dining out
Not just for sweet tooths
Vanillamore drops the “Dessert Kitchen” and expands its savory menu
WRITTEN BY ESTHER DAVIDOWITZ PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNE-MARIE CARUSO
CHEF/OWNER RISA MAGID BOYER
T
he first time I ate
at Vanillamore, it
was shortly after
the restaurant had
opened. It called itself a
“Dessert Kitchen.” I was
wowed by the beauty of the desserts
— chef and owner Risa Boyer studied
art in college, and it shows — and,
sure, I liked them well enough.
But I was even more impressed by
the few savory items on the menu.
I can still recall how delicious
— sweet, nutty and crunchy — the
near-blackened roasted Brussels
sprouts were, and how scrumptious
— creamy, honeyed and earthy —
the Brie and fig toast with lavender
tasted.
46
MAY 2019 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE
Montclair
VANILLAMORE
349 BLOOMFIELD AVE.
(973) 707-5373
VANILLAMORE.COM
So when I learned that
Vanillamore had slowly morphed into
a full-fledged restaurant and dropped
Dessert Kitchen from its name, I
knew I had to try it out. I brought
along a bottle of wine, a friend, and
admittedly high expectations.
I had some inkling of what
31-year-old Boyer, a Culinary
Institute of America grad who
studied art in college, could do in
Vanillamore’s open stainless-steel
kitchen. The kitchen is surrounded
by red brick walls, a big semicircular
light-wood counter and a huge digital
poster board that often displays eye-
catching photos of Boyer’s creations.
The appetizers met my expecta-
tions, for the most part. So did the
profoundly creative desserts. I can’t
say the same for the entrées.
Both the short ribs ($28) and
skirt steak ($32) we ordered were
well-cooked and tender, though
they lacked beefy oomph and strong
flavors; they were both rather bland.
But no complaints with the
roasted Brussels sprouts (as good
as I remember) nor the wonderfully
doughy rosemary focaccia slices nice-