November Community Events

Lots and lots of fun activities are scheduled nearby to help make your fall and holiday season exciting. Here is a sample of things we think you'll like to do. Of course, many are foodie friendly.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011
5-9 pm
Jane Vorhees Zimmerli Art Museum
November's Art After Hours celebrates the exhibition at/around/beyond: Fluxus at Rutgers with a program that includes an exhibition tour, a Flux Concert, a Fluxus Chess Tournament, complimentary refreshments, and a special discount in the Museum Store.
Join the Rutgers Chess Club for a Fluxus tournament. Players face off across Miller's Fruit & Vegetable Chess board using fruits and vegetables as chess pieces. Beginning at 4:00 pm with the final match taking place following the Flux Concert.

Admission is FREE to museum members, Rutgers students, faculty, and staff. $6 general admission

Friday, November 4, 2011
11 am-5:30 pm
Highland Park Farmer's Market
located in the community parking lot on Raritan Ave. between S. 2nd and 3rd. Avenues.The Highland Park Farmers' Market is sponsored, and operated, by Main Street Highland Park.
Pop into the cafe for lunch or dinner (11 am - 9 pm) after you shop. Tell the vendors A Better World Cafe sent you!

Saturday, November 5, 2011
12:30 -3pm
Jane Vorhees Zimmerli Art Museum

Passport to Art: Popcorn and Starbaby
Artist and educator Dot Paolo leads a delightful workshop related to the Zimmerli's exhibition Popcorn and Starbaby: Children's Book Illustrations by Frank Asch, employing actual popcorn to create depictions of the human figure. Nonrefundable fee: $10 museum members per child / $15 nonmembers per child. Parents or guardians are free. Advance registration is required by calling the education office at 732.932.7237, ext. 615.

Popcorn & Starbaby: Children’s Book Illustrations by Frank Asch are on view in

Duvoisin Gallery through Jun 24, 2012.

Sunday, November 6, 2011
1-4 pm
Elijah's Promise 3K Turkey Trot Walk - Fundraiser to support Elijah's Promise soup kitchen.
Location: Buccleuch Park in New Brunswick
Join us for a fun walk, kids crafts, and tasting stations along the trot route. There is no fee to register, but we encourage everyone to raise much needed funds. Our goal is to raise $60,000 to provide meals for those in need. Additional information is available on our website at www.elijahspromise.org. Together we are making a difference one step at a time!
Register to walk or Make an online donation to support the event.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Election Day. Let your vote count. Find your local polling place.
A Better World Cafe will be open in the social hall instead of the quilt room today. The Quilt Room is a polling place.

Thursday, November 10, 2011
6-9 pm
Intersect Fund Gourmet Foods And Art Show
Lotus Studios: 431 Raritan Avenue, Highland Park, NJ
Admission is $10. Purchase here online. Ticket price includes delectable food samples.
Vendors include: The Seasoned Fork, Grab 'Em Snacks, JamBean Catering, Jams by Kim, Sweet Spice & Honey, Room for Dessert, Lovely Buns Artisan Bread, Taking Tea in Style, Frank's Pickled Peppers, The Well-Dressed Nut (Spiced Pecans, Tete's Peruvian Restaurant, Go Granola, Just Flavors (chocolates)

Friday, November 11, 2011
11 am-5:30 pm
Highland Park Farmer's Market
located in the community parking lot on Raritan Ave. between S. 2nd and 3rd. Avenues.The Highland Park Farmers' Market is sponsored, and operated, by Main Street Highland Park.
Pop into the cafe for lunch or dinner (11 am - 9 pm) after you shop. Tell the vendors A Better World Cafe sent you!

Friday, November 18, 2011
11am-5:30 pm
Highland Park Farmer's Market
located in the community parking lot on Raritan Ave. between S. 2nd and 3rd. Avenues.The Highland Park Farmers' Market is sponsored, and operated, by Main Street Highland Park.

This is the last market for the season. The cafe's dinner series, which ran in conjunction with the farmer's market schedule is also concluding. We have a major feast planned to close out the season. Pop into the cafe for lunch or dinner (11 am - 9 pm) after you shop.

Sunday, November 20, 2011
1-3 pm
Intro to Beekeeping Workshop
EARTH Center, located in Davidson’s Mill Pond Park, 42 Riva Avenue.
Prepping now, enables you to start a hive in the spring. Learn from an experienced Middlesex County Master Gardener.
$20 Fee, to register call 732-398-5262

Wednesday, November 23, 2011
8 pm
Straight No Chaser
The State Theater



A cappella group, Straight No Chaser, makes it’s State Theatre debut. See the group perform songs from their hit Christmas albums as well as tunes from their new album, With A Twist, including Soft Cell's "Tainted Love," Queen's "Your My Best Friend," Coldplay's "Fix You," Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Under the Bridge," and a fusion of Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" and Israel Kamakawiwoole's treatment of The Wizard of Oz classic "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."
Tickets: P $45.00; A $45.00; B $35.00; C $25.00 Purchase tickets here.

Thursday, November 24, 2011. Thanksgiving. (A Better World Cafe closed.)

Friday, November 25, 2011. (A Better World Cafe closed.)

We hope you find the great pumpkin

The search for a great pumpkin is a serious task. Charlie Brown and his gang knew it and so do we.

May we suggest, you end your search with one of the fine vendors at the Highland Park Farmers Market today. You are sure to find the biggest, the smallest, the most orange, the whitest, basically, the most perfect pumpkin ever in your eyes at one of the market stalls.

If something more exotic like a blue hubbard squash is your heart's desire, you'll find one of those, too.



Stop in the cafe for a little trick or treating, lunch or dinner. Treats are at the ready for all costumed guests.

Believe us, nobody is going to be saying "I got a rock." You'll be saying " A Better World Cafe rocks."

Friday Oct 28th Halloween-themed Menu!

Lunch of Lunacy
Spoooooky Specials:
~ Stuffed peppers with beef - so good they're scary!
~ Chana masala (a spicy, mysterious potion of curried chickpeas) with rice biryani platter

From the Cauldron:
~ Creature from the Black Bean Lagoon Soup

Supernatural Salads:
~ Better World Salad - otherworldly good! (v)
~ Freaky French lentil, butternut and feta
~ Roasted baby carrot fingers (v)
~ Creepy curried waldorf apple

Sand-witch-es:
~ Bewitched butternut squash with cheese of goat, ghoulish greens and ooozy balsamic reduction
~ Sausage with peppers and onions (Eye of Newt optional)
~ Growling grrrrrilled NY cheddar

Complementary Concoction:
~ Vampire slayer pasta

Death-Defying Desserts:
~ Pear and almond Franken-tart
~ Spiderweb sugar cookie
~ Spooky sweet potato pudding
~ Phantom pudding of rice with apple critters

Bewitching Brews:
~ Coffee and tea (fair trade & organic)
~ Iced unsweetened chai tea or iced coffee
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Dinner of Darkness
Eerie Entrees:
~ Monster Mash Meatloaf with rotten roasted domino potatoes
~ Severed ears pasta with alarming alfredo
**Both entrees served with Vampire-Be-Gone garlicky greens

Doomed Dessert Special:
~ Chilling cheesecake of pumpkin

Menu for week of Oct 24-28

Lunch
Specials:
~ Pasta with roasted red pepper sauce

Soups:
~ Butternut squash - taste a bowl of autumn with cinnamon and ginger! (Tue)
~ Black bean
~ French lentil and carrot stew

Salads:
~ Better World Salad (v)
~ Butternut squash, black bean, French lentil and feta on greens
~ Roasted carrot (v)
~ Waldorf curried apple

Sandwiches:
~ Turkey and cheddar
~ Sweet potato and black bean with chipolte sour cream
~ Sloppy joe

Desserts:
~ Halloween surprises!

Drinks:
~ Hot and iced coffee and tea

Selection varies by availability

Menu for Friday October 21st

Lunch
Specials:
~ Nachos with refried beans and red and green salsa

Soups:
~ Butternut squash - a bowl of autumn with cinnamon and ginger!

Salads:
~ Better World Salad (v)
~ Roasted carrot (v)
~ Couscous (v)
~ Nordic creamy apple

Sandwiches:
~ Roasted butternut with goat cheese, greens and baslamic reduction
~ Grilled cheddar with recently donated spicy seasonal greens
~ Jersey style hot Italian sausage with peppers, onions and potatoes

Desserts:
~ Layer cake with pumpkin mousse enrobed in chocolate ganache
~ Arborio rice pudding with caramelized apples
~ Love bar
~ Autumn pineapple upside down cake

Drinks:
~ Hot and iced coffee and tea

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Dinner
Entrees:
~ BBQ pulled pork with cole slaw and roasted purple potatoes
~ Capunti pasta with roasted pepper sauce with green salad and bread

Selection varies by availability

Menu for week of Oct 17-21

Warm tummy-filling goodness this week!

Lunch
Specials:
~ BBQ chicken wings
~ Stuffed shells

Soups:
~ Luscious lentil
~ Butternut squash
~ Chicken with stars

Salads:
~ Better World Salad (v)
~ Curried apple salad on greens

Sandwiches:
~ Roasted beet with goat cheese and arugula
~ Turkey with purple basil pesto
~ Grilled cheddar with spicy greens
~ Jersey style hot Italian sausage with peppers, onions and potatoes (later in the week)

Desserts:
~ Cake
~ Caramelized apple rice pudding

Drinks:
~ Hot and iced coffee and tea

Selection varies by availability

Friday's Menu for October 14th

Today's menu is full of comforting, flavorful and amazing-smelling fare!

Lunch
Specials:
~ Gnocchi in pink sauce

Salads:
~ Better World Salad (v)
~ Roasted carrot on greens
~ Curried apple salad on greens

Sandwiches:
~ Jersey style hot Italian sausage with peppers, onions and potatoes
~ Fall fabulous roasted beet and butternut squash with goat cheese and arugula
~ Turkey and cheddar
~ Grilled cheddar

Desserts:
~ Baklava
~ Chocolate chip cookie
~ Fudgy brownie with walnuts

Drinks:
~ Hot and iced coffee and tea

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Friday's Dinner
Entrees:
~ Eggplant parmigiana
~ Orecchiette pasta with borlotti beans

*The pasta name comes from its shape, which reminds one of a small ear. In Italian orecchio means ear, and the suffix 'etto' means 'small'. Borlotti beans are meatier than your average white cannelleni bean with a nutty flavor and creamy texture and are a good source of protein, fiber and nutrients.

Selection varies by availability

Indian Summer Menu!

Summer is trying to make a comeback, so we have both hot and cold selections to make your mouth happy no matter the weather. Today's menu board is up on Facebook - see the picture from this link - but here's what we're planning for the rest of the week. If there's any changes, we'll do our best to keep you updated!

Lunch
Specials:
~ Gnocchi in pink sauce

Special lunch on Friday to honor Yom Kippur in the social hall:
Brisket with potatoes and glazed carrots

Soups:
~ Chicken and stars

Salads:
~ Better World Salad (v)
~ Roasted carrot on greens
~ Roasted cauliflower on greens
~ Curried Waldorf on greens *see below for a description of this fall classic with a twist
~ Pan-roasted plums with a star anise dressing (Friday)

Sandwiches:
~ Hot Italian sausage
~ Tomato and goat cheese and balsamic

Complimentary:
Brown rice with mushrooms, onions, peppers and broccoli

Desserts:
~ Warm baked apple with cinnamon and brown sugar
~ Apple spice cake
~ Spooky monster cake pops
~ Fudgy Brownies (Friday)

Drinks:
~ Hot and iced coffee and tea

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Friday's Dinner
Entrees:
~ Lamb chops with rosemary gravy served with potatoes and glazed carrots
~ Pink gnocchi entree size with garlic bread and green salad - upgrade your salad to one of our fancy ones for only $1 more!
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See this website for this history of how Waldorf Salad got its name:
The Waldorf of the salad’s name was New York City’s first Waldorf Hotel, which opened in 1893 with Oscar Tschirky as maitre d’hotel. That title isn’t one we see much anymore, but it combines the job of host, headwaiter and dining-room manager, and in those days a maitre d’ often attended to such culinary tasks as boning fish tableside and mixing salads. Tschirky is said to have created Waldorf salad for a supper attended by some 1,500 society types.

The original recipe, from The Cook Book by Oscar of the Waldorf, 1896:
"Peel two raw apples and cut them into small pieces, say about half an inch square, also cut some celery the same way, and mix it with the apple. Be very careful not to let any seeds of the apples be mixed with it. The salad must be dressed with a good mayonnaise."

Better World Cafe has made its own twist on the classic recipe with the addition of raisins, sour cream and curry spice!