Lauren Rivera 
After closing both Blu and Next Door in 2015, longtime Montclair Chef Zod Arifai announced plans to return to the MTC with a new restaurant concept back in September. Italiana by Zod, which opened this October, serves up Italian classics like pizza, pasta, and more, is located in the former Fiamella space at 558 Bloomfield Avenue. Read on for what to know about Italiana by Zod, Montclair’s newest Italian restaurant.
About Italiana by Zod
Blu, formerly located at 554 Bloomfield Avenue, and Next Door, once located at 556 Bloomfield Avenue, were Montclair restaurants that closed in 2015. Local Chef Zod Arifai owned both of the eateries. After the closure of his Montclair businesses, Chef Zod opened a different restaurant in NYC called Wicked Jane, located in the Greenwich Village neighborhood. Wicked Jane opened during the pandemic, and Chef Zod was recognized with a Michelin Star during its tenure. Now, a decade after first making waves in the MTC, Chef Zod has returned to Montclair with his newest concept: Italiana by Zod.
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Chef Zod opened his new restaurant this October, and we got the chance to try it out over the weekend. It is located in the former Fiamella space, which closed its doors a few years back. The eatery serves up a selection of house-made pizza, pasta, desserts, and plenty of other Italian delicacies.
Visit the restaurant’s website and Instagram for more details.
Other Montclair Openings
Italiana by Zod joins a large list of new and incoming spots in the area. In recent months, Montclair has seen a surge in new business openings, including Vietnamese cafe Bánh Voyage at 54 Fairfield Street, specialty store Last Minute Market at 102 Walnut Street, innovative pizza spot Maker Pizza at 171 Forest Street, and more. This summer, a total of 20 new spots have opened in the Montclair and Essex County area — check out our list here.
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