Walnut Street Renaissance in Montclair

A long time Montclair resident and business owner told me, “Walnut St. is the Greenwich Village of Montclair.”  Perhaps a prideful overstatement? Maybe not.

Located neither uptown, downtown nor in the center, the suburban street rises from the crescent, and crests at Valley Road.   Decidedly unpretentious, Walnut St. is now at the epicenter of a chic suburban revival.  A microcosm of our township, rich in artistry and artisanship, Walnut Street arguably sums up what is so special about Montclair. 

Unique eateries serving global fare, boutique bakeries,  antique shops, consignment shops, and more line the street.  Beyond the brick and mortar, lies a lively, unique, and beautiful cast of characters. Every Saturday morning “mama” is at work in the open kitchen at Cucina 98 making ravioli, and every Saturday morning the Montclair Farmer’s Market appears, with cowboy hat-wearing, cigar-smoking, North Caldwell farmer, Jim Matarazzo chatting it up with organic minded locals.

The recent, youthful additions to Walnut Street, Le Salbuen and Red Eye Café, have rekindled a nearly tangible energy of coolness on the suburban street. And, the Montclair Bread Company recently got an updated look and a new owner, Rachel Crampsey. 

Beyond the newly imported suburban hipness, there lies camaraderie between the business owners.    The elder “streets men,” Sharon & Chris Egan, owners of Halcyon and Egan & Sons, as well as Lisa and Elio Suriano, owners of one of Montclair’s hidden gem, Corso 98, understand that business is good for business.  They make efforts to share their knowledge and insight of the restaurant industry, because, as Sharon Egan told me, “I want them to make it here.” 

This past Saturday, after walking the Montclair’s Farmer’s Market, Mr. Hot and I stopped into Le Salbuen for some coffee.  Of course, I also ordered a Cuban beef empanada and a side of chorizo to go with it.  Why not? After our “coffee,” we strolled into Chameleon, the antique shop located right next to Le Salbuen.  We perused, we chatted, and we promised to be back.  Then, we went across the street, said good morning to Mama and Lisa at Cucina 98.  Next week, we’ll repeat this ritual with some variation: a visit to the Farmers Market, and coffee at Red Eye Café.  Not to be “montclaircentric,” but what other suburb is so cool?

Red Eye Cafe Opens on Walnut Street

Photo Credit: John LeeBleary eyed residents of the Walnut Street area woke this morning to discover the grand opening of the Red Eye Café. Located diagonally across from Le Salbuen, Red Eye is named after the classic coffee beverage.

A Red Eye is named for the Red Eye flights from the West Coast. Late night (9 or 10pm) flights out of Los Angeles and San Francisco land in New York at about 5am. Because of the time difference it feels like 2am resulting in red bleary eyes of the travelers. When coffee wasn’t enough to recharge for a day in the Big Apple, travelers took to having a shot of espresso added to their morning coffee. The name was transferred to the beverage and has remained a classic ever since.

Like its namesake drink, the Red Eye Café is steeped in history yet uniquely its own place.  Owner Anthony Brinton, who spent more than a decade behind the bar at Montclair's iconic coffee shop, Cafe Eclectic, brings with his familiarity of Montclair’s unique customers plus the chance to add his own spin on the classics making this Walnut Street destination both new and familiar at the same time.

Billed primarily as a classic coffee shop, featuring classic lattes, cappuccinos, and Americano, Red Eye also has a substantial café breakfast and lunch menu. Standouts include “Green Eggs and Ham” – a scramble with ham, cheese, and kale. Don’t miss the potato hash with Red Eye Gravy. Here the Red Eye consists of Au Jus gravy with hot sauce and espresso that is so good I literally licked the plate. (when food is that good I have no shame but to enjoy it!) It’s breakfast comfort food!

The lunch menu takes classic sandwiches and presents them in new ways. Ham and Cheese become Ham and Gouda with artichoke, garlic mustard, and fresh spinach, Turkey is presented as Turkey and Pear with brie, avocado, arugula and herb mayo. A must is the Blue Velvet : house roasted beef with pickled blueberries and shallots, cream cheese and arugula on ciabatta. The salad menu features local produce from early June through October. 

Montclair isn’t a party town (cough cough, yeah right) but late risers don’t have to settle for lunch menus when they sleep in on the weekends. Red Eye offers the “Feel Better Brunch” weekends from 9am – 4pm. Weekdays the café opens at 7am, weekends at 9am. The café is open every day until 11pm.