You know where to go when someone suggests lunch. Raymond's right? Or else, the new hot lunch upstart, Toast, where you're also likely to run into your "A"-list moms. Both restaurants have fabulous menus and adorable surroundings. Either is great if you want both a salad and exposure.
But what if you'd like a place where you're likely to run into nobody? We won't question you about your reasons. Let's just say you have a delicate piece of *business* to discuss, and you'd like to do it without the busybody from the Home and School Association right behind you.
Here are a couple of suggestions that won't set you back more than $10 a person, where the atmosphere is both quiet, elegant and (dare we say?) romantic, and where you're likely to be able to take home a goody bag as well.
The grand dame of Montclair's Thai eateries, Tuptim, which preceded all the other Thai restaurants in town, never used to be open before dinner. For a few months, it's been serving a daily lunch special, but the day we went, we had the restaurant -- with it lush dark interior -- to ourselves. All the entrees on the lunch menu go for $9.95 and include lemongrass soup or salad. The special mixed appetizers for two ($14) is a delight. Or bypass the lunch menu altogether and order our favorite dish -- the meal-sized duck salad from the dinner menu.
Tuptim is located at 600 Bloomfield Ave. and serves lunch from 11:30 to 2:30.
Over at Toscana, you get an old-world exposed-brick ambience that comes, at lunchtime, without much in the way of hustle and bustle. Tuesday through Friday, Toscana offers a "business lunch" special, featuring a choice of four paninis or wraps for $7.95 or a choice of five entrees, with soup or salad, for $9.95. We chose a very satisfying Chicken Tre Funghi marsala wine sauce, and took half of it home.Toscana, which serves wine, is located at 1099 Broad St. in Bloomfield.
Both restaurants have plenty of choices for vegetarians and (for lunch at least) don't require a reservation. -- Debbie Galant
Does Richie Cecere's have lunch? Nori Sushi is always great, Sesame, Indigo Smoke, Giotto