There’s no denying that Raymond’s is a popular place. The hoards descend on weekend mornings and early afternoons to enjoy the small-town, throw-back atmosphere of Church Street and the equally homey feel of this local upscale diner. It’s been a fixture of Montclair’s downtown for going on 25 years and really is the beating heart of the business district’s culinary glory. If sheer volume and longevity are the measure. Not to mention its “cute” French cafe aesthetic and downtown vibes.
If you’ve ever been to a Keith McNally restaurant in NYC, you’ll recognize what amounts to a straight-up rip of his style here. The hex-tiled floors and subway tiles, the dark worn wood, the pressed tin ceiling, the red leather banquets, the antiqued touches (including the famous wall of colored seltzer bottles) and a general feeling of age about everything. Nothing is pristine. Cracks and wear just show you it’s a working restaurant and not some museum to food. If this was Europe, there would be like 100 cigarettes going and those little mismatched glasses filled with unpronounceable red table wine being drunk by the gallon. I do think it’s definitely this hip factor that draws an audience. I mean, sure, you could walk another hundred feet to the Montclair House Grill, which is much more your stereotypical Greek diner. But there you just feel like you’re picking eggs off that 14-page monstrosity of a menu instead of having a more bespoke experience at Raymond’s with its one-pager. MHG knows it’s just the overflow option anyway, so let’s not pretend otherwise.
Whatever this joint wants to be, it’s really a brunch place. Ms. Hipster loves their omelettes. I think they’re technically French omelettes. You know the ones. They look like a little Nerf ball of perfect folded egg with a sprig of something on top. Not your typical mess of flat eggs with uneven browning you’ll get at the greasy spoon. Nope, they’re composed and fluffy and creamy and will run you $16 with two items and some toast. They are admittedly the star of their repertoire. Their other staples, French toast, waffles and pancakes are also decent. I did do a grilled BBQ chicken sandwich once because I just wasn’t feeling breakfast. It was just okay. And, otherwise, their list of salads, sandwiches and entrees are pretty conservative and down-the-middle American grub. The typical dinner go-to is their burger. It’s pretty good, but inconsistent. I tried their version of one of my typical favorites, Baja fish tacos, and they were dry, kind of ugly and generally tasteless. I honestly think they were about 87% cabbage. I find it funny that they have the aforementioned omelette on their dinner menu as an entree, but serve it with either fries or a side salad. I guess you gotta know your lane and what got you there.
28 Church St. – Montclair
973/744-9263
raymondsnj.com/montclair
