If there is anything Montclair is great for, it’s our town’s incredible variety of cafes, which makes finding coffee and sweet treats easy. In addition to the expansive list of spots, Montclair has the pleasure of welcoming Artazu Bakery Cafe to the bunch, located at 6 Depot Square. Read on to learn more about the newest edition to the Montclair coffee scene, Artazu Bakery Cafe, including an exclusive look at the developing menu.
All About Artazu
The Montclair Girl first received a tip from a reader about a new bakery in Montclair last week, and when a member of the MG team walked by a few days later, we noticed signage for the new spot. Now, we know that Artazu Bakery Cafe — an Argentine and Uruguayan-inspired cafe located at 6 Depot Square — has soft-opened in Montclair as of Tuesday, October 15th, per the cafe’s team. Its current hours of operation are from Tuesday to Friday from 7AM to 7PM.
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Artazu is operated by the owners of Rombiolo Bakery Cafe located at 119 Broughton Avenue in Bloomfield. Rombiolo Bakery Cafe also serves South American goods, but with a European twist, such as bizcochos, empanadas, breads, and cookies, among other options.
Photo Credit: Artazu Bakery Cafe
Rombiolo, Italy, is the Calabrian hometown of one of the owners, whose tastes provide the European influence in the menu. This cozy neighborhood spot opened in 2013, and now the welcoming vibes will be found in Montclair.
Although an official menu has yet to be developed, Artazu Bakery Cafe currently serves all kinds of sweet and savory treats, similar to what is sold at Rombiolo Bakery Cafe. Montclair locals can find coffee, lattes, cappuccinos, and teas in flavors such as matcha and chai. The cafe serves baked goods like danishes, breads, cakes, and muffins. These are delivered daily from its sister restaurant Rombiolo Bakery Cafe. The cafe also sells savory pastries, like oven-baked beef, chicken, ham, and spinach empanadas.
Photo Credit: Artazu Bakery Cafe
For those who’d prefer their coffee and tea brewed at home, Artazu Bakery Cafe sells Uruguayan yerba mate tea bags and the same Portuguese coffee beans used to brew the coffee in-store.
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Montclair customers can find all of these food items on Artazu Bakery Cafe’s official menu, which is expected to be coming soon. If the success of its sister business is any consolation, cafe enthusiasts can expect a great selection.
To stay in the know about all of the local happenings, follow @themontclairgirl on Instagram and TikTok, and sign up for our newsletter that shares the top stories to your inbox here.
The 10 Craziest Things That Happened in New Jersey this Year
New Jersey had a ton of headlines to read through in 2024. Drones were visiting, actors and actresses turned cities and suburbs into movie sets, and even astronomical events happened. Here are some of the wildest stories we covered around New Jersey in 2024.
The Solar Eclipse
People around Northern New Jersey donned special sunglasses and stared straight into the sun for the Solar Eclipse on April 8th, 2024. The Moon passed between the Sun and Earth, casting a shadow on Earth that either fully or partially blocks the Sun's light, according to NASA. In some parts of the country, it was like nighttime briefly in the afternoon. In New Jersey, it just looked like a big shadow. Giving people an excuse to take a long lunch also brought us some great memes.
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East Coast Earthquake
Photo Credit: U.S. Geological Survey
An earthquake sent shockwaves throughout Northern New Jersey in April 2024. A 4.8 magnitude earthquake sent tremors throughout the state and the shaking was even captured on some Ring cameras. Aftershocks came in the following days, something people on the West Coast may be used to, but not Jersey residents. NJ Transit had several delays and Newark Airport limited how many planes could land and depart while officials ensured there wasn’t major infrastructure damage. The best news: no injuries were reported.
New Jersey Goes Hollywood
Dozens of celebrities were seen around New Jersey shooting movies throughout 2024. Timothee Chalamet turned into Bob Dylan while shooting the biopic A Complete Unknown in Cape May, Hoboken, and Jersey City. Blake Lively turned Hoboken into Boston for the Colleen Hoover book adaptation It Ends With Us. Jeremy Allen White has been turning back the clock in Asbury Park, Bayonne, and Montclair while shooting Deliver Me From Nowhere, a biopic about Bruce Springsteen. A movie starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson was spotted shooting in Montclair, including at Tierney’s Tavern, in December 2024.
The Drones
It seems like all of New Jersey is looking up lately due to the many drone sightings across the state. As of December 2024, we still don’t know where or why they are hovering over the Garden State. Now the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued several updates prohibiting the use of drones in parts of northern New Jersey, including Elizabeth, Camden, and Jersey City along with Evesham and Bedminster through mid-January.
Sonic Boom
Residents all over New Jersey reported hearing an extremely loud bang in July of 2024. NASA reported it may have been a meteor. The fireball was seen over New York City moving 34,000 miles per hour. It reportedly passed over the Statue of Liberty before it disintegrated 29 miles above Manhattan. Residents from Montclair to The Shore reported seeing and hearing a loud noise.
2024 Paris Olympics
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Over 20 athletes from New Jersey helped bring home Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals from the 2024 Paris Olympics this summer. From the track to several different courts to the pool, these Jersey athletes gave it their all to help bring home some of the 40 Gold Medals for Team USA.
NJ Transit Headaches
Each month brought a new story about NJ Transit in our slice of New Jersey. There were delays and cancellations all winter and summer. Fare hikes took effect over the summer bumping up bus and train tickets. The clouded windows commuters would try to see out of are being replaced. To cap it off, the CEO of NJ Transit announced his resignation in December of 2024.
The Northern Lights
Photo Credit: Jordan + Joelle Hernandez
The magic of an Aurora Borealis visited New Jersey in October 2024. While the Northern Lights are commonly seen in Scandinavian countries, for a brief moment this fall it could be seen over parts of New Jersey. Mostly with the help of a camera lens, hues of purple and pink and a touch of green glowed in the sky. The phenomenon is caused by geomagnetic activity or geomagnetic storms, and could also be seen in different parts of the Northeast.
The Boss’s Homecoming
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band headlined the music festival Sea. Hear. Now. in Asbury Park in September of 2024. The New Jersey native played some of his classics and a few deep cuts while reminiscing on his start down the shore. Tens of thousands of festival-goers took over the beach to hear classics like Thunder Road and Born To Run. The concert and a special interview about Bruce’s New Jersey background were also featured in Bruce Springsteen: Backstage and Backstreets, an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos.
Martha Stewart Shouts Out New Jersey
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The cultural icon Martha Stewart reflected on growing up in New Jersey in the Netflix documentary, Martha, released in November 2024. Her family emigrated from Poland to Jersey City, where Martha spent the first few years of her life. Then they made the switch from city living to the suburbs where she spent most of her childhood in Nutley. When she left for college, she never moved back to New Jersey, but did visit her childhood home while shooting a Food Network show in 2018.
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Plenty more headlines are sure to come in 2025. To stay up to date on the latest Montclair + Northern New Jersey news, 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.
