Michael Carrino Reinvents Passionné Restaurant Montclair - Fall Menu Tasting of "Progressive American Cuisine"

There are exciting things happening this fall at Restaurant Passionné. This makes me very happy since I've felt that the Montcliar dining scene has been getting a little tired lately.

Now let me tell you, if you think of Passionné as a French restaurant you are only partially right. While Chef and Owner Michael Carrino's roots in French cuisine are deep and still very present they are only one part of what Restaurant Passionné is today.

This October, in a beautifully redecorated space that is a wonderful sanctuary for comfortable dining and a gallery for local artists to display their work, Carrino is rolling out a new menu of "Progressive American Cuisine." It is an offering of delicious cuisine crafted with highest quality local and global ingredients with international flair and value in mind.

This past week, I had the tremendous pleasure of tasting some of the delightful new dishes that are on the fall menu and specials list at Passionné.  

I was with a small group of food writers invited to a tasting of the new menu. From the moment I entered Passionné I was taken by the comfortable colors and art on the walls. The place is now very warm and inviting. Gone is the French background music and bright posters of the original opening.  Replacing them is cool music by way of Pandora and beautiful local art.

Michael's fall menu includes many new dishes, very special home made pastas, a selection of restaurant produced Charcuterie, and interesting fish and meat dishes with an emphasis on value.

I am not going to tell you much about the specific dishes. That will be a surprise for you to discover and I ardently urge you to do so. I would recommend a weeknight when you can really savor the enticing scents and flavors in a more relaxed setting and perhaps have a chance to talk to Michael. He has many interesting tales to tell.

I will tell you that the dishes are all of fresh ingredients sourced from local farmers and breeders and reflect a clever use of the savory international culinary influences that live in our wonderfully diverse American culture. They are truely "Progressive American Cuisine" which means using local and global ingredients and innovative techniques.

Corrino's background as a chef includes a degree from The Culinary Institute of  
  America and induction into the prestigious society of The Chaîne des Rotisseurs. He has cooked for the likes of former Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush and former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Margaret Thatcher at the 400th anniversary of Jamestown in Williamsburg, VA. and invited for a second appearance to cook for members of the world famous James Beard Foundation in New York City.

Here he is dreaming up the next new dish he will have for you. That mischievous smile tells a lot.

What struck me most about Michael, beyond the delicious scents, textures and flavors of the dishes he prepared for us, was his deep involvement and commitment to local, sustainable, and healthy food provision. Many talk about this concept of local and sustainable, Michael really walks this path in life. He is an active member of “Buy Fresh, Buy Local,” and is a supporter of the New Jersey Food Shed Alliance and “Jersey Fresh.” 

He is also deeply engaged with the farmers and breeders who harvest the ingredients of the food he prepares. They include great natural farms like L.L. Pittenger Farms in Andover, NJ and Goffle Farms in Wyckoff, NJ as well as Jurgielewicz Farms in Havertown, PA. He grows some of his own ingredients at Matarazzo's in Caldwell and uses many local farmers for produce.

Carrino still finds time to lend his talents to many charitable organizations like The Salvation Army, Toni’s Soup Kitchen at St. Luke’s Church (Montclair), St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital (Paterson) and the Vincent Care Kitchen at Vincent Methodist Church in his hometown of Nutley, NJ. and he participates in our own Montclair Farmers Market.

If you read the New York Times Magazine last Sunday (10.10.2010) The Food Issue - "Eating Together - How the food Revolution - from farm to table - is really a story about seeding and savoring communities," you will understand what Michael is about as a forerunner in bringing diners, farmers and community together.

With all this going on Carrino has not forgotten to ensure his staff are up to a high standard. The servers are friendly, knowledgeable and always attentive.

Make sure you put Passionné on your list of must try or re-try dining places for the fall. You won't be disappointed and will be sharing with your friends or maybe keeping this place a secret. It is that good.

Restaurant Passionné
77 Walnut St.
Montclair, NJ 07042

p. 973-233-1006

http://www.restaurantpassionne.com

Read the article on Baristnet 

 

 

 

Comments

[Danny]

I'll definitely try their dishes soon! I'm such a restaurant lover that I get so hooked up on them if they have cozy atmosphere, scrumptious meals, and with reasonable price (of course). It's definitely okay for me to eat at cheaper diners, as long as they won't deprive my appetite.