Here at The Montclair Girl, we love to try out new foodie spots — and in November 2023, Bloomfield welcomed two more of them. The team behind The Brookdale, a restaurant + bar that opened at 1109 Broad Street in Bloomfield in 2020, first announced the opening of two new spots back in summer 2023, and the sister concepts opened for business that fall right next door to the original location. Fanny’s Restaurant + Bar is a hybrid restaurant serving cocktails, and Ladyfingers Bakery + Bar is a twist on a modern bakery. Most recently, Ladyfingers launched its brunch menu, and we got to try it out. Read on for more about these two Bloomfield eateries.
Fanny’s Restaurant + Bar
Fanny’s, which was named in honor of partners — Joey and Anthony Cinque’s Italian nonna, is a hybrid restaurant featuring sophisticated regional Italian dishes with a Jersey twist. The menu is filled with classic, elevated, yet approachable dishes such as seasonal housemade pasta, chicken marsala, and a blueberry steak, a traditional Florentine dish. The restaurant also serves desserts from its sister bakery, Ladyfingers, located next door.
MG got to try out Fanny’s back when it first opened, and while everything we ate was delicious, some of the standout dishes included the sausage + peppers, burrata, meatballs, paccheri + vodka, and the vodka chicken parm. For dessert, we recommend the zeppoles or tiramisu — but the limoncello cheesecake and olive oil cake were also great choices.
In addition to the food menu, cocktails and wine are a primary focus. The curated wine list is highlighted by Italian varietals and by-the-glass drinks, stressing that “wine service is very important to us. We want guests to enjoy whatever they select, whether it’s a well-crafted cocktail or a glass of Prosecco,” Joey Cinque, one of 5LC Group’s partners, shared.
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“Our vision for the cocktail program is to stick with traditional and classic favorites while offering our own twists on them,” Joey explained. “We’ll be focusing on martinis, Negronis, and spritzes”.
The decor inside is warm, sleek, + modern with white brick walls and warm shades of green and blue tile and marble as well as wood walls and pendant lights. The bar is intimate while the dining room has both indoor and outdoor patio seating.
Ladyfingers Bakery + Bar
The third eatery in line with The Brookdale and Fanny’s is Ladyfingers Bakery + Bar, the brainchild behind Pastry Chefs + Owners Samara Sulin and Lauren Kavourakis. This twist on the modern bakery is ‘saucy, spicy, + fun’ featuring traditional desserts typically served at The Brookdale as well as new creations for the whole family. The house-made brownies and doughnuts are a few of our favorite treats here, but everything truly looks so delicious.
What makes this location unique is that it also features a wine and cocktail menu in addition to the desserts, making it the perfect spot for date nights, celebrations, and nights out with friends.
“From custom cakes to cocktails, the goal of our decadent dessert bar is to offer a little piece of happiness for everyone,” Pastry Chef + Co-Owner, Lauren Kavourakis, shared with MG. “Let us take your fondest childhood cravings and transform them into the beautiful, sophisticated pastries you deserve,” Pastry Chef + Co-Owner Samara Sulin added.
MG recently had the chance to try out Ladyfingers’ new brunch, and can confirm that it’s top-tier. We started off with the “Summer Floatie” — prosecco poured over a scoop of house-made sorbet served in a mini flamingo pool floatie (pictured above).
Truly everything we tried on the brunch menu was enjoyable, but some of our favorites included the Ladyfingers hashbrown; the buttermilk cast iron pancake with mascarpone cream + strawberries; the avocado toast with grilled corn, pickled onions, + chili lime aioli; and the silver dollar stack with breakfast sausage, scrambled eggs, and cheese.
We can’t forget about the party “charcuterie” board — complete with danish, croissants, everything biscuits, and house-made pop tarts.
Other options include the falafel burger, crab benedict, and Mediterranean poached eggs, among other options.
The interior design at the bakery reflects Kavourakis + Sulin’s style with shades of red, yellow, and gold — plus accents of curvy lines reflective of its name + dessert, Ladyfingers.
Meet the 5LC Group
The partners behind these three Bloomfield eateries include Anthony Cinque, Joey Cinque, Jonathan Kavourakis, Lauren Kavourakis, Samara Sulin, and Cheyenne Intindola. The team, which found tremendous success with The Brookdale, was ecstatic to expand its horizons.
“Our 5 LC Group has bonded and become family over the past three years,” Chef + Owner, Jonathan Kavourakis, said. “Now we’re ready for expansion.”
Photo Credit: Fanny’s
Fanny’s and Ladyfingers joined Broad Street at the Watchung Avenue strip, bringing a contemporary yet age-old flair to the dining scene.
The team is grateful for the support of Bloomfield, Montclair, and surrounding towns for supporting their original endeavor and were excited to introduce both Fanny’s and Ladyfingers to the community last year.
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“We’re big on family and community and there’s nothing I love more than eating and cooking Italian food,” shared Kavourakis.
