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
Comments (23)
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!
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!
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.
Definitely Broad Street. And my favorite cupcakes are Giada's.
Laura, your humanity is only outshone by your grammar.
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.
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.
How were they "forced to close their doors to make way for a jewelry store"??
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.
"Their lease reached its termination date."
At first, it sounded so mysterious!
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.
Thanks for the tip s2007
Where is Giada's Conan?
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.
"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. :)
Worry not Conan, I got 'cha the first time around!
No worries Conan, I ain't got no culcha.
The old Fortunato restaurant is sitting empty just across the bridge from Nutley in Lyndhurst...
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.
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.
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!!!
Nutley Resident, you take Laura Loonie's comments far too seriously. For most people, the name "Loonie" is the giveaway for her schtick.
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.
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.