If you don’t want to hang out with celebrities and world-famous DJs spinning the night away at hip West Orange nightclub 4Sixty6, there is now another reason to come: Sam Mickail’s Cut Steakhouse. Executive Chef Sam Mickail, formerly of The Terrace in NYC, Highlawn Pavilion, Rare The Steak House, Il Tulipano and Waterside, opened this contemporary American steak house with Mediterranean influences last fall. “I did my research and decided that West Orange was thirsty for a great steak and needed an upscale steak house,” says the 30-year veteran, who was born in Cairo, raised in France, …

Cupcraze Bakery in Verona is the third all-vegan bakery to open in New Jersey. The small storefront at 534 Bloomfield Ave. offers all vegan, egg and dairy free, cupcakes, cookies and cakes all made to order, as well as gluten free items, all made with organic and natural ingredients. Owner Hiral Udawat uses vegan butter and ingredients like fruit puree and apple sauce in place of eggs. The bakery opened on Oct. 3 and has already drawn a big response from residents. “We've been busy receiving a bunch of cake orders and we have only been open a few weeks,” said Udawat. “We have had an amazing …

Just when you thought Montclair's restaurant scene couldn't get any better, Pig & Prince opens in the renovated Lackawanna Railroad Station facing Bloomfield Avenue. Indeed, after sampling a wide range of dishes, it appears Chef Michael Carrino—who already had built a stellar reputation as the chef at Passionne—has another hit on his hands. Located in a sprawling space that includes a bar and a tap room, Carrino said he closed Passionne last year so that he could funnel his energies into a larger locale that included a liquor license and room to grow. The historic Lackawanna Railroad Station …

The Food Network's Restaurant Stakeout episode featuring Nauna's Bella Casa in Montclair debuts Wednesday. According to the reality show's website, the episode is called "When the Cat's Away." Here's the background: "Willie comes to the aid of Tom, proud owner of Nauna's Bella Casa, who's spent the past 24 years building his restaurant into an established Montclair, N.J., eatery. Now, the married 45-year-old owner is looking to take a step back from his demanding business to start a family. Tom's enlisted Willie to help him figure out what his staff is doing when he's not around that's …

At only 620 square feet, Le Salbuen Cafe Market is a tiny restaurant. But it packs a big punch of European-inspired cuisine. Opened in mid-May, the restaurant run by John David Salierno and Christina Buenano Salierno of Bloomfield was full of patrons at lunchtime on Thursday. And it's easy to see why. First and foremost, the menu boasts a vast range of delicious—and unusual—options. Most popular seems to be the Walnut Street Salad priced at $13. The item, recommended by the waitress, was described on the menu as follows: Organic baby spinach, carmelized walnuts, fresh corn, figs, avocado, red…

This week, The New York Times takes a look at two new eateries that have opened up on Walnut Street in Montclair—Le Salbuen Cafe Market and the Red Eye Cafe, in close proximity to the train station. According to the article, which you can read in its entirety here, Le Salbuen, at 620 square feet, has indoor seating for about 20 and two outdoor tables. It is open for breakfast and lunch, with the lunch menu stretching into early dinner, until 7 p.m., Tuesday through Friday; a more extensive dinner is served on Saturdays until 11 p.m. The menu is eclectic; on a recent Thursday, a Cuban empanada…

Lance Knowling, chef and owner of the just-opened Indigo Kitchen, warns lunchtime customers to use a knife and fork to eat his sumptuous beef brisket sandwich. "Just because it has two pieces of bread doesn't mean you have to pick it up with your hands," he said. He's absolutely right. The sandwich is so large—packed with thin layers of tender beef—that it's nearly impervious to the maneuvers of fumbling fingers. The sandwich is just one of many nice surprises on a pleasantly unique menu. There's what one might expect, baby back ribs with fries and slaw for $12. But there's also fried chicken…

For several weeks, a merry band of cooks and businessmen have been transforming the former site of Five Guys on Valley Road in Upper Montclair into an oasis of authentic Italian fare. The result has been Tuscany, a new restaurant with Tuscan gold walls graced with Italian landscape paintings that puts the focus squarely on fresh pasta. I admit I was a bit skeptical of a lunch menu that includes mostly dishes costing $14 or $16. Indeed, the cheapest item is the Melanzane Toscane, or thinly sliced layers of eggplant with fresh plum tomato sauce, pecorino, and Italian basil, for $10. Another …

Before even mentioning the food, there is a lot to like about Spice II at 399 Bloomfield Ave., in Montclair. In general, you can always find a table here. In addition, you can usually nab a parking spot on the street along this stretch of Bloomfield, at least in the middle of the day. Finally, the service is friendly and fast. (And, according to friends, this comes in handy when one wants to enjoy a quick dinner before seeing a show at the Wellmont, which is right across the street.) At first, though, the fact the place was empty at 12:30 p.m. raised a red flag. But the food was superb. …

Editor's Note: In an earlier version of this story appearing on several Patch sites, we reported Rare, located at 440 Main St. in Little Falls, was out of business. The steakhouse is open and accepting reservations. Patch regrets the error.Approaching its two-year anniversary this September, DelMonico Steak & Beyond has established itself as the go-to place in Cedar Grove. That’s because owner Bobby Wong carefully considered the location, the community and the residents. “I think about the people,” Wong said of his plans for the space when he bought it in 2010. Formerly Jim Dandy’s Rib Joint…

The next big name in barbecue has hatched on Market Street in Newark. Dinosaur Bar-B-Que opened its doors Thursday night for an invitation-only sampling of the authentic southern fare, a New York favorite and soon-to-be talk of the town among Newarkers. The brand new eatery, situated near Mulberry Street and the Prudential Center, specializes in slow-cooked barbecue, from smoky beef brisket to tangy pulled pork and, of course, beef ribs and chicken wings smothered in owner John Stage's special recipe. "It's supposed to pull off (the bone)," he said, debunking a common misconception among rib-…

Atomic Wings, New York’s buffalo chicken wings franchise, has partnered with CAR’s Delivery, the late-night sandwich restaurant at 150 Valley Road in Montclair, to create its first location outside of New York. According to a press release, Adam Lippin was a college freshman knee-deep in the snow of upstate New York, with a bucket of chicken wings in his arms, when he dreamed of bringing authentic Buffalo wings back home with him to New York City. "His passion for fresh wings and great flavor blossomed into the city’s most widely-recognized chicken wings franchise, Atomic Wings. More than …

It's hot and getting hotter. No time for the beach this weekend? Then why not get away from it all—in a Wayne parking lot. Believe it or not, the Bahama Breeze Island Grille has long been a go-to spot for those seeking a fruity alcoholic drink and, well, the soothing Caribbean tunes that will put you in an island state of mind. So where exactly is this New Jersey paradise? Smack in the middle of the Wayne Towne Center parking lot at 101 Route 23 South, near the Willowbrook Mall. Even so, with Caribbean music pumping out of the speakers, the outdoor seating and frozen drinks beckon those from …

Before today, when this Montclair Patch editor thought of Korean food, she mostly thought of kimchi, the pickled cabbage that's a staple in the country. She also thought of the noodles that a friend once mentioned represent long life in Korea, which is why they are almost always served on holidays, weddings and birthdays. But after a trip to Koreander—the new "fusion" restaurant offering a mix of Korean and Japanese food at the corner of Watchung and North Fullerton avenues—she's going to be thinking about Korean food a whole lot more and in many different ways. Korean food has been slower to…

At first glance, the cavernous interior of Cafe Amici, with its high ceilings, is a bit off-putting as it's so different from the cozy atmosphere of smaller Montclair restaurants, such as Samba or even Osteria Giotto. But the liveliness of the space—despite the bad acoustics—soon wins one over as the crowd and the staff both exude an energy that's contagious. During a visit there on Saturday night with foodie friends Craig and Susan Weeden and Dan and Jackie Scarfo, my husband and I not only enjoyed the atmosphere, but also some scrumptious food that makes Cafe Amici one new restaurant worth …

After months of having locals peer inside the front door during renovations, East Gate Chinese & Japanese Restaurant in Verona finally opened in February. The restaurant, which took 15 months to unveil, is located near the southern end of Route 23 on Bloomfield Avenue, a prime traffic area. “That’s why we’re here,” said owner Yuk Chan. “It (the location) gets no better.” Open for lunch and dinner Sunday through Saturday, the restaurant is a nice, peaceful contrast to busy Bloomfield Avenue right outside the front window. The cute BYOB offers “All You Can Eat” sushi and kitchen fare menus on …

In a little less than two years the Hobcaw Café has established itself as a mainstay in Verona, and it’s easy to see why. The sunny, little eatery on Grove Street serves up food the way it’s supposed to be – fresh, natural and made in house from scratch everyday. “Our philosophy is to have everything homemade and use the best ingredients we can,” said James McArthur who runs the restaurant with his mother Nancy, a graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute in Manhattan, and his brother, Chip. They derived their philosophy when Nancy enrolled in culinary school. After researching several of the…

Although Connie Francis loves Pepe Sisters Italian American Deli in Belleville for their beef brachiole, the singer and 1955 Belleville High School graduate would likely also enjoy the eatery's new Valentine's Day-inspired creation: heart-shaped ravioli.“Somebody told me they had heart-shaped ravioli,” Annamaria Pepe said.Added sister Fran: “We wanted to try it out.”This prompted Annamaria—who runs Pepe Sisters with Fran and their mother, whom everyone affectionately calls Mama—to retreat into the kitchen where the deli's queen of pasta often freshly creates cavatelli, gnocchi, spaghetti and …

Many of us in Montclair already knew we had a little hidden gem on Valley Road called Upstairs. Now a lot of other people are going to know about it as well. The New York Times has published a glowing review of Upstairs, the cocktail bar/restaurant just above Dai Kichi in Upper Montclair. The article praised the drinks, the decor, and the freshness of the food. The article also described "the renovated second-story space with sleek modern finishes and surprises even in the bathrooms. (Spoiler alert: Heated seats!) Seating for 18 in the bar, 12 on high stools opposite the open kitchen, 30 in …

Scott Gillman knows a good thing when he sees it. So when Gillman heard about a new company called Smashburger a few years ago, he wanted to be a part of it.“I visited company headquarters in Denver and liked what I saw,” said Gillman, a Livingston resident and longtime restaurateur who also owns Cinnabon, Seattle’s Best Coffee and Carvel at the Livingston Mall.Fast-forward to 2012, and Gillman now has seven Smashburger franchises—including locations in Montclair (at 989 Bloomfield Ave.), New Providence and Florham Park—and plans to open up 30 more throughout northern and central New Jersey. …