« Spokes For Folks | Main | Historic 24 Upper Mountain Home Saved »


Petite Cafe In Search Of New Home

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Baking Queen Maureen Jaret, who with hubby Keith fed our sweet tooth with over-indulgent, sinfully decadent stuffed cupcakes and delicious dinners at The Petite Cafe in Nutley, were forced to close their doors to make way for a jewelry store. The demise of the popular shop is sending loyal customers in withdrawal. From The Star Ledger:

Owners Maureen and Keith Jaret closed the popular eatery Sunday. News of the closure upset many regulars who patronized the Franklin Avenue cafe, which was famous for its eclectic cuisine, moist cupcakes and charming owners.

So far the Jarets haven't been able to find a suitable space to relocate, but they are actively looking, Mayor Joanne Cocchiola said, adding Maureen Jaret had asked her for help finding a space.

Though it had been only one day, Marie Magliaro was already missing the cafe..."I'd get my coffee there, and my muffin, and now I have to go to Starbucks," she said.

Derya Kazak was similarly distressed by the restaurant's closure.

"Petite was different, it was always eclectic with a Keith-spin on it," she said, describing a fragrant seafood dish with toasted pumpkin seeds. "Ah, there would be drool coming out of your mouth when you smelled him cooking and you can't get that anywhere."

Baristanet readers, for the love of cupcakes, help Maureen and Keith find a new locale pronto! And while we're talkin' cupcakes, I loved the maple cream stuffed pumpkin variety - what was your favorite?
-- photo credit, Pete Crosta

Posted by Annette Batson on March 19, 2008 4:38 PM
Email this story |
 

Here is a tip!

Your business people?

Then find your own damn place! You should have been planning long before the jewelry store takeover!

Help me out here, but we can't save everybody!

Time for another bottle!

Posted by Laura Loonie | March 19, 2008 5:11 PM
 

BTW - Was that picture staged--balck shirts--pathetic look--hey, how about some tears rolling down those cheeks!

Let's have show some drama if you want help!

Posted by Laura Loonie | March 19, 2008 5:14 PM
 

Oh no, this is the place with the best cupcakes IN THE WORLD. Seriously. Our friends brought them for a party and we were like "Cupcakes? How nice." But by the end of the day people were fighting over different flavors.

I hope they find a new place. They should check out Broad St in Bloomfield. It seems to be THE place to open a new restaurant these days.

Posted by State Street Pete | March 19, 2008 5:23 PM
 

Definitely Broad Street. And my favorite cupcakes are Giada's.

Posted by Conan | March 19, 2008 5:56 PM
 

Laura, your humanity is only outshone by your grammar.

Posted by scruffycat | March 19, 2008 6:45 PM
 

State Street Pete,

If you are a cupcake fan, the next time you are in Philadelphia go to Flying Monkey Pattiserie at Reading Terminal Market. OMG -- you won't be disappointed.

Posted by s2007 | March 19, 2008 7:02 PM
 

Yes, Broad Street. There are one or two empty storefronts up near Watchung Ave, one where the florist shop vacated well over a year ago. And North Center seems to be our little Restaurant Row these days.

Posted by Pork Roll | March 19, 2008 7:33 PM
 

How were they "forced to close their doors to make way for a jewelry store"??

Posted by User Name | March 19, 2008 9:52 PM
 

Because the guy who owns the jewelry store bought the building in which Petite Cafe was leasing their space, which he is going to knock down to build himself a new jewelry store.

Posted by Pork Roll | March 19, 2008 10:05 PM
 

"Their lease reached its termination date."

At first, it sounded so mysterious!

Posted by User Name | March 19, 2008 11:09 PM
 

Wah, I will miss their apple pancakes--they were like eating a cinnabon! I won't miss the hit or miss service. There is a cupcake bakery on Van Houten in Clifton, but I've only been there once and can't vouch for how good it is.

Posted by RaeVen | March 19, 2008 11:49 PM
 

Thanks for the tip s2007

Where is Giada's Conan?

Posted by State Street Pete | March 20, 2008 12:27 AM
 

Can't they just go to any of the empty storefronts on Valley Road and elsewhere in Montclair? I hear the Olympic building is unavailable. Oh, wait. They can't. The taxes are so high nobody can afford to rent it and there isn't any parking available in this town anyway and the customers wouldn't be able to get into the store because they would trip over the trash on the streets and broken meters on the sidewalk. Maybe we could get Mr. Remsen and Mr. Hartnett and their buddies to pay for a sign to tell them where to go. A consultant only costs about a half-million bucks and we could have the trains whistle or not whistle during the grand opening whichever would cost the taxpayers more.

Posted by oh puleeze | March 20, 2008 8:09 AM
 

"Where is Giada's Conan?"

Sorry, State St., just an abysmal attempt at humor on my part: I was referring to Giada DiLaurentiis, one of the stars on the Food Channel. To watch Giada, especially in HD, makes one think of ... cupcakes. :)

Posted by Conan | March 20, 2008 8:20 AM
 

Worry not Conan, I got 'cha the first time around!

Posted by MISTALUKE | March 20, 2008 9:44 AM
 

No worries Conan, I ain't got no culcha.

Posted by State Street Pete | March 20, 2008 9:49 AM
 

The old Fortunato restaurant is sitting empty just across the bridge from Nutley in Lyndhurst...

Posted by I'm ME | March 20, 2008 9:53 AM
 

Yeah, i'd vote for montclair. there are so many empty storefronts out there. as a landlord (not in montclair), if i were on bloomfield with an empty storefront , i'd be making on the phone with these folks asap.

Posted by friendship7 | March 21, 2008 10:15 PM
 

Yeah, i'd vote for montclair. there are so many empty storefronts out there. as a landlord (not in montclair), if i were on bloomfield with an empty storefront , i'd be making on the phone with these folks asap.

Posted by friendship7 | March 21, 2008 10:16 PM
 

Ms. Loonie, you are MOST disrespectful. I am extremely bitter at what you wrote. Those are the two most hard working people you would ever chance to meet. Your comments are cold and insensitive, too. They opened on their last day at 5AM to record numbers. They closed for 3-4 hours to prepare a private farewell dinner to a number of their patrons, some they knew for seven years. At around 11PM I snapped this photograph while they were in their work clothes. The Petite Cafe "uniform" is BLACK. Waitstaff and kitchen wears it. You owe them an apology. I would hope your insensitive post which leads off the comments of this "tribute" does not reflect ANYONE reading this. DARN, you have some nerve!!!

Posted by Nutley Resident | March 22, 2008 7:34 PM
 

Nutley Resident, you take Laura Loonie's comments far too seriously. For most people, the name "Loonie" is the giveaway for her schtick.

Posted by Pork Roll | March 22, 2008 8:54 PM
 

There are a couple of storefronts open at Broad and Watchung in Bloomfield.

Parking accross the street- behind liquor store. Good traffic flow from the parkway. Easy access to Bloomfield, Montclair, Nutley.

Used to have a great bakery there - Brookdale bakery - now gone.

Posted by Belletones | March 23, 2008 1:31 AM
 

Regardless, Pork Roll, it was offensive and distasteful to comment on such honest & hardworking people. It was a hell of a way to start off a nice thread. Joke or not, it sucked.

Posted by Nutley Resident | March 23, 2008 1:44 AM
 
You must log into Vbulletin to post Comments. Log in below.

Not Registered? Click Here to register.
Email us at Baristanet to find out about advertising here!

Adriana O'Toole Homes

Your Color Source

Joe Bartoni's








Weather
Movies
TV

Gmail
NJ Transit
DeCamp
People Search
Google Maps
Dictionary
Google News
Homeland Security
Essex County News
High School Sports
» MONTCLAIR LINKS
ABOUT
Official Montclair Website
Montclair Center
Montclair Schools
Montclair Community Pre-K
Montclair State University
American Towns
Town Profile
THE ARTS
Arts Montclair
Montclair Art Museum
Montclair Arts Council
Peak Performances
Youth Orchestras of Essex County
ATTRACTIONS
New Jersey Jackals
Presby Iris Gardens
Van Vleck Gardens
COMMUNITY
Montclair Adult School
Montclair Public Library
Montclair YMCA
Mountainside Health Foundation
Red Cross
Toni's Kitchen
COMMUTING
The Clever Commute
Montclair-Boonton Line Train Schedule
FORUMS/BLOGS
Montclair Journal
Montclair Watercooler
Montclair Unmoderated
NJ.com Montclair Forum
ORGANIZATIONS
Bike Montclair
Brookdale Park Conservancy
Friends of Anderson Park
League of Women Voters of the Montclair Area
MEWS
Montclair Engineers
MFEE/Montclair Reads
Montclair Fund for Women
Montclair Historical Society
Montclair PTA
Montclair Wildlife
Outpost in the Burbs
OTHER
New Jersey Life and Leisure
VillageRadio

» GLEN RIDGE LINKS
» BLOOMFIELD LINKS
» OUTER BARISTAVILLE
» OF INTEREST BLOGS
BARISTAS
jjschiffer.com
Madeleine Bake Shop
Politics of Place
Read Me, Love Me, Buy the Book
stopkatie.com
Wanderful!!!
ARTISTS

Artisan Studio Underground
Artist / Blacksmith Charlie Spademan
Dust and Rust
habit-image-reaction
I Will Kick Your Ass For World Peace
Regia Richest
CULTURE
Authentic Organizations
La Tertulia
FOOD
Cat Food
Chowhound
Hungry Chef
Mano a Vino
Table Hopping with Rosie
FORUMS
E-gullet NJ
Know Neighborhood
Springsteen Forum
GARDENING
The Gardeners Apprentice
The Gardening Guru
GO GREEN
Green Jersey
Reuse and Recycle in Montclair
HEALTH
Medicana
NEW JERSEY
Bada Bing Blog
Blog Net News NJ
Jersey Side
NJ.com
NJHotShots
NJ My Way
Weird NJ
OF USE
Craig's List NJ
PetFinder
Urban Dictionary
PARENTING
Au Pair Mom
Dante's Inferno with Children
FinSlippy
Looky Daddy
The Mamahood
Raisinology
Who's the Grown Up?
PERSONAL
55 Secret Street
Anovelista
CarreFemme
The Daily Doormatt
Detox Moxie
From Bloomberg to Bloomfield
I Hate Decamp
Inclusive Ceremonies
Man With a Pen
Martta's World
Maui Girl's Meanderings
The Media Drop
Meg McGonagall
MOM & Pop Culture
My Life as a Rabid Blog
Richieville
RZ's Blog
Tina Bell
Snake Oil Sam
The Society for Conscious Craft
Wellness Woman
Wine Lover's Journal
Yenta Diva
POLITICAL
Gold Finch Tech
New Jersey Politics Unusual
REAL ESTATE
Crystal Ball Real Estate
Eco Realty

Email us to link your blog