. Until the next time.
The Institute of Italian Culture has a small gallery in it that several times a year hosts small art gallery events that are open to the public. This one caught my eye when I saw the picture of Sophia Loren looking back at me when I passed.
I thought it might be interesting and I stopped to see “Italians: Italian Women who changed the World” by artist Salvatore Catalano. The gallery held about fourth pictures of Italian women from all over the world and of different time periods who influenced art, fashion, politics and business.
There were many names I recognized and a few who I did not know. The works were very interesting and engaging.
The sign that welcomes you to the gallery
The main gallery at the Instituto Italiano di Cultura for the “Italiana: Italian Women Who Changed the World” exhibition
The exhibition Italiana: “Italian Women Who Changed the World” by artist Salvatore Catalono highlights the many impressive achievements by Italian women over the course of the last few centuries, until today.
(From the museum website):
These formidable women all greatly impacted the world in one way or another, often also against the odds imposed by a “male-ruled” society. The selection of 22 portraits includes scientists, politicians, entrepreneurs, artists, humanitarians and writers. These women all accomplished incredible feats and have contributed to the world in ways that still continue to resonate nowadays.
The Institute of Italian Culture exhibition sign:
The show Italiana: Italian Women Who Changed the World”
These were my favorite sketches from the show and women I most admired in the show.
Miuccia Prada, of the Prada fashion empire
Catherine de Medici, who revolutionized French Culture
Sophia Loren, the famous Italian actress
Lidia Bastianich, the Chef and restauranteur
The sketching’s represented different eras.
(From the museum website)
They are not all household names, but they are all at the top of their professions and exemplify the spirit of Italy. Salvatore Catalano uses his art as a vehicle to transmit these stories and to highlight the lives of these incredible Italian women.
(from the Italian Cultural Institute of New York website)
Salvatore Catalano is an artist, illustrator, and educator. Catalano works in all forms of visual communication. His art has appeared on everything from postage stamps to billboards and his work is in many private and corporate collections. He is an educator at the college level, teaching in New York City and Florence, Italy.
Catalano has worked with The United Nations, U.S. Government, Department of The Interior, National Audubon Society, The New York Times, The New Yorker, ABC, CBS, NBC, American Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, N.Y. Zoological Society, Merck, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Bayer, GlaxoSmithKline, Coca Cola, Pepsi Cola, Seagram’s, General Foods, Sony, Panasonic, Citibank, Scholastic, Harper-Collins, Bantam-Doubleday, Dell, MacMillan, DuPont, Exxon, State of New Jersey Children’s Television Workshop, McGraw-Hill, Ranger Rick, among others. He has also worked on more than thirty books for children.
The History of the Instituto Italiano di Cultura in New York City:
(from the Instituto Italiano di Cultura website)
The Italian Cultural Institute in New York was founded in 1961 by the Italian Government. Its mission is to promote Italian language and culture in the United States.
Under the guidance of its trustees at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, its advisory board, and its staff, the Italian Cultural Institute in New York fosters cultural exchanges between Italy and the U.S. in a variety of areas, from the arts to the humanities, to science, and technology.
Central to the Italian Cultural Institute’s activity is its collaboration with the most prominent academic and cultural Institutions of the East Coast. The scientific exchanges, the organization of, and support to, visual arts exhibitions, the grants for translation and publication of Italian books, inspire and nourish the Institute’s initiatives.
In particular, we focus on the relationship between memory and innovation, and the multiplicity of identities in the Italian civilization. The Italian Cultural Institute in New York, therefore, provides an “open window” on main cultural and social aspects of past and current Italy.
I had never been to the New York Botanical Garden before. Being a member of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, I never saw the purpose until my best friend invited me to see the Orchid Show which had been heavily advertised, I jumped at the chance.
The entrance to the Gardens:
It was a cool April afternoon when we arrived. The first wave of Japanese Cherry trees were in bloom as well as the daffodils.
We started our tour of the Gardens at the Conservatory where the Orchid Show was taking place. The Cherry Trees were coming into full bloom. I had never been to the NY Botanical Gardens before. Being a member of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for over twenty years, I just never saw a reason to come up here. Now I will be making many future trips (I also found out that my membership with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden gets me in here as well).
We visited two areas of the Gardens that day, the Conservatory where the Orchid Show was taking place and Daffodil Hill, their section of the Gardens were all the daffodils were starting to bloom at that point of the Spring.
The Garden’s Mission:
(From the Garden’s website):
The New York Botanical Garden is an advocate for the plant world. The Garden pursues its mission through its role as a museum of living plant collections arranged in gardens and landscapes across its National Historic Landmark site; through its comprehensive education programs in horticulture and plant science; and through the wide-ranging research programs of the International Plant Science Center.
The Conservatory
The Conservatory in the Spring
The turn of the Century Conservatory
Visiting the Orchid Show in 2026:
(From the Garden’s website)
New York City has never bloomed like this. At The Orchid Show: Mr. Flower Fantastic’s Concrete Jungle, orchids collide with concrete in a dazzling reimagining of the Big Apple, from stoops and slice shops to the subway itself. Step into a breathtaking fusion of nature and cityscape artistry in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, and experience the flair and style of New York transformed by thousands of flowers.
The entrance to the Orchid Show
The sign welcoming us to the show
The inside of the Conservatory
The magnificent orchids
The orchids in the beginning of the show
The inside of the Conservatory
The beauty of the potted plants
The beautiful potted plants
They were more beautiful up close
The inside display of the Conservatory
The flowers lined the paths
Then we walked through the fountain area and got to see the beautiful turn of the century fountains. We walked all through the Conservatory that afternoon and these were the breathtaking plants that we saw that day. I had not seen this many orchids out of Hawaii.
The fountain elegantly decorated for the event
The fountain area in full bloom
All sorts of beautiful orchids lined the pools
They came in all colors and sizes
The Tropical display
The orchids in full bloom
The colors were fantastic
Then we walked through the desert display at the end of the Conservatory which was really nice.
The Desert display
The Desert Display
The start of some interesting displays at the end of the show
The Pizza display where I did really think we could order lunch
Blogger Justin Watrel in front of the car washing display
My best friend, Maricel, who toured with me
Blogger Justin Watrel at the end of the Orchid display
The end of the Orchid Show display
The Orchid Show was amazing and I will have to come back next year.
Then we walked the grounds. The New York Botanical Garden’s version of Daffodil Hill is not the same as the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens but still beautiful.
Leaving the Conservatory towards the other gardens.
The path outside the Consrvatory
The beautiful Cherry Blossoms in the gardens that day were in full bloom
We headed to the NY Botanical Garden’s Daffodil Hill display after the Orchid Show and walked down paths of flowering Cherry Trees. It was quite a site as everything was coming into bloom in the park.
The pathway to Daffodil Hill
The pathways to Daffodil Hill
The daffodils were just starting to come in and some were at peak bloom. Though not as impressive as the display at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden it is still impressive and had just come into bloom when we arrived that day. It is a nice place to walk around.
Daffodil Hill at the New York Botanical Garden’s version
Another section of Daffodil Hill
Walking back to the front of the gardens
The Garden Library from the turn of the last century
We even saw a cardinal eating a snack on the side of the sidewalk. He was happy pecking away at an apple core.
The cardinal snacking
He even started to watch us
History of the Gardens:
(From the Gardens website)
The New York Botanical Garden has been a connective hub among people, plants, and the planet since 1891. We’re rooted in the cultural fabric of New York City, here in the heart of the Bronx—its greenest borough. For more than 130 years, we’ve invited millions of visitors to make the Garden a part of their lives, exploring the joy, beauty, and respite of nature. NYBG’s 250 acres are home to renowned exhibitions, immersive botanical experiences, art and music, and events with some of the most influential figures inplant and fungal science, horticulture, and the humanities. We’re also stewards of globally significant research collections, from the LuEsther T. Mertz Library collection to the plant and fungal specimens in the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium, the largest such collection in the Western Hemisphere.
At NYBG, we’re plant people—dedicated horticulturists, enthusiastic educators, and scientific adventurers—committed to helping nature thrive so that humanity can thrive. We believe in our ability to make things better, teaching tens of thousands of kids and families each year about the importance of safeguarding our environment and healthy eating. Our expert scientists work across the city, the nation, and the globe to document the plants and fungi of our world—and find actionable, nature-based solutions to our planet’s dual climate and biodiversity crises. And our eyes are always looking forward as we train the next generation of botanists, gardeners, landscape designers, and environmental stewards, ensuring a green future for all. At NYBG, we know that it’s nature—or nowhere.
That got us thinking about lunch and we were both starved. So I took Maricel out for a much delayed lunch at Virgil’s in Times Square. It was my treat to her for taking me to the Botanical Garden that afternoon. This is one of our favorite places to have both lunch and dinner.
She enjoyed a some appetizers of Barbecued Wings and we shared these Pastrami Nachos, which I finished the next day they were so big. The food here is amazing!
The Chopped Pastrami Natchos
I had the Pulled Pork sandwich which I love but rarely have anywhere else. There is nothing like it and Virgil’s I consider the best place for barbecue in New York City.
The Pulled Pork sandwich with Potato Salad and Coke Slaw
Yum!
It was a wonderful afternoon out. The Orchid Show was a real eyeopener!
The entrance to the Central Park Conservatory Garden in Winter 2023 (The Vanderbilt Gates)
I love walking around the Central Park Conservatory at any time of the year especially in the early Spring when all the flowers are in bloom. It is a wonderful experience to go in the early morning when it is quiet and you have the park to yourself (which is very rare). The whole garden just went through a major restoration and it has really changed. The whole Conservatory is refreshed and in bloom. It is quite a site!
The sign at the entrance of the Gardens
The entrance to the gardens
This time of the year (Spring) the Central Park Conservatory is in full bloom and its magnificence is at its finest in the Spring and Summer months. In May, the tulips and daffodils are just finishing their flowering and the lilacs are just finishing their blooming and still fragrant the garden. The lawns are all a deep green and the dogwood trees are just starting to bloom around the rings of the gardens.
The newly renovated pathways
Don’t miss walking around the Gardens off to the side closest to the Harlem Meir as they are open through the renovation. You will see beds of flowers along the fountain’s edge and can admire all the sculpture. What is most impressive is that in-between the Gardens is a vast green lawn surrounded by trees. The lawn of the Conservatory is nice to just admire with the trees lining it on all sides.
Central Park Conservatory Garden Spring 2025
The best time to come to the Conservatory Gardens is in early to late Spring and the early Summer when everything is in full bloom. This is when Mother Nature shows us her great magic.
The beauty of the Central Park Conservatory is that it blooms all year around except the winter and even then, there is a quiet elegance to the garden.
The gardens in full bloom in Summer 2025
The restored fountain in all of its glory
History of The Central Park Conservatory:
(Information comes from a combination of NYC Parks.org and Wiki)
The Central Park Conservatory Garden is the only formal garden in Central Park, New York City and is located approximately between 104th and 106th Street on Fifth Avenue in NYC. The Garden consists of about six acres of formal landscaping of trees, shrubs and flowers. The formal garden is divided into three smaller gardens each with a distinct style: Italian, French and English. The Central Conservatory Garden is an officially designated Quiet Zone and offers a calm and colorful setting for a leisurely stroll and intimate wedding.
The Central Park Conservatory in the Spring 2025
It takes its name from a conservatory that stood on the site from 1898 to 1934. The park’s head gardener used the glasshouses to harden hardwood cuttings for the park’s plantings. After the conservatory was torn down, the garden was designed by Gilmore D. Clarke, landscape architect for Robert Moses, with planting plans by M. Betty Sprout and constructed and planted by WPA workers, it was opened to the public in 1937.
The Garden is composed of three distinct parts, skillfully restored since the 1980’s and is accessible through the Vanderbilt Gate at Fifth Avenue and 105th Street, a quarter south of the park’s northeast corner.
The Vanderbilt Gate at the Central Park Conservatory
The Vanderbilt Gate once gave access to the forecourt of Cornelius Vanderbilt II’s chateau designed by George Browne Post, the grandest of the Fifth Avenue mansions of the Gilded Age, at 58th Street and Fifth Avenue, sharing the Plaza with Plaza Hotel. The wrought iron gates with cast iron and repousse details, were designed by Post and executed in an iron foundry in Paris.
The fountain at the Central Park Conservatory
To the left of the south side is the garden of mixed herbaceous borders in wide concentric bands around The Secret Garden water lily pool, dedicated in 1936 to the memory of Frances Hodgson Burnett with sculpture by Bessie Potter Vonnoh.
The Fountain in the Spring of 2025
Some large shrubs, like tree lilac, magnolias, buddleias and Cornus alba ‘elegantissima’ provide vertical structure and offer light shade to offset the sunny locations, planted by Lynden Miller with a wide range of hardy perennials and decorative grasses, intermixed with annuals planted to seem naturalized. This garden has seasonal features to draw visitors from April through October.
To the right of the central formal plat is a garden also in concentric circles, round the Untermyer Fountain, which was donated by the family of Samuel Untermyer in 1947. The bronze figures, Three Dancing Maidens by Walter Schott (1861-1938) were executed in Germany about 1910 and formed a fountain at Utermyer’s estate “Greystone” in Yonkers, New York.
This section of the Conservatory Garden has two dramatic seasons of massed display of tulips in the spring and Korean chrysanthemums in the fall. Beds of satolina clipped in knotted designs with contrasting bronze-leaved bedding begonias surround the fountain and four rose arbor gates are planted with reblooming ‘Silver Moon’ and ‘Betty Prior’ roses.
The French Gardens at the Central Park Conservatory in Summer 2025
After the Second World War the garden had become neglected and by the 1970’s became a wasteland. It was restored and partially replanted under the direction of horticulturist and urban landscape designer Lyden Miller to reopen in June 1987. The overgrown, top-heavy crabapples were freed of water shoots and pruned up to a higher scaffold for better form. The high-style mixed planting was the first to bring estate garden style to urban parks, part of the general of Central Park under Elizabeth Barlow Rogers of the Central Park Conservancy.
The Conservatory in the early Spring of 2025
This is the fountain up close
(This information directly from Wikipedia and has many sources)
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