dining out
Nibbling the Night Away
At Montclair Social Club, the food is as good as it looks
WRITTEN BY ESTHER DAVIDOWITZ PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNE-MARIE CARUSO
F
our-month-old Montclair
Social Club has a lot
going for it. Live music
on most nights. A hop-
ping 22-seat bar scene
and cozy lounge. A
second-floor, 7,000-square foot party
space that’s still in the works. And
a kitchen that sends out some of the
best food my dining companions and
I had eaten in North Jersey in some
time.
Correction: Make that, some of the
best nibbles and appetizers my com-
panions and I had eaten in the region
in some time. If you’re looking for
a spot where you can happily nibble
the night away on wonderfully cre-
ative, beautifully plated, flavor-filled
first courses, run — don’t walk — to
this jazzy-looking, welcoming 120-
seat dining room. When it comes to
starters, executive chef and part-
ner Michael Merida nails it.
It’s easy to discern that Merida,
who worked at some of the
world’s most high-end kitch-
ens including The Fat Duck in
England and El Bulli in Spain, as
well as Vong and Le Bernardin
in New York City, has picked up
some great skills along the way.
And while he can cook fancy
foods using all the right tech-
46
HOLIDAY 2018 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE
MEATBALLS
CHOCOLATE TART
niques, what he seems to enjoy most
You won’t need the bread for the
is creating bold-flavored spins on
heady foie gras parfait ($14). The
classic and popular dishes.
gorgeous, light-as-a-summer-breeze
Take, for example, Merida’s
mousse that’s presented in a glass
award-winning
jar arrived with
meatballs; they
perfectly soft toast
were named Best
points, all the bet-
Montclair
of New York’s
ter, as Little Red
Meatball Madness
Riding Hood’s
event in 2010.
grandma might
499 BLOOMFIELD AVE.
They’re just about
have put it, to
(973) 436-4200
the most delec-
eat the pâté with.
MONTCLAIRSOCIALCLUB.COM
table meatballs
“I’m in love,”
this side of Arthur
declared one of
Avenue: flecked
my companions
with fresh basil and ribbed with
after taking another bite. The rest of
melted Italian Grana Padano cheese,
us at the table swooned, too.
these meaty orbs are light, airy and
Outrageously good, too, were the
swimming in a deliciously acidic,
deviled eggs, wrapped with a thin
piquant tomato sauce ($12). Use the
slice of smoked salmon and topped
house-made bread to sop up as much
with a crispy piece of bacon ($6).
of that sauce as you possibly can.
Though my friends complained that
they were a bit awkward to eat,
I had no such problem: I popped
PORK BELLY BUNS
nearly the entire egg into my
mouth and just savored the creamy
texture and salty, smoky, earthy
flavors.
The pork belly buns were also
delicious, packing a nice punch
thanks to the Korean barbecue
sauce ($15). And, just in case you
need more convincing of Merida’s
culinary tour de force, try the
MONTCLAIR
SOCIAL CLUB