New Baristaville Restos: Taqueria Autentica, Acappello, Grid Iron Waffle

BY  |  Tuesday, Aug 30, 2011 1:49pm  |  COMMENTS (16)

Lots of new restaurant news. Opening tomorrow at 1035 Broad Street in Bloomfield, near Stamna, is Taquería Auténtica, the restaurant version of the food truck that made its debut at the Montclair Farmer’s Market in 2009.

“Bloomfield just felt right,” said owner Michael Natiello. “My family has lived in Bloomfield for almost ten years, and we watched the culinary landscape evolve. The Orange Squirrel, Bar Cara and Stamna have demonstrated that Bloomfield can be a dining destination just like Montclair.”

Coming in September: Acappello, Montclair center’s newest Italian restaurant, will open its doors on Sept. 26  in the space formerly occupied by Sesame at 398 Bloomfield Avenue.

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“Fin” Seafood Restaurant to Replace Mei’s Cafe

BY ,  |  Tuesday, Aug 23, 2011 1:30pm  |  COMMENTS (17)

The owner of Montclair’s Salute Bistro, Gerry Cerrigone, told Baristanet that he has purchased and taken ownership of Mei’s Cafe, just up the block from his popular Glenridge Avenue restaurant. Starting today, the space is under construction, preparing for his new “raw bar and kitchen” restaurant, Fin, which is scheduled to open on October 1.

“When you walk in, customers will see a wall of shaved ice, full of whole fish – snapper, branzino, shellfish, etc.,” said Cerrigone. “Customers can pick the fish they want for dinner, and it will be cleaned and cooked to order.”

Cerrigone’s business partner will be Michael Juliano, founder of the South City Grill franchise. Juliano will be Fin’s executive chef.

We stopped by the now-empty restaurant space, and found a sign directing Mei’s Cafe customers to Sushi Hana, up the street and around the corner on North Fullerton. Mei’s owner Mei Mei La will be merging her menu with that of her Malaysian-Chinese mom and Vietnamese-Chinese dad, and will continue to serve her customers’ favorites, including Bubble Tea. The chef at Sushi Hana said that Mei’s should be up and running there by the weekend.

Are you ready for a raw bar in Baristaville? If I bring my own vodka, I wonder if they’ll make me an oyster shot as good as The Beachcomber in Wellfleet, MA? Anyone else had the pleasure of tasting that slippery but oh-so-good drink?

Montclair BID Losing Exec Director, Tom Lonergan

BY  |  Thursday, Aug 18, 2011 11:32am  |  COMMENTS (4)

Tom Lonergan, the man who has led the charge to bring new business to Montclair, beautify our shopping districts and come up with creative ways to lure new businesses and shoppers here, is moving on.

Lonergan, Executive Director at Montclair BID since 2002, will be moving to Gaithersburg, Maryland next month to become the town’s Director of Economic Development. Lonergan revealed his decision to the Board this week; the BID Board will appoint an interim Director at their September meeting, he said.

A frequent spokesperson at council meetings, Lonergan is a familiar face to Montclair business owners and residents. Since 2002, his commitment to revitalize the downtown business district has improved Bloomfield Avenue and surrounding streets.

Councilor Cary Africk says Lonergan’s departure is a major loss for Montclair. “Tom is a dynamo. He has done so much to advance Montclair and its businesses. We can look around the downtown and say “Tom did this, and ‘Tom did that, and Tom did that also ….’ It will be hard to find anyone remotely close in his capabilities.” Continue Reading

Cuban Pete’s Owner Talks Future Plans For Montclair’s Cafe Eclectic Space

BY  |  Wednesday, Aug 17, 2011 10:30am  |  COMMENTS (33)

Since word got out that Montclair’s iconic coffee bar-hangout – Cafe Eclectic – is being squeezed out after 16 years on the block, landlord Dominic Restaino has been getting an earful.

Restaino, owner of Cuban Pete’s, told Baristanet his customers have been coming to his restaurant complaining: “WHY, WHY are you kicking them out? How could you do this? We love Cafe Eclectic, let them stay!’”

Restaino, who bought the building in July 2010, called Baristanet to tell his side of the story. After 16 years as a tenant, Valentin’s rent is below market price, according to Restaino. The building Cafe Eclectic occupies is actually two storefronts, and Restaino says he wants to rent them at fair market value.

“I love Cafe Eclectic, I’ve had good times there, and I like sending my customers there for coffee and dessert. I asked Valentin if he wanted to stay after his lease expired, however not at the current rent, which is about $3,500/month. Julio told me he has other plans,” says Restaino.

According to Restaino, he and Valentin are still friends. “I’m not putting up any “FOR LEASE” signs until Cafe Eclectic moves out. I’m trying to be a gentleman about it,” he said.

As for the next tenants, he’s holding out for another cafe. “I want a cafe to stay there. I have three people who are interested, and I’ve already said no to a hair salon and clothing store.” (Of course with Restaino, anything is possible and things could change. And will the building go green?)

No matter what Restaino does, for die-hard fans of Cafe Eclectic, nothing else can replace it.

Montclair’s Mexicali Rose Seized For Nonpayment of NJ Taxes

BY ,  |  Thursday, Aug 11, 2011 2:08pm  |  COMMENTS (33)

Montclair’s Mexicali Rose was closed today by police and NJ tax officials for nonpayment of NJ state taxes. Signs were posted on the restaurant “Warning: Notice of Seizure,” detailing that the property had been seized from M. Juarez/Mexicali Rose.

It’s not the first time Mexicali Rose looked like it might disappear from Montclair’s culinary landscape. The Park Street restaurant closed in 2008 and then was sold and reopened. In the past, there were other troubles, too, including the delivery from hell involving a mushroom quesadilla.

Bed Bug-Sniffing Dog Clears Teen of Infestation Accusation

BY  |  Monday, Jul 25, 2011 1:00pm  |  COMMENTS (8)

“Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite!”

Before the recent epidemic of bedbugs hit the region, I never gave this child’s bedtime blessing much thought. I’ve never even seen a bedbug, so it seemed like they must only exist in a far-off land.

But the problem came close to home for a Montclair resident, who chalked up over $1,400, to determine that his teenager had been wrongly accused of bringing the dreaded parasites into another home.

The Montclair teen, a recent MHS graduate on a summer internship, was living with a host family in the DC area. Bed bugs were found in the host home, claimed the host family, and in the teen’s suitcase. Next thing he knew, he was out on the street looking for a hotel room. The host family assumed since he was the last visitor to come and stay with them, that he was the culprit who had brought the bugs from his home in Montclair. Continue Reading

Full Stop at Berkeley and N. Mountain

BY  |  Friday, Jul 22, 2011 9:30am  |  COMMENTS (9)

As of Thursday morning, drivers on North Mountain Avenue in Montclair are coming to an abrupt halt at the intersection of Berkeley Place. The new signage is hard to miss; three signs on the North and three on the South of Berkeley Place, plus street lettering. Together, they’ve turned the problem intersection into a much needed four-way stop.

On the Southwest corner, Dr. Ed Latimer was trimming his hedge at the request of the town, in order to increase visibility on the corner. “Many drivers come barreling down Berkeley Place from Upper Mountain so fast that they either ignore or don’t see the stop sign at North Mountain. There have been a lot of accidents here,” says Latimer, whose very home was smashed by a truck which rolled backwards into his kitchen. More recently his hedge and sidewalk were smashed by a kid-filled school bus attempting the hill whose brakes also failed. Berkeley Place is one of the steepest blocks in Montclair, often impassable when icy or snowy.

Residents of North Mountain Avenue, which is a trafficky North/South cut-through, demanded a safer street back in 2006. As a result, they got signage, a traffic light, and speed humps. Now the four-way stop will slow things down even more. But is that good enough? In light of the two accidents on his property, Latimer has asked the town to make the block off-limits to trucks and busses. He’ll be attending a traffic committee meeting at the firehouse next Wednesday to make his case.

What other Baristaville intersections need to be made safer?

Zen Bakeries: Fresh Pita and More

BY  |  Thursday, Jun 16, 2011 2:00pm  |  COMMENTS (13)

“Apparently we have a great factory outlet. It is a pita bakery in Orange. The pitas are great, and they make spinach triangles as well as pita pizza, and various breakfast pitas.”

This reader tip — and a need to be in my air conditioned car on a scorcher of a day last week — is what led me to discover a hidden palace of pita: Zen Bakeries.

I found Zen at the very dead end of a non-descript block occupied by a maze of storage buildings, the small sign is barely visible. It seemed like a most unlikely place indeed for a bakery. In the small, one room shop I found stacks of fresh baked pita rounds, still warm in their wrapping, and a platter of little savory meat stuffed pita squares just out of the oven, selling for 99 cents apiece. On the wall is an unusual menu of pita based specialties – Lebanese and American style. In the back, I spied a flaming brick oven and the owner, artisan baker, Ziad Khoury. After walking me through the menu, I ordered a sampler of their dishes to take home: a pizza-like chicken and cheese pita pie, za’tar -an herb/sesame pita with garlicky lebneh, a meat sprinkled pita, a triangular bite size zucchini tart, a spinach tart, and five meat pies (see photo above). Continue Reading

Building for Baristaville

BY  |  Wednesday, May 18, 2011 10:30am  |  COMMENTS (3)

Although I fall into the category of unskilled labor, I’ve always dreamed of volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. So when my local church, St. John’s Episcopal in Montclair announced an opportunity to work one Saturday this month, I jumped at the chance and signed up myself and my son, Alex.

To my delight, the project we were assigned to was a new two-family home right here in Baristaville, 112 Whittlesey Avenue in West Orange. Last Saturday, we arrived around 8:30 am, ready to put in a full day’s work (until 3pm, that is). Jason the GC, and two women slinging fully loaded tool belts, greeted us out in front. I was impressed, and just a teeny bit apprehensive. Continue Reading

What’s The Big Deal?

BY  |  Wednesday, May 04, 2011 2:46pm  |  COMMENTS (0)

Have you been getting the 411 on all the Barista Deal$ we’ve offered during the last four months? Sign up to receive our Barista Deal$ e-blast so you don’t miss out on any of our special offers.
This week is your last chance to win prizes when you sign up here. We will send you a deal alert — always featuring a sharply-discounted offer on local goods and services.

Subscribe by this Friday, May 6 @ 6 p.m. to hear about upcoming Barista Deal$
and we’ll enter your name to win these cool prizes: Continue Reading

Featured Comment

Perhaps yesterday's heavy police presence would have been better applied to Mission Street than to the Montclair State campus.
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cathar

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