In a world where most of us are feeling increasingly stressed and isolated, and with our sense of community rapidly going the way of the rotary-dial telephone, Fred and Pete's--an old-time deli and lunch counter imbedded in an aging New Jersey strip mall--offers a rare place of refuge and companionship (not to mention a great Swiss cheese omelet) where people really do know your name (or at least your nickname). We used to have places like Fred and Pete's in most of our communities, but sadly, a lot of them have gone under, unable to hold their own against the chains and national franchises. This book was written to capture the story of Fred and Pete's, and the extraordinary people on both sides of the counter who make it what it is, before it's too late. It is a love story in the truest sense of the word. Paul Jellinek was born in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1951, but he and his wife Susan, who have four grown children, have lived in Mercerville, New Jersey, since 1983. His first book, Promise to Mary, was published in 2008. His second, "Fred and Pete's: They're All Nuts," came out at the end of 2010. He works as a consultant to foundations, plays piano in a blues band, and goes to Fred and Pete's most mornings for breakfast.