Montclair Magazine Holiday 2017 | Page 16

buzzworthy Upper Montclair NEW GO-TO FOR BREAKFAST AND LUNCH Welcome to Upper Montclair, MARCEL BAKERY + KITCHEN. The highly anticipated eatery, which serves breakfast, lunch and catering, opened last month in the space formerly occupied by the Cozy End. It serves TO READ MOR as an uptown outpost ABOUT OWNER E to MishMish, which is also MENY VAKNIN , owned and operated by TURN TO Food Network star Meny Vaknin. Marcel Bakery + Kitchen offers fresh baked goods and breads along with savory pastries, juices and organic coffee available for eat-in and take out. Savory items include 12-inch pizzas and flatbreads, a selection of Middle Eastern dishes, and sandwiches including lamb meat- balls in pita and chicken schnitzel. Marcel’s location a block from the Upper Montclair train station and on the No. 66 bus route into the city makes it ideal for hungry commuters. 631 ½ Valley Road, (973) 842-4088, marcelbakeryandkitchen.com • Montclair VANILLAMORE FOREVERMORE With an evocative name like VANILLAMORE DESSERT KITCHEN, you might think that the new restaurant on Bloomfield Avenue serves only sweets such as chocolate and vanilla “Charcuterie” boards, “dessert tapas” including seasonal dessert kebabs, and exalted s’mores and spicy hot chocolate. Luckily, their imaginative menu covers lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. Grain bowls, small plates and crostini add up to healthy, flavorful meals. For heartier appetites, there’s roasted half-chicken and skirt steak for two. Brunch promises blueberry pancakes, quiches, and a choice between sweet and savory pastry baskets. Or…why choose? 349 Bloomfield Ave., (973) 707-5373, vanillamore.com • Upper Montclair FIND AFFORDABLE STYLISH FASHIONS STITCH BOUTIQUE is the second store by that name to open in northern New Jersey. The first, in Madison, is also owned and operated by Caitlin Rinaldi, an avid fashion buyer with a fine arts background. Stitch offers contemporary women’s clothing and accessories, personal shopping and individual styling by appointment. And in an area where residents love giving as well as receiving, there’s this offer: Host an after-hours party at the store, and your guests will receive 10 percent off their purchases. 598 Valley Road, (973) 746-6950, shopstitchnj.com • 14 HOLIDAY 2017 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE Montclair FUSION ACADEMY OPENS IN MONTCLAIR FUSION ACADEMY, a network of private schools for students in grades 6-12, recently opened its fourth New Jersey campus in Montclair. The schools operate with a one-on-one teaching method that can be beneficial to pupils diagnosed with ADHD, learning disabilities and school anxiety, as well as those who want to take advantage of an accelerated program. Fusion maintains a “no homework” policy — that is, students don’t take work home with them at the end of the school day, and instead focus on community involvement and extracurricular interests after school hours. 427 Bloomfield Ave., third floor, (973) 744-3539, fusionacademy.com • KITCHEN; PAGE 34