Montclair, NJ – Montclair is having a restaurant moment next week, with three new restaurants opening, all on the same block.
The Maddox, “an American steakhouse offering elevated dishes, curated cocktails, and premium cuts in a chic atmosphere,” will open at 193 Glenridge Avenue in Montclair (the former Crosby space). Check out the Maddox dinner menu and their cocktail menu.
Then there’s Musuko, described as Pan Asian Sushi Lounge, serving cocktails and “vibes,” also at 193 Glenridge Avenue. Both restaurants are part of the Essex Restaurant Group, feature an all black decor, and are opening on Tuesday, April 4.
The third restaurant is Luigino’s Parmigiana at 173 Glenridge Avenue (the former Salute restaurant space), opening on Wednesday, April 5. After a lifetime as a restaurant and corporate chef, Chef Luigi Tripodi is opening his own, authentic Italian.
“My ambition was to put fresh, simple Italian food on the table like we eat in Italy,” says Tripodi, a Queens, New York native, about his restaurant’s concept. “The menu incorporates fresh, locally sourced products as well as the best imported products from the Campania region in Italy which is where my family is from.”
Come for regional Italian dishes like pasta carbonara, cacio e pepe, polenta, and short ribs as well as Roman-style pizza made with roasted lamb, lemon zest, ricotta salata, red onions, olives, and Calabrian chiles. Check out Luigino’s Parmigiana menu.
For those worried about Montclair changing and being gentrified….well, like everything else in the world Montclair is changing. Some will think it is for the better and some will think it for the worse. People can and will vote with their feet.
The good old days when Charlie Brown’s was the only game in town are long gone.
There are still a few people around (Frank, I bet) that remember the Wedgwood Cafeteria. We have come a long way, baby! We are not in Kansas anymore. The young people moving into town love it and there are more of them on the way.
flipside,
Seriously – I was a busboy there, pre-puberty, for a couple of months.
Do you remember the connected bar’s name? Then I’ll know you are a full-blown (lower case) townie.
I spilled an iced tea at Charlie Brown’s and the remnants of the lemon peel was still there when it closed.
Frank,
I didn’t grow up in Montclair but occasionally my grandparents would take me there when I quite young. All I remember was the mile long Caddy’s parked in front and a friendly Black man slicing me an extra piece of roast beef.
The carpet at Charlie Brown’s was a petri dish. The place had an odor all it’s own. My kids loved that place.
Gabe’s Galley, Frank. A full-blown townie, K-12.
Give this man a Manhattan!
Maker’s Mark, please.
Just this time or always wheat? The house preferred rye bourbon. Maybe we can get the History Center to offer ‘Flights of Bourbon Night’ and correct answers get to sample different mashs. I would expect they would offer a jitney ride home.