Chicago Restaurant Openings Worth Booking
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Chef Donald Leslie
Celebrating Vegetarian Italian Dishes
Sometimes, diners mistakenly believe that traditional Italian food is exclusively about heavy pork ragùs, giant beef meatballs, and rich veal dishes. But if you look closely at the roots of true Italian cooking, fresh vegetables have always been the real…
The Art of the Noodle: Homemade vs. Store-Bought Pasta
Pulling a box of dried pasta from the pantry on a busy Tuesday night is an absolute lifesaver. We all do it, and it completely has its place in a home kitchen. However, sitting down to a plate of fresh,…
Beating the Heat: Our Favorite Spots for Ice Cream
July brings serious heat and heavy humidity to Essex County. After enjoying a great dinner and a few cold drinks, your evening needs a proper finish. Our kitchen plates fantastic desserts. Summer nights simply beg for a walk down the…
Sunday Mornings in Montclair | Best Coffee Shops Montclair
A fantastic dinner on Saturday night deserves a slow, easy Sunday morning. After enjoying a heavy meal and a few glasses of wine, the next morning requires a quiet reset. You sleep in, skip the rush, and head out the…
Montclair Farmers Market: A Foodie’s Guide
By Chef Don Leslie | June 19, 2026 Every Saturday morning, the Walnut Street train station turns into a massive culinary playground. Long before most of the town wakes up, farmers and artisans set up their tents, bringing the absolute…
Where to Watch the NBA Finals in Montclair, NJ
By Chef Don Leslie | June 3, 2026 The energy in North Jersey is electric right now. The New York Knicks have made it back to the NBA Finals, and local fans are looking for the absolute best place to…
Why Cap’t Loui Commands Respect on Park Street
When analyzing the local dining scene in our Montclair restaurant reviews, I typically focus on composed plates, precise knife work, and structural plating. Serving food inside a translucent plastic bag runs entirely counter to classical European execution. True culinary intelligence…
Where to Watch the Knicks in Montclair
By Chef Don Leslie The NBA playoffs are an absolute grind, and this Knicks vs. 76ers series is shaping up to be a total Eastern Conference bloodbath. When you have two heavyweights trading blows like this, you need to watch…
Raymond’s on Church Street is The Ultimate Upscale Diner
As a chef, I spend my evenings chasing perfection on a hot line, plating braises and reductions until the early hours of the morning. Because of this, my standard for breakfast is unapologetically high. I do not want a culinary…