Montclair Magazine Back to School 2017 | Seite 111

Gnudi, fried balls of warm herby
ricotta cheese, were a bit dry.
A second round of drinks might
have taken care of that, but halfway
through our meal, as dinner service
kicked into high gear, our server, who
started off gregarious and attentive, all
but disappeared. Appetizer plates sat
un-bussed and water glasses weren’t
refilled. And that
second round of
AT A GLANCE
• MOST ENTREES
drinks didn’t make it
OVER $20
to the table until
• FULL BAR
dessert, a fact I
• OPEN 7 DAYS
• ALFRESCO DINING
found puzzling for a
(SEASONAL)
restaurant with one
• TAKE-OUT
of North Jersey’s cov- • TAKES
RESERVATIONS
eted liquor licenses.
Our entrees, save
for the bone-dry chicken pallaird, were
solid. We devoured the juicy burger,
which was topped with bacon, cheese
and pickled onions. The platter of
Korean-inspired fries, with smoky bar-
becued beef, crunchy kimchi and
Sriracha, was a satisfying choice, too –
though the toppings were much tastier
than the average fries buried under-
neath. Bacon-wrapped meatloaf, served
with provolone, caramelized onions
and spinach, was hearty, with plenty of
pan juices, but it was literally falling
apart as the crumbly entrée traveled
from pan to fork.
We ended our meal with a whopping
ice cream sandwich bookended by
chocolate chip cookies, and a Nutella
crème brulee, neither of which blew
me away. My dinner companions
noticed a strong floral taste in the
crème brulee, while we lamented that
the ice cream sandwich was so thick
and frozen it was tricky to eat.
Those looking for a quiet evening
might not find it here: the gargantuan
room was already quite loud during an
early dinner, though a beer garden,
which is currently under construction
behind The Crosby, could alleviate
some of that noise.
Diners seeking a chic, happening
atmosphere in downtown Montclair,
however, might find themselves regu-
larly dropping by The Crosby.
Especially for a trendy cocktail. ■
PRICKLY PEAR TWISTED JOHN DALY, ALABAMA WHITE TEA AND IT’S FA HAR COCKTAILS
TUNA POKE
CROSBY DOUBLE STACKED BURGER
MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE BACK TO SCHOOL 2017
109