The food, simply put, is elegant.
On Day 23, among our best choices in Italian cuisine, we offer ...
FASCINO
Ryan DePersio is ambitious -- always with a plan, always with a new venture.
Executive chef Ryan DePersio, in his signature space Yet the chef has maintained a remarkable level of excellence at his flagship fine dining restaurant, despite his endeavors in the more casual dining market.
His most recent opening -- Battello in Jersey City, a lively, cavernous restaurant on the waterfront -- attracts nearly 2,000 people each week and has become a popular wedding venue.
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But DePersio refuses to allow the demands of his other responsibilities to distract him from his signature space, his baby, the Montclair restaurant that wins all the awards.
Fascino remains remarkable for its Italian cuisine prepared with lighter French techniques, a natural pairing of DePersio's Italian family dinners and the chef's training with Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
Fascino also is known for its progressive vegetarian tasting menu.
The food, simply put, is elegant.
Rice-crusted fluke, with Tuscan kale, fennel and corn, at Fascino. DePersio credits a loyal and hard-working team, which includes his mother as pastry chef and a general manager who has been an employee since opening day 12 years ago.
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Some tweaks?
Fascino now offers nightly specials, which he shunned as a young, cocky chef. ("No need to run specials. The menu is special.")
And more small-plate options, so people needn't equate Fascino as special-occasion only.
• Fascino | 331 Bloomfield Ave., Montclair | (973) 233-0350 | fascinorestaurant.com
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