Taste of Florham Park
The Rotary Club of Florham Park
The Florham Park Rotary hosted the 4th Taste of Florham Park on May 8, 2023. It was an opportunity for local restaurants and eateries to get in front of the public, for residents to partake in some great food, and for the 100-room Mansion on the Florham campus of Fairleigh Dickinson to be on display. All for a great cause – raising money for the Scholarship Fund which awards Florham Park resident Seniors in local high schools for the volunteer work they do in the community.
Many restaurants and eateries contributed their tasty food and desserts. Still more restaurants contributed Tricky Tray prizes, as did local organizations.
Historical background about the venue is that Florence Vanderbilt and Hamilton Twombly, married in 1877, joined with Leslie Ward to incorporate Florham Park in 1899. Until her death in 1952 at the age of 98, premier socialite Florence Vanderbilt-Twombly held five parties every Spring and five parties every Fall in this Mansion (one of three which she owned).
Portraits on the walls kept the many guests company as they walked about Lenfell Hall enjoying food and desserts from Kyoto’s Japanese Restaurant, Great Greek Mediterranean, CHOPT, Puleo’s Brick Oven, Anita’s Baked Wonders, Baba’s Bakery, TAIM Mediterranean, Butter & Jam Bundt Cake. Main Street Wine & Liquors of Madison provided the wine, M&T Bank supplied water and soda, and Starbucks generously provided regular and decaf coffee.
Those Lenfell Hall portraits include Cornelius “Commodore” Vanderbilt and his son, William Henry Vanderbilt, who doubled the family fortune and became the richest man in the world. Also in Lenfell Hall were portraits of Florence Vanderbilt-Twombly and Hamilton Twombly. Yes, fashion designer and socialite Gloria Vanderbilt was a descendent as is Anderson Cooper of CNN.
The Madison Area YMCA donated a valuable door-prize, as did TM Ward Coffee of Chatham and Lucy’s Gift of Florham Park with their gift baskets. The Y also paid for the shuttle service from/to the parking lot on campus. A serendipitous moment as philanthropist William H. Vanderbilt was a big supporter of the YMCA and coincidentally now the Y supported this Rotary fundraising event for students with a history of giving back to their community.
Businesses and organizations which donated Tricky Tray Prizes: Kings Food Market, Imagine That!!!, Cathy D’s, Pastosa Ravioli, Sports Clips, Habit Burger, Lucy’s Gift, Florham Park Diner, Florham Park Roller Rink, Thirsty Turtle, Park Avenue Club, UP Salon, Nonna’s Pizzeria, Luxury Nails, Angelina’s Trattoria, Florham Park Pizza, Mark Taylor, Florham Park Historical Society.
Photos by Kramer Images
