A good meal is always better enjoyed in comfortable environs.  Salute, Montclair’s one year-old restaurant that specializes in  “Italian Countryside Cuisine” embodies that belief.

Last week, I attended a family dinner at Salute.  The restaurant is filled with rustic décor; the walls, the fixtures, and the earth tones speak to an era past.  The cavernous dining room is suitable for a romantic diner, yet welcoming to families. Gerry Cerrigone, along with co-owner Robert Gaccione, has mastered the delicate balance of kind familiarity.  In the mind of this food blogger, who also happens to be the mother of a five and six-year-old, this is gold.