buzzworthy
Wayne
FOR LOVERS OF INDIAN FOOD
The new PAHELI INDIAN CUISINE does not specialize in dishes from any one region of India . “ We make food from the North , South , Kashmir — all cuisines ,” says co-owner Monika Gupta . At Paheli , you can dine on chicken tikka masala , butter chicken , a slew of biryanis , Kashmiri lamb , Goan curry and Punjab Dal Makhani .
The 30-seat restaurant , which replaced Fri Guyz , is a BYOB . It ’ s open for lunch and dinner every day except Monday . • 1210 Hamburg Turnpike ,( 973 ) 987-3089 , pahelinj . com
— ESTHER DAVIDOWITZ
Wayne
PCTI SCHOOL OF CULINARYARTSGRADUATE TAKES THE CAKE
Passaic County Technical Institute senior JUSTIN ELLEN had to miss his class ’ graduation ceremony , but he had agood reason : He was busy competing on the new Netflix cooking reality show Is It Cake ? On the program , skilled cake artists create replicas of fast food , handbags , bowling balls and other items , and judges ( from a short distance away ) try to discern between the edible and the inedible . In a similar spirit , Mikey Day , the show ’ s host , made up for Ellen ’ s missing his big day with his class by giving him a graduation cap ( nonedible variety ). Cake fans can find Ellen ’ s handiwork at Everything Just Baked , his custom-cake bakery .“ I am so grateful for PCTI School of Culinary Arts having different opportunities like the ProStart program and competitions ,” says Ellen . “ It helped prepare me for future endeavors like competing on Netflix .”
— CINDYSCHWEICH HANDLER
Wayne and Haledon
INCREASE OF MUSLIM REPRESENTATION
NADIA KAHF , a family-law attorney from Wayne , ispoised to become one of just a handful of Muslim women to serve as a state Superior Court judge in New Jersey , after Gov . Phil Murphy nominated her in late February . Kahf , part of a diverse slate of 15 nominees , would serve in Passaic County if confirmed by state legislators . At her law practice in Haledon , Kahf specializes in family law , and has worked on immigration cases . Since 2003 , she has served on the board of the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations , and is its chairwoman . She is also chairwoman of the Islamic Center of Passaic County , one of the largest mosques in the state , with campuses in Paterson and Clifton .
— HANNAN ADELY
INDIAN FOOD : COURTESY OF PAHELI INDIAN CUISINE ; ELLEN : COURTESY OF PCTI ; KAHF : NORTHJERSEY . COM
6 MAY 2022 WAYNE MAGAZINE