Even though everyone loves desserts, it can be hard to find one dish that’s a true crowd-pleaser. Popular in many cultures like Greece and Turkey, baklava is an excellent dessert option. Known for its phyllo (or filo) dough + butter to create flakey layers, crushed nuts like pistachios + walnuts, and sweetness from syrup or honey, it touches on a lot of textures that are delicious when they work together. Regardless if you have a specific preference for baklava, there’s bound to be a spot on this list that is worth exploring. Read on to hear more about finding baklava in the Montclair + Essex County area to decide which one to visit, or stop by all of them.
Bloom Cakes + Bakery | 79 Bloomfield Avenue, Caldwell
Bloom Cakes + Bakery is located near the corner of Bloomfield Avenue + Linwood Terrace. The bakery has cakes, sweets, + cookie trays available for patrons as well as Turkish coffee. Baklava is listed under the sweets section of the menu and is prepared with pistachios + walnuts.
Read More: Gluten-Free Versions of Foods You Miss: A New Jersey Guide
The Bosphorus | 226 Franklin Avenue, Nutley
Located near the corner of Franklin Avenue + Centre Street, The Bosphorus serves Mediterranean-style food for lunch + dinner six days a week (closed on Tuesdays). Enjoy a kebab (available with meat or veggies), grilled octopus, or a gyro before ordering the baklava for dessert.
Chris + Angie’s Dinette | 545 Franklin Avenue, Nutley
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Located on Nutley’s ever-bustling Franklin Avenue, Chris + Angie’s dinette serves breakfast, lunch, + dinner options six days a week (closed Mondays). Diners can keep it Greek by ordering a spinach feta pie from its Greek Corner menu. Then finish the meal with baklava from the dessert menu.
Efi’s Gyro | 521 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair
Located near the corner of Bloomfield Avenue + Park Street in Montclair’s center sits Efi’s Gyro. This establishment serves up Greek dishes such as gyros, pita + dips, souvlaki, + more Monday through Saturday. Baklava is listed on the dessert menu in good company with items like rice pudding, Greek yogurt, + a triple chocolate chip cookie.
The Green Chicpea | 59 Halsey Street, Newark
Located near the corner of Halsey Street + New Street, The Green Chicpea is open Monday through Thursday and serves Middle Eastern dishes to diners. Options for starters are chicken + veggie platters, soups like vegetable or cream of broccoli, hummus with chicken or falafel, + more. Baklava exists on the dessert menu to finish this meal off right.
Jackie + Sons | 134 South Orange Avenue, South Orange
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Jackie + Sons is located in the South Orange Village and serves up breakfast + lunch options Monday through Saturday. For a sweet + savory combo, try ordering the Shakshuka (two sunny-side-up eggs, spiced tomato sauce, feta, parsley, sourdough toast) or the shawarma Bowl (chicken shawarma, rice, arugula, chopped salad, lemon cabbage salad, feta, + tzatziki). Then try the baklava from the bakery menu to end the meal on a sweet note.
La Fontaine Cafe | 12 North Willow Street, Montclair
La Fontaine Cafe is located near the corner of North Willow Street + Glenwood Avenue. The cafe serves breakfast + lunch Tuesday through Sunday (closed on Mondays) and provides options like sandwiches, crepes, smoothies, + more. Baklava options are to order a single piece, a box of three, or baklava ice cream (vanilla ice cream with a piece of pistachio baklava).
Manouche + Co. | 176 Broad Street, Bloomfield
Manouche + Co is a Lebanese restaurant located near the corner of Broad Street + Belleville Avenue. The menu consists of pies, soups, appetizers, sandwiches, + more. Baklava is listed on the dessert menu and is made with walnuts and a mist of sweet syrup.
Rumi Mediterranean Grill + Cafe | 265 Glenwood Avenue, Bloomfield
Located near the intersection of Conger Street, Glenwood Avenue, + Lackawanna Place, Rumi Mediterranean Grill + Cafe is open seven days a week from 11 AM through 10 PM. Menu options include Chicken Shish Wraps, Lamb Chops, + Falafel Plates, and food is available for dine-in, take-out, and catering. Turkish pistachio baklava is listed on the dessert menu.
Stamna Taverna | 1055 Broad Street, Bloomfield
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Located just three storefronts from Bloomfield’s Holsten’s Ice Cream + Chocolate Restaurant is Stamna Taverna. Menus are available for lunch and dinner. Diners can start their meal with a gyro wrap or lamb kebab before moving on to baklava (made with almonds + walnuts with honey) for dessert.
Sweet Kitchen | 533 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair
Sweet Kitchen sits in Montclair’s town center on the corner of Bloomfield Avenue + Park Street. The establishment serves brunch-type foods all day, seven days a week. The bakery has options like muffins, brownies, croissants, + more. Baklava is listed under its dessert menu along with pies, tarts, + cakes.
Toros Restaurant | 594 Valley Road, Montclair
Located near the corner of Valley Road + Bellevue, Toros Restaurant has a Turkish menu focusing on native cuisine. The Montclair menu includes traditional Turkish dishes, kebabs with yogurt, + more. Baklava is available on the dessert menu with walnuts. There is also Kadayif available on the dessert menu. Similar to baklava, kadayif uses phyllo dough; however, it is shredded to create a stringy texture. In addition to the Montclair location, Toros has two other locations in Clifton + Paterson.
Uncle Momo | 702 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair
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Uncle Momo is located on Bloomfield Avenue near the center of Montclair. Menus are available for brunch, lunch/dinner (also known as the regular menu), dessert, + drinks. Baklava is available on the dessert menu to order alone. If splitting with a friend, try ordering it with the pistachio ice cream.
See More: A Definitive List of Hoboken Desserts You Must Eat ASAP
Zeugma Mediterranean Grill | 44 South Park Street, Montclair
Zeugma sits on South Park Street between Evolve Med Spa + Chocolate Works. Menus are available for brunch, dinner, + dessert. Start with the pistachio steak burger (roasted cherry tomatoes, pistachio pesto, smoked ketchup, house-cut french fries, pickles) or the mushroom manti (handmade dumplings, stuffed with trio mushrooms and a special mix of spices served with 16-hour process double fermented warm yogurt sauce), before ordering baklava for dessert.
A Trip to Orange Sky Coffee Roasters in West Orange
We may be biased, but we think that West Orange is a great spot to grow a business. Between working people in town, college students, and families looking for things to do, West Orange has become a great spot for hip, new businesses. Orange Sky Coffee Roasters, located at 6 Main Street, is one of the newest java spots to come to town — and recently launched its new selection of "sipping chocolates." Keep reading to learn more about this coffee spot in West Orange, New Jersey.
About the Owners
Husband and wife team Ray + Trish Laws Locicero are co-owners of Orange Sky Coffee Roasters. Both Ray and Trish have experience working in the culinary industry with Ray as the official “coffee connoisseur.” Trish and her family have culinary experience dating back to her grandparents establishing a restaurant in 1935, which exists in Hershey, PA, and is open to this day.
The owners work hard to ensure that the coffee produced at Orange Sky Coffee Roasters holds nothing short of excellence. The water used to make Orange Sky’s coffee is filtered using a reverse osmosis purifier, and then remineralized for the perfect balance of flavor. For espresso lovers, Orange Sky boasts a state-of-the-art espresso machine behind its counter as well.
Read More: A Guide to Montclair’s Best Coffee Shops
One goal behind Orange Sky Coffee is to serve a variety of consistently delicious specialty coffee. New flavors will also be on the horizon (pun intended).
Trish + Ray told The Montclair Girl when the spot first opened in 2024 they are thrilled to serve the warm, welcoming West Orange community.
About the Space
If parking on the side or behind the building, customers will be greeted with a warm mural on the side of the building. Filled with colors like pink, yellow, green, + brown, this mural depicts a latte over an orange sun. On either side of the latte, there are coffee beans and a freshly baked croissant.
The front of the coffee shop has the brick of the building shown on one side and the right side has a bold teal color which is sure to grab the attention of anyone strolling by the space. There is also a large orange font above the entrance with “Orange Sky COFFEE ROASTERS” in a bold font along with the orange sun logo from the mural on the side of the building.
Upon initial entry to the coffee shop, customers will be greeted with the same bold teal color on the counter in front of the store. A glass display case lets patrons see the baked goods. On top of the counter is space to place an order, and information for any new items or specials the shop has. To the left of the entrance is a small cart with some milk options as well as coffee stirrers, lids, + sweeteners. There is also a vibrant, neon side stating “drink good coffee.” Below the sign at the bottom of the wall are a couple of games for children. To the right of the space is another shelf with bags of coffee beans for sale.
See More: A Guide to the Coffee Shops of Hoboken
Menu Options
If looking to grab something savory, try the buttered croissant, cheesy bread bites + smoked paprika aioli (GF), or a croissant sandwich (bacon, scrambled eggs, cheddar, + Boursin herb cheese spread). For a sweet treat, Orange Sky has options like the chocolate caramel croffle, or the chocolate croissant. MG pro tip: try the Chocolate Rye Cookie.
Photo Credit: Orange Sky Coffee Roasters
Drink options include staples like drip coffee, espresso, cappuccinos, lattes (iced or hot), nitro cold brew, and more. Tea options include matcha, London fog, + chai lattes. Orange Sky also recently launched a selection of "sipping chocolates," including flavors like Dubai chocolate, cookie butter bliss, s'mores galore, and more, all made with rich Callebaut Belgian chocolate.
