Burger Invasion

This admission could horrify many a grandmother, but our oldest son never knew what a sweet was until he was 6 years old. My fault, undoubtedly, as I didn't want him to inherit my debilitating sweet tooth. So, by 6, his palate for smoked salmon, pesto, sushi and fresh fruit was so determined, he had little interest in candy.

While he makes allowances for a little chocolate - which, incidentally, I believe, is congruous with a refined palate and healthy eating (all those flavonoids) - the word 'cake' doesn't quicken his pulse as much as the word 'computer.' This upsets me no end, since I am a maker, baker and incorrigible eater of the stuff (as readers of my blog, Divaindoors.com, know all too well.) Cake, that is, not computers.

Continue reading "Candy, Son? No Thanks! " »

We told you about Farm2Bistro, the Nutley restaurant that tries to buy all its ingredients locally, last fall. On Sunday, New York Times Jersey food critic David Corcoran reviewed it, giving it a "good" rating.

Amazingly, Corcoran never met the affable and usually omnipresent chef Michael Madigan, who was working on his yacht business one time Corcoran was visiting, and stuck in the kitchen the other time. Still, after interviewing the chef by phone later, Corcoran certainly got the flavor of the entrepreneur.

Continue reading "New York Times Discovers Nutley" »

Market, a delightful new produce-driven bistro in the old Greek Delights space, could be Montclair's first true farm-to-table experience. Owners Joshua Cederbaum and Adi Hecht and chef David Werner source most of their organic fruits and vegetables from sustainable farms in New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. The menu, chock full of what's freshest now -- ramps, fiddlehead ferns, shell beans -- is delicious in its pure flavors and simplicity.

Continue reading "Market Moves In" »

We're sorry to hear today that Daruma has closed their doors. The Upper Montclair joint posted a sign that stated:

"Due to unfortunate circumstances, we are forced to close Daruma at this time. Thank you for your patronage. We will miss you all!!!"

Well, it's not our fault. We were there on Saturday--their last day--spending lots of money. We went to Daruma for hibachi and sushi twice a month. It was the only place I can take my slobbering, 20-month-old fuss budget who screams and arches his back for no reason.

My baby loved it there. He would drink his miso soup, watch and be quiet. The twins were big fans, too. Yoko was so sweet to all of us. Yoko, if you're out there, goodbye and thank you!

Kung fooey. What are we supposed to do now? Drive to Route 46 to find a fireman to pee on our onion volcano?

In honor of the Thai New Year, Spice II is offering 10 percent off through Sunday, April 19. 399 Bloomfield Ave., Montclair.

Cafe Tartufo, the little cappuccino joint and gelateria on Broad Street in Bloomfield, has been through several incarnations. First it was a standalone restaurant with two rooms.Then one of the rooms was turned into a short-lived Mexican restaurant. Then suddenly there was a "closed" sign where Tartufo used to be and it disappeared for a while.

It has returned, a few doors down, a little smaller but with the same glass case full of Italian pastries and the reassuring poster of the caffeine-crazed coffee addict. But there is a new twist. Its Ecuadorian owners have started adding some Central American dishes to the menu - a nice addition to the sandwich and salad fare. My new favorite meal is Tartufo's plaintain soup, which is big enough to serve as a light meal, and at $3.95, a recession-friendly one. Chunks of plaintain float along with carrots and other vegetables in a savory broth, which is topped by parsley and fresh-made plaintain chips. Also on the menu, an Ecuadorian shell steak, served with a cilantro-based herb sauce and potato cakes, for $12.95.

Continue reading "Tartufo Rides Again" »

Talk about chefs putting Montclair on the national foodie map...First, there was Ariane Duarte, then there was Michael Carrino. Now, we hear another chef is about to be launched out of his Baristaville kitchen on to national TV. This summer, Marcell Veiga (left), head chef at Gencarelli's Cucina will go pan to pan against the likes of Mario Batali and Bobby Flay on "Iron Chef."

Raised in San Francisco and Miami, Marcell comes to Gencarelli's by way of Coral Gables, Florida where he was head chef at Les Halles. Cooking since he was a kid, his culinary style combines French and Italian influences. He told us he'll be practicing on new dishes this month, before the program is filmed. If you hit the right night at Gencarelli's you might find one of his new creations as a special. Good luck to Veiga. We'll be tuning in to Food Network on July 26.

Tell us where you're dining this weekend...

The just-opened Paramus Fairway is a short drive from Baristaville -- a straight 15-minute shot from Upper Montclair up the Parkway to 17. Inside, between Loehmann's and a Blimpie, are tens-of-thousands of square feet of great grocery shopping.

If you want it, they have it -- from niche ingredients like artisanal Argentine and Umbrian honey, to skyr yogurt from Iceland, plus the entire conventional grocery roster. For any single item, there are half a dozen options to choose from, not to mention whole aisles for kosher and gluten-free shopping. Most of the items I regularly buy--like Greek yogurt, the Silver Palate tomato sauce, even cat litter -- were 50 cents to $1 cheaper at Fairway.

Continue reading "Get A Taste Of Fairway Paramus" »

Ever since somebody asked for a section on Recession Recipes as part of a comment thread a few weeks, the idea has been bouncing around in my head. Well, I've asked for contributions on Facebook and also from some of my favorite local chefs. Two chefs came through, and I decided to make both recipes, from scratch, last night. I started at 6:15 pm at Whole Foods, not your obvious choice for a Recession Recipe shopping trip, but I stuck to my shopping list, adding only one discretionary item (half gallon of milk), and the check came to $30. Not bad for two dinners to serve a family of four. I had both of them on the table by 9 pm.

Continue reading "Chop Chop: Recession Recipes " »

A gourmet cheese shop with a huge selection from regional American dairies and abroad comes to Montclair at the end of March. Construction is almost complete at Tallmadge Cheese Market in the old Café Sultan space.

Owner Allin Tallmadge, a Verona resident and former Mac computer salesman, discovered "the amazing flavors of local Italian cheeses" on a trip to Tuscany a few years ago. Once back in the U.S., he dedicated himself to learning the ins-and-outs of cheese retail, studying with the area's foremost cheesemongers--at Artisanal and Murray's Cheese in Manhattan, then at The Cheese Shop of Ridgewood and finally at Eden Gourmet in South Orange.

A member of Slow Food USA and the American Cheese Society, Tallmadge is hopelessly passionate about cheese. He'll keep 125 to 200 cheeses on-hand, including Brie, Fontina Val d'Aosta (a nutty, easy-melting cow's milk cheese from northwest Italy), Cantal (sweet, milky cow's milk cheese from Auvergne, France), and small production runs from operations in the Northeast, Wisconsin, and California.

Continue reading "Tallmadge Cheese Market" »

Good luck to Chef Michael Carrino. Baristanet has learned that the top toque at Restaurant Passionné in Montclair will be featured on The Food Network's cooking challenge, CHOPPED on April 7th, 10 p.m. Chopped, hosted by Ted Allen (of Food Detectives and Queer Eye fame), challenges four chefs to turn some everyday ingredients into a winning three-course meal. Contestants get "chopped" after each course; the last chef standing wins $10,000.

What's your favorite food show and why?

I first passed Quincy's Place, an intriguing roadside eatery lit up with plain white Christmas lights, on New Year's Eve. I was on my way to hear Frank GG lecture at the Maplewood/South Orange First Night, and - as it turned out - Quincy's was part of his lecture on the history of the Oranges. Built originally as the DelAssandro Hotel in 1888, Quincy's sat at the base of a cable car line, which guests took to a lake atop the Watchung Mountains. As Quincy's menu explains, the cable cars stopped operating after one jumped the tracks and crashed into the hotel in the 1920's. Oh well. It was re-opened as Quincy's in 1996.

The place jogged a memory for me of a little tavern near Glen Echo Park, a former amusement park turned arts center in Maryland - a kind of out-of-the-way dive that served good chili. Quincy's Place, which I returned to with Frank in late January, had a similar ambiance and didn't disappoint. That is, it's an interesting place to go if you want a hamburger and a little micro-adventure. With an oversized gleaming wood bar backed by a huge mirror and flanked by TVs at either end, Quincy's exudes the kind of authentic old-fashioned feel that chains like Charlie Brown's and The Office can only hope for. This is an experience closer to Pal's Cabin, the Torn Hat or Star Tavern. Miraculously, neither the TVs nor the regulars are overloud, and the music on the stereo tends toward R&B.

Continue reading "Quincy's: A Roadside Tavern Just Down the Road" »

Bayou Grill, a new quick-service spot tucked into a strip mall in Verona, conjures Louisiana in name only. In fact, there is nary a hint of the Deep South anywhere on the short menu, a collection of griddled and made-to-order burgers, dogs, wraps and salads. The purpose here is utilitarian: feed locals, and fast. What you'll find is food that's a good step up from a traditional fast food chain.

Bayou Grill, an off-shoot of Mardi Gras Fine Foods, the long-lived catering company next door, occupies the space vacated by Amazing Hot Dog. There is not much to the long, narrow interior decorated with faux-antique kitsch, but there doesn't need to be. Take-out is available, as is free local delivery.

The menu consists of standards like burgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, salads and specialty sandwiches. Bright spots include the Bayou Dog, a tasty, crispy-fried link topped with sweet sauteed onions, bell peppers and French fries. Despite being more Jersey than New Orleans, it's deliciously decadent, due in part to the wonderfully plump and spicy Thumann's hot dog.

Continue reading "Bayou Grill" »

Some restaurants earn a reputation for their food; others attract patrons with ambiance. The really good ones manage to score on both counts. The Orange Squirrel is one of the good ones. This new 50-seat restaurant in Bloomfield earned the distinction of receiving the most emailed tips to Baristanet from readers, telling us to go and check it out. Here's just one of the raves...

Run...do not walk to Bloomfield's newest restaurant, The Orange Squirrel. Located at 412 Bloomfield Avenue (at the site of the old Pad Thai and Oak Tavern), chef/owner and Bloomfield native Francesco Palmieri (a 2000 CIA graduate) works magic in his kitchen.

Like an oasis in a desert of car dealerships and auto body shops along a stretch of Bloomfield Ave., The Orange Squirrel beckons with its neon sign and big windows. Inside, you'll forget exactly where you are. From the exposed brick wall with flat screen showing iconic movies (we caught Ed Wood, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and Edward Scissorhands on different visits) to the custom made Brazilian birch and limestone bar and vibrant orange seating, the restaurant redefines and unites the two separate spaces.

Combining an eclectic American/European menu with a chic, yet unpretentious design, The Orange Squirrel doesn't disappoint. In fact, it surprises, with special touches like the homemade shot of silky-smooth "Bailey's" that came to the table at the end of the meal. Or the amuse bouche at the start, a beautiful Prince Edward mussel one time, a miniature smoked salmon filled cannoli the next. And yes, even the bag of peanuts accompanied by a note to celebrate "Squirrel Appreciation" day. It's the kind of place that makes you smile. Palmieri is like that, too, full of surprises and creative energy, as he meets with patrons and checks on tables. Just don't ask him about the name of restaurant, or you might fall for one of his inventive tall squirrel tales.

Continue reading "The Orange Squirrel" »

Calandra's Italian Village is part gourmet emporium, part foodie theme park. With casual dining, drinking, noshing and shopping all under one roof, the Calandra family has created a destination that's an Italianisimo eating event.

Continue reading "Eating Italian - Where It Takes A Village" »

Torino North, an Italian bistro that opened earlier this year in Nutley, offers a welcome diversion from the same old red sauce fare in a 120-seat space behind the sprawling Roche complex. The menu is a mix-and-match of the familiar and the inspired.

Named for Turin, Italy, Torino is the latest in a four-restaurant chain of New Jersey cafes. Though there are no true surprises, ingredients are utilized in refreshing combinations and classics are executed with confidence: minestrone brims with diced carrots, celery and lentils in a brightly acidic tomato broth, and a fine Caesar is piled high on the plate with a zippy dressing heavy on garlic and anchovies. My favorite starter topped a plump, fried polenta cake with meltingly tender chunks of braised beef and the richest reduction. A hearty eggplant rollatini folded with ricotta in a sweet tomato sauce was billed as lasagna. The eggplant could have used another 30-seconds in the fryer.

The menu is rife with spelling errors (pancatta, Ceasar and cappalini) and downright confusing descriptions: roast duck comes with sultan raisins "en sour" and beef carpaccio with "arugala jus."

Continue reading "Creative Fare With Creative Spellings to Match" »

Halcyon, the new sister restaurant to the very popular Egan's on Walnut Street, telegraphs right away that it is a fancy restaurant. Or as we like to say in my family, both fancy and schmancy. Mainly, it's the great etched-glass light panel over the bar, which continuously changes colors. But it's also the enormous lattice teardrop lamp, which dangles in front of that panel. And then there are the marble walls and the marble tables. The point, I suppose, is to evoke Manhattan sophistication, although as one of my friends said, channeling Dorothy Parker, "Nobody needs marble walls unless they're dead."

But just like the sleeping pill of (almost) the same name, I found Halcyon to produce disturbing, almost hallucinatory, side effects. The light is so low as to feel oppressive. And the noise, bouncing off the gleaming marble, is overwhelming. If you sit in one of the ostrich-skin textured booths, where the marble tables are too wide by about eight inches, you'll find yourself sure that your dinner companions on the opposite side of the table are having a better conversation than you are. (You won't be able to hear them.) The second time we went, I was so glad to leave that just walking on Walnut Street in the post-rain mist made me feel jubilant -- as if I'd just been sprung from a very long stint in the slammer.

The atmosphere was not the only problem.

Continue reading "Halcyon: Watch Out for the Side Effects" »

For weeks, the storefront teased commuters and passersby on Bellevue with giant photos of chocolate chip cookies and cupcakes. Yesterday, on the way back from seeing Bolt, we found Le Baker's Dozen had quietly opened for a test run; today (Saturday) is the official open. On the menu, cookies, cakes and pies, scones and cupcakes and other baked goods, including many vegan offerings. Tasters gave the cupcakes a thumbs up. The shop also sells some baking mixes, jams, cookie cutters and other items, giving it a country store vibe. Open 7:30 a.m. every day except Monday; drop in today and sample some mini-cupcakes.

My Italian grandmother died before I was born, but I heard she was a hell of a cook. Growing up in Queens, I knew a few nonne who could lay out a nice lasagna. Frank, from A&S Pork Store in West Paterson, can whip up a hot sausage and peppers sandwich, manicotti or eggplant rollatine with the best of those great ladies. Unlike those grandmas, Frank doesn't deck out his work space in pictures of all the saints, instead his place is stacked with cheese, bread, olives, pasta and other imported goodies.

Frank cherishes the food he makes. "I cook with orgoglio," he says. It means pride in what you do. He started working at the Brooklyn A&S Pork Store as a delivery boy 35 years ago; Anthony Scicchitano, founder of A&S, took Frank under his wing and the rest is history.

My first taste of A&S was their hot sausage bread and fennel taralli back in the summer. The kids shared a bag of cheese doodles (sacrilege) as the three of us sat at the lone green resin table outside A&S, next to the big Italian flag. Sinatra played on the radio. I washed down my snack with a lemon Pellegrino soda and felt like I was in some weird alternative universe version of the Sopranos. I convinced my daughter to try a fennel taralli; she liked. Somewhere in the great beyond, grandma was smiling.

Continue reading "Italian Comfort Food, West Paterson" »