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Nicolina’s Restaurant is located at the original site of Arturo’s, which moved down the street after a fire and bought a liquor license. Nicolina is Arturo’s wife, and the chef at Nicolina’s is their son. The quality is every bit as good as Arturo’s, and the fact that it is a BYO is a real plus. This is traditional Italian cuisine, but there are numerous modern touches such as shiitake mushrooms and a brandy sauce on one of the veal dishes. The numerous specials practically outnumber the regular entrees. The complimentary antipasto is a nice touch. This is not a cheap night out, but the quality is high. $$$ [4/04] TC’s
Little Taste of Saigon
It’s easy to drive right past TC’s Little Taste of Saigon. Don’t! This is a lovely little restaurant that offers an easy, slightly Americanized introduction to Vietnamese cuisine. Run by two sisters, it serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast and lunch are strictly American fare, but dinner is much more interesting. Fabulous soups, stir fry dishes, salads, stews, and noodle dishes are offered in combination with beef, chicken, or shrimp. In addition, there are numerous vegetarian dishes and fried whole fish. Prices are very reasonable. $ [4/04]
Pourquoi Pas? is the modified reincarnation of chef/owner Bernard Vard’s French restaurant of the same name that delighted patrons in Ho-Ho-Kus for several years. The new Pourquois Pas? (which translates as “Why not?”) is a relatively small, but the 10 tables are spaced sufficiently apart to give one a sense of privacy. The food and service are superb. Go early or make reservations. Closed Mondays. Cell phone use is strongly discouraged. $$$ [3/04 & 6/05] Sakurabana
Restaurant Kumo
Japanese Restaurant For many years, Sakurabana was the only sushi restaurant in
Ridgewood. Now there are at least five. Sakurabana hasn’t changed much with
the new competition. It still offers very good quality sushi at fair prices in a
pleasant atmosphere. For those who don’t appreciate or just need a break from
sushi, there are numerous cooked dishes featuring beef, seafood, or chicken that
are worthy. As with nearly all Japanese restaurants, presentations are very
attractive and service is always polite. $$ [2/04] A new kid on the block (literally), Kumo offers high quality sushi as well as some very interesting sauces. Even the ginger dressing on the house salad was a step above the usual. Like Sakurabana, Kumo offers tasty teriyaki and tempura entrees as well as noodle dishes in addition to the sushi and sashimi standards. Kumo is one of the few Japanese restaurants to have some interesting desserts. $$ [2/04] Mangia
Trattoria Mangia Trattoria is a brick oven pizza joint with aspirations. Although the decor is quite nice, the tables are tight and the atmosphere in the early evening is decidedly “family restaurant.” It quiets down after 7:30, however. The standard menu features -- well, the southern Italian standards, but the “specials” menu shows more creativity and quality ingredients. And yes, with high quality mozzarella and a home-made sauce, the pizzas are excellent. $$-$$$ [1/04]
Epernay, off Bloomfield Avenue, was opened in November 2000, by Mark and Courtnay Papera. Classically trained, Mark worked in 4 Manhattan restaurants before striking out on his own. In addition to the seasonal entree selections, Epernay offers a different plat du jour each night of the week. Seating is tight, but the food is first rate. Prices are fair given the very high quality here. Epernay, named after the famous Champagne city 60 miles east of Paris, is well worth the 35 minute drive to Montclair. View their menu at http://www.epernaynj.com. This non-cell phone restaurant is closed on Mondays. $$$$ [11/03]
Pimaan is a terrific Thai restaurant. Thai cuisine features such wonderful herbs as lemongrass, basil, cilantro, kafir lime leaves, galingale, and ginger. Pimaan's preparations are exotic, but they show subtlety and finesse. Less oil is used, so most of the dishes are as healthy as they are delicious. Some of the offerings are hot, but the degree of heat can be toned down to your taste. The salads, Duck Tamarind, Pla Kra Prow (fried whole fish with basil, mushrooms, onions, and peppers), and Pad Tua (string beans with cashew nuts) were excellent, but the Pad Thai (rice noodles with shrimp, egg, bean curd, peanuts, and bean sprouts) was exceptional. $$ [10/03]
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