203: What part of the 203 do you call home?

Mathes: I grew up in Old Greenwich, right on the edge of Stamford. Now, I call Cos Cob home.

203: What is your favorite restaurant in the 203?

Mathes: Pizza Post in Cos Cob. The best pizza on the planet, and that includes New York City. Penne Ala Vodka and Caprese Panini!, simply amazing.

203: What do you enjoy doing when you are not in the studio or performing?

Mathes: Music fills my life at all times. I’m always at home composing, or in the studio, but the center of my life is my family; Emma, Sarah, Lily, and of course my wife Tammy. Spending time with them is as good as life gets.

203: What are your favorite places to go in the 203?

Mathes: I enjoy walking around Greenwich Point or the Mianus River Gorge, browsing Diane’s Books in Greenwich, Just Books in Old Greenwich, or Borders Books in Stamford. I also spend my time shopping for sheet music at New England’s finest sheet music store, The Music Source in Riverside, especially for Classical and Jazz music, and full scores. I like to work out with Gary Swarni at Elevate Fitness is Riverside, and walk around Yale, New Haven. The drive up route 7 towards Vermont has unbelievable beauty. And of course Starbucks in Riverside, Cos Cob, Greenwich, Darien, and Stamford.

203: What is a good place to have a quick bite to eat, or to grab something in a hurry?

Mathes: Aux Delices in Riverside and Greenwich offer the best food around, everything from sandwiches to high end fare. It isn’t cheap, but you will live to 110 and your taste buds will be thrilled if you go there. Rinaldi’s Deli on Orchard St. in Cos Cob is a great deli, quick, delicious food, and extraordinarily reasonable priced. As always, Pizza Post, Pizza Post, and Pizza Post!

203: Tell us a little bit about your famous “Evening Train” CD.

Mathes: It is the essential Rob Mathes record. Recorded over a 4 year period from 1998 to 2001, mixed right after 9/11. It is a combination of Blue Eyed Soul and Roots Rock that at times suggests things like Peter Gabriel and late Beatles, and other times it suggests a kind of Gospel inflected blues like 60’s Electric-era Dylan and The Band. The lyrics speak of my at times awkward relationship with my faith, the challenges of being a father, and a perhaps overly sensitive, open hearted guy living in the 21st century. It is dedicated to my grandfather, Arthur Ballou, who used to drive trains for Metro-North. It contains performances by some of the greatest musicians in our area, from Will Lee, bassist from the David Letterman Show and the Fab Faux, Shawn Pelton from SNL whose recorded with Springsteen and Dylan, and members of the Rolling Stones horn section. It would be the one, thus far, that I would put in a time capsule. It’s sequel “Wheelbarrow” will be out Christmas 2010.

203: Your annual Christmas concerts are internationally known, tell us a little bit about it, and who should we expect to perform with you this year.

Mathes: I had written a large batch of Christmas music because of my love for two things associated with the Holidays: the themes of the season, innocence coming into the world and changing it, love, and grace. Secondly, the incredible melodies of those ancient carols. Vanessa Williams, Kathy Mattea, and Hall and Oates eventually recorded some of the this music. I decided in 2003 to start giving Christmas Concerts to perform some of this stuff with my illustrious musical friends from the New York Studio scene. I safely put it up against almost anything in the city in terms of the musical muscle on stage, and the quality of the actual music. So many holiday offerings are sweet, but somewhat lacking musically, unless of course, it is the incomparable Messiah by Handel, or The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky. This concert is heartfelt and fun at times, but is a true travelogue, musically suggesting at times Ellington and Steely Dan, and other times Dylan with Hymn like Choral music sung by my “Choir of Saints and Friends” who always join me. It’s a hoot, and in many ways the center of my year and my Christmas.  We normally do it for World Vision, but this year we are doing for a charity inspired by Max Scotti, a student in my wife’s 1st grade class at Greenwich Country Day who passed away last year of brain cancer at the age of 7.

203: How did you get involved with Dana’s Angels Research Trust?

Mathes: I saw Phil and Andrea Marella bring their daughter Dana to church one morning and heard her story. I was struck, and really wanted to do something for them, anything. I knew I was no big star and could not raise a lot of money, but I knew if I gave a concert, and if we invited some great friends it would at least do something. Phil and Andrea say it was a real success which thrills me.

Thank you Rob for taking time to speak to 203.

203: Why Stamford?

Bongiovi: Being from Jersey I didn’t know much about Connecticut, but I came in with an open mind, and the friendliness in Stamford really intrigued me. Once I got to know the Post Road guys and saw their organization, I knew it would be worth the merge. I don’t know if I am jaded being from Jersey, but everyone seems really nice and I knew this would be the perfect spot.

203: With Elements, you and your business partner, Vicenzo Rizzo, were inspired by the principles of feng shui for the architectural design and décor. Was there a similar inspiration for 84?

Bongiovi: Completely different. I think I’ve grown from where we started 6 years ago. With that concept, in particular, was something that was very fresh and new, and you kind of have to move with the time and trends. For me, the thing that is important is the comfort level, and that idea has been something festering in my mind every since I opened Elements, what was my next thing to be? Well, now we know.

203: Tell us a about the drink menu. Is there a house drink or specialty?

Bongiovi: The drink menu is a mixture of classic cocktails, as well as our specialty, martinis. One of the things that we do is we don’t use anything rather than fresh purees. An apple martini will be a true puree of apples. The menu will be changing seasonally by our in-house mixologist.

203: What kind of atmosphere/vibe are you hoping 84 PARK will create?

Bongiovi: A Miami scene in Stamford. What we are doing here is raising the bar. The clientele that we look for is more of the young professional, the trendsetters, the hipsters, but not necessarily the place where the college student is coming to play beer pong. What we strive for is truly bringing service back into the industry. What we are doing is creating an ultra lounge, in a sense of what an ultra lounge was meant to be. The term, unfortunately, is used too freely, and truly I would say that 90% of what’s out there calling themselves an ultra lounge are night clubs. 84 PARK is going to bring back the idea of what an ultra lounge is suppose to be, a boutique ultra lounge.

203: You’ve been in the entertainment business for over 10 years and along the way you have built many relationships with famous artists and musicians, can we expect special guest appearances at 84?

Bongiovi: Absolutely. We want to make 84 a safe haven, where the celebrity can come and be normal. I can relate to an artist and know what their needs are. My staff had to sign a confidentiality agreement. They will be definitely coming, who, what, and when is to be determined, but you can definitely expect Jon to be here.

203: Is 84 PARK everything that you hoped to be?

Bongiovi: I look at 84 and it has honestly bypassed my own expectations. I really want people to be able to have an experience, that they are not coming to spend money and leave. I want the overall experience to be there. What we do with bottle service here, you are paying for an experience. The service is going to be impeccable whether you are a CEO, or the guy working construction, you will both be treated like rockstars.

“I ALWAYS find something and I ALWAYS manage to find my size, especially in jeans. I’m hard to fit, a 24 in the waist, with pretty short legs.  Twenty fours are not easy to find, but I can always locate them at Havana.”

“Havana Jeans is most definitely worth the trip.  The selection is great, and the staff is so helpful! I’ve gone in there to shop on multiple occasions and was graced with nothing but the best customer service.”

“I have been there for hours at times, and the staff continues to help me to find just the right pair of jeans.  I think everyone should make the trip to Havana, if you’re looking for a good shopping experience and great clothes, definitely check it out!”

We went to the experts at Havana jeans in Stamford to find out why their store is so popular.  Stephanie Williams was kind enough to sit down with us to talk about her five years of experience at the denim headquarters.

What kind of store is Havana Jeans?

Havana Jeans is a women’s clothing store specializing in denim. We also feature hip, fun fashions for Fairfield County’s “it” girls.

How does your shop keep up with the trends?

Our management regularly attends the major, high-end trade shows from here in the U.S. to Paris.  It is essential to attend these shows because trends are constantly changing.  We want to stay proactive, so we can provide the latest styles to our customers.

Why is Havana Jeans ‘amust’ for those looking toadd to their wardrobe?

We simply have the best selection of denim jeans around, from boot-cut to skinny jeans and everything in between.  We also carry an excellent collection of the newest, hippest separates, dresses and accessories.

Other than denim, what is your biggest draw to the store?

We have an unbelievable assortment of specialty t-shirts. Nothing goes better with a great pair of jeans then a fantastic t-shirt.

What ‘must have’ items will be ‘in style’ this summer?

Boyfriend jeans are a big trend this year, and white denim is roaring back.  You can say ‘see you later’ to the mini skirt because long, light dresses will be the choice this summer. Plaid designs will be making their way onto many garments this year as well. Any other fashion advice that both men and women can use? Stay on the cutting edge, be versatile, and wear what makes you feel good.  When you feel good, you always feel more confident.

203: I read that you got kicked out of every school that you had attended.

Belzer: Virtually, yeah. I have uncontrollable wit. I couldn’t stop being funny.

203: Obviously childhood has a big impact on how you grow up, how do you think growing up in this area shaped who you are right now?

Belzer: Looking back, I cherish it because I grew up with Italians, Greeks, Puerto Ricans, blacks, and all kinds of different people. Bridgeport was a factory town, and it was multi-ethnic. I saw people in my own family and friends that would graduate from these three-family houses to buying their own home. It was a very exciting time after World War II, the late forties into the early fifties and early sixties in America and particularly in that area; Fairfield was growing as a suburb. I have a lot of fond memories growing up in the area and being exposed to all different kinds of people rather than being in a single-ethnic neighborhood.

203: Do you have any favorite places to go when you come back to the area?

Belzer: My friend Charles Tuozzoli owns the salon Hair in Fairfield. He’s been my friend for over 50 years. And a little history, in the seventies, men were not allowed to get their hair cut in salons. It was just for women in Connecticut. So, I got my haircut at Charles’ shop and it went to the courts. As a friend of Charles, I sued him to get my haircut there. Look up the Connecticut state Supreme Court there’s a ruling Belzer versus Hair and I won the case and because of that, men can get their hair cut in salons.

203: I see that you were very active in politics back in college and that you were thrown out of college for leading too many protests.

Belzer: That’s kind of an exaggeration. The demonstrations were to get visiting rights to the women’s dormitories.

203: You’re definitely one of the more vocal actors when it comes to politics. I know you were a supporter of (Barrack) Obama. Did you do anything to show your support or simply give him a vocal endorsement?

Belzer: I did some campaigning for him, I would speak and do interviews and talk at fundraisers, I did anything that I could.

203: What do you think now that he’s in office?

Belzer: I feel that there is an adult in office and we have a President that has a grasp on the issues whose mature and wise beyond his years and I think he has potential to be a great President, if not a very good one. He’s got all the goods.

203: You started out of college writing for the newspaper. What made you make the transition from journalist to actor?

Belzer: Well, I got thrown out of every school that I went to as I mentioned you know for being funny, and I always had the desire and almost on a dare I went down to addition to Groove Tube and I got the part. And then stand-up came from there.

203: How did you land SVU?

Belzer: Barry Levinson heard me on the Howard Stern show and had me come into an audition for the part in 1992.

203: Why is Detective John Munch so loved?

Belzer: I think people like a character who’s unpredictable and a smart aleck who doesn’t trust authority. There’s a lot to like about Munch. He seems to say what’s on his mind and he’s very smart, and he kind of says the things that other people are thinking which is kind of cool for a character.

203: Is it fair to say that some of your personality is present in Munch?

Belzer: Absolutely. Everything except Munch has trouble with women, and I don’t. That’s the only difference.

203: Obviously, you’re a big dog person. I understand that you’re pretty involved with the North Shore Animal League. Tell me a little about your love for dogs.

Belzer: Dogs make us human. Dogs don’t lie about love, dogs provide responsibility and affection and have been bred for centuries to meet our needs and they should be cherished and taken care of. I have ten, right now. Our dog just had a litter that we’re keeping; we’re not putting up for adoption. They’re Border Collie/Beauceron mix.

203: What advice would you give to some of the youth that might share some of your early characteristics with the trouble in school?

Belzer: I don’t know if I’m a good role model. I would say that there’s got to be something that the kids really feel passionate about or interested in and for their parents and the schools to nurture those impulses in the kids.

Like most immigrants coming to the Land of Milk and Honey, Jason immediately began chasing his American Dream: developing a restaurant empire.  His story is a classic American tale. Early on, he worked in New Jersey restaurants, starting as a kitchen helper and learning how to cook. Jason learned how to fuse Western dishes, mostly American and French, with Asian cuisines.  He then moved out front as a busboy.  Jason rose quickly through the ranks to become an assistant manager in his uncle’s Asian cuisine restaurant.

In 1998, Jason was living in Connecticut and working as a manager in a Fairfield Asian restaurant.  In February 1999, Jason opened his first Asian restaurant, Kam Pei, in Stamford, which blended Japanese and Chinese cuisine.  “Over the last ten years traditional Asian food service has changed,” Jason points out.  “My restaurants are different in that they provide modern Asian fusion dishes.”

In December 2001, Jason opened his first Asian Fusion restaurant in Westport with the appropriate name TENGDA.  He wasted no time.  In 2004, entrepreneur Jason opened his second Tengda restaurant in Greenwich, which mixed American and French cuisine with Thai and Vietnamese cuisine.  “We use more sour and sweet ingredients from the South Asian countries Thailand and Vietnam,” explains Jason.

Jason with two of his sushi chefs.

Jason Chang has worked very hard to attain tengda. His Tengda Asian Bistro restaurants are located in Katonah, New York, Greenwich, Stamford, Darien, Norwalk, Westport and Milford.  The Greenwich Tengda is the training headquarters for new employees, who then spread out to the various locations easily accessible along I-95, from Greenwich to Milford.

For people wanting to open their own restaurant, Jason says, “You must have passion and be hard-working because the restaurant business is a very tough industry. You need a great team – dedicated people in front serving, as well as in back preparing the meals. Understand and respect one another.”

The Tengda restaurants have become a family venture for Jason. He met his beautiful wife Angela, also a Chinese immigrant, in New Jersey which working in one of the restaurants. She was a college student at the time, majoring in accounting. Jason and Angela make sure that all aspects of their restaurant business run smoothly. Although he works very long hours, up to 16 per day, Jason tried to give as much quality time to his and Angela’s four year-old son in their Stamford home.

Jason admits that the economy has decreased the number of bankers, and other clients from the world in finance, who choose to dine in his restaurants during the week. However, his business remains vibrant on weekends. Despite the bad economy, Jason opened his Milford restaurant, proving that if you have passion and an indomitable work ethic, anything is possible at any time. To Jason and Angela Chang, we say, “Continued tengda!”