GREEK TAVERNA, MONTCLAIR
At the newly opened Greek Taverna, 292 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair (BYO), you’ll find attentive and friendly service, generous portions, and moderate prices, as well as made-in-house desserts and an open kitchen where you can watch your meal being prepared.
For appetizers, certainly try the traditional Greek salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, capers, olives, and feta cheese, and our favorite, the cold appetizer combo for two, with Greek feta, stuffed vine leaves, kalamata olives, stuffed red peppers, Greek graviera cheese, tzatziki, and hummus. Hot choices run the gamut from spinach pie, grilled calamari, and octopus to a delightful appetizer of baked melted goat cheese topped with apricots and served with pita bread.
You could make a meal just out of the appetizers, but then you’d miss the exceptional charcoal-grilled whole fish drizzled with olive oil lemon sauce and infused with Greek herbs. Traditionalists can opt for moussaka, pastitsio, or a gyro platter, but first-timers may want to try a little taste of everything in the combination dish that includes grilled chicken breast, lamb chop, Greek sausage, ground lamb, and pork souvlaki. Vegetarians can have a feast here simply by ordering the side dishes, which include steamed seasonal greens; string beans Greek style; stewed eggplant with zucchini, peppers, onions, tomatoes, and potatoes; Greek fries; and oven-baked lima beans with a light tomato sauce. Plan on bringing food home to enjoy the next day.
We love Greek desserts, and Greek Taverna has the best baklava we’ve had in a long time. It’s jam packed with almonds and walnuts surrounded by honey-soaked phyllo. An unusual dessert is the galaktobouko, a sweet cream milk pie accompanied by tangy Greek yogurt.
This casual, family-friendly restaurant is a welcome addition to the Montclair dining scene. For reservations call 973-746-2280.
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HALLOWEEN HAPPENINGS:
MEET ICHABOD CRANE
On October 26, Halloween Fun Day will be celebrated at the Grain House Restaurant at the Olde Mill Inn, 225 North Maple Avenue, Basking Ridge, with a guest witch at Sunday brunch from 10 AM to 2 PM (costumes welcome), followed by Ichabod Crane and the Legend of Sleepy Hollow supper from 4:30 to 7:30 PM. For more information and reservations call 908-221-1150.
MAKE A GINGERBREAD HALLOWEEN HOUSE
From October 27 to 30, Halloween House classes for children ages three to ten will be held at Chef Central, 240 Route 17 North, Paramus. Each child will decorate and take home a pre-baked gingerbread cookie house. $25. To view the class schedule log on to www.chefcentral.com or call 201-576-0100.
GHOSTS OF CENTRAL JERSEY
On October 29, a four-course dinner and guest lecture, Ghost Tales of Central New Jersey, with Gordon Thomas Ward, author of Ghosts of Central Jersey: Historic Haunts of the Somerset Hills, will be held at the Gladstone Tavern, 273 Main Street, Gladstone. 7 PM; $50. For reservations call 908-234-9055.
HALLOWEEN BEVERAGE TASTING
On October 29, Rosie’s Wine Bar, 514 North Avenue, Garwood, will be highlighting Halloween beverages and treats, including sangria, mulled wine, and a wine and chocolate pairing. 6:30 to 8 PM; $30. For reservations call 908-518-WINE or e-mail [email protected].
HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR
From October 29 through November 1, Jeffrey’s of Westfield, 114 Central Avenue, Westfield, will have a Halloween Spooktacular with specials such as Bloody Orange Martini, Fried Spiders Calamari, Silence of the Lamb Chops, and a Ghostly Graveyard Surprise dessert. For more information and reservations call 908-232-4517.
MOVIE CHARACTERS WANTED
On October 31, dress as your favorite movie character for the Halloween Bash at Harvest Bistro, 252 Schraalenburgh Road, Closter. For more information and reservations call 201-750-9966.
HALLOWEEN MONSTER BASH
Tavern 344, 344 French Hill Road, Wayne, will have a Halloween Monster Bash on October 31 with a DJ, dancing, a costume contest, and door prizes. 10 PM to 1 AM. For more information and reservations call 973-696-9440.
FRIGHT-FEST
On October 31, Gaslight Brewery & Restaurant, 15 South Orange Avenue, South Orange, will have a Halloween Fright-Fest with a DJ, a costume contest, special voodoo punch, treats, and a commemorative mug. Call 973-762-7077 for more information.
WITCHES BALL
Costumes are encouraged on October 31 at a Witches Ball dinner and dance fundraiser that will be held at Church Street Kitchen, 12 Church Street, Montclair, to benefit the Paws Animal Shelter, Montclair. There will be a buffet, soft drinks, beer and wine (you can also BYO), a DJ, tricky tray raffles, psychic readings, and prizes for costumes. 8 PM to midnight; $50; ages 13 and up to enter; ages 13 to 17 admitted only with a parent; ages 21 and up to drink.
LANTERN TOUR
On November 1, a lantern tour will be held at local B&Bs in Beach Haven starting at 5:30 PM. The tour will be followed by a costume ball with dinner and dancing at the Gables, 212 Centre Street, Beach Haven, at 7 PM; $99. For reservations call 888-524-4225.
HALLOWEEN AT THE WINERY
On November 1, Renault Winery Resort & Golf, 72 North Bremen Ave, Egg Harbor City, will have a Halloween Costume Ball in the Grand Ballroom that will include a Halloween menu of horrifying hors d’oeuvres along with a full-service cash cocktail bar and a DJ. 8 PM to midnight; $35. Call 609-965-2111 for ticket information.
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NEW WHOLE FOODS OPENING IN UNION
Whole Foods, 2245 Springfield Avenue, Union (908-688-1455), will open at 8 AM on October 29. The current Millburn site will close on October 26. Spanning approximately 60,000 feet, the new Whole Foods will incorporate produce and food from local Jersey farms and vendors. It will also feature the first-ever Whole Foods Market greenhouse, where herbs will be grown for use in the store’s prepared-foods department, and an Osteria eatery. The Osteria will serve home-style Italian food and will have a wood-fired hearth for cooking pizzas and dishes like eggplant Parmesan and crêpe manicotti. Beer and wine will be available.
Public store tours ($10) will be held on October 24 and 25 to benefit the local charity Hoop-A-Paluza, a nonprofit whose mission is to promote the health and well-being of children. Tours will conclude with a parting gift bag full of treats, as well as samplings of the cuisine from the Osteria eatery. You can sign up for the tour at the current Milburn location or online at www.millburn.wholefoodsrsvp.com.
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BRUNCH OFFERINGS
Executive chef Gregory Webb of South City Grill, 55 Route 17 South, Rochelle Park, has a new brunch menu with buffet and à la carte offerings, both for $24.95 per person ($12.95 for children) plus tax and gratuity. Included with the brunch are unlimited champagne, Bellinis, or mimosas. Menu items include Belgian waffles, scrambled eggs, pastries, freshly shucked clams and oysters, house-cured smoked salmon, sushi rolls, antipasti, carving and pasta stations, blackened redfish with lemon-Chardonnay beurre blanc, slow-roasted Portuguese-style pork with black pepper crust, a chocolate fountain with fresh fruit skewers, and an ice cream sundae bar. For reservations call 201-845-3737.
Sunday brunch has returned to Braddock’s, 39 South Main Street, Medford, from 11 AM to 2 PM. The menu includes homemade quiche, omelets, eggs Benedict, granola and berries, steak and eggs, crab cake and eggs, bananas Foster, French toast, seafood strudel, and more. For reservations call 609-654-1604.
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VEGETARIAN NIGHTS
On Wednesdays, a special three-course vegetarian menu is offered at Tortilla Press, 703 Haddon Avenue, Collingswood, for $25. The regular à la carte menu will also be available. For reservations call 856-869-3345.
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PIG ROAST
Every Friday night through December, pig out at the Walpack Inn, Route 615, Walpack Center. The pig roast dinner includes a salad bar, brown bread, roast suckling pig, braised red cabbage, German potato salad, and apple strudel à la mode for $25 plus tax and tip. Seatings from 6 to 8 PM. For reservations, which are required, call 973-948-3890.
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MIRABELLA CAFE, CHERRY HILL
Cardoons, salsify (oyster plant), pomegranates, and other seasonal and unusual produce are being featured at Mirabella Cafe, Barclay Farms Shopping Center, 210 East Route 70, Cherry Hill. This popular BYO Italian restaurant has also added an all-you-can-eat pasta special for $14.95. For those looking for a truly special evening, there’s a chef’s table just off the kitchen, where Chef Joseph Palombo serves multicourse tasting menus for $60 per person. For more information and reservations call 856-354-1888.
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DINING DEALS
Every Thursday evening, Cafe 34 Bistro, 787 Route 34, Matawan, offers a prime rib special with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables for $15. For reservations call 732-583-9700.
On Tuesday evenings, Bistro 18, 18 South Fullerton Avenue, Montclair, offers a four-course sampling menu for $29 to $32. For reservations call 973-233-0800; BYO.
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