May 8, 2008 Issue                                       

©2007 The Chestnut Hill Local

Local Life

Hill pioneer Paul Roller keeps rolling along after 35 years
by LEN LEAR

First of a two-part series

No one can deny that Paul Roller has a good head on his shoulders and a handsome mug, but he also has a primo selection of hand-crafted beers that have a pretty good head (and body) as well.

The restaurant business these days is a narrow ledge to walk on. “It really wears you down,” says Paul Roller of his industry, whose practitioners are under almost proctological scrutiny. It’s no wonder that a restaurant owner/chef and the current economic conditions can combine to make an explosive cocktail.

“The profit margin is so bad these days, and that’s even if you’re not doing coke,” says the acerbic Roller, 55, a distinctive local icon with his granny glasses, Amish-like silver beard and deep baritone voice. The lifelong Chestnut Hill resident, unlike most entrepreneurs, is a machine gun of candid opinions who does not first test public opinion before firing off blasts.

“Everything has a fuel surcharge now,” he explains. “For example, the goat cheese delivery guy now charges $15 for fuel. I buy five pounds at a time at $10 a pound. So instead of $50, the cost has now jumped to $65. It’s preposterous, and none of the presidential candidates is really dealing with this issue.

“People want to know why restaurant prices are what they are. Look at something as simple as flowers, which most people would never think about. I pay about $150 a week for flowers, and that’s really cheap. The guy does me a favor. Imagine what the Four Seasons or Le Bec Fin pays just for flowers. That money has to come from somewhere, just like the goat cheese fuel surcharge.

A little bit of Cuba now a part of Chestnut Hill
by PAT STOKES

Miguel Castaneda is the proud owner of ¡Cuba!, the much-anticipated restaurant which opened Sunday at 8609 Germantown Ave. (Photo by Pat Stokes)

Once, in the far-off past of the 1930s, there was a song called, I think “Weekend in Havana,” about a starry-eyed steno’s vacation. She sang: “I went to Havana, on one of those cruises, for forty-nine fifty, to spend a few days.” It’s sung to a catchy Cuban beat. The girl has a divine time, meets a cute guy, etc. In the end, when it’s time for her to board the boat, she sings, “Though I delayed it, even dropped my shawl, the Cuban made it, as they gave the final call. Darn it all.”

Good news! That girl doesn’t have to head for Havana any more. It’s here on the Avenue right now, in the form of the most Cuban of restaurants, called, or course, ¡Cuba!, 8609 Germantown Ave. This “with it” little spot is, to my way of thinking, just what this little town needs. It opened for business Sunday, May 4.

Seated at one of the tables, owner Miguel Castaneda enthusiastically tells how it came about. In a classic happening, one day in October, 2007, he was having lunch at another restaurant (now closed) when someone suggested he open a restaurant of his own. Suddenly, the idea seemed quite enticing. The present space was available; how could he say no?

‘Race for the Cure’ Sunday
by DANIELLE GIBSON

Lisa Niedrowski, of Blue Bell, walked down the steps during the breast cancer survivors’ parade at last year’s Race for the Cure with her daughter, Avery, on her shoulders. Lisa will be taking part again this Sunday, Mother’s Day, with thousands of other survivors.

Many of the 120,000 spectators at last year’s Susan G. Komen Philadelphia Race for the Cure® recall seeing one survivor by the name of Lisa Niedrowski, who paraded down the steps during the breast cancer survivors’ parade with her daughter on her shoulders.

A few weeks earlier, her daughter had been looking at the “pretty colors” of lymphadema compression sleeves in a pamphlet Lisa had in the house. Without a second thought, the 5-year-old looked and her mom and said, “When I get breast cancer, I’m going to get the blue one.”

This is one reason Lisa, an employee of GlaxoSmithKline in Blue Bell, is so steadfast in her devotion to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer cure.

“My children walk down the steps with me because they are survivors, too, even at this young age. I want them to see they are not alone, and that they have a responsibility to continue the fight,” said Niedrowski. “There are so many emotions at that moment, a sense of accomplishment for those who survive, sadness for those who haven’t and a realization that there is still a lot of work to be done.”

When Lisa Niedrowski was diagnosed with breast cancer six years ago, she was barely 29, a mother, and still nursing her second baby. From day one, she chose not to dwell on the hardships, but instead to celebrate her survivorship. For the past several years, Lisa has celebrated Mother’s Day and the Race for the Cure with her young children. The procession is the highlight of Race day for over 120,000 spectators. It is also one of the most important times of the year for Lisa.

Teachers flunk home-schooling course for puppy
by MIKE TODD

Ever since we adopted a puppy a couple of weeks ago, the typical conversation around our house goes something like this: “You are so smart. Yes you are! You must be the smartest dog in the whole wide … Dude, stop eating mulch … No! … Drop it!!”