Bartoni's Brunches Out

Let's admit a well-known Baristaville truism: Gina's Paneficio - Montclair's artisanal bakery of sweet treats and European style breads - is a winner. The Walters' family-owned business has been satisfying our carb cravings for 11 years with handcrafted, minimally processed baked goods. Not astonishing, then, that during the holidays loyal customers line up around the block to take home fresh fruit pies, tortes, impossibly rich Buche de Noel, and the famous double-corn & jalapeno mini muffins. So why am I writing about Gina's? Because there's something new, improved, and grown up at their Walnut Street boutique.

They just completed a welcoming makeover - you'll find walls painted bright, the display case turned around - making room for bistro tables and chairs. There's a wall of blackboard and chalk at the ready to amuse kids while nibbling cupcakes and cookies.

Continue reading "Finding The Sweet Spot" »

Continue reading "Summer-Time, And The Eating Is Easy..." »

A collard and spinach smoothie? That's one option at The Energy Bar, a vegetarian oasis in the South End of Montclair. I had tried a fruit smoothie there about a year ago, but it pretty much exited my consciousness until the Baristas got an admonishing email from a reader a few weeks ago.

I came here to put my two cents in about a vegetarian cafe and juice bar called The Energy Bar in the South End of Montclair. It is a truly fabulous restaurant. I was stunned to find that it isn't listed on Baristanet. They are just a cafe bar with a few outside seats but are expanding to have in house dining. The food is delicious and fresh and it isn't served anywhere else in montclair that I have found. Please add it to the list.

Point taken. During my visit to The Energy Bar last week, I tried the Green Energy (shown), a blended concoction made of apple, celery, collards, cucumber and spinach. (Small $4, Large $6) The apple adds a tiny bit of sweetness, and while I can't say it's the best thing I've ever tasted on God's green earth, it is 100-percent guilt free.

Continue reading "Drink Your Vegetables" »

Call me unAmerican, but most of the time I go out to dinner, I go for Thai food or Japanese. Although I love a hamburger, I rarely crave a steak, or have any interest in spending dinner-menu prices for something just as easily cooked on my patio grill.

But sometimes a steak is exactly what you want, and despite all the bad press red meat had gotten, it at least has the merit of being high-protein and low-carb. That's how I wound up at the Bloomfield Steak & Seafood House over Memorial Day Weekend.

Continue reading "Sometimes, You Just Want a Steak" »

You'll have to walk past the kitchen, and out the back door to find Bloomfield Avenue's latest dining oasis at Gencarelli's Cucina. The Baristas recently inaugurated the secluded patio, bedecked with spring flowers, cafe lights, and gurgling fountains.

Basking in the sunlight on a summer-like day, we savored the pear and gorgonzola salad with a side of bright orange, crispy sweet potato fries. Two delicious pasta dished graced out table - garlic linguine with shrimp in a white wine butter sauce and fresh cavatelli with brocolli rabe. But the real eye candy came when we sheepishly agreed to a mid-day dessert indulgence.

Continue reading "Gencarelli's Little Hideaway" »

Indigo Smoke is now Indigo Smoke Q, as in Bar-B-Q. That's what they call it in Kansas City, owner Lance Knowling's hometown. Gone are the water glasses, wine goblets for bring-your-own and waiters. In their place, a counter where you place your order, a community table and a flat-screen TV. Clients are encouraged to BYO beer. Plastic cups provided.

Knowling says it's not a response to several new casual soul-food joints in town, which include the Wood Pit and Ruthie's, but a decision based on the fact that Indigo Smoke has a fancy sit-down restaurant in Maplewood, with a full liquor license, and didn't need two. The proliferation of BBQ in Montclair doesn't faze Knowling, he insists: "Where I come from, there's a bar-b-q restaurant on every corner."

In line with the new casual digs and lower overhead, prices are lower too. A beef brisket sandwich is $9 at Indigo Smoke in Maplewood and just $7.50 in Montclair. A side of whipped sweet potatoes runs $3.75 in Maplewood and $2.50 in Montclair. And you'll get your food - to stay or to go - a lot faster too.

Indigo Smoke Q is at 387 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair. 973.744.3440.

Get over to Spice Cuisine this week and try some Northeastern Thai specialties in celebration of the new year. All this week, owner Sheri will be adding to the menu yummy additions like chicken in yellow curry, beanthread noodle salad with ground chicken and chili, roasted chicken with lemongrass and yes, larb, (shown here) a dish with ground pork, chili and lime juice.

Sheri is also offering your choice of either a free appetizer or dessert to celebrate. Those who've been to Spice know it is the friendliest Thai in Baristaville as Sheri is famous for her welcoming ways and complimentary goodies to customers. Don't miss her heavenly banana bread...

Continue reading "Celebrate Thai New Year " »

There's a brand new energy in the strip mall on Belleville Ave. in Bloomfield, a place known more for being the home of an A&P Supermarket than a gourmet restaurant and swanky nightspot.

Prana, a restaurant, lounge and nightclub, took over the space formerly occupied by Taste. On our visit, we sat on the upper level of the bi-level space, in a booth ensconced in wispy fabric, and were frankly amazed at the transformation. One minute, you're outside, navigating empty shopping carts; the next, you're inside the zen-drenched space with a mystical, exotic atmosphere and fanciful gourmet fusion food to match.

Continue reading "Prana Breathes Life Into Bloomfield Strip Mall" »

Long lines out the door are what confront most tribes in Baristaville who are out foraging for weekend brunch. Clearly, there should be more chefs cooking breakfasts for the hungry masses...Well, our family found one, just over the hill, where the biggest problem isn't the wait - it's deciding which of the mouth-watering items on the menus (yes, there are two full menus) to order.

Alan Platt is at the helm of Sweet Basil Cafe, in West Orange, which doubles as his catering headquarters. For 14 years, his signature chicken salads, and and healthy gourmet sandwiches are have been the cornerstones of his lunch following (try the grilled ahi & arugula or the mayan shrimp). Five months ago, he opened for breakfast whipping up an elaborate selection of egg dishes, and working his magic on the griddle with fluffy pancakes, french toast, and Belgian waffles. With so many choices, it would be smart to experience Sweet Basil with a crowd, or just return, very, very often.

Continue reading "Sweet Basil's Cafe & Grill" »

Flatbread Grill opened this month in the space vacated by Carvel on Bellevue Avenue in Upper Montclair. The eatery is attractive with booths, tables and easy chairs near a fake fireplace, and offers a pretty large menu, with an emphasis on grilled meats, served kabob style, salads, flatbread pizzas and other healthy fare. It's also got a full line of coffee, chai and bubble teas as well as pastries. The restaurant, owned by three sisters, is open seven days a week, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Good news for ice cream lovers that miss the former Carvel -- Flatbread Grill has soft serve ice cream at non-Cold Stone prices.

Continue reading "Bubble Tea, Breads And Yes, Ice Cream, Too" »

Continue reading "Dinner & A Show" »

This weekend, I fell in love in Bloomfield. No more road trips to Astoria (I was there just a month ago) to satisfy my cravings for authentic Greek food. The newly opened Stamna Greek Taverna is the real deal.

If you're wondering what stamna means, this is it. You'll see these vases at Stamna, which opened last week in Bloomfield, and operated like a well olive-oiled machine on our visit. The smoothness may have something to do with the staff and owners, Greeks with origins tracing back to Karpathos. The atmosphere inside Stamna is true Greek taverna -- lots of white and blue, Grecian urns and artifacts -- yet unique, as if the owners were displaying their own treasures from home. We especially got a kick out of the flat screen with live Greek TV feed (muted of course).

Continue reading "Bloomfield's Gone Greek (And It's So Good)" »

7Online's Neighborhood Eats gave the star treatment to our very own Watchung Delicatessen. Watch it here.

The newest sandwich is the Ben's Special, and it comes with a little extra mac and cheese.

Recipe:

You start with hot chicken cutlets and barbecue sauce, which gets topped with bacon and cheddar. That's all melted together and stuffed into a roll, which then gets further stuffed with hot homemade macaroni and cheese.

Good luck biting into it. You're better off opting for a fork.

The Watchung Deli in Montclair began in the 1920s. Now, two couples own it - Gary and Maureen Kiffer and Jeanne and Robert Johannsen. And to see them all at work is like watching a dance.

And it certainly helps that they know their customers.

The old Orion Bookstore languished empty for months, its future causing lots of speculation...Now, after months of delays waiting for permits, licenses, and remodeling to be completed, Montclair's newest B-L-D bistro, Uptown, opens next week in time for Valentine's Day.

Owners Susan Pinkwater and Marilyn Sanchez describe Uptown as a French bistro with a NYC vibe. Pinkwater says she formulated the menus based on the gastronomic adventures she enjoyed while living in France. Breakfast, brunch and lunch is served daily, and they'll begin with offering dinner specials on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. What we can look forward to: coddled eggs with goat cheese and herbs, croque monsieur, warm lentil salad, home made soups, and entrees like scallops saltimbocca and champagne/mushroom risotto. The emphasis on fresh and healthy food.

Continue reading "Room With A View" »

Like a monarch butterfly emerging from its cocoon, the former non-descript sushi-spot, Michi, has morphed into an elegant dining establishment, Kira Kira. Yet another newcomer to Bloomfield's restaurant row, Kira Kira offers Japanese specialties. Sushi lovers will be dazzled by the chef's creations which imitate art.

The presentation of inventive and delicious dishes make them almost too beautiful to eat. We tried the three-course lunch special including miso soup, seaweed and sesame salad, with eel, spicy tuna, yellow tail rolls and tea, for $9.99. Smaller appetites may enjoy the two-roll lunch special for only $7.50, or their vegetarian counterpart, $7.99 and $5.99.

We also went a la carte - the Garden Rolls were as spectacular to look at as they were to eat - spicy tuna, mango, avocado, crunchy asparagus, cucumber, radish and tobiko wrapped up like 6 little nori-covered flower pots ($9.99). Equally impressive eye candy, you'll want to try the Symphony special - a gorgeous timbale layered with lobster salad, spicy tuna, and avocado, capped with a trio of caviar ($10.95), plated on a trio of tasty sauces. The bento box lunch ($7.99 - $12.99) at the next table was also getting raves.

At "Kira Kira," (which translates Twinkle, Twinkle), the decor is refined and soothing. Sit at the front dining area bedecked with shiny silk cushions and traditional murals, at the sushi bar, or head past the zen fountain into a warm, persimmon colored dining room. Open for lunch and dinner, closed Monday. BYO - beer and sake is easy to pick up at the neighborhood grog shop. 390 Broad Street, Bloomfield. 973 748-0077. -- Annette Batson

What happens when fish market marries fish restaurant? You get three different seafood experiences in and around Baristaville.

At Whole Foods West Orange, I'm a fan of their salad bars and Indian food, but tend to forget about the Seafood Shack fish and raw bar, situated near the beautiful display of fresh fish that I long to buy, but whose prices give me pause. Which is one reason ordering at the sleek stainless steel bar is appealing - fresh grilled tilapia escabeche, bacon and oyster po'boy, and ahi tuna sandwich - all generous portions at $10.95 - seems like a bargain. The oyster po'boy was a shocking amount of light, beer battered gems, applewood smoked rashers of bacon, heaped in a roll with lettuce and tomato.

Ever since Chef Michael Ventura opened his bistro-market, "At The Market" last August in Nutley, readers, like JN, have been urging, no, insisting that we give it a try.

There is a new fish restaurant in Nutley that is wonderful. The prices are downright cheap, the service efficient and friendly. In an effort to be healthy, I'm trying to go every Thursday night for dinner. So far I've gone 4 times and each time has been perfect.

Last night was fish n chips which were done to perfection. I've also had Tilapia made "Caribbean" style with black beans and mango which was light and flavorful. The coconut shrimp appetizer is to die for. The swordfish was perfectly cooked. There is nothing my friends and I didn't like about this place. There's easy parking available behind the restaurant.

We ventured. The sight of glistening fish on ice greets you along with bright white subway-tiled store that gives the market an old-world retro look. There's a cozy dining room in the back.

Continue reading "True Fish Tales" »

If you are having trouble signing up and commenting on the Food page, go read this. If you still have trouble, write us here. Thanks!

You don't have to be an establishment with 80 years of history to look like one. Just take Fitzgerald's 1928, the new restaurant at 13 Herman Street in Glen Ridge, which exposed some brick, blew up some photographs from the local historic society and appended the year 1928 to its name (that's the year the building it's in was originally built), and -- voila! -- instant history!

That's okay, because the best restaurant experiences are theater today (look at the success of Cuban Pete's), and the show that you get when you go to Fitzgerald's is Cheers. Here's the restaurant where, if you live in Glen Ridge, everybody knows your name, and you're expected to know theirs too. That can be a little awkward for those of us who are a little shaky on those other GRAA baseball and Gas Lamp Players moms, but that's the price you pay for living in a small town.

Continue reading "Fitzgerald's 1928, a Tradition Since ... Last Week" »