BERGEN magazine - Bergen Health & Life March 2010

Rock on

Fifteen minutes early for a 7:30 reservation at Rocca, and our table wasn't ready-no problem; we didn't expect it to be. The lovely hostess asked us to take a seat in the drafty foyer right inside the door. Within two minutes, she reappeared. "I moved the tables around so you wouldn't have to wait out here- it's too cold."

This spud's for you

They're the culinary equivalent of great jeans, a "humble" pleasure that offers instant comfort, goes with almost everything and on occasion can be dressed up to dazzlingly chic effect.

Take the hint

Give yourself a good once-over-notice any quirks? Doctors say small imperfections could signal an underlying issue. But which oddities call for professional attention? Experts offer guidance on becoming your own diagnostic sleuth.

The loaf of the Irish

Soda bread is, for most of us, a Saint-Patty's-Day-only treat- so you might as well have the best there is! Here's how our judges ranked the local offerings.

Yoga for youngsters

"Child's pose" takes on a whole new meaning at the Happy Elephant Yoga School (201-788-5031, www.happyelephantyoga.com), a Franklin Lakes-based studio that offers private and group yoga to kids and families alike.

5 facts labels don't tell you

Savvy shoppers know that checking food labels is a key to helping your family eat healthy. The bad news? "They're incomplete," says Bruce Silverglade, director of legal affairs for the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). He helped Bergen Health & Life identify five important points food packages fail to reveal:

Cuban infusion

We're guessing eating at your mom's place is nothing like this: At the new Madre's Cuban Cuisine in Teaneck (201-530-5100, www.kryptics.net/madres), expect dim lighting, sleek black furniture, crystal chandeliers-not to mention heaping plates of empanadas, paella, mofongo and other Cuban favorites.

A chat with Bruno Jamais

The 49-year-old Parisian, an Englewood resident and former maitre d' at manhattan's famous Daniel, on cars, food and how-despite a setback- life's still moving full speed ahead

The long road home

Haiti has always loomed large in the music of saddle river hip-hop star Wyclef Jean, but this year's earthquake put him at the epicenter of the relief effort-and some controversy

Have a ball in Cooperstown

Baseball may be the diamond in this quaint hamlet's crown, but the area offers a whole roster of family-friendly fun-even if you don't know an 'RBI' from a 'BYO'