Montclair Magazine May 2019 | Page 25

GLAZE DONUTS WEST CALDWELL Owner Jule Hazou opened Glaze Donuts in 2014 when he saw a need for quality homemade doughnuts in the area. Doughnuts are made in small batches throughout the day using quality ingredients and no preservatives. Inventory changes often, so be sure to stop in for special items that aren’t on the menu. Best-selling doughnuts include the original cannoli doughnut, maple-bacon doughnut and the Oreo doughnut. For crazy toppings, look to the rainbow cookie, fruity pebbles, and cannoli varieties. A tip: Glaze’s coffee, made from organic Arabica beans from small growers around the world, will cut through the sweetness. • 554 Passaic Ave., West Caldwell (973) 227-0415, glazeartisan.com. THE BIG BUDDY BURGER AT TIERNEY’S TAVERN MONTCLAIR This funky no-pretense tavern has been in business for 85 years — and has yet to have a phone. If you want what its many regulars claim are the “Best Burgers in the East,” you’ll have to hop into your car and make your way there. Owner Bill Tierney gets his 80/20 beef blend from an Italian butcher whose name he declines to divulge. “It’s a trade secret.” One-half pound patties are thrown on the griddle to order, he says. “It’s that simple.” If you want tomatoes, lettuce, bacon, cheese, pickles with it, you let your server know. “You’d be surprised at what people ask for,” he says. Many ask for the famous “Big Buddy Burger” named after Tierney’s younger brother. The half-pounder is dressed with onions fried in Worcestershire sauce to give them “a lot of extra flavor,” Tierney says. $8. • 136-138 Valley Road, Montclair; tierneystavern.com. STUFFED GRASS-FED BURGERS MONTCLAIR Montclair High School ’08 grad Dan Campeas first served his 100 percent grass-fed burgers stuffed with cheese at his Austin, Texas food truck. For the last several years, he’s served a devoted following that includes a lunchtime crowd from his alma mater. Burger lovers rave about Stuffed Burgers’ bacon jam burger, made with chunks of bacon, onion and brown sugar ($11), which can be accompanied with bacon jam fries for those who crave more of a good thing. Another favorite, the Montclair Blue Burger ($10), comes with blue cheese, chipotle aioli and sautéed mushrooms. Berlin’s Donut Burger comes with cheddar cheese and smoked bacon, and yes, it’s served on a glazed donut from Montclair Bread Company. • 150 Valley Road, (973) 893-5805, stuffedgrassfedburgers.com. AKB BURGER AT ARIANE KITCHEN & BAR VERONA The thick juniper-cured pork chop at Ariane Kitchen & Bar is chef and owner Ariane Duarte’s must-have dish. The award-winning chef has had it on her menu since she opened AKB more than four years ago. But don’t overlook her smashing cheddar-topped burger made with ground brisket, short ribs and sirloin dressed with harissa aioli and pickled shallots. It’s lush and humongous. How does one get one’s mitts around it? “Hold on tight and open wide,” Duarte advises. $16 with hand-made fries. • 706 Bloomfield Ave., Verona; 973-744-0533, arianekb.com. HOLSTEN’S BLOOMFIELD Looking good at 75 years old, Holsten’s was known for its ice cream and candy treats long before The Sopranos filmed their famous final scene there. Homemade ice cream flavors including vanilla fudge, rum raisin and butter pecan help make ice cream sodas — topped with whipped cream and a cherry, of course — creamy and delicious. Milk-based dessert-lovers can choose from regular, heavy and malted milk shakes, egg creams and floats ($3.50-$7). Large and small sundaes ($6, $5.50) may be topped with wet walnuts, marshmallow, hot caramel and other goodies. • 1063 Broad St., (973) 338-7091, holstens.com. ■ MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE MAY 2019 23