This week’s Person of the Week is Maria Hadley, the “Singing Waitress” at the River Star Diner on Route 57 in Hackettstown. She’s worked at the Diner about nine years, as both a hostess and a waitress. It’s a great honor to introduce her to our readers, and share her colorful, touching, sincere, and entertaining comments.

Who gave you the name “The Singing Waitress”?      

That’s hard to say, as so many people call me that. We always joke about the fact that I am a walking cliché. I always sing. I don’t think there was a time when I didn’t.

How do customers respond?      

For the most part they love it. I’ve even had customers sing with me and to me. One of our customers is an avid opera lover and singer who performs with a German choir. He did a rendition of “Ave Maria” that brought me to tears, it was so beautiful. I have had many requests and even the occasional  joke about singing “Far, Far Away.”

Can you describe the funniest moment from your time at the Diner? 

Funniest? Oh there are so many of them! Naturally, because it is a diner, we get a lot of call in orders to go. One night when I was working the phone rang and one of the girls answered it with the usual, “River Star Diner, how may I help you?” The voice on the other line said, “Hello, this is Rick” to which she replied, “Rick who?” His response was, “Rick from the bathroom.” She said, “Rick who?” He explained, “Rick from the bathroom. I am in the men’s room and there is no toilet paper.” That was hysterical. He was in that night eating at the counter and went to the restroom and found out too late that there was no toilet paper in his stall.

Any other interests?

Love to cook, especially in my fireplace. I love old cast iron and open-hearth cooking.

You spoke at great length about your goulash with a couple guests.   

Hungarian goulash. I use my family recipe for goulash. Both sides of my family come from Hungary. I use an authentic Hungarian recipe and make homemade nokedli, which is a peasant Hungarian dumpling. It’s seasoned with a good Hungarian paprika from Szeged, Hungary. I actually have quite a few customers with Hungarian ancestry and we speak about the food often. (Editor’s note: Maria’s goulash recipe follows the interview below.)

You also spoke to a guest about suggestions you’ve made for items on the menu.     

I do plan and design the special menus for the Diner. I create the layout and the graphics and come up with new menu recipes and ideas. The photograph on the menu cover and the Facebook page photos are mostly my photography.     

I actually was speaking to a customer about how we modify menu items to suit the requests of our customers. The gentleman I was speaking to had asked if we had SOS [chipped beef on toast] when he came in. We have creamed chip beef but not SOS. He had his heart set on it, so I went into the kitchen and explained how to make it to the cook. He made it for the man, who absolutely loved it and very much appreciated it.

Tell me about your Victorian group.     

I got involved with Victorian reenactment when I went to the Hudson, NY Winter Walk for the first time. I believe it was 2007. There were people dressed as Victorians as street performers who volunteered for the Hudson Opera House’s Winter Walk.      

I grew up in the antiques business. My mother was an owner/operator of Godeffroy Auction, NY. I always loved Victorian era clothing and jewelry, I’ve been collecting both for years. Most of the dresses I had were my size so I asked Frank [her husband] what he thought about strolling as Victorians and volunteering for the Opera House. He agreed and we have been doing it ever since 2008. The first year we dressed, we were on the front page of the newspaper. 

Are there appearances throughout the year?     

We did a presentation at the Tewksbury Library for the  Dedication of “New Jersey Goes to War: Civil War Biographies of 150 New Jerseyans” to the Tewksbury Library on December 2, 2010. Frank and I were both dressed in Civil War clothing and did a display of the weapons and the food, which I cooked from authentic Civil War era recipes, along with a presentation on mourning jewelry of the period, with example pieces from my own collection. We also did a 1920’s themed presentation for the Long Valley Historical Society. I have hosted 1920’s speakeasy parties in our home with an Eddie Cantor impersonator.

We go to Hudson, NY every year dressed as Victorians and we are typically in Troy, NY the day after for the Victorian Stroll. We also try and participate in the Hometown Holiday in Washington, NJ as long as there are no scheduling conflicts. This year we did Victorian reenactments for Villa Vosilla in Tannersville, NY, for the first time. We also dressed in era clothing and participated in the 100-year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic at the Bethlehem Hotel in Pennsylvania. We typically dress Victorian and stroll in Belvidere for their Victorian Days, as well.

In closing, Maria tied two of her passions together.     

I love to waitress so much because it feels like I am having company in my home and I love to entertain and feed people, it just comes naturally to me.

It is also in my blood. My maternal family had Tenke’s Hungarian Restaurant in Glen Head, NY and the 4 C’s Bar in Greenvale, Long Island. I think the reason I reenact the past is because I love history and it currently is the only way to time travel.

---

Maria’s Authentic Hungarian Goulash

For meat:

• 2 lb. beef chuck • 1 tsp. salt • 2 onions, white or yellow • 2 Tbsp. lard or shortening • 2 Tbsp. imported sweet paprika (most important to use real hungarian paprika for ultimate flavor) • 2 bay leaves • 1 Qt. water • 4 peeled and diced potatoes • 1/4 tsp. black pepper

1. Cut beef into 1 inch squares, add 1/2 tsp. salt.
2. Chop onions and brown in shortening, add beef and paprika. Let beef simmer in its own juice along with salt and paprika for 1 hr. on low heat.
3. Add water, diced potatoes and remaining salt. Cover and simmer until potatoes are done and meat is tender.

For egg dumpling batter:

• 1 egg • 6 Tbsp. flour • 1/8 tsp. salt

1. Add flour to unbeaten egg and salt. Mix well.
2. Let stand for 1/2 hour for flour to mellow.
3. Drop by teaspoonful into Goulash. Cover and simmer 5 minutes after dumplings rise to surface.

Serve goulash hot with dollops of sour cream

---

When it comes to the people and happenings of Warren County, you can count on award-winning photographer Cathy Miller to be there to record the moment.