Wedding Reminiscence

Just ate at 32 Church (Creative Cooking) in Montclair. There are a ton of reasons I should have adored this restaurant. (1) it is on Church Street - one of my favorite charming streets; (2) you can dine outdoors; (3) it is owned by a restaurant group that owns a restaurant in Westfield that I used to frequent and loved; (4) the menu was interesting; (5) the restaurant interior is very attractive ; and (6) it is BYO!

Sadly though I didn’t love it --- I only LIKED it and was hoping for more. 32 Church brings a bit of a SOHO vibe to Montclair, has an eclectic cool menu, and is right next door to Amanti Vino wine store (making for very easy BYOing). It is the latest endeavor by the Creative Cooking teams from Theresa’s, Isabella’s and Mojave Grill of Westfield and Theresa’s South of Bay Head (where I've been wanting to eat).

My eggplant pancake with fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers and tasty roasted garlic cream was quite enjoyable and rather filling for an appetizer (I had it as my lunch). My mom’s frittata special was again a generous portion and light and fluffy, just the way a frittata should be.




So what was my problem? I was served good food and yet I wasn’t thrilled?! Honestly, 32 Church occupies the space of former Montclair restaurant, Taro, where my dear friend ALJ was married. It made me so sad that Taro was gone that I probably could have been served perfect cuisine and still wouldn’t have been happy. All I could think about was ALJ’s wedding, how much fun we had that day, and how delicious the food was at Taro.

In fairness, I guess I’ll give this restaurant another try when I have a clear head and my brain isn’t fogged out with lovely wedding memories.