Montclair Morning
As summer vacation mode slowly fades away for me, I know that my travels will inevitably scale back and shift into fewer full day excursions and more compressed outings. I recently spent a solo morning in Montclair, NJ wandering and exploring a city I have loved for years. I went to college at Montclair State University for undergrad so I have a familiarity and appreciation for Montclair that I’ve carried with me for over a decade now.
On my recent trip, my original plan was to visit Arben at Le French Dad Boulangerie to grab some pastries and catch up. Then in true Jersey Girl Travels (JGT) fashion, I decided to upgrade my itinerary and make a morning of it. If you’re in a TL;DR mood, here’s the short version: Le French Dad Boulangerie, Paper Plane Coffee Co, intermission to visit my friend, White Rabbit Black Heart, Dolly Moo, Van Hook Cheese.
My first two stops could be interchangeable depending on where you want to kick your day off. I started mine at Le French Dad because I know how quickly they can run out of their delicious items. However, you could also order your croissants, pain au chocolat, baguettes and more on their website for pickup and not worry about someone walking away with the last Kouign Amann. Le French Dad is open 8am-5pm Wednesday-Sunday and is located at 10 Church Street, a small street which also features Java Love, Raymond’s, and Montclair House Grill.
From Le French Dad it’s about a 5 minute walk to Paper Plane Coffee. You can also drive, of course, and it may be a good move if the weather isn’t ideal. I drove from spot to spot solely because I didn’t wear walking shoes that day. Now with your breakfast pastry (pastries?) in hand you can go get your caffeine fix. Paper Plane has your standard coffee shop faves like lattes and chai but Paper Plane also has wildly inventive options such as the Mayan Latte from their Science menu (chocolate, cinnamon, cayenne, brown sugar, espresso, and your choice of milk) or the Hattori Hanzō from their Bubbly menu (lime, jasmine, yuzu soda, matcha). My tip: check out their menu before you go so you have an idea of what you might like. They currently have outdoor seating available and also feature online ordering. Paper Plane is open 7 days per week and is located at 194 Claremont Avenue.
The next step is where our paths diverge for a brief moment. After I secured my croissants and caffeine I stopped by my friend’s place to see her and bring her delicious breakfast and coffee before her trip. My next stop doesn’t open until 11am so you have some options. Montclair has Crane Park, a small park with flowers and benches where you can sit and enjoy your breakfast. You could also grab one of the outdoor tables at Le French Dad or Paper Plane and enjoy a slow paced morning or get some work done if you’re still living the wfh life. Montclair is filled with so many shops and restaurants that post- fueling up you can take a tour of the town by foot and perhaps take some notes for future dining and shopping options.
At 11am, White Rabbit Black Heart opens and once I found parking (Glenridge Avenue was closed *insert sad emoji*) I was excited to finally visit this shop. This place has everything. It’s a great option to find unique gifts for loved ones or to treat yourself to something lovely. These curated items range from candles and incense to journals and coasters and everything in between. The storefront alone is so eye-catching that if you ever found yourself on Glenridge Ave you would have 100% taken a detour in here. I grabbed a few things for myself as well as a gift for my bestie on this visit. White Rabbit Black Heart Opens at 11am Wednesday-Sunday and is located at 219 Glenridge Ave.
DollyMoo happens to be right next to White Rabbit Black Heart and is filled with body butters, candles, body oils, loofah soaps, and more for bath and body. Everything is expertly and carefully created and blended to ensure wonderful quality. I purchased the Sea Salt and Orchid body butter on my recent visit and it’s one of my favorite self-care items. I also used the Lavender Shower sSeamer on a stressful day (during the passport misery, iykyk) and it helped me have one of the most relaxing shower experiences ever and finally sleep. There are testers at the store managed by the employees so you can still try out a scent before committing. DollyMoo is located at 217 Glenridge Ave and they open at 11am Tuesday-Saturday and 12pm on Sunday.
This entire day so far can be walkable if you don’t mind trekking around a city. And hey, finding parking once is way better than finding parking twice. But you’ll want to drive to the next stop if you have a vehicle because you’re likely going to buy all the things.
I ended my day at Van Hook Cheese & Grocery’s newest location in Montclair. If you’ve been to the Jersey City location, prepare yourself for a much bigger space and one with a parking lot! Van Hook’s cheese selection will turn any cheese lover’s eyes into those cartoon heart eyes that pop out of your head. They also have a huge selection of meats such as Finocchiona and Sauccison Sec. Outside of their display case of my dreams they have pantry items such as oils, sauces, jams, pastas, and crackers and housewares like cheese boards and tea towels. If you have a long trip back to your hometown, I recommend bringing a cooler or hot/cold bag with you to keep the goods at a happy temperature. Van Hook also has a grilled cheese menu so if your morning carbs & coffee combo has worn off by now, you can bite into options like the French Onion with gruyere and shallot confit, the Hot Honey with taleggio, hot sopressata, and hot honey, or the classic with a house cheddar blend. Oh, and if Carl is there, tell him Jen from Jersey Girl Travels is moving in as the official cheese taster. Van Hook is located at 111 Grove Street.
My day ended here but that doesn’t mean yours has to! Montclair has tons of dining options if you want to grab lunch and plenty of shops if you want to explore more. Montclair is a multicultural city and you can find Creole (Saveur Creole), Colombian (Noches de Colombia), and Italian dining (too many to list!) as well as bubble tea (Kung Fu Tea and Gong Cha), Soul Food (Jefferson Cafe & Food Market), and The Pie Store which features savoury and sweet British pies. As for shopping the list is pretty endless and ranges from clothing stores to crystal and mineral shops so plan a route that taps into your interests. Let me know if you use my itinerary or plan a day of your own in Montclair! I’d love to see what you get while you’re there so tag me in your stories of your adventures.
