Baristaville Foodie News

Bloomfield's restaurant scene just became more delicious with the addition of Bar Cara, which opens tomorrow, Saturday, January 23. Occupying the former Toscana on Broad Street, Bar Cara is an ambitious enterprise of the talented De Persio family, who for years, they've been pleasing palates in Montclair at their upscale Italian restaurant, Fascino. The name Bar Cara is an anagram of their names - Cynthia, Anthony, Ryan, Anthony.

"We'll be serving traditional Italian food, like my grandmother makes, with a few twists," says chef-owner Ryan De Persio. The entire place has a new contemporary look, "casual, with a New York vibe."

Continue reading "Bar Cara Opens In Bloomfield" »

Classically-trained chef Justin Gaines, born and bred in Montclair and whom we mentioned here last week, was the winner of Tuesday (Jan. 19) night's episode of the Food Network's Chopped series, a culinary competition pitting the skills of four chefs against the clock, each other, and baskets of mystery ingredients.

"There was a lot of drama in that episode," Gaines told Baristanet today, describing the pre-recorded show which, contractually, he couldn't discuss until after it had aired. "I had the attitude of going in to win it, but now, I'm humbled by everyone's response to it."

His mom Cathy said, "I am elated and so proud! This is the fruit of my labor as a single parent, and of what I've worked for, for the last 29 years - to see my kids become successful."

Gaines, 28, who was "cooking every day after school, then doing homework," and who started out as a student who washed the dishes at Enzo's pizzeria, performed consistently throughout the courses, demonstrating his classical training at the Culinary Institute of America.

Continue reading "Justin Gaines, of Montclair, Wins on TV's Chopped" »

It was with great interest that I, and many others in the 'hood, watched and waited as Chia Asian Bistro on Bloomfield Ave slowly took shape and eventually opened late last year, as I had yet to find a satisfactory local Chinese restaurant that would obviate the need to traipse into Chinatown in NYC.

Chia, which promises a Southeast Asian twist on dishes, couldn't be better located, being within a few minutes' walk of bustling Church St, with its fine selection of wine, clothing, coffee and candy stores.

The restaurant, replete with an airy dining room and a separate banquet room for party bookings, is tastefully decorated, with dark cherry wainscotting and generous windows welcoming in large swathes of natural light.

Wallpaper in a deep jade, on which a Mandarin poem gracefully repeated itself in silver lettering, was mesmerizing and added a soothing touch to the dining room's tenor. In the banquet room next door, the wallpaper was calligraphed equally fetchingly, this time with repeated motifs of oriental-style kettles.

Wide, polished wood planks adorned the floor in a dark stain, tables and sturdy cushioned chairs of walnut wood kept up the earthy theme, and a single, exotic flower in a vase stylishly accented each table.

Continue reading "Chia Asian Bistro Offers Tasty Food in Stylish Setting " »

An elegant dinner and wonderful wine pairings with friends, in a French Norman-style chateau, sounds like a dreamy evening you might have while vacationing in Northern France, non? How about this Thursday night -- no plane ticket required?

Tucked away in a corner of West Orange, on a 40-acre estate is the magnificent Pleasantdale Chateau, recently designated an historic landmark. I recently visited the stunning former summer home of Allied Chemical industrialist C.W. Nichols, built at the turn of the century by European craftsmen. The mansion, an authentic reproduction and one of the few remaining examples of Norman architecture, is a spectacular display of artisan craftsmanship and luxurious comfort.

Inside the gorgeous, antiques-filled dining room, I imagined what it might be like to actually be served dinner there. Since the Knowles family, owners since 1994, only rents out the facility for weddings and corporate retreats, I figured, dream on.

Mais non! I learned there is a way to experience the old world grandeur - and with friends!

Continue reading "Wines Of Spain Dinner At The Chateau" »

Cookbook author Chad Carns, recently featured on Toni On! (WPIX) and Marie Claire magazine, will demonstrate how to grill Korean BBQ steak in 20 minutes or less, at culinary superstore Chef Central in Paramus, on Jan. 9th at 11am. Carns, once a Hoboken resident who now lives in Greenwich Village, will describe how his new cookbook, The Gourmet Bachelor, makes light work of recreating international dishes at home, with a few ingredients bought at local markets.

Carns said he will display, at Chef Central, how an inexpensive piece of meat can be cut in such a way that it will be as tender as sushi. It will be marinated simply with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame seed oil and sugar, and grilled for two minutes a side. The audience will have a chance to taste it, too, and give their verdict.

Carns, who is 33 and married, says he put his award-winning graphic design career on hold to write TGB, which is packed with vivid photography, slick black pages, simple cooking instructions and includes an essential wine guide paired with 20-minute gourmet recipes. The recipes were written to impress his girlfriend on Friday nights, he said, adding, "It worked, because we're married."

His passion for cooking grew out of helping his grandmother make pasta, and from a background of family cooks. TGB, he says, is perfect for anyone who enjoys juicy burgers, as well as Thai, Japanese and Korean food or butter-poached lobster.

The Gourmet Bachelor: Global Flavor, Local Ingredients
Paramus Towne Square
240 Route 17 North,
Paramus, NJ 07652
201.576.0100
(free demo and samples)

If you want to celebrate a friend's birthday or just hang out with your laptop, there are two little places in Caldwell I can recommend. Rockn' Joe Coffeehouse at 339 Bloomfield Ave. is a spirited little bistro covered with photo albums and other rock-n-roll memorabilia, and while baby-boomer oriented, it looks like it would easily withstand a posse of kids. Tasty Coco Bistro and Dessert Lounge (shown left), just down the street at 291 Bloomfield Ave., has a similar menu but a slightly more grown-up feel. A friend who accompanied me to both places this week said Rockn' Joe reminded him of Williamsburg (Brooklyn, not Virginia), while Tasty Coco reminded him more of Greenwich Village.

Both restaurants are sun-drenched, friendly and have wifi. Either place will let you linger for hours.

Continue reading "Let's Have Coffee in Caldwell" »

West Orange is hardly lacking in Irish pubs. Those of us who take Harrison Ave. to Eagle Rock Ave. as a regular shortcut, pass The Hat all the time. And Gaffer's Pub is right around the corner on Main Street. Well, now this corner of West Orange is officially Little Dublin. Egan & Son's, the hugely popular Irish pub on Walnut Street in Montclair, is opening a second pub right next to The Life church on Harrison Ave. in West Orange.

Although all Irish pubs sport signs for Guinness, Egan's is planting its stake at the corner of Harrison and Eagle Rock as a place to eat as much as to drink. "We are very much food oriented," says co-owner Sharon Egan. "We like to consider ourselves a gastropub."

Continue reading "Egan & Sons, West Orange: A Peek" »

Need something inexpensive to fill up a stocking for a foodie? Or a hostess gift for next weekend? Here are two items you can get for $10 or less that are guaranteed to please the taste buds.

At left, Nicky Mesiah's small-size toffee (shown here, wrapped for Chanukah; also available in a Christmas theme): $10. Pick it up at any of these Montclair stores: Noteworthy, semplice, Chelsea Square, Jacklyn Kling or Piazza Della Sole. As a special incentive, only on Thursdays, you get a free homemade cookie for every box of toffee you buy.

And for the harried chef on your list, here's a sure-fire seasoning mix from Farm-2-Bistro's Michael Madigan, who's partnered with Christie Lukasiewicz to bring out a line of spice mixes under the name BAMF Seasonings. BAMF is an acronym for something we can't print in a family newsblog, but having used the original blend for the past two months as an all-purpose flavor aid, I can say it does live up to its name. You can buy it for $9.95 at Farm2Bistro, 177 Franklin Ave. in Nutley.

Madigan, a longtime food supplier to New York yachts, is celebrating the launch of BAMF with a BAMF New Year's Eve New York harbor cruise aboard the Royal Princess. There'll be a DJ, live music, passed appetizers, buffet, fireworks at midnight ... and of course BAMF samples as party favors. Tickets are $100 and $145.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Not all burgers are created equal, but why smash a burger?

I found out at Montclair's newest burger joint last weekend when I spoke with their corporate chef. "The French sear steak on a hot grill in a pat of butter, and flip it once. The less you handle the meat, the better. That's how we cook a smashburger." The smashing part, he told me, sears it better. Back in the kitchen I watched as line cooks smashed big balls of ground beef onto a hot buttered grill. No pre-pressed hockey pucks at Smashburger. They use a metal press which resembles large cookie cutter to flatten the meatball and start the sizzle.

Continue reading "Smashed On Bloomfield" »

Every week, I buy the bulk of my groceries at a local supermarket and then head over to Whole Foods for my meats, fish and produce. It's expensive, but buying quality organic food is important to me. Then I met Melina Macall. She is the founder of Boxed Organics, a local organic food co-op. I joined last week and received my first box yesterday. See my goodies at left.

Having children motivated Melina to feed her family healthy food. She wanted to avoid genetically modified food, but it wasn't so easy. The United States has no labeling process for GM foods, unlike in the UK where Melina grew up. The only way to avoid them was to buy certified organic food. It got expensive, so she started looking into food co-ops. While she was happy with the benefits of a co-op, the ones available weren't working for her family. She had four children under four and they weren't exactly big kale eaters. She wanted more of a variety of produce and more convenience for busy parents.

Nine years ago, she started her own organic food co-op and called it KFC, for Kid-Friendly Co-op, offering a good mix of produce for salads and cooking, a great fruit selection and pastured, organic eggs, all from local farms. She took out the expectation of a work commitment to make it easier for busy families and offered delivery. As word spread, more people wanted in, even those without children, so she changed the name to Boxed Organics.

Continue reading "Local Food Co-ops: Are They For You?" »

If your Thanksgiving turkey and accompanying feast somehow failed to wow, it's not too late to sharpen your culinary skills or pick up some new tricks by Christmas, Passover or Easter. Brookdale ShopRite holds cooking lessons, taught by professional chefs, with the current session running through March 2010. Prices are fetching, at $20 per 2-hour class and $35 per 3-hour specialty workshop, as are the menus, and you'll get culinary techniques, tips, hints on working within a budget, and the know-how to produce a veritable banquet for friends and family.

The mouthwatering catalog completely held my attention, while the promise of producing a Gordon Ramsay-standard beef wellington has just about confirmed a booking from me.

I'd be treading on tested ground as Annette Batson and her husband Anthony did a course together on a 'date night' and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Continue reading "Shoprite's Cooking Classes (and Prices) Look Tasty" »

How hard can it be to buy a turkey for Thanksgiving? Time-honored habit would send me directly to the nearest grocery store, wherein I look for a bird that's preferably organic, reasonably attractive (this helps its post-roast looks), and one which is transportable to the checkout counter without help from beefy store hands. But there are lots of variables to think of: frozen or fresh, organic, brined, kosher, oven-ready and seasoned, or cooked (catered) and then figuring out the damage your chosen bird will do to your wallet, per pound.

Continue reading "Turkey Malarkey: Where to Buy One, Fresh or Frozen" »

Montclair's Market Restaurant, the hot farm-to-table eatery in the tiny diner across from the Y, had practically outgrown its space the moment it opened. Although outdoor tables helped in the summer, its owners began searching for bigger digs in August. Now, the solution has been revealed. Market will be moving into the first floor of Church Street Kitchen in mid-December. Church Street Kitchen, meanwhile, will cease to operate as a walk-in restaurant, but will retain the second floor for private parties and expand its catering business.

"We become roommates," explained Church Street's Greg Spinelli, who will now do business under the name Church Street Catering. The move will almost triple Market's current capacity, from about 35 seats to 90 at Church Street.

Continue reading "Market to Move Into Church Street Kitchen" »

You can't miss Leela's bright awning on Bloomfield Avenue - Montclair's new and only restaurant serving cuisine from the island of Trinidad. Open only a week, owner Trevor Lee has transformed the space formerly occupied by Mango's, into a sparkling bistro, cheery with the golden colors of the Caribbean. Here, you'll find authentic dishes like accra cod fritters, callalloo, roti with curried oxtail, goat, and for the less adventurous, chicken, beef, shrimp and fish. You can also choose from an ample variety of entrees such as stewed oxtails, jerk chicken, fried fish, vegetable curry, and curried duck served with a side of rice, potatoes and channa, or dhaul and cabbage. Smells pouring out of the kitchen were rich and very tempting, although I didn't have a chance to sample. Leela's is open daily for lunch and dinner, serving until 10 p.m. Sunday - Thursday, and until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

If you go, Trevor is offering 10% off orders of $10-$50, and 20% off orders of $50 or more. Just tell him Baristanet sent you!
Leela's is at 180 Bloomfield Avenue (down towards Montclair Firehouse). 973-744-8118 -- we'll update with the website as soon as it's available.

Chia Asian Bistro has just opened in the former Mama Giola's location. Michael Kao's new restaurant has a soothing interior of wood and grey walls covered with Chinese calligraphy, and red flowers on each table. Kao helped friends open Taro on Church Street (now closed) 11 years ago, and says he's happy to be back in Montclair with his own place. He describes the cuisine as "modern Chinese, with an influence from Southeast Asia." Some of the tempting appetizers are lobster egg roll, tuna martini (spicy tuna, cucumbers and avocado topped with roe), roast duck soft tacos. There are interesting salads, classic stir-fry, and Chia specialties such as lemongrass chicken, mango shrimp, Grand Marnier shrimp, and kimchee fried rice.

Chia is offering Baristanet readers 10% off dine-in or take out to celebrate their grand opening.

Chia is open daily for dinner, Monday-Saturday for lunch. 446-450 Bloomfield Ave, Montclair. 973 509-0799 -- we'll update with their website address when it's available.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Pat Turano, original owner of Bloomfield's Casa Turano and Montclair's Palazzo, has returned to Bloomfield with a family friendly bistro - Pizza Rustica. The grand opening party on Tuesday, Oct. 13, was a local happening - the house packed with friends, family, good tunes, and new customers. Turano and his hospitable wife filled everyone up with really good crunchy-thin crust pizzas served fast and furiously all night long. The white pizza with mushrooms and truffle oil, and the primavera, with fresh onion, tomato, and zucchini were my favorites. We also enjoyed a tasty penne vodka (earning big wows from the whole family), splashed down with lots of good red. I asked Turano how he dared open a new restaurant in a recession. He said, "no matter what's happening, everyone always buys pizza." Everyone had so much fun that Turano is considering making the music and plentiful pizza night a weekly event, which would really be smart. Stay tuned. Pizza Rustica is at at 1047 Broad Street, Bloomfield. Lunch and dinner, italian specialties, brick oven pizza, seven days a week. 973-338-1555.
-- B&W photos, Seth Wolfson; color photos, Annette Batson.

As someone who was born in Malaysia and has widely traveled and eaten her way through Southeast Asia, I was delighted to hear a restaurant called Pahang, after Malaysia's third-largest state, had set up shop on Bloomfield Ave in Verona. With readers asking to know more about it, I was only too happy to oblige, even as I appreciated the surrealism of the task - little-known Pahang (plucked out of Malaysia), in the thick of Verona (ditto, out of Italy), in New Jersey. A neat microcosm of the three continents I've lived in. Serendipity? No matter, I was ravenous.

Continue reading "Pahang Adds Sizzle To Verona Restaurant Scene" »

Those last tomatoes are about to peter out. But local mom Alison Bermack doesn't want you to suffer while you wait for next year's batch. Gather the autumn bounty and head to her seminar at Whole Foods. She'll talk about saving those farm fresh goodies.

"It's so hard to let go of these delectable tastes of summer," she said. "The corn, tomatoes, fresh herbs and peaches--I try to preserve whatever I can by cooking meals with friends." That's Alison at left with one of her kitchen buddies, Suzy Goodman.

As the founder of the Cooking With Friends website, she hosts local get-togethers where women make huge batches of goodies, freeze and share them. I participated in Sauce Night last winter, and I only have one word: Yum.

Alison will show everyone how she does it and share her favorite recipes on Thursday, October 1 at 7 p.m. at Whole Foods in West Orange. Cooking with Friends: Preserving What's Farm Fresh Now for Family Meals Later will give how-tos for making corn chowder, tomato sauce and other recipes. Call (973) 669-3196 to reserve a spot. The cost is $5 to cover ingredients.

You can also catch Alison at the Adult School of Montclair where she's teaching Cooking with Friends on November 17 from 7 to 10 p.m. She'll show how to cook and freeze in bulk. The cost is $35, register here.

It all began in Northport, a little village on the North Shore of Long Island, when two sisters and their mom began a weekly tradition of walking to the local penny candy store, each child clutching a dollar in her fist, ready to stock up on whatever their hearts desired.

"We were raised in a way that we were never denied anything, although we were encouraged to eat healthily," says Diana Tripoli, co-owner of Dulce (which hails from the Latin dulcis, meaning sweet), the candy store on Church St in Montclair that's been open barely a month. "This was such a treat for us, a fun outing, a tangible reward that tasted great and we were also excited by the visual aspect of it."

Continue reading "Dulce, A Sweet Spot on Church St " »

And here in Baristaville, there is no excuse for not satisfying a chocolate jones. Here are two popular choices. My son and I had a Holsten's craving Friday night and came away happy with a box that included jell rings, peanut butter cups and butter nut toffee crunch. Greg polished off the peanut butter cups and crunch, and I hogged all the chocolate covered jell rings for myself. (Photo by Greg Liscio)

Continue reading "No Such Thing As Too Much Chocolate" »