Rosie will be on vacation until mid-February—guest blogger Melody Kettle will post in her place.
The space was formerly home to The Stable, which, as Rosie Saferstein reported in October, “closed and will reopen as Finca, a small-plates restaurant whose name means estate in Spanish. Vincent LaMonte, who runs Cravings Tapas Bistro in Ridgewood, owned by Marcello Czernier, also the owner of Finca, will be executive chef." 20 E. Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood 201-444-1199.
Desi’s, has opened at 11 Bloomfield Ave, North Caldwell, 973-287-6850.
Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, by Wolfgang Zweiner, opened its first New Jersey location in the Somerville Town Center on January 15. Zweiner worked for the famous Peter Luger’s in Brooklyn for over 40 years and took his dining expertise to open the first Wolfgang’s in 2004. The restaurant empire is now celebrating 10 years of success as one of the top steakhouses in the U.S. and abroad with 8 locations: four in NYC, Miami, Beverly Hills, Waikiki and abroad in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan. Wolfgang’s signature is their premium meats, which undergo an onsite 28-day dry age process—a rare feat. 119 West Main Street, Somerville 908-541-0344.
The Trout & The Troll will open on Friday, January 23rd. 172 Lackawanna Drive, Byram, 973-347-1534.
Gary’s Wine & Marketplace, the specialty wine and spirits chain, opened its fourth store on December 16, in Nelson’s Corner Shopping Center in Hillsborough. The temporary pop-up will remain open while the permanent 9,000 square-foot marketplace location is being built in the same shopping complex. Says Fisch, "[W]e were happy to be able to open right before Christmas and give South Central Jersey shoppers a preview of what we’re all about," says founder Gary Fisch. "I can’t wait to open the full store in March, so we can really redefine the wine-buying experience for the community!"
Mausam Curry N Bites: Curry Ur Way
Need some curry in a hurry? Unlike the Mausam sister restaurants in Montclair and Secaucus, Curry N Bites, opened in late 2014, offers a new concept in Indian cuisine: Curry Ur Way.
The team at Mausam, including managing partners, Nikhil Mastakar and Mehul Adhvaryu, are aiming to make Indian food approachable and everyday. According to Mastakar, “We want to make Indian food easy for everyone. “
Curry N Bites has definitely simplified things. Here’s how it works: first, choose your shape—either a curry or biryani bowl. Then, choose your protein. Next, your sauce, and finally your toppings. Most dishes can be prepared gluten-free, vegan, swaminarayan (no onions or garlic), or jain (no root vegetables). On average dishes are ready, either for eat-in or takeout, within seven to eight minutes.
In addition to the curry or biryani bowls, other globally influenced bites include burritos and Bombay fries with tikka sauce on the side.
During my visit, I sampled the chicken Tikka Masala ($11.69) as well as the vegan chickpea with palak ($11.69) sauce. The sauce was aromatic and rich, and chicken was tender and ample. Chef Adhvaryu is proud to share, “There will always be 10 pieces of chicken in the tikka masala. We have to be consistent. The rice was flecked with fenugreek, and the garlic naan were also delicious, fluffy, crisp, and again, very aromatic—definitely not jain.
Mausam Curry N Bites is, currently, the only Indian restaurant in Clifton, and take out makes up about 65% of the Curry N Bites business. 76 Market St., Clifton 973-472-3663.