Tapas Restaurant Coming to Caldwell

Xunta chef cooked in East Village eatery with same name.

After 15 years in New York's East Village (and a stint at Tapastry in Montclair), chef Gonzalo Fernandez is bringing his flair for Spanish food to Caldwell.  Fernandez, along with co-owners Alfonso Meneses and Carmen Mendez, were busy painting and picking colors for their new venture, Xunta, on Thursday afternoon. Located in the former spot of Pasione de Mexico, Xunta, pronounced "SHOON-TA," will serve tapas and feature live Flamenco music, Mendez said.  Mendez grew up in Caldwell and graduated from Mount Saint Dominic Academy. She's back in Jersey after living for many years in Spain. The 50-seat restaurant at 392 Bloomfield Ave. is expected to open in about a month. Read about Xunta Tapas Bar in the East Village in New York Magazine  and…

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Karen Davy

11:38 am on Saturday, May 11, 2013

Hi, Claudia! You're absolutely right! Thanks for sharing!   more ›

Codey & Jones and Galante Funeral Homes Share Location in Caldwell

Former Gov. Richard Codey relocates, partners with Garrett Jones.

A Caldwell funeral home long operated by the Galante family will now share its location with a firm managed by former Gov. Richard Codey and Garrett C. Jones. Galante Funeral Home, located at 54 Roseland Ave., recently announced the opening of Codey & Jones Funeral Home, which will operate independently at the same address. “Although operating as separate businesses, we are pleased to have the opportunity to serve the Caldwells and West Essex area from under one roof,” Frank Galante said in a release. Codey relocated Codey Funeral Home, a more than 100-year-old family business, from Orange to Caldwell in early 2012. His partner, Garrett Jones, a lifelong resident of Caldwell, was the longtime funeral director at Dancy. "We’re going to do …

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Pretty Kitty Wax Salon Opens Nearby

Popular California business comes to East Coast with a shop in Montclair.

The first Pretty Kitty wax salon on the East Coast has opened down the road from the Caldwells in Montclair. The salon specialises in Brazilian waxes, but also provides facial and body waxing, too.  Lisa Lazzara, director of training and development at the South Fullerton Avenue salon, said The Pretty Kitty originated out west with shops in California and Nevada and has expanded to Texas. Lazzara said while she was training out west, she encountered many women from New York and New Jersey who suggested the company open sites east of the Mississippi River.  "Montclair was a great place to start on the east coast," said Lazzara.  The Pretty Kitty has a visible storefront across from Church Street, with large open windows looking into its …

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The Biz Buzz

Dough More Than Just Another Pizzeria in Caldwell

Chef Ed Simmons realizes dream of opening a farm-to-table restaurant highlighting fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

Chef Ed Simmons realized his longtime dream of owning his own farm-to-table restaurant with the opening of Dough Artisan Pizzeria two weeks ago in Caldwell. Simmons' vision included keeping ingredients American, or better yet, local, whenever possible. To that end, he's using hydro-greens from Garden State Urban Farms based in Orange, cheeses shipped from Bobolink Dairy in Milford, chicken and eggs from Goffle Road Poultry Farm in Wyckoff, and, for dessert, diners can choose from a selection of fresh gelato flavors from Gelotti just up the road in Caldwell. The 36-year-old chef said he spent the last three years working on the dough for his pies, which are prepared in a wood fired brick oven at the Bloomfield Avenue eatery, formerly Rose …

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See Menu: Could Dough Bring Something Different to Caldwell Pizza Scene?

Dinner starts Tuesday, first lunch served Wednesday.

Dough Artisan Pizzeria will open for dinner Tuesday, lunch Wednesday in Caldwell. But before snickering about "oh another pizza place in Caldwell" note the dark wood table, wine decanter and elegant vibe of the photo above posted recently on the Dough Facebook page.  Other Facebook posts to artisan cheese and bread makers and Garden State farms indicate that something different is baking in the ovens at 437 Bloomfield Ave. Proprietor Ed Simmons is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and has worked for top restaurants in Manhattan.  Here's a link to the menu. Related Stories:

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Citrus Brings Indian, Thai Cuisine to West Caldwell

Restaurant adds variety to dining scene, offers daily lunch buffet.

Love Indian and/or Thai food? A new restaurant in West Caldwell is cooking up both, adding a little spice to the local dining scene.  Citrus Restaurant opened at 555 Passaic Avenue at the end of January in the former location of a sushi restaurant (and for now at least the sushi bar and some Japanese decor has been untouched). It is the only Indian restaurant in the Caldwells and the second Thai eatery (Bangkok Kitchen in Caldwell has been the go-to Thai place for more than a decade.)  This is the second Citrus restaurant, the first opened two years ago in upstate New York, according to manager, Sanju George. George said the concept is simple. If you like Indian, but your friend or family member prefers Thai, you can both be satisfied here…

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Dough to Open in Caldwell in February

Artisan pizza restaurant to take over Rose Mediterranean kitchen.

An artisan pizza restaurant named Dough will be opening in Caldwell this February, according to www.doughnj.com.  Dough takes over the space at 437 Bloomfield Ave., formally occupied by Rose Mediterranean Restaurant, which closed its doors in September. A black awning has been hung on the facade and the windows are papered while the eatery prepares to open. Although there is no shortage of pizzerias in the West Essex area, Dough's pies will be somewhat unique in that they will be brick-oven baked. Be the first to know when Dough opens by liking the Facebook page, which already has more than 200 followers.  Other Recent Business News

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The Biz Buzz

Pep Boys Opening in Caldwell

Car maintenance and service center moves into longtime vacant retail space.

A commercial building that has been vacant in Caldwell for a number of years has been showing signs of life recently with construction workers preparing for a new tenant—Pep Boys. On Thursday morning, the Pep Boys sign was being hung on the facade of the building located on the corner of Bloomfield and Westover avenues. Employees were also setting up the counter and merchandise in the glass-enclosed area of the business. Pep Boys is a chain based in Philadelphia with more than 700 stores across the country, according to the corporate website. Pep Boys locations offer numerous automotive repair services, including scheduled maintenance, oil changes, tune-ups and tire installation and repair. Patch will update this story with anticipated …

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Apu Nahasapeemapetilon

5:09 pm on Monday, January 21, 2013

Sorry RM7, but Michael and I are conservative birds of a feather. Anyone who disagrees with our positions is a lib and it's our duty as Americans to do what we can to stop the Liberal scourge that is destroying our country. Michael has been taking a lot of heat over his comments regarding libs recently so I thought it was only fair to take one for the team.   more ›

The Biz Buzz

Red's Dips and Flips Opening Soon in West Caldwell

New Bloomfield Avenue restaurant owned by longtime proprietor of Mardis Gras catering in Verona.

The Caldwells will be introduced to Chicago-style Italian Beef sandwiches when Red’s Dips and Flips swings open its doors in early 2013. The new eatery, located at 800 Bloomfield Ave. in West Caldwell, is the latest venture of Barbi Ellen Newman, a Culinary Institute of America-trained chef who is no stranger to the area.   The New Jersey native began her professional career working at the Ritz Carlton and Le Perroquet Restaurant in Chicago. She later returned to the Garden State to create Mardi Gras Fine Foods in Verona, an off-premise catering business she ran with her sister Kim for 24 years. Mardis Gras recipes were featured in Gourmet Magazine and The Star-Ledger, as well as on The Today Show and Fox News. Since selling the business …

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Teresa Akersten

12:29 pm on Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Got a Tweet from Red's—opening delayed to Jan. 7, but that's just five days away!   more ›

The Biz Buzz

Twist Frozen Yogurt, Two Salons Join Business Mix

A look at recent business openings and closings in the Caldwells.

A frozen yogurt shop, a women’s boutique and two hair salons are among the businesses to have popped up in the Caldwells recently. On the flip side, a large furniture retailer and a salon specializing in kids’ haircuts have skipped town, heading east to Verona. After signs in the windows teased local frozen yogurt fans for months, the newest location of Twist finally opened at 749 Bloomfield Ave., in West Caldwell. The shop is located between popular teen hangouts, Chipotle and Game Stop. This is the third location for the self-serve froyo shop, which sells 24 flavors and more than 80 toppings. Others are in Montclair and Westfield. Runway is Caldwell’s latest clothing retailer, offering fashion-forward styles for women of all ages, from …

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