Rahway’s First Soup Stroll
Submitted by Amy Garcia Phillips
Rahway’s first Soup Stroll was a tasty success! While not an original idea, Rahway’s Soup Stroll brought the community out for four consecutive Saturdays in January from 1-5 p.m. Participating restaurants throughout the City gave away 4oz samples of their favorite soup to strollers. Undaunted by the cold, mask wearing strollers happily accepted the soup and consumed samples outside in order to comply with social distancing and to respect the indoor dining capacity limitations due to the pandemic.
“When it’s cold out, we all need a little extra motivation to leave the house. Add the pandemic into the mix, and hibernation seems like a great idea. This Soup Stroll brought people out in a safe and entertaining way,” said Mayor Raymond Giacobbe.
Strollers from all over New Jersey, NYC and Staten Island were drawn to Rahway for this fun free event. Reunions amongst friends were common, such as Lisa and Allan Vandever of Rahway and their long time friend, David Kock from NYC. “Due to the pandemic, we haven’t seen our friend from NYC in months. He took the train to Rahway, and we were able to partake in an activity, outside and socially distanced. This was really the perfect event,” commented Lisa.
Twenty restaurants throughout Rahway participated in the Soup Stroll: Beanas Para Siempre; CubaNu Restaurant & Lounge; Dervish Kebab and Grill; Flynn’s; Gyros Corner; Hugos Peruvian Restaurant; Il Forno a Legna; Jersey Fried Chicken Fusion; Luciano’s Ristorante; Medina Halal Platter; Melao Cafe and Creamery; Michelino’s Pizza; Monchy’s Rahway; Olivia‘s Catering and Dining; Ortega‘s BBQ Churrasqueira; Rocky‘s Bar & Grill; The Coffee Box: The Irving Inn; The Waiting Room; and Wheelie Good Pierogi. Some were serving up the same fare from week to week, while others were changing the soup each week. Every type of restaurant was represented, from the Grab and Go’s to more upscale sit down establishments. A myriad of cuisines were showcased, highlighting that Rahway has become a destination for foodies.
Living in Rahway for almost 15 years, Rahway resident Andrew Garcia Phillips, said, “You get into a rut of visiting the same establishments. This was a great way to remind myself of other favorites and even check out some new places I have yet to visit.”
Not only were Rahway Soup Strollers treated to delicious soups, they were encouraged to take selfie photos at fifteen or more locations and submit them to be entered to win one of three $25 gift cards to their favorite Rahway establishment. This year’s winners were Nick Zolfo, Lauren Pollack, Kristina Junkroft and Vinnie Basciano.
Soup sippers weren’t the only ones who benefited from the Stroll. Proprietors throughout Rahway appreciated this promotional event. Masyitah Alwalid, from Medina Halal Platter located at 395 St. Georges Ave. had this to say, “Thank you, once again, for allowing us to partake in the wonderful promotion. It truly was a brilliant idea and success, as we were visited by many new faces from the Rahway community. We hope that we may collaborate again sometime!”
Ann Marie Williams, Managing Director of The Rahway Arts + Business Partnership, the Rahway non-profit that collaborated with the City to produce this event, confirmed that Rahway’s Soup Stroll would go on the list of annual tasting events such as the crowd pleasing Rahway Taste of Spring.
To find out more about Rahway’s restaurants and eateries and learn more about other Rahway events, including Rahway’s Taste of Spring for 2021, visit rahwayishappening.com.
