Bagels are the one food that New Jerseyans just can’t get enough of, and in bagel-related news, a popular breakfast joint has announced its arrival in Montclair — which means locals will have yet another spot to satisfy their carb cravings. O’Bagel, which has locations in five other New Jersey towns, plans to open at 560 Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair soon. Read on for what we know about O’Bagel coming to Montclair, New Jersey.
Photo Credit: @meganjahnke
The Details
Montclair residents strolling along Bloomfield Avenue may notice signage for a new spot next to Club Pilates. The Montclair Girl is here to confirm that yes, it’s true — O’Bagel, a family-owned and operated bagel shop, plans to open its sixth location at 560 Bloomfield Avenue soon.
This shop, which has won titles in The Hoboken Girl’s Best of awards for multiple years, serves hand-rolled bagels, house-made cream cheese, breakfast burritos, and more. O’Bagel also has lunch options like the Pesto Chicken, made with chicken cutlet or grilled chicken, fresh mozzarella, roasted red peppers, arugula, and homemade pesto aioli, and the Fuego, which comes with chicken cutlet or grilled chicken, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, Jersey tomatoes, pickled jalapeños, and chipotle aioli.
Read More: 24 Montclair Area News Stories This Week | February 16, 2025
For those with dietary restrictions, O’Bagels has gluten-free wraps and bagels in plain or everything, as well as vegan cream cheese in plain or garlic herb.
The official opening date is still unknown as of this writing. The Montclair Girl has reached out to O’Bagel and this post will be updated with any further details.
About O’Bagel
O’Bagel, a family-owned bagel spot that has been passed down through generations, “started as the vision of Sam [El-Hassan], who wanted to put his expertise of hand-rolling bagels into a suburban community that respects and appreciates fresh quality bread made from hand-selected ingredients,” according to the website.
This shop has five shops across the Garden State. Its original location, which first opened in 1995, is located in Stirling at 1168 Valley Road. The Riverwalk and Dewy Meadow shops opened in 2003, and in 2016, Sam’s son Stephen El-Hassan, co-owner, chef, and CEO (Carb Executive Officer), opened the Hoboken location, which is now loved among its residents. In recent years, O’Bagel opened its fifth shop in New Brunswick, and operated a ghost kitchen in Belleville. The Montclair location will be O’Bagel’s sixth locale.
See More: The Best Bagels in Hoboken, Sorted By Your Bagel Cravings
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Meet Montclair’s Newest Chinese Restaurant: Paper Lantern
Other states may have us beat with lower taxes and year-round warm weather, but when it comes to diverse cuisine, New Jersey stands second to none. Take Montclair for example. The town, as small as it is, has streets lined with globally inspired restaurants, from Mediterranean food to Yemeni fare to the rich cuisines of Ethiopia. The Montclair community welcomed yet another flavor to its local dining scene on February 11th: the culinary tastes of Northern China. Paper Lantern, a restaurant that specializes in Sichuan and Chinese fusion dishes, is Monclair’s newest eatery, setting up shop at 379 Bloomfield Avenue. Read on for what we know about Paper Lantern, the newest restaurant to open in Montclair, New Jersey.
The Details
Paper Lantern, a Chinese restaurant serving Sichuan and Chinese fusion dishes, has put down roots at 379 Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair. This spot held its soft opening on Tuesday, February 11th, 2025 and hosted its official grand opening on Monday, February 17th.
Arvin Vheng, the manager of Paper Lantern, told The Montclair Girl that this new spot is owner Alex Niu’s latest business venture. Alex is also the mastermind behind the Jersey City staple Taste of North China on 75 Montgomery Street, which also serves Sichuan-inspired fare. “We trying to explore the different communities..expand the business..and give the community diverse choices for Chinese food,” Arvin shared with MG.
Read More: O’Bagel Coming to Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair
At the Paper Lantern, Montclarions can find dim sum, cold dishes, and traditional Sichuan options like the chef-recommended spicy boiled beef, which comes with boiled sliced beef, vegetable medley, and Sichuan chili broth, and the sichuan spicy offal stew, made with tender offal and crisp vegetables in a numbing chili broth.
Those with dietary restrictions don't have to miss out on the fun because Paper Lantern also has all kinds of vegan, gluten-free, and vegetarian menu items. Plant-based eaters also have options like the scallion pancakes, garlic cucumber salad, boletus mushroom fried rice, and mala dry hot pot.
Its gluten-free dishes include the House Special Lo Mein, which comes in beef, chicken, or vegetable, Rice Noodles, Yangzhou Fried Rice, Steamed Spare Ribs With Rice Powder, Shrimp Dumplings, and Sichuan Cold Jelly Noodles, which is also vegan. While the entire menu is a must-try in our book, the MG team recommends the chicken lo mein, which is large enough to serve two people.
Once the restaurant settles in its new location, Paper Lantern looks forward to adding more to its menu in the future. Montclair customers can expect dessert options, more spicy dishes for those who like the heat, and "a lot more choices for people who have different tastes and preferences," Arvin told MG. Paper Lantern also hopes to eventually expand its cuisines to other areas in the Garden State.
To celebrate its arrival in Montclair, Paper Lantern is providing customers with 10% off of all dine-in orders through February 28th. Diners can visit this restaurant any day of the week from 12PM to 9:30PM.
See More: Crumbl Cookies Hosting Grand Opening in Downtown Jersey City on 2/28
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.
