It’s New to Us by Jean Stratton

FEMININE FOCUS: “I love the buying, and I love it when customers come in and find just what they want.” Mary Hagemann, owner of Kiki D’s Dresses, is shown with a silk Jovani dress in a rainbow of colors, appropriate for prom or cruise.

Dresses for Proms, Parties, Picnics Are Highlighted at Kiki D’s Dresses

Fluted hemlines, bubble bottoms, kerchief hems, long dresses, short dresses — the feminine focus is on display at Kiki D’s Dresses in the Princeton North Shopping Center. Owner Mary Hagemann opened the shop in February, with an emphasis on prom dresses. “I’d been wanting to start my own business for a couple of years,” she explains. “I thought a dress shop focusing on prom dresses was a good idea. Last year, my daughter and I had to go to Pennsylvania to find one.

DINING OUT: “We are set apart by our hands-on ownership. How many places do you go where the owner is at the front door? You can’t beat that.” The owners (and cousins) of Sotto Ristorante and Lounge are shown left to right: John Procaccini, Tino Procaccini, Rich Carnevale and Joe Carnevale.

Sotto Ristorante and Lounge Offers Authentic Italian Cuisine

Sotto Ristorante and Lounge at 128 Nassau Street is unique — an Italian grotto in the heart of downtown Princeton. Customers who descend to this subterranean location will find a romantic, old-world Italian restaurant, with a warm, welcoming atmosphere that invites diners to relax and linger.

“People can look at the entrance upstairs and have no idea of what’s down here. The subterranean setting is very European, very cosmopolitan, and it’s unusual for Princeton,” says owner Rich Carnevale.