I still haven't adjusted. Driving past the corner of Walnut & Pine visions of tuna flowers and corn-meal crusted oysters flash before my hungry eyes. Excuse the post-mortem, but the absence of the CulinAriane awning at 33 Walnut St. is something of a foodie tragedy. But, to everything - particularly the Montclair food scene - there is a season. And, now, we turn to embrace Chef Shawn Paul Dalziel, the new chef/owner of Laurel & Sage, located at - you guessed it - 33 Walnut Street in Montclair.
Read MoreEscape, Innovative Farm Dining, Opens in Montclair
A rectangular blackboard hangs on an exposed brick wall in the dining room of Escape. It's a bill of fare, of sorts; a white chalk roster of New Jersey farmers and artisans from which chef and owner, Bryan Gregg, sources proteins and produce. Gregg is source-centric.
There's a gastronomic school of thought that says, "farm-to-table isn’t a trend - it’s the way it should be," and therefore food writers shouldn't be impressed with a chef just because he uses farm fresh ingredients and local purveyors.
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