Stirling House Owner to be Honored at Annual Gala

Jeanne Cretella, owner of the Stirling House Restaurant in Warren, will be honored at the New Jersey Restaurant Association Annual Gala, Nov. 28.

The event celebrating the state’s $13 billion restaurant and hospitality industry will be held at the Pleasantdale Chateau, in West Orange, and includes announcement of the 2011 Restaurateur of the Year, Mark Pascal and Francis Schott of Catherine Lombardi and Stage Left in New Brunswick.  The Restaurateur of the Year is the highest award bestowed by the NJRA. 

Cretella, who also owns the Liberty House in Jersey City will receive the association's 2011 Gold Plate Award, along with Chef James and Nancy Laird, of Restaurant Serenade in Chatham. The Gold Plate Award recognizes current outstanding service and achievement in the food service industry.

The NJRA will award a 2011 Staff Legacy Award to Judy Richards, vice president of Events and Allied Relations at the New Jersey Restaurant Association, who will retire in December. 

The restaurant and hospitality industry in New Jersey is comprised of 25,000 small businesses providing over 311,000 private sector jobs generating $13 billion in annual sales. Founded in 1942, the New Jersey Restaurant Association (NJRA) is dedicated to fostering a vibrant industry that nourishes communities, tourists, the economy and shares the bounty of the Garden State. Restaurants are uniquely important from farm to table, hosting lifetime celebrations, adding sizzle to New Jersey cities and anchoring main streets.

Visit www.NJRA.org.  Tickets and sponsorships for this high profile event are available by calling 800.848.6368 and more information is available at www.njragala.com.