With bright white paper stars from Christmas still hanging in the front window we're saddened to report that we've been told True North Osteria has closed its doors. Taking a quick peek into the restaurant this morning it looks like the crew did a final clean up and then left with everything where it was.

True North was more than just another pizzeria - this place was artisinal, from the locally sources tomatoes to the homemade mozzerella to the crust that was so good guests were known to snatch uneaten crusts from their dining companions.

In our yearly roundup of the best and rest of 2012 we wrote "Situated “down Bloomfield Ave” True North Osteria tends to fall off our radar but the pizza will change your life - for real. And yes, there are great vegetarian options including Pan Seared Brussel Sprouts with Pistachios and Shallots that will leave you rethinking Brussels Sprouts forever."

According to Leah Moon, owner of True North,

"We took a significant financial hit in the 3 weeks following Sandy. The loss was more than we could afford. While we did not suffer any damage, business came to a standstill while the trains were down and the town was without power. I'm sure that was the tipping point for the handful of restaurants that closed in November as well. December was also a slow month in Montclair."

True North will sorely be missed. As more details emerge about the closure of True North we will post them in the comments below.