Montclair Brunch and Bakeries: Weekend Mornings

Montclair brunch is a weekend institution: parents with strollers, couples reading the paper and groups of friends who have been up too late all pour into the cafes and bakeries of the township's village centers. The best mornings combine a sit-down meal with a stop at a bakery for something to take home. Go early, share a sweet dish and a savory one, and finish at a bakery counter.

When is Montclair brunch busiest?

Sunday between ten and one is the peak, with Saturday a close second. Warm weather adds outdoor tables, and holiday weekends bring a surge. If you want a table without a wait, go before ten or after one. A weekday morning is a pleasure in comparison, with space to sit and talk. Put your name on the list and wander to a bakery while you wait.

If you are meeting friends, agree on a backup. The street usually has another room within sight.

Where do you find Montclair bakeries?

In the village centers, usually beside a coffee shop or a market. Montclair Center, Upper Montclair and the smaller shopping streets have bakeries that sell bread, croissants, cookies, cakes and savory pastries. Early is better, because the best items sell out. A bakery counter on a Saturday morning is a short, cheerful line, and the smell is half the reason to go. Locals often buy bread for the week and a pastry for the walk home, and the staff know many of them by name. If you are new, ask for a recommendation and you will be handed something warm.

Ask what was baked today and what is best warm. Staff are happy to say.

How do you choose a Montclair coffee stop?

By the line and the cup. Coffee shops in Montclair range from small counters to larger rooms with seating, and many sell pastries and sandwiches as well. Local roasters supply some of them. If you want to sit for an hour, look for tables that are not all taken by laptops. If you want to walk, choose a counter with a quick line.

A coffee in hand is the Montclair way to start a stroll along the avenue.

What is a good Sunday brunch in Montclair like?

A leisurely meal with a mix of sweet and savory dishes: eggs in several forms, pancakes or French toast, a breakfast sandwich, a vegetarian scramble, a salad and a pastry basket. Many kitchens also serve a lunch menu in the same hours, so a table with different tastes is easy to please. Mimosas and coffee are standard.

Share a sweet dish and a savory one for the table, and you will taste more of the menu. A basket of pastries to begin, a main of eggs or a scramble, and a side of fruit or potatoes make a balanced meal for two. Order coffee first, because the kitchen can take its time while you talk, and ask for refills before the plates arrive. If a table next to you has something that looks good, ask the server what it was; that is how most regulars choose.

What makes a Montclair breakfast sandwich special?

The roll. A good breakfast sandwich is built on a fresh roll, bagel or English muffin, with eggs, cheese and a choice of bacon, sausage or pork roll. New Jersey has its own loyalty to pork roll, and the pork roll, egg and cheese guide explains the fuss. A sandwich is the quick answer for people on the move, and a good one sets up a day.

How do you plan a family brunch?

Early, with a backup. Children are hungry sooner and patient for less time, so go at the start of the window. Ask for a booth or a table near the exit. Pack a small activity for the wait, and choose a place with a menu children can manage. Bring cash for the bakery next door, which is the reward for a good morning. If your party includes someone who cannot wait for a table, send them to a bakery counter for a pastry and a coffee, and let the rest of the group hold the spot. A small bribe of bread buys a great deal of patience, and the rest of the family will thank you for thinking of it. Nobody has ever regretted bringing a warm loaf home.

How do tags and ratings help?

In the Mosey app, raters add tags when they rate a meal, and diners look for them in the Find sheet. For brunch the useful ones are Bakery, Coffee Shop, Family Friendly, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free and Outdoor seating. A tag is a note from someone who sat there. Rate the dish too, such as the pancakes or the breakfast sandwich, so the next person knows what to order.

Where next in Montclair?

The Montclair restaurants guide covers the main streets, and the gluten-free guide covers the dietary side. For brunch in another college town, see brunch in Bend, and the US food guides hold the rest of the country.

Heading somewhere else in New Jersey? The Food in New Jersey page links the rest.

Before the bread is gone, open the Mosey app, rate the best thing you ate this morning by the dish and add the bakery to a list called Montclair mornings that you can share.