Cynthia Pacillo likes simple, clean food with fresh flavors. But, more importantly, she likes the regulars who come into her Totowa luncheonette, Cyndia’ s, every week. Pacillo, 53, has built astrong following of repeat customers during the restaurant’ sfour years in business, thanks to astrong customer service policy and the family-friendly vibe. She’ s not classically-taught— infact, she originally trained to be ahairdresser— but Pacillo’ s down-home style of cooking attracts locals looking for the perfect order of Italian meatballs or fluffy pancakes. Where do you live? In Roseland now, but I’ m originally from Newark and I grew up in Little Falls.
Why did you decide to open Cyndia’ s? I was providing cafeteria services to construction sites from 1990-2013. But I didn’ t like that when the job ended, that was it. You work with a new crew and they don’ t know who you are. And then reestablishing the businessevery time, it gets kind of old. So, when I saw the location for Cyndia’ s was open, I figured I would give it a shot. I was confident that I would succeed becauseIdon’ t quit.
What do you like most about being a restaurant owner? Ilike my customers. Not only that, the restaurant
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CYNTHIAPACILLO Cyndia’ s 169 Union Blvd., Totowa( 973) 925-7778, cyndias. weeby. com“ THE RESTAURANT BECOMES A FAMILY. EVERYONE IS VERYTIGHT. WE FIGHT, THEN WE MAKE UP. THE BUSIER IT GETS, TOO, IT’ S KIND OF LIKE AHIGH. EVERYONE PULLS TOGETHER TO MAKE IT WORK.”
becomes a family. Everyone is very tight. We fight, then we make up. The busier it gets, too, it’ s kind of like a high. Everyone pulls together to make it work.
What’ s the worst part of owning arestaurant? It’ sseven days aweek. Something’ s always going on— sometimes people get sick, they call out, it’ s always something. And it’ s just physically demanding work.
How did you come up with the recipes? Most of them are family recipes. It’ s a group effort, it’ s not just me. Everyone brings something to the table and takes suggestions from customers, too.
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What’ s your favorite dish on your menu? I really like the ricotta pancakes. There’ s nothing I really dislikeon the menu, except the one thing Idon’ t like is the corned beef hash [ laughs ]. Lots of people likeit, we make it homemade, but I just don’ t likecorned beef. That’ s the worst thing you have to do as achef, put love intosomething you don’ t really enjoy.
What’ s one thing you want people to know about your establishment? We pride ourselves on making our customers happy. I’ m always there for suggestions and things [ the customers ] would like to see on their menu. I’ m willing to bend over backwards to make it happen.
What do you see coming up for your restaurant? We’ relooking to start Sunday dinners from 3-8 p. m. It’ s basically like Sunday dinner at my house; you don’ t know what’ sgoing to be on the menu. There’ s asetpriceand we’ llcoverpretty much everything: salad, pasta, meat dish, and different vegetables.
If you could cook for anyone dead or alive, who would it be, what would you cook, and why? Iwould love to cook formy grandparents. My grandmother was agreat influence onmycooking. As she got older and didn’ t want to cook, mygrandfather would call me up and say,“ Hi, doll, can you make mesome eggplant?” And then show up with abushel of eggplant. And also Uncle Junior. Healways said Iwas the best cook ever.
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FLAMES: THINCKSTOCK; PACILLO: MITSU YASUKAWA |
18 FALL 2017 WAYNE MAGAZINE |