Fueled by a passion of cooking, Sophomore Nicholas Falivene formed the Gourmet Guys, a group that cooks for the community.

Nicholas said that he started the group, “As I thought it would be a great way to hang out with my friends while also make good meals, and giving back to the community.”

The founding motto of the group is to gather, have fun, learn and serve their community – and each other – great food.

For the past few years, the group was taught how to make dishes, meals, and desserts by Nicholas’s uncle, Brian Narag, who is a chef.

Specifically, Brain taught the group how to make burgers, steaks, and grilled vegetables for their families.

The group is comprised mostly of sophomores, including Brett Sullivan, Matthew Voight, Michael Seaman, Christopher Lynch, Ross Zazzarino, and Jacob Sugarmann. Nicholas’s brother Vincent and friend Tom Demarco are also members of the group.

This Thanksgiving, Nicholas and the group decided to cook a Thanksgiving dinner for the Bernardsville Police Department. The group wanted to cook for the police department to thank them for their work for the community.

Ross Zazzarino said, “I feel that we owe it to our police officers for their service to our community. The police are out protecting us, away from their families, and they deserve to enjoy the holiday.”

Bernardsville restaurants Bistro 73 and the Claremont Tavern generously sponsored the club.

The group started to prepare the meal on November 20th, learning how to make deserts. The group prepared pumpkin cakes and butter cookies, with guidance from Nicholas’s grandmother, Ester Falivene.

Nicholas said, “The cookies were a great thing to learn, and it was a nice segway into how to cook a turkey.”

On Tuesday, November 22nd, the group went to Bistro 73 to learn how to prepare side dishes.

Bistro 73 owner Afrim Berisha and his staff taught the members how to prepare green beans almandine, dry cranberry sauce, and rosemary gravy.

Afrim then allowed the group to taste what they learned how to prepare.

Nicholas, said, “The sides were easy things that you could make for your family or just as a snack after school.”

On Wednesday, November 23rd, the Gourmet Guys were invited to the Claremont Tavern by owner/chef Steve Borton, where they learned to prepare homemade stuffing, and mashed potatoes.

Afterwards, the guys went to Nicholas’s house to prepare the turkey, with help by Nicholas’s uncle.

On Thanksgiving day, at noon, the Gourmet guys and their parents dropped the Thanksgiving dinner off at the Bernardsville Police Department.

The group presented Officers Mike Grasso and Dan Buttel of the Bernardsville Police Department with the meal, along with a card.

Sophomore Matt Voight, reflecting on the positive experience, said, “It’s really nice giving food for people who protect us every day.”

The group looks to make a positive impact on the community, by cooking for others. The group members also learned valuable cooking skills, those that can be used throughout their lifetimes.