The reinvigoration of the NJ Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROC) has been ongoing since the middle of 2023. While progress has been slow and steady, the Chapter agreed a while back to institute something we have observed done by other Chapters, which is a regularly scheduled monthly meet-up at a restaurant or diner. The intention is to have an informal gathering where members can simply get to know each other better. There is no pre-set agenda.
The club officers decided to schedule breakfast at a diner on a monthly basis, with the dates and locations already set through April. January’s gathering took place on the 21st at the Spinning Wheel Diner in Lebanon NJ. Seven intrepid Alfisti braved the 20 degree F temperature to arrive at the diner at 8 a.m.
While spring and summer meets will likely see a significant quantity of Alfas old and new in the parking lot, those of us (including your author) with “classic” Alfas are not about to drive them on our heavily salted roads. Two current-generation cars, a Giulia and a Tonale, made the trek, with the rest of us in our non-Italian daily drivers. (Tony quipped that he drove his “Alfa Ridgeline”!) It was a special treat to have John, the 13-year-old son of Steve, join us, and I learned that this young man is a fanatico of all automobiles from the great country of Italy. (When he told me “well, I do like one French car, the Bugatti”, I was delighted to inform him that Ettore Bugatti was an Italian who just happened to move to France.)
The food and coffee were great, the service was better, and as seems to happen at every gathering of this type, we managed to linger and chat well past the time when our bellies were full and the plates were cleared. I didn’t think that 7 was a bad turnout for A) a bitter cold January morning and B) our first event of this type, so I have high hopes that attendance will improve for the next few breakfast meets.
Above, L to R: Richard, John, Steve, Bill, John, Fran, Tony
Above: Steve with son John with Steve’s 2018 Giulia
Above: John with his Tonale
All photographs copyright © 2024 Richard A. Reina. Photos may not be copied or reproduced without express written permission.
Richard,
Because I get cut off all I will say is you are right about the future.
<
div> Hugh
Sent from my iPhone
<
div dir=”ltr”>
<
blockquote type=”cite”>
LikeLike
Rich,
<
div> Can you send me the dates and locations of the Alfa meets? I don’t own an Alfa but I admire those who do. Hugh
Sent from my iPhone
<
div dir=”ltr”>
<
blockquote type=”cite”>
LikeLike
Hi Hugh, I’ll send you an email! Best, Richard
LikeLike
Richard, Thanks! Hugh
LikeLike
I love the word “Alfisti.”
(I’m no car aficionado. I guess that makes me a Subaruni.)
LikeLike
Hi Jerry, if you peruse any of the Alfa websites, you’ll see the Italian word “Alfisti” liberally used. It’s the plural; singular form is “Alfista”. Thanks for commenting! Best, Richard
LikeLike
[…] NJ Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROC) held their 2nd monthly breakfast meet-up of the year on Sunday February 18. The chosen locale was the Americana Diner in Shrewsbury, NJ. […]
LikeLike
[…] The NJ Chapter of the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROC) proved that it can make a plan and stick with it. Having decided late last year to begin a tradition of monthly breakfast meetings, the Chapter successfully held its 3rd consecutive breakfast meeting on Sunday March 10, returning to the Spinning Wheel Diner in Lebanon NJ, the site of our January meet. […]
LikeLike