When an Italian-trained chef, Portuguese owner, and French pastry chef join forces, magic is made. This magic takes shape at Tasca, located at 377 Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair, which opened its doors on May 17th for the public to taste this labor of love and Iberian food experience by Chef Rob Santello and General Manager/Partner Sergio Moutela. The award-winning duo is cooking up something new and we had to give it a try. Read on to learn more about what we tried and recommend at Tasca in Montclair, New Jersey.
The Location
Tasca, located at 377 Bloomfield Avenue, is hiding in plain sight on the main strip of downtown Montclair. It’s a cute, cozyspot located directly across from the new Mud Clay Studio. Once inside, guests are greeted by chic decor in a dramatically lit space. Wall art gives a nod to Portugal and Spain, adding a touch of Europe to New Jersey. What makes coming into Tasca special is the warm welcome by the staff. Front of House Manager Tyrique made us feel right at home and shared sentiments of excitement on behalf of the staff to finally share this passion project with the world. The restaurant seats about 30 people, making it a great option for date night or small group dinner.
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Food + Drink
New Jersey foodies will recognize Chef Rob from breakout eateries such as Heirloom Kitchen in Old Bridge and St. Laurant in Asbury Park. Partner Sergio is no stranger to the food scene as Executive Chef at Metuchen’s Torino. The mission of Tasca is to bring Iberian food to new heights. This culinary team has hand-selected each item on the menu with care.
The main part of the artistry of Tasca is the curated seasonal menu. Guests who choose to partake in spirited beverages can select from half or full bottles of wine or sangria. Soft beverages are available as well. Since this is a full dining experience, Tasca serves the pre-fixe menu consisting of three courses and an option to add on dessert (but is “no” even an option when it comes to dessert?).
The first two courses are served tapas (small plate) style and are meant for personal consumption. The third course is more of a full entree portion. Our server Amanda was knowledgeable in the menu and provided recommendations for each course. She shared that each course has at least one vegan option. The menu is set to change every six weeks or so to keep things interesting and fun. We opted for plates such as the smoked whitefish pate, the farm bean feijoada, and the “chef’s baby”, the monkfish.
For dessert, MG most enjoyed the Pastel de Nata cronut. Partner Sergio explained that he knew he wanted to do something with Portugal’s traditional egg custard dessert, but didn’t want to be so “on the nose” with it. So, a cronut made the most sense to him and he went with it. It did not disappoint. We also tried the Azorean pineapple carpaccio, which is the vegan dessert option. This modern take on traditional pina colada flavors of pineapple and coconut left us feeling refreshed followed by a little kick of smokiness.
The pre-fixe menu is $75 per person and desserts range from $14 to $19. Coffee, espresso, and Portuguese teas are available with dessert as well. Tasca is dine-in only.
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More Details
Tasca is set to be a Montclair favorite. With limited seating, reservations via Resy are required. Street parking is available in front of the restaurant with an additional lot in the rear. Tasca will have a space for private events in the near future so be sure to check the website and social channels for more news as it becomes available.
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