Church Street Kitchen

Very nice owners, good food, and such a wonderful improvement over the MidTown Diner.

We dropped by at that awkward hour on a Sunday afternoon, after lunch and before dinner, and the owner very graciously seated us. The wait staff was gracious as well, and treated my extremely cranky 85-year-old mother-in-law with kindness. I had a perfect BLT. In fact, it was the definitive BLT. I believe I will have to go back, this time without the mother-in-law, and give the BLT the attention it deserves.

first of all, when my fiance and i just happened to catch them open during one of their odd hours of business, i ordered scrambled eggs with sausage, coffee and a bagel...three times! three different people came over to take my order and they still got it wrong. i had to wait for my bagel for almost fifteen minutes. the coffee was lousy and the sausage was mediocre. the eggs were great, though. with lousy service and freaky sausage, i can't see myself going there again. worst thing is, my fiance told me not to go inside as she'd also had a bad experience once before. stay clear of these clowns.

Sorry for my last post, but as you might guess from the ungodly hour that I posted, I was right in the middle of a three day bender & cannot be held responsible for any harsh comments that may have slipped out.

PS I am a waiter at Mexicali Rose.

Church Street Café
Dinner Menu
July 2005
973-233-0216
BYOB

Appetizers

Home-made Soup
Prepared Fresh Daily
$7

Fresh Fruit & Cheese Plate
Seasonal Fruits & Berries with Goat Cheese
$7.50

Gravlax Canapé
House Cured Salmon on Cucumber Wheels with Tomato Lemon Chutney
$9

Sautéed Tiger Shrimp
Warm Organic Greens &
Juiced Orange Reduction
$10

Church Street Salad
Mesclun Greens, Roasted Beets, Crumbled Bleu Cheese with Balsamic Vinaigrette
$7.50

Classic Caesar Salad
Marinated Tomatoes, Parmesan, and Garlic Croutons
$8.50
(With Chicken @ $12.50 or Shrimp @ $14)

Grilled Portobello Salad
Marinated Mushrooms, Spinach, Vidalia Onion, Shaved Pecorino & Balsamic Vinaigrette
$9

Chop, Chop Chicken Salad
Lettuce, Pineapple, Cucumber, Red Pepper, Glazed Cashews & Soy Vinaigrette
$8
(Entrée portion @ $12)

Cobb Salad
Romaine, Chicken, Bacon, Avocado, Tomato, Corn, Bleu Cheese, Eggs & Cobb Dressing
$9

Entrees

Belgian Style Mussels
Traditional Moules Frites
served with Spicy Fries
$15

Grilled Chicken Breast
Free Range Chicken, Garlic, Wilted Spinach and Red Pepper Jus
$14

Comfort Food
Familiar American Favorites from Grandma’s Recipe Book
$14

New York Strip Steak
14 oz. Aged Sirloin, Sautéed Haricots Verts and Crispy Fries
$20

Pork Medallions
Pork Tenderloin with Port Sauce, Potato Croquette,
Grilled Zucchini & Mushrooms
$16

Grilled Wild Salmon
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes,
Sautéed Seasonal Vegetables,
Saffron Beurre Blanc
$19

Pan Seared Sea Scallops
Truffle Potato Puree, Dried Cherry Tomatoes, Leek Verjus
$19

Sesame Crusted Tuna Steak
Sushi Grade Tuna
Pan Seared with Wasabi Slaw &
Purple Peruvian Potatoes
$20

Seafood Linguine
Shrimp, Mussels & Scallops over Squid Ink Linguine with Lemon Caper Sauce
$18

Penne Rustico
Broccoli Rabe, Oven Dried Tomatoes & Italian Sausage
$12
(Substitute with Chicken @ $15)

Black Angus Burger
Applewood Bacon, Jersey Tomato & Wasabi Slaw with Cheddar, Goat or Bleu Cheese
$10

Mixed Veggie Burger
Vine ripe Tomato, Friseé & Crumbled Bleu Cheese with Lemon dressing
$10

It’s a Wrap
Beef or Turkey, Tomatoes, Braised Greens & Chipotle Mayo on a Tomato Basil Wrap
$10

Your Hosts
Cheryl & Greg Spinelli

wow! i don't know how they did it, but some jerk used my email address and posted that comment right UNDER MY FIRST COMMENT. i am not a waiter at mexicali, nor will i ever order from them. wow. how did this happen???? DON'T LET IT HAPPEN TO YOU! contact the webmaster if it does!

wow! i don't know how they did it, but some jerk used my email address and posted that comment right UNDER MY FIRST COMMENT. i am not a waiter at mexicali, nor will i ever order from them. wow. how did this happen???? DON'T LET IT HAPPEN TO YOU! contact the webmaster if it does!

wow! i don't know how they did it, but some jerk used my email address and posted that comment right UNDER MY FIRST COMMENT. i am not a waiter at mexicali, nor will i ever order from them. wow. how did this happen???? DON'T LET IT HAPPEN TO YOU! contact the webmaster if it does!

FANTASTIC wait staff and owners! The appetizer Risotto was "to die for". Wonderful service and food. I love this place. Also best Gazpacho I've ever had.

Tried the Mussel Madness-Belgian Moules Frites, Mussels Marinara with Penne and Mussels Fra Diavolo over Linguine.

We ordered one of each for the table. Absolutely wonderful. Perfect meal with some great wine.

OK - I've been to Church St Cafe THREE times in the past week.

I love this place.

Finally tried it for dinner- D had salmon. Said it was fantastic, and she only orders Salmon for dinner, so she is discriminating!

I had the seared scallops. Big, tender, wonderful.

I can't understand why this place isn't busier. It's also very reasonably priced and an attractive space.

this place sucks. so overpriced!

Jacko,

One word - mussels.

Best always.

I completely disagree about Church St. being overpriced in fact I think they are completely reasonably priced. The mussel madness price is insane, and the food is delicious.

Church Street Cafe
Home Of
Mussel Madness
Belgian, Thai, Marinara & Fra Diavolo
All You Can Eat $15
Seven Nights a Week

Now Extends the Madness to
Breakfast
For Just
$3.99

Two Eggs Any Style - Home Fries, Toast & Bacon or Sausage

Pancakes - Sliced Fruit & Bacon or Sausage

House Cured Gravlax - On a Bagel with Cream Cheese, Red Onion & Tomato

Spa - Sliced Fruit, Granola & Yogurt or Cottage Cheese

All served with Fresh Juice & Coffee or Tea
Seven days 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Church Street Cafe
12 Church Street, Montclair, NJ 07042
973-233-0216

Montclair’s Best Kept Secret

OK. My friend and I went there this morning for breakfast.
I understand that it is possible that our experience was just an unfortunate one, for our first time there... Our server seemed nice. I ordered the Florentine omelet, she ordered the N'orleans omelet. We also ordered a side of bacon to share.
While waiting for our food, I witnessed my waiter carry a large filthy garbage can from the back, to the front, behind the counter. I watched as he did not wash his hands, and went right to handling a customer's toast. I was mortified, and felt ill at the idea that my toast was sure to be next.
Our food came, and admittedly, I was not impressed with the way the food looked. I opened my omelet, and there was a pile of spinach, and 2 lumps of goat cheese. I had to spread it around inside the omelet...I just think of an omelet being cooked in a way that all of the ingredients are "together", but their omelet is folded, dry, and the ingredients are just spooned inside.. weird. So, for $7.00 I guess I can deal with a very small portion of potatoes, 3 slices of melon, and a bizarre looking omelet, with "toast" that was barely toasted. Until I took my first bite, and was literally chewing on dirt! Apparently the kitchen did not wash their spinach, because there was so much dirt in it, I couldn't eat it... I tried to eat the egg that hadn't touched the spinach, which isn't fair; I shouldn't have to do that. The waiter never came to ask how the meal was, so I could not tell him about my issue. The $3.00 order of bacon was in fact 3 slivers of bacon. I think $1.00 per slice is a bit much. My friend was not impressed with her omelet either. When the waiter finally came, we had already decided to give up on enjoying the food. I informed him about the dirt. He said he would take my meal off the check, and tell the kitchen. I watched him, he never told the kitchen, and he never took the meal off the bill.. He then told us to take the check up to the counter to settle up. When we did that, another waitress said, why are you here? He should take care of this for you.. So, whatever. In the end, our meal was over $20.00, I felt disgusted when I left. I felt so disappointed that my day was started off on such a foul note. Unfortunately, I don't think I will ever try Church Street again.

$3.99 Breakfast.

I went this weekend and was satisfied. The food was good and our waiter was quite nice. I wouldn't say it was the most unbelieveable breakfast I'd ever had, but I will return and expect to be happy again. Can't beat it for $3.99 for eggs, toast, fruit, hash browns, and juice.

Wow! Just checked in to look at the comments & it is apparent that we have not kept up our end with all of our guests.

For those who suffered through poor service this past Sunday morning, we apologize. Without going into the specific details, at the scheduled opening hour there was an identifiable set of circumstances that we were unable to work through in a satisfactory manner. Hindsight being 20/20, we should have delayed opening for 30 minutes & avoided the poor performance. In the future that is the course of action that we will take.

For those who do not like the food, thank you for providing your instructive feedback. While we may agree or disagree with the various points of view offered, your opinions are valid & valuable to us as we continue to refine the quality & variety of our offerings. Every opinion is fully considered &, in several cases, has resulted in improved or enhanced menu offerings.

For the hundreds of guests who do like the food & service and continue to return every week to enjoy our quality offerings, thank you. We appreciate your support & are pleased to be able to provide you with a comfortable place with great food.

For anyone who has an opinion, positive or negative, but is reluctant to post on a public forum, please feel free to contact us directly via email, gregspin@msn.com, or cellphone, 973-801-9521. We promise that any correspondence received in this manner will be kept confidential & only used to help us to understand how to continue to refine the way we serve the dining public.

Thanksgiving Feast

Enjoy a Special Four Course Dinner
Of
Traditional Thanksgiving Favorites
&
Other Delicious Offerings

$32 Adults, $12 Children

Seatings Starting at 2:00 p.m.

Also Serving
Thanksgiving Breakfast 10:30 – 1:30

Church Street Cafe
12 Church Street, Montclair, NJ 07042
973-233-0216

Montclair’s Best Kept Secret

Cheryl and Greg:

I don't know what happened on Sunday but I thing your response was terrific. Rather than blame "the other guy" or get an attitude, you accepted the critcism and apologized for what was, apparently, a temporary snafu. Very classy!! My husband and I have taken advantage of both your mussel madness AND your breakfast special and were inordinately pleased with both. True quality at a value price -- just what the doctor (and Montclarians) ordered. When the new parking garage opens and we don't have to spend 20 minutes trying to find a parking space, we'll be down to your end of town more often.

Keep up the good work and the good food!

Cheryl & Greg,

Thank you for responding to the "Sunday" post. I'm happy you were able to read it. I understand that sometimes, things happen. I'm not sure if you were there, I had wanted to speak with a woman behind the counter, but you (or she) was on the telephone. I think it is really important for the staff to always be aware that whatever they do, the customer can see it. I'm sure the spinach thing was a freak occurrence. In a town like Montclair, there are many familiar faces in the same restaurants. It's important to be on a personal level, and I appreciate the way you communicate with your customers.

Church Street Cafe
Thanksgiving Dinner

Choice of Soup
Chicken with Rice
Puree of Butternut Squash
~~~
Garden Salad Bowl
~~~
Choice of Entrée

Roasted Tom Turkey

Prime Rib

Penne Primavera

Grilled Wild Salmon

Pork Medallions

Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Stuffing, Gravy,
Freshly Sautéed Vegetables, Cranberry Relish
~~~
Desserts
Pumpkin Pie, Apple Pie, Chocolate Cake, Carrot Cake

Adults $29, Children $13, Four & under $6

Seatings Starting at 2:00 pm

Reservations: 973-801-9521

Posted by: Greg Spinelli | Nov 21, 2005 12:30:52 PM

Free Soup (& Parking)

Enjoy a free cup of one of our delicious homemade soups
With the purchase of any Sandwich, Salad or Entrée
Monday thru Friday, 11:00 a.m. ‘til 4:00 p.m.

Also Don’t Forget:

Mussel Madness
All You Can Eat $15
Seven Nights a Week

Complete Breakfast for $3.99
Seven days a week, 8:00 a.m. ‘til 11:00 a.m.

Private Party Room
Fully catered for 15 to 55 guests

Church Street Cafe
12 Church Street, Montclair, NJ 07042
973-233-0216

Live Music Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday Evenings

3.99 breakfast was great!
Our waiter was a little slow... and a little slow in coming around, but really wasn't a big deal.
Can't understand why it wasn't more crowded though. The breakfast deal is pretty damn good.

Church Street Café Holiday Festival 2006
Local eatery to feature full schedule of food & fun for the extended New Year’s weekend
Introducing the food of newly appointed Chef de Cuisine Vittorio Retana

MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY (December 28, 2005) — Church Street Café’s Holiday Festival 2006 sends off the old year and welcomes in the new in high style with a full schedule of delicious food, menu specials and exciting activities for all.

Wednesday, December 28, 2005:
Kick off the six day weekend by enjoying a relaxing dinner along with the cool classic acoustic rock sounds of guitarist / singer Bobby Kendes.

Thursday, December 29, 2005:
Be on hand for a preview of newly appointed Chef de Cuisine Vittorio Retana’s delicious menu specials. Chef Retana’s cooking style has been forged over the past twenty-five years working in such diverse locales as Chicago, Boston, Santa Maria de Dota (Costa Rica), criss-crossing the Atlantic in a cruise-ship galley and, now, right here in Montclair.

By popular demand 13 HANDS will perform at 7:30 pm. 13 Hands is the brain-child of singer-songwriter and yoga teacher Dalien. Through the use of ground-breaking sampling/loop technology, multi-media and guitar soundscaping he has created an amazing repertoire of texture-rock original compositions that can only be described as a pastiche of such artists as U2, Neil Young, Morrissey, Peter Gabriel and Pink Floyd.

Friday, December 30, 2005:
Dine to the Jazz sounds of The Sharp Four, featuring songbird Anne Marie Berman backed by a tight trio led by hubby Jason. These kids are terrific – catch them now before they become a tough ticket to come by.

Chef Retana promises more culinary delights – rumor has it that he is getting his hands on a boatload of lobster, among other delicacies.

Saturday, December 31, 2005, First Night:
Once again, First Night is being held in Montclair Center. Church Street Café, located at the epicenter of the festivities, has once again been designated Official First Night Café and will be rocking with activity all day, all night and into the wee hours.

The Main Dining Room will be serving from 8:00 a.m. right through until 1:30 a.m. Dinner will run from 4:30 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. Outgoing Executive Chef Kevin Peterson and newly arrived Chef Retana have combined their considerable talents to whip up a special prix fixe menu ($50). The full dinner menu will also be available. Items from the prix fixe can be ordered a la carte.

Upstairs at Church will feature dancing with the Kevin Reilly Quartet from 9:30 p.m. until 1:00 a.m. Reilly, playing stand-up bass, leads as accomplished a group of musicians as will be found anywhere in Montclair on First Night. Both dinner menus will be available Upstairs.

First Brunch will be served in the Main Dining Room from 11:30 p.m. until 1:30 a.m. The menu will feature lighter fare including home-made soups, gourmet salads, several entrees (including a special Midnight Omelet), desserts, espresso and cappuccino. This will be the perfect way to wind down from what promises to be a remarkable evening in Montclair.

Also, for those First Nighters who would rather not lose any time seated in a restaurant, the Church Street Snack & Novelty Bar will be offering hot and cold snacks, as well as novelty 2006 goodies all night right outside the Café. In the event of rain there will be a tent.

Sunday, January 1, 2006
Open for Breakfast, Brunch and Dinner

Enjoy the truly remarkable classical guitar playing of Montclair’s own Philip Micciche from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.

Monday, January 2, 2006
Close out the holiday festivities with one last Brunch before packing the kids back to school and getting started with the First Workweek of 2006.

Church Street Café is located at 12 Church Street, Montclair, NJ 07042.
Reservations: 973-233-0216

We ate lunch at Church Street this past Tuesday, admittedly only because the overflow at Raymond's was out on the sidewalk and I get cranky if I don't eat when I'm hungry. The food was ok (I still prefer Raymond's BLT) but since it appears that the owners read these comments fairly regularly, I wanted to let you know that our server (Krista?) was absolutely wonderful and I won't hesitate to return when the wait at Raymond's is unbearable.

Ate there for dinner recently for the first time. Such a wonderful surprise. I wasn't expecting such a flavorful and creative menu (not my impression of "cafe"). Everyone at our table of 8 was happy, satisfied and comfortable. The service was very good.
Very recommended.
You can tell the owners are consciencious and hard-working.

anyone dare to compare their mussels vs Epernay's??

Once our baby is over a month old we'll be sure to visit!!

no comparison. you get what you pay for.

and what pray tell susie b is the difference? like they don't get them from the same supplier! like they don't steam them in wine and garlic or whatever. jeez.

actually I don't think it's quite that simple CC...have you had Epernay's mussels??? Not that they are the end all but there's a lil more to them then that...

We get our mussels from the same supplier as Epernay.

Epernay serves a delicious Moules Frites.

We serve a delicious Moules Frites.

Both restaurants prepare the Moules with white wine, butter, garlic & shallots.

Ours is all you can eat. We also serve Mussels Marinara, Mussels Fra Diavolo & Thai Mussels. The first bowl is huge; the refill bowls are considerably smaller. We encourage our guests to sample all four styles.

C'mon in & give it a whirl.

Bluto...

I think I know you...sorta? Is your wife Amy? If so, congrats on baby Robert!

perhaps I am :-) Who are you though lenny??? Greg, thanks for the follow-up...I'll be sure to either order some to pick up or swing by once our baby is old enough to venture out...

I find it hard to believe Church St. Cafe gets their mussels from the same supplier. But if Greg says so, it must be true.

My experience of Greg's all you can eat mussels was less than stellar. The mussels were tough, chewy and really, really dirty. I assume that weird gritty, sand like feeling was dirt, or was that a special Spinelli preparation?

I'd rather have one great serving of Epernay mussels, always cleaned and properly steamed.

I find it hard to believe that the mussels were tough, chewy and really, really dirty. But if susie says so, it must be true, in which case I apologize for screwing up your meal.

We're moving about 150 pounds of mussels weekly, with lots of repeat guests - so I'm pretty sure that we're getting it right pretty regularly.

Again, sorry that your mussels weren't up to snuff. Please give us another shot.

Sorry - this is off topic, will make it quick.

Hi Bluto - I work with Amy in Montvale, saw the pics you sent - too cute, love the closeups! Tell her we're waiting for the 'white couch' pics.

As far as mussels go - if you like Thai - Brookside Thai in Bloomfield has a great mussels appt with a super spicy dipping sauce.

Hi lenny, too funny! Baby is doing great, Amy's bouncing off the walls already!...I picked up take out from the Jerk Pit on Saturday to make her feel better...

Take Care,
R

While I cannot speak for the mussels on Church Street, I have always enjoyed an evening with any or all of the preparations at Epernay. I recommend them to any who like Mussels, with a nice beer or wine.

As always, in the interest of full disclosure, I have from time to time, drawn and.or painted with Epernay owner/Chef Mark's mother. The food she has brought to our group has also been great.

And I continue to enjoy and appreciate the somewhat anonymous Susie B's comments. I hope we wind up dining in the same place, at the same time, some time. We seem to have similar taste. You go girl!

I thought this thread was about Church St. Cafe and came here to read the reviews.

What's this Epernay PR posted by the guy with the personal relationship with the chef's mama??

The service was bad. The food was mediocre best. With so many great restaurants in Montclair, there is little reason to return.

Very succinct.

Help me out here... When? What did you order? What was bad about service?

I've had the mussels several times. Each time was as good as the last. And each time they were as good as any I've ever had.

Certainly while any one is welcome to like his friend's kid's recipe better, in my opinion, anyone who enjoys a bowl of bivalves should give Greg's a try and decide for him(or her)self. It's got to be one of the best bargains in town. I love the other joint as well, but let's face it: you leave a lot more cash there. On a weekday, I'm too tired to cook, you just can't beat it.

By way of disclosure, I have a business down the street, but they'd be great mussels even if I didn't.

Let's start by saying that the food here isn't bad. It's just not restaurant food and does not warrant the price. It's one tiny step above diner food. I was recently forced to try it this past Saturday since all the other restaurants were full. The eggplant appetizer was deep fried in oil that was recycled. My steak was a bit tough and unremarkable. Again, with so many other choices within the area, why bother?

The eggplant is sliced the long way, coated & sauteed in blended oil & butter. The oil comes fresh out of the jug & once used is recycled into a 50 gallon drum & hauled off by the renderer. Eggplant strips are rolled with herbs, ricotta & smoked mozzarella. When ordered, the dish is finished with marinara sauce in a conventional oven at 350F. $8.

NY Strip Steak is listed on the menu as "14oz. Aged Sirloin, Sauteed String Beans & Crispy Fries" - a simple steak frites presentation... no more, no less. We butcher the steaks down from USDA Choice 3 by 2, 180 strip loins. A loss leader at $20.

All products are fresh & of the superior quality. All soups, stocks, sauces & dressings are made fresh on the premises, as is the Lox (gravlax).

The entire dinner menu is listed below & it ain't diner food. It's relaxed fine dining in a comfortable environment at a fair price.

Home-made Soups Prepared Fresh Daily $7

Appetizers
Gravlax Canapé Cured Salmon on Cucumber Wheels, Tomato Lemon Chutney $9

Blackened Cajun Shrimp Tricolore over Mesclun, Belgian Endive & Radicchio $11

Standing Yellow & Yellow Yellowfin Tuna & Yellow Pepper on a Green Pillar $12

Coconut Shrimp Warm Grapefruit Star Anise Emulsion $11

Eggplant Rollantini Ricotta & Smoked Mozzarella; Tomato Basil Sauce $8

Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Filled with Mushroom Duxelle & Stilton $9

Fried Calamari Rings Fra Diavolo or Marinara $8

Levant Platter Hummus, Grape Leaves, Kalamata Olives & Roasted Peppers $9

Salads & Vegetarian
Church Street Mesclun, Roasted Beets, Bleu Cheese, Balsamic Vinaigrette $8

Classic Caesar Marinated Tomatoes, Parmesan, and Garlic Croutons $9
Add Chicken $13.00, Shrimp $15

Grilled Portobello Spinach, Onion, Pecorino Romano & Balsamic Vinaigrette $9.50

Chop, Chop Chicken Salad Napa Cabbage, Pineapple, Cucumber, Red Pepper, Glazed Cashews & Soy Vinaigrette $11

Cobb Salad Romaine, Chicken, Tomato, Bleu Cheese, Eggs & Cobb Dressing $11

Pasta
Seafood Linguine Shrimp, Mussels & Scallops over Linguine with Lemon Caper Sauce $19

Chicken Capellini Sundried Tomato, Shiitake Mushroom & Scallions, Garlic Wine Sauce $15

Penne Rustico Sweet Italian Sausage with Peppers & Mushrooms $14

Comfort Food Familiar Favorites from Grandma’s Recipe Book $14

Fish & Seafood
Mussel Madness Belgian Moules Frites with Fries, Marinara with Penne, Fra Diavolo with Linguine Or Thai Mussels in Coconut Milk …All you can eat $15

Grilled Wild Salmon Roasted Potatoes, Sautéed Seasonal Vegetables, Saffron Beurre Blanc $21

Pan Seared Salmon Teriyaki Marinated Salmon with Snowpeas & Rice Pilaf $20

Blackened Cajun Tuna Steak Pan Seared Yellowfin with Tropical Chutney & Coconut Rice $22

Tilapia Livornese Tomato, Olives, Onion & Capers over Vegetable Risotto $15

Jumbo Sea Scallops Truffled Potato Puree, Oven Dried Tomatoes, Frizzled Leeks, Fresh Leek Verjus $20

Meat
New York Strip Steak Boneless 14oz Aged Sirloin, Sauteed String Beans
& Crispy Fries $20

Rotolo of Roasted Pork Spinach & Red Pepper Stuffing, Potato Croquette
& Vegetables $18

Boneless Center-cut Pork Chop Arabiatta Cherry Peppers, Mushrooms & Roasted Potatoes $16

Roasted Duck Breast with Pear & Ginger on a bed of Wild Rice $20

Chicken Francaise Lightly Battered Chicken, Rice Pilaf, Lemon Caper Sauce $14

Sandwiches & Vegetarian
Black Angus Burger Bacon, Tomato & Lettuce with Choice of Cheese $10

Mixed Veggie Burger Tomato, Friseé & Bleu Cheese with Lemon dressing $10

Veggie Wrap Eggplant, Roasted Peppers, Onions & Mushrooms, Chipotle Mayo $10

Greg,

Try being a tad less defensive.

Am I the only one annoyed by the fact that Greg insists on posting the whole menu on this site? Though you are certainly free to do so, don't you think it is inappropriate to use this venue for free advertising.............

Susie - I never signed off on the clause in the Restaurateur's Credo that mandates ignoring innacurate, offensive or gratuitously snarky criticism...

"But if Greg says so, it must be true.", "...dirt, or was that a special Spinelli preparation?" puh-leaze.

Mike - I'm sure that you're not the only one annoyed, but I'm guessing that many others find the menu postings useful. Now d'ya think I'm the only restaurateur annoyed by snotty commentary?

So query to both of you: you can vent your spleen, but I should shut up? Not in this lifetime.

Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing Greg Spinelli.........

MR. HOSPITALITY

If this is the way Mr. Spinelli treats posters who dare to offer their opinions on his establishment, or as he so eloquently put it "vent your spleen", I can only imagine what he and his staff would do if a customer complained in his restaurant.

Hellto...

Thanks for the intro. If you'll read up the thread you'll see that serious criticism(to my sensitive soul that means no cheap shots, real or perceived) has been answered with sincere apology & a promise to make good should the poster be kind enough to give us a second chance.

You are, of course, correct that my response was over the top. However, I am seldom capable of turning the other cheek to gratuitous insults.

Church Street Café
973-233-0216

Valentine’s Day Table d’Hote

STARTERS
Blue Point Oysters
On the Halfshell with Mignonette & Cocktail Sauce

Stuffed Portobello Mushroom
Filled with Mushroom Duxelle & Stilton

Gravlax Terrine
Cured Salmon, Goat Cheese, Tomato & Bermuda Onion

Coconut Shrimp
Warm Grapefruit Star Anise Emulsion

Chilled Seafood Sampler (for two)
Oysters, Shrimp, Scallops & Mussels with Mignonette & Cocktail Sauce

***
Mesclun Greens
Balsamic Vinaigrette
***
ENTREES
Blackened Cajun Tuna Steak
Pan Seared Yellowfin with Tropical Chutney & Coconut Rice

Roasted Duck Breast
With Pear & Ginger on a bed of Mushroom Risotto

Texas Quail
Braised Napa Cabbage, Rosemary Roasted Red Bliss Potatoes

Grilled Wild Salmon
Roasted Potatoes, Sautéed Seasonal Vegetables, Beurre Blanc

Seafood Fricassee
Scallops, Oysters & Shrimp en Feullite, Saffron Cream Sauce
***

Choice of Dessert

$59 per Couple

Valentine dinner at diner? Iyago would not get laid.

not even hand job.

next time try paying in dollars, not rubles...

Dear Owner....

Please refrain from clogging up the space with your menus and ramblings. People who actually want to read the reviews will just scroll down anyway - way passed the sudden glowing reviews from all of a sudden.

Thanks in advance!
Stew

No.

Give it a rest Greg. Even your customers are tired of the menu postings. Post them on you website if you really feel the need. This is not the place for it.

has customer?

Yeah Greg. Get over it.

I had to visit this site after hearing sooooo much about Greg Spinelli’s apparent need to respond to any and all comments . After reading the critiques and Greg’s responses, it occurs to me that Greg would opt to ‘speak for the food’, rather than ‘let the food speak for itself’.

I like that I can look at the menu here. keep posting greg.

I like the dialog and the mussels are wonderful

If you haven't been you should go
If you have been you should go again

and iyago you should get your "quickie" before going to dinner we know that if you wait till after dinner you roll over and go directly to sleep and your dates don't appreciate it

bite me

hey food,
are you the same poster that did this:

first of all, when my fiance and i just happened to catch them open during one of their odd hours of business, i ordered scrambled eggs with sausage, coffee and a bagel...three times! three different people came over to take my order and they still got it wrong. i had to wait for my bagel for almost fifteen minutes. the coffee was lousy and the sausage was mediocre. the eggs were great, though. with lousy service and freaky sausage, i can't see myself going there again. worst thing is, my fiance told me not to go inside as she'd also had a bad experience once before. stay clear of these clowns.

Posted by: Spri | Jun 23, 2005 1:10:35 AM

Sorry for my last post, but as you might guess from the ungodly hour that I posted, I was right in the middle of a three day bender & cannot be held responsible for any harsh comments that may have slipped out.

PS I am a waiter at Mexicali Rose.

Posted by: spri | Jul 1, 2005 1:28:56 PM

wow! i don't know how they did it, but some jerk used my email address and posted that comment right UNDER MY FIRST COMMENT. i am not a waiter at mexicali, nor will i ever order from them. wow. how did this happen???? DON'T LET IT HAPPEN TO YOU! contact the webmaster if it does!

Posted by: Spri | Jul 4, 2005 11:15:45 PM

I don't know who else would stoop that low... maybe the owner... who knows...

I'm gonna take chuck's advice on this one & 'let the food speak for itself'.

Way to go Greg! Let the 'food' speak! "If you build it, they will come."

By golly I think Greg finally "gets it"!

greg spinelli is a joke! he is the sleezyest man on the face of this earth, looks like a wet poodle with his hair slicked back, and needs to find a real staff.....or maybe he should just shut down buisness altogether. and if you have a problem greg then you can come see me and then maybe you won't show your dirtbag self in the county again.

just a little reality for you

Don't do it Greg! Don't let him bait you into a fiery exchange, it's not worth it. Oh yeah and don't post the menus anymore, it's really annoying.

Are you a real estate broker? What does reality have to do with this restaurant?

Are you the waiter from Mexicali or the Dry Cleaner from Des Moines?

Wow... now I'm really intrigued...

disgruntled former employee? spurned lover? (note to wife - just kidding), redhead around the corner?

Don't know how I did it, but I must have got you good.

The bones of the old Midtown Diner remain, but the grease is gone.

that is because the grease is in his hair......

oooo burn!

This is Food here. In my last post I wasn’t aware that another poster was using my name – so from now on I’ll go by The Food. My bad if it looked like a counterfeit post over another’s nom de blog. I was only responding to an earlier poster’s suggestion that I speak for myself.

So… I am The Food. See me, smell me, taste me, eat me. I am fresh & delicious.

Bite me, lick me, slurp me, chew me, swallow me. I exist for the pleasure & sustenance of the higher orders of the chain.

Peel me, shave me, squeeze me, juice me. I will burst with flavor in your mouth.

Sweat me, sear me, roast me, stuff me, skewer me. I am consumed by your appetite.

Wash me down with cool, fresh water or wine & spirits. Together we will mix with your blood & hence, become you.

I am The Food. Eat me.

THE FOOD, THE FLOOD,THE FOOL,or THE GREG, either way you slice it, you don't get it even when people are trying to be genuine in their comments. The 'grease' stuff, 'dirtbag', 'sleezy' et al, is way over the top, Must be a former employee for sure... but if this site is to be used as a place to give a critque, it's just that... one person's opinion or experience. 'The food' CAN change a person's mind via their palette, not through their intelect!

Comment deleted by Barista for expletives...

Kids -- try to keep it clean and perhaps about food...

Mom!!!! I told you not to read this blog!!!
You care!
I like it here!
What do I have to do with Greg??
You must be one of those very tolerant Liberals!!!!!

hey greg spinelli and your friends...there is a great new invention called email. but, better yet, perhaps a telephone! do you know what you are doing? you are clogging up space so that the bad reviews of this lame restaurant has less bad reviews....much like the owner does when he posts his menus.

if u decide to reply to this, have fun, but eat better.

I dont care anymore. Im closing the place down and im leaving town. Im tired of all the crap I hear on this website. Sorry to all of you who cared.

Greg

Wow, this is very exciting! One door closes, another opens.

This is a unique space and building, in a great location on Church Street with Bloomfield Avenue visibility.

While it might make a great retail or gallery space, I hope it is found by some creative and imaginative restauranteurs who are able to create a place that will make a lasting impression, like 'Something Different,' which was once in the same building.

boo hoo greg. but don't act like it's people on baristanet... it's having one couple in there at 10am on a sunday when other people are waiting an hour to eat at raymonds that's making you close your doors. There's a reason that a lot of people go elsewhere to eat, and it's not because of baristanet, trust me

To paraphrase Twain, rumors of our demise are premature.

The post over my name above is, of course, some asshat's puerile attempt at humor. Sorry Kevin... BTW when are you stopping by for coffee as Kathleen suggested last year?

We served nearly 800 meals this past weekend - breakfast, lunch, brunch & dinner in our main dining room; private parties in our upstairs dining room & off premises catering. We're closed today to prepare for tomorrow night's big event.

Tomorrow, Tuesday 3/14, we will be one of 25 area restaurants featured at A Taste of Essex at Mayfair Farms from 6:00 - 9:00 pm. This is the 5th annual Taste, sponsored by the North Essex Chamber of Commerce. While over 400 attendees are expected, I am told that there are still a few tickets available. You can call the Chamber at 973.226.5500 for more information.

So...

Friends - not to worry, we're not closing;

Friends we that haven't yet met - why don't you stop in & see why so many people keep coming back to enjoy Church Street's best food (along with live music 5 nights weekly with no cover charge);

Detractors - I am pleased to be able to provide a relatively harmless outlet for your pent up hostility.

Church Street Cafe - Family owned & operated since 2004.

womp womp

Um. Sorry to intrude on all this personal back and forth but I'd like to know if this is a good place to go for lunch. Are there any recent visitors to this restaurant with opinions about the food?

im sorry sandie

but this is one place where you DONT want to eat the food.

It is simply a diner with nice seats, f you saw the rest of it you would be suprised it passed inspection.

I would recomend Raymond's down the street

family owned and operated muh longer than 2004 (and it shows)

Ah Sandie, this IS one place you would want to go to..the owners, Greg and Cheryl, are two of the nicest people you would want to meet. They are involved with many community projects, and care about the town.

They have great food, with many specials, along with many nights of music. The Look is cool, and its very clean. Go yourself, you'll see.

ok, here we go...

granted, the first two times i visited this place, the experiences were lackluster. scroll up and read about them. but i guess there is no such thing as bad publicity as my girl and i decided to drop by one day and give the place a strike three. well, the eggs were okay, but a bit runny. the sausage was great and the waiter was super. he talked up the mussels and live music and we decided to give it all a try.

a day or two later, we dropped by again. i had the belgian style mussels and she had the Mussels Fra Diavolo over Linguine. the belgian was absolutely awesome and the fries that came with it was great! her dish was good but the pasta was overcooked. on our next round, i had the thai and she was so sold on the belgian that she ordered that. we were both extremely satisfied. those two orders are the best of the four. then we backed it up with some great, rich chocolate cake.

but the real highlight was the strolling guitar player bobby k. he had great original music and, in talking w/ him, we found him to be a person of awesome spirit. and greg was friendly and extremely accomodating.

i don't know if this forum has had an impact on the quality of the place, but i have no problem revisiting church st. cafe in the future. especially for the mussels.

3.99 breakfast can't be beat. I've been about three times now -- once with roommate, once with girlfriend, once by myself. Each time I felt like I had accomplished the task of getting a really really good deal with satisfaction. My guests also always enjoyed it. The food was more than satisfactory and the service was always very friendly -- even if it was a bit awkward and forgetful in the form on one gentleman who seemed very new, or just not prone to retaining information.
Dinner was good the one time I've been. Maybe on the edge of being priced a bit too high considering the setting but it was good food and the owner was very accomodating. This was a night with free live music, which made the experience even better.
I will be back. If the dinner prices were a bit lower, and the service was a notch more attentive I'd be able to give a more ringing endorsement.
Also, turn off those harsh flourescent lights down the center of the room! They have all these nice light fixtures, which on both recent visits were mostly not on in favor of the hideous overhead flourescent lights. Sure a little detail but it matters.

Great food and wonderful owners!
I have had two events held in their party room and will be having another soon. Always a fantastic time!
Their new lunch menu is great. I highly recommend the chicken BLT.

Great food, wonderful owners and staff!
I have had two events held in their party room and will be having another very soon.
Their new lunch menu is great. I highly recommend the chicken BLT wrap.

Although I really want to like Church Street Cafe, I have been consistantly disappointed. I think the restaurant lacks any kind of quality assurance process within it's kitchen. Twice (a year apart) I've been served bad coffee. I've also been served undercooked chicken (and there is nothing more disgusting than that). I tried to go to Raymond's yesterday for breakfast, but the wait was going to be 15 minutes, so I went to back to Church Street Cafe. It was nearly empty. I feel bad that it isn't more successful, but I doubt I'll go back there again.

Passover Specials

Soup
Matzoh Ball
$5

Comfort Food
Brisket Pot Roast
Sephardic Spinach Pie & Potato Kugel
$14

Dessert
Matzoh Crunch
$4

All Three
$19

Church Street Cafe - Family owned & operated since 2004.

may your cup of happiness overflow Greg.

happy passover

Greg & Cheryl: Very best wishes for a happy and healthy Passover & Easter!

Gosh - Sephardic Spinach Pie & Potato Kugel??!!

That sounds like I've got to have an extremely large portion, right away! I'm sure it's fantastic!

Went there on Sunday for brunch. Had a mixed experience. My waiter was new and sl000000000000w. He made several errors (brought me the wrong thing 2 times in a row). The 2nd time, he argued with me (I ordered the church street italian, and he brought me a wrap). It took the manager to get involved to explain that what he brought was the wrong item. My wife ordered a bagel with lox, and it came without lox. My daughters ordered a burger and omelett, and both of them loved what they ordered. And lastly to give some more credit to them, the manager handled the situation in a manner that saved me as a future customer (at least once more).

Soft Shell Crabs are in!

how do you cook the soft shell crabs?

Lightly sauteed with a dusting of Old Bay seasoning.

We're currently offering one or two crabs as an appetizer over organic spring greens & three as an entree with home-made Napa slaw & fries.

Anticipated seasonal availability is 3 - 5 weeks.

Finally went to Church Street Cafe and had a nice lunch. The service was good. The portions and pricing were both reasonable.

I love the Church Street Cafe.

Some favorites of mine are the angus burger and the steak and eggs. The burger is wonderfully seasoned, possibly the best I have ever had. I see some have complained about the service. I went yesterday, and received my fresh strips of steak with scrambled eggs in just short of fast food time. I am exaggerating, but it was really fast. They keep the selection fresh with new menu items and specials. I once felt daring and tried a delicious LETTUCE SOUP! My girlfriend and her brother hit up the 3.99 breakfast, and gave it rave reviews. Some nights, they have some nice live acts play during the diner hours.

Finally, I have gotten to know Greg on an acquaintance level in the past year or two, and he is a very nice man who is perpetually refining his restaurant to meet Montclair's very refined needs. His dedication shows through his product. I wish him nothing but success!

Gone a couple of times friday evenings just to hang out...

Waiters were always very nice even though all we wanted was coffee and desserts.

The other night, BF & I went to Raymond's, but we just didn't have the patience to wait for a table - so (horror of horrors) we walked down the street & tried out Churc