Walnut Street Kitchen has officially opened its doors. The new Italian restaurant has taken over the space of the former Corso 98 located at 98 Walnut Street, Montclair, bringing along a fusion Italian-Filipino dining experience. Read on to learn more about Walnut Street Kitchen.
^ Matt Harvey and Beverly Lacsina, owners of Walnut St. Kitchen
Taking Over Corso 98
The historic Corso 98 sadly shut down in September 2020 after being in business since 1999. The owners announced the news to their followers in an Instagram post on September 5, 2020, stating the restaurant’s last night for dining would be September 30th. They also announced their new business would be La Serra Gardens in Totowa, NJ.
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The good news is that although the restaurant now has a new name, Walnut Street Kitchen, part of Corso 98’s flair which made it so popular will be integrated into Walnut Street. For one, it will still serve the iconic house-made pasta dishes.
(Photo credit: @walnutstreetkitchen_)
Per the press release, “It’s a way to honor the origin of the new owner Beverly Lacsina, which despite being young, has 13 years of experience working alongside some of the greatest Chefs of the Garden State, like the legendary Chef Anthony Bucco, formerly of Felina in Ridgewood, where she was part of the opening team. After a year working at Corso 98, Beverly decided to take full ownership of the restaurant to pursue her vision of cuisine.”
Beverly’s partner at Walnut Street is Matt Harvey, who created the sensation Harvey’s Handrolled Bagels, which is now a weekend pop-up at Walnut Street’s bakery until it opens a permanent bagel shop in the coming months. The two millennials started collaborating during the height of the pandemic to test out recipes and bring the kitchen to life.
“Living in New Jersey I got the chance to experience all the wonderful local ingredients that the Garden State has to offer. With this new exciting chapter of my career, I want to offer my clients a new idea of what NJ food is that allows me to honor the local agriculture, farmers, and vast culinary traditions synonymous with our state,” Beverly said in the press release.
About the Menu
Walnut Street Kitchen serves locally sourced, fusion-inspired dishes. The menu includes appetizers such as corn and scallion pancake, kabocha squash salad, baked oysters, and roasted beet tartare. The homemade pasta dishes include walnut street pasta, chitarra bolognese, and sweet potato gnocchi.
(Photo credit: @walnutstreetkitchen_)
The main courses include center-cut pork chop, roasted monkfish, flat iron steak, seared scallops, and seafood ragu, and sausage and broccoli rabe risotto among other delicious items. The menu also features a small selection of sides to choose from as well as specialty items like the white anchovy crostini.
Last but not least, the desserts include an icebox cake made with homemade chocolate pudding, a blood orange olive oil cake, cinnamon-sugar Basque cheesecake, and tiramisu. There is a separate three-course prix fixe menu, which is $50 and is available Tuesday through Thursday.
Check Out Walnut Street
The new restaurant, which is BYOB, opened its doors on April 12th. The hours of operation are Tuesday and Wednesday 5PM to 9PM, Thursday through Saturday, 5PM to 10PM, and Sunday 4:30PM to 9PM. The restaurant is closed on Mondays.
(Photo credit: @walnutstreetkitchen_)
Walnut’s bakery is located next door and is filled with baked specialty goods such as many favored confections that bring you right back to Italy.
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The owners suggest a stop by Saturdays after the Montclair Farmers Market, where visitors can find Elio’s (of Corso 98) mother, ‘Mama’ Lucia making fresh ravioli with a variety of fillings. “You won’t find anywhere else in New Jersey that has ‘Mama’ making you fresh pasta on display for you to take home,” the website reads.
To stay in the know on all of the local happenings, follow MG on Instagram @themontclairgirl and on TikTok @themontclairgirl.
