In early February 2025, one of Montclair’s most iconic Italian eateries, Scala del Nonna, closed its doors after 11 years. Since then, the space has been empty as MTC locals eagerly keep an eye out for what will come next. On Tuesday, April 1st, 2025, The Montclair Girl received an exclusive update from the new business owner taking over the space. 32 Church Street will soon welcome a new American restaurant, The Saint Clair. Read on for everything we know so far about The Saint Clair’s arrival in Montclair, New Jersey.
The New Spot
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The Montclair Girl received word via DM from local foodie and Top Chef Season 19 contestant, Chef Leia Gaccione, on Tuesday, April 1st that she had an exciting secret to share with the Montclair community. Leia let us know that she would be taking over the former Scala del Nonna space at 32 Church Street in Montclair. With a goal of opening early this summer, the restaurant will be called The Saint Clair and focus on new American eats. The chef driven, locally sourced eatery will feature brunch, lunch, and dinner, and be open seven days a week.
Read More: Skip to My Brew: Montclair’s Newest Coffee Shop on Valley Road
Leia shared with MG that she hopes The Saint Clair will be a “sanctuary for food lovers and community.” Noting that she had been inspired by the original architecture of the Church Street building that features beautiful cathedral ceilings and historic features on top of being located in her favorite city (Montclair). While Leia is holding onto final design details of the space, she expressed her excitement for all to come, grateful to share the space with hungry Montclair residents. Above all, Leia is thrilled to be a business owner and resident of Montclair, sharing that being able to feed the community is high on her list of things she is looking forward to. Leia worked in her very first kitchen in Montclair 25 years ago, and feels that this is a true full circle moment of her hard work coming to fruition. We will be sure to keep readers posted with more updates about The Saint Clair as details unfold.
What Was There Before?
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On February 9th, 2025, Scala del Nonna announced via Instagram that its Montclair location at 32 Church Street would close permanently on Sunday, February 16th, 2025. The restaurant had served the Montclair community for 11 years prior and was known for its traditional Italian comfort dishes. Currently, Scala del Nonna still has three other locations, called Scala Fedeli, at 63 Main Street in Chatham, 167 Main Road in Montville, and 165 Duane Street in New York City.
See More: First-Ever Foodie Fest for Autism Awareness Happening in Hoboken on 4/5
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Montclair Behavioral Health: Therapy + Psychiatry Services in Montclair
This article is sponsored by Montclair Behavioral Health.
Here at The Montclair Girl, we're firm believers that mental health is just as important as physical health, and we love to highlight North Jersey businesses that believe the same. Local psychiatry and therapy practice Montclair Behavioral Health is guided by this ethos to provide comprehensive mental health services to children, adults, families, and couples. Located at 103 Park Street # 2C, the team at Montclair Behavioral Health includes a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a licensed clinical social worker, and two board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners, who are dedicated to meeting the unique needs of each individual they work with. Keep reading to find out more about this Montclair psychiatry and therapy practice and how it’s serving the community.
About Montclair Behavioral
Montclair Behavioral Health is experienced in providing comprehensive mental health services for clients of all ages, with dual specialties in medication management and therapy. On the therapy side, a particular focus is working with teenage and adult males, couples therapy, and sports + performance coaching. The practice is equipped to address a wide range of emotional, psychological, relationship, performance and career issues.
The team is small but mighty, led by psychiatrist Dr. Keri Wasser and psychologist Dr. Ron Wasser. Also on staff is Licensed Clinical Social Worker Adam Torrisi, and two board-certified Mental Health Nurse Practitioners, Patricia Gazzola and Brie Benaquista. Each is committed to providing warm, grounded, and professional support that allows clients to feel comfortable and understood.
Treatment Options Available
Mental health is the name of the game, and Montclair Behavioral has three main services dependent on client needs. The team works with clients of all ages and focuses on providing careful, evidence-based approaches while creating a warm, grounded, and professional environment for all clients.
- Psychiatry: The team provides psychiatry services to children, adolescents, and adults, addressing issues like depression, anxiety, OCD, ADHD, and more. When medication may be necessary, the team conducts comprehensive evaluations and provides personalized medication management.
- Talk Therapy: Talk therapy is available for teens, adults and couples, addressing issues like depression, anxiety, OCD, ADHD, and challenges in relationships, family dynamics, career, and school, with a particular specialty working with male adolescents and men's mental health issues.
- Performance Coaching: Through a combination of psychological expertise with business and performance insight, practitioners help individuals overcome career and performance obstacles. They work with clients to identify and address challenges, facilitating growth and success.
Meet the Team
Montclair Behavioral Health’s team has several providers who specialize in different areas of mental health. With years of experience in private practice, each professional brings a unique perspective and expertise to the table.
Psychiatry:
Keri Wasser, MD is a highly experienced child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist and the medical director of Montclair Behavioral Health. With over 20 years of expertise in psychopharmacology and emotional + cognitive development, she leads the psychiatry team in creating personalized, thoughtful treatment plans for patients. Dr. Wasser graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania and earned her MD from NYU School of Medicine.
Patti Gazzola, PMHNP-BC is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with over 10 years of experience in diagnosing mental health issues, prescribing and managing psychiatric medication, and providing guidance to patients and their families so they can take an active role in optimizing their mental health. She’s passionate about treating children, teens, and young adults to create a collaborative, dynamic, and interactive relationship between provider and patient.
^ Patti Gazzola, PMHNP-BC
Brie Benaquista, PMHNP-BC is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with over 10 years of experience working with children, adolescents, adults, and families in emergency, therapeutic, and educational settings. Brie is skillful in collaborating with school systems and provides personalized, evidence-based care to meet the unique needs of each individual — which can include medication management when appropriate.
^ Brie Benaquista, PMHNP-BC
Therapy:
Ron Wasser, PhD is a licensed psychologist (NJ 4997) specializing in psychotherapy for adults, adolescents, couples and men’s mental health issues, and consulting professionals in their careers. With over 20 years of clinical experience, he previously worked at the NYU Child Study Center and Rutgers University. Dr. Wasser earned his BA from the University of Michigan, his MA in Psychology from The City College of New York, and his PhD in Clinical Psychology from the Graduate Center of CUNY, where he was a Chancellor’s Fellow.
Adam Torrisi, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker specializing in adolescents, adults, and families, with a further expertise in male adolescents and men’s mental health. He works to help clients manage stress, anxiety, and depression. With many years of prior experience in senior educational leadership roles, Adam works with families to navigate school-related anxiety, social disconnection, and school refusal. He has worked one-on-one with college and high school athletes experiencing performance anxiety and consistency issues, in addition to working with teams, professional organizations, and law enforcement agencies to address team dynamics.
^ Adam Torrisi, LCSW
Montclair Behavioral is an out-of-network practice and does not directly accept insurance, but will provide receipts for clients to submit for out-of-network reimbursement. There are in-person and virtual sessions available depending on what’s preferred or clinically appropriate.
Montclair Behavioral Health is located at 103 Park Street, Suite 2C in Montclair.
Call 973-791-7557 or visit the site for more info or to make an appointment.
