In early February 2025, one of Montclair’s most iconic Italian eateries, Scala del Nonna, closed its doors after 11 years. Since then, the space has been empty as MTC locals eagerly keep an eye out for what will come next. On Tuesday, April 1st, 2025, The Montclair Girl received an exclusive update from the new business owner taking over the space. 32 Church Street will soon welcome a new American restaurant, The Saint Clair. Read on for everything we know so far about The Saint Clair’s arrival in Montclair, New Jersey.
The New Spot
View this post on Instagram
The Montclair Girl received word via DM from local foodie and Top Chef Season 19 contestant, Chef Leia Gaccione, on Tuesday, April 1st that she had an exciting secret to share with the Montclair community. Leia let us know that she would be taking over the former Scala del Nonna space at 32 Church Street in Montclair. With a goal of opening early this summer, the restaurant will be called The Saint Clair and focus on new American eats. The chef driven, locally sourced eatery will feature brunch, lunch, and dinner, and be open seven days a week.
Read More: Skip to My Brew: Montclair’s Newest Coffee Shop on Valley Road
Leia shared with MG that she hopes The Saint Clair will be a “sanctuary for food lovers and community.” Noting that she had been inspired by the original architecture of the Church Street building that features beautiful cathedral ceilings and historic features on top of being located in her favorite city (Montclair). While Leia is holding onto final design details of the space, she expressed her excitement for all to come, grateful to share the space with hungry Montclair residents. Above all, Leia is thrilled to be a business owner and resident of Montclair, sharing that being able to feed the community is high on her list of things she is looking forward to. Leia worked in her very first kitchen in Montclair 25 years ago, and feels that this is a true full circle moment of her hard work coming to fruition. We will be sure to keep readers posted with more updates about The Saint Clair as details unfold.
What Was There Before?
View this post on Instagram
On February 9th, 2025, Scala del Nonna announced via Instagram that its Montclair location at 32 Church Street would close permanently on Sunday, February 16th, 2025. The restaurant had served the Montclair community for 11 years prior and was known for its traditional Italian comfort dishes. Currently, Scala del Nonna still has three other locations, called Scala Fedeli, at 63 Main Street in Chatham, 167 Main Road in Montville, and 165 Duane Street in New York City.
See More: First-Ever Foodie Fest for Autism Awareness Happening in Hoboken on 4/5
Follow @themontclairgirl on Instagram and TikTok, sign up for our newsletter that shares the top stories in your inbox here, and check out our events calendar.
EWR Delays Expected for 3 Months as Newark Airport Renovates Its Runway
New Jersey travelers should prepare for flight delays when flying this spring and summer because a major runway at Newark International Airport has been closed for renovations. As part of a $121 million renovation project, Runway 4L-22R will be closed for 60 days. This began on April 15th, and travelers can expect the runway to open mid-June. Read on for what to know about EWR's runway renovation project and what these potential delays can mean for New Jersey passengers.
About EWR's Runway Renovation Project
On April 15th, Newark International Airport shut down one of its biggest runways, in alignment with a $121 million rehabilitation project to repair its infrastructure to meet current FAA standards. Runway 4L-22R will be closed for the next 60 days and will reopen sometime in mid-June.
According to EWR's construction advisory, the Runway 4L-22R was last renovated in 2014 and is due for a much-needed update. Come summer, the runway will include a paved runway surface, updated lighting, improved airfield signs with LED lighting, new electrical infrastructure, and drainage improvements.
Read More: Montclair Iberian Restaurant Tasca Announces Closure Less Than a Year After Opening
This project is part of a two-year construction initiative to renovate and upgrade several of EWR's sites. This started in 2024 and is expected to continue into 2026. The next planned upgrade will be on September 16th, 2025, for the Corbin Street Ramp Project. The ramp will be closed for one year, and "all vehicular traffic will be detoured via Marlin and Kellogg streets," as per EWR.
Flight Delays
Because Runway 4L-22R, which is 11,000 feet long and 150 feet wide, is the airport's busiest runway for departing flights, travelers may encounter flight delays, as per EWR's construction advisory. According to the Federal Register, "The runway closure is expected to impact carrier operations at EWR in two phases throughout the day for both arrivals and departures." This includes from 6AM to 2PM for arrivals and 6AM to 4PM for departures.
To mitigate these delays, the Federal Aviation Administration has suggested limiting arrivals to 35 per hour from 6AM to 2PM and no more than 31 arrivals from 3PM through the end of the day. For departures, it was suggested that the airport limit departures to 35 departures per hour from 6AM to 4PM, with no more than 31 departures per hour from 5PM through the end of the day.
The FAA has estimated that approximately 21% of all arrivals will experience delays, averaging 38 minutes each, and 44% of all departures are expected to be delayed by an average of 39.9 minutes. "These arrival delays would be unrecoverable throughout the day," the Federal Register shared.
Until the runway reopens, the FAA is currently redirecting flights to Runways 4R-22L and 11-29.
Travelers are advised to plan ahead and allow for extra time and check with their airlines for any schedule changes and updates.
Those flying this upcoming weekend should also be aware that the Airtrain System will undergo a maintenance shutdown from 8PM on April 26th to 8AM on April 27th. As an alternative, a free shuttle bus service will be provided. See this link for shuttle bus pick-up and drop-off locations.
See More: Hoboken to Introduce First Electric Garbage Truck + HOP Shuttle Buses
Follow @themontclairgirl on Instagram and TikTok, sign up for our newsletter that shares the top stories in your inbox here, and check out our events calendar.
