restaurantblu.com
973.509.2202Bluestone Coffee Company Add your name to the list, because this is the only place in town worth Upper West Side-style waits for weekend brunch. Bluestone puts Starbucks to shame with its cheerful tile tables, pressed tin ceilings, expertly pulled lattes, freshly baked breads and homemade soups served in bowls bigger than our community pools.
973.783.3523Corse 98/Cucina 98 Walnut Street?s upscale Italian restaurant is to die for at dinner, with delectable fried zucchini blossoms and a well-executed rack of lamb. True gourmands-on-the-go also know to stop by around noon for a boxed lunch that includes your choice of a main course (think pistachio-encrusted chicken roll stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes, sage and smoked mozzarella), plus fresh fruit or salad, a homemade dessert and a bottle of water, all for $10. Get to know Mama and she might even let you sample a zeppole.
ardore.com
973.746.0789 Daikichi Not to be confused with the Manhattan fast food chain of the same name (where sushi is made by a robot), this spare Upper Montclair Japanese restaurant has the friendliest sushi chefs in town. This is a great place to dine alone, but if that?s not your thing, by all means bring the kids. They?ll love the colorful and delicious food and their very own entry-level chopsticks.
973.744.2954Fascino No wonder it?s impossible to get a reservation at this sophisticated, upscale Italian restaurant where New Jersey power brokers rub shoulders with regular folks who like good food. Each plate is a work of art, but better because the homemade pastas and flawlessly prepared fish dishes taste more delectable than they look. The five-course tasting menu is the way to go, with a side of mascarpone polenta fries.
fascinorestaurant.com
972.233.0350Greek Delights This tiny diner will soon be expanding from its old-fashioned box car on Park Street to bigger digs on Bloomfield Avenue. Let?s hope everything else ? especially the beet salad and spanakopita ? stays the same. If you?ve been searching the world over for tasty food served by friendly people (and fast), consider Greek Delights your Ithaca.
973.783.9100Lalezar The owners of this Turkish restaurant make you feel like family, and their ezme (a spicy blend of finely-chopped tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic and walnuts) is not to be missed. Neither is the weekend belly dancing!
lalezarcuisine.com
973.233.1984Leone's This no-nonsense joint serves the best brick-oven pizza in town. Thanks to high ceilings and a high concentration of under-10 diners, you may want to bring a megaphone, but rest assured that your posse will mangia happily once its Strega Nona-sized pastas are served.
973.509.9077Mr. Dino's Pizzeria What this old-school pizzeria lacks in atmosphere (think florescent lighting and hospital green walls), it makes up for in cheese, tomato sauce and crisp crusts. It?s the perfect place for post-soccer slices, pre-movie meatball subs and garlic knots anytime. Dino himself might be Montclair?s equivalent of the Soup Nazi (don?t make too much noise and don?t even think of paying before you eat), but his ?grandma? pizza makes most other pies in town taste like Domino?s.
973.783.7110Raymond's The epicenter of the Montclair dining scene, Raymond?s serves sophisticated diner food with big city panache in a setting as elegant and inviting as the town it calls home. The macaroni and cheese is out of this world; if it doesn?t comfort you, nothing will.
raymondsnj.com
973.744.9263Rosario's Let?s see how many superlatives we can squeeze into one Italian deli. In a town where there?s no shortage of meatballs, Rosario?s has the best ones; same goes for sandwiches. Our favorites are stuffed with proscuitto, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh mozzarella and each one can last for two meals, if you have the necessary self-restraint. 973.655.0999Satish Place This colorful Indian restaurant just might serve the best sag paneer on this side of the Hudson, and it?s definitely the only place we?ve been to where the owner paced the floor with a fussy infant while her parents dined in peace. It?s four-star food at bargain prices; to get maximum dosas for your dollar, hit the lunch buffet.
973.746.4477Table 8 Hands down the best seat in Montclair for dinner, in part due to those comfy, plush-backed dining chairs that make it so hard to leave. The swanky atmosphere pairs well with the eclectic and inventive menu (dates wrapped in smoked bacon with almond and gorgonzola, hangar steak with truffle fries). For dessert, a peanut butter bomb is ?da bomb!?
table8nj.com
973.746.2233Tinga Montclair?s go-to burrito joint is a dine-in and delivery staple for harried parents and their nacho-loving children. Don?t miss the barbecue brisket and sweet potato casserole ... especially at lunch, when your whole fiesta costs just $5.
tingausa.com
973.509.8226Toast The newest addition to Montclair?s breakfast, lunch and brunch scene is well worth the time it takes to finagle parking on Bloomfield Avenue. Toast?s stunning tri-level dining area and its staff that knows where your bread is buttered make for a pleasant dining experience, but the stuffed French toast and crab cake eggs Benedict really seal the deal.
toastmontclair.com
973.509.8099The Wood Pit This barbecue newbie has the collard greens, lip-smacking smokey ribs, fried chicken and red velvet cake you crave. Portions are generous and service is Southern-style hospitality. Try the macaroni and cheese.
thewoodpit.com
973.954.4679