She was on Top Chef so I ate at her restaurant
CulinAriane: The title of this entry says it all. Ariane Duarte was a contestant on this past season of Top Chef. My girlfriend watches anything that is on the Bravo channel so I got suckered/was forced/started watching Top Chef. I noticed this woman owend and operated a restaurant in nearby Montclair and decided I should give it a shot.
The restaurant is very tiny but very classy. I was probably the only guy wearing sneakers in the whole joint. However, they were pretty sweet kicks so I can pull these baby’s off anywhere:
The restaurant itself is tucked away off the main streets of Montclair. It’s actually right near Mountainside Hospital. It’s very small and nondescript, which hides it’s swanky interior. From the manners of the staff to the plate decoration, you feel like you’re in a five star restaurant. I mean they served us an amuse-bouche(a small, one bite creation to keep you happy while you wait for your food). I didn’t even know what that was until I saw them make them on Top Chef.
The menu is small but very interesting. For appetizer, my girlfriend and I ordered the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake with Citrus Caper Remoulade, and the Sashimi Tuna Flower with Wasabe Creme Fraiche. Both were excellent. The Sashimi Tuna flower looked like a flower, served in a tear drop shaped plate. The Jumbo Lump Crab Cake looked exactly as it sounds and tasted tremndous.
For dinner, we ordered the Pekin Duck Breast with Sweet Potato, Duck Confit Hash, Shaved Black Garlic Duck Jus with Fig Balsamic Drizzle, and the Roasted Garlic Crusted Black Angus Sirloin covered in House-made Steak Sauce with Cauliflower Potato Puree, Portobello Fries, Balsamic Red Onions,
The duck was incredible. Not overly fatty and very tasty. The steak was superb! My girlfriend ordered this and I was immediately dissapointed that I hadn’t ordered it. The steak was cooked just right. It was moist while still being crusted on the outside. The steak sauce was inredible, complimenting the crust very well. The portobelo fries were delicious. They were battered and fried slices of portobello mushrooms.
For desert, we had blackberries covered in white chocolate mouse with chocolate cake underneath. That was great, though the cake was dry.
My only caveat with this place is that the portions are small and it doesn’t seem like you can wrap food to take home. I realized this too late as they threw out the rest of my girlfriend’s steak. I nearly cried.
The place is small for now, but the scuttlebutt is they are trying to expand. The store next to the restaurant recently closed so this looks like it could happen soon.
This place is very fancy, fairly pricey, but full of class. If you’re a big guy like me though, order the crab cake and steak. You won’t be completely full, but you’ll be satisfied.
-R
Price - $$$ Expensive
CulinAriane: 33 Walnut Street, Montclair, NJ 07042
