Montclair’s new Grindage Wood Fired Pizza & Sandwiches celebrated its grand opening and ribbon cutting on Friday, Nov. 2.
The restaurant ownership team was joined by Mayor Robert Jackson, Diane Israel from the Montclair BID and members from around the community. Grindage offers hand-crafted, locally sourced food in a laid-back environment at 438 Bloomfield Avenue.
Located in the former home of local favorite, Mancinni’s Coal Oven Pizza, this newly reinvented spot offers a variety of original pizzas, seasonal salads, and hearty sandwiches. Customers can find their favorites, like meatball ricotta pizza and cremini mushroom pizza, alongside new menu items such as white vegetable pizza, Tuscan kale salad, and a pan-seared skirt steak sandwich with chimichurri sauce.
“We are so excited to join the thriving dining culture in Montclair,” said Lee Mangravito, co-owner of Grindage Wood Fired Pizza & Sandwiches and a resident of West Orange, N.J. “We’re keeping the most popular elements of the Mancinni’s menu, along with its chef, Joe Profita, and adding new pizzas, sandwiches and salads we think the community will love.”
The team was excited to see the community’s reaction at their grand opening – including Mayor Jackon’s, who enjoyed a slice. “We are very excited to welcome this new, late-night pizza spot to our community,” says Jackson. “Its location along Bloomfield Avenue and delicious menu will make it a destination for pizza lovers visiting and living in Montclair.”
Montclair local business owners recognize the importance of supporting one another to help the town continue to thrive. This is especially the case for Pilar Kennedy, owner of Bloomfield Ave. business printer, Studio042, and her husband Scott Kennedy, founder of the Montclair Business Improvement District (BID). “I am always happy to see
new owners opening up a new business in Montclair. Montclair is now the hottest place to live, work and play outside of New York City,” said Pilar Kennedy, owner of Studio042, which has been in business for 30 years. “We will do our level best to help Grindage succeed.”
The vision for Grindage Wood Fired Pizza & Sandwiches began with a quote, a Pauly Shore one to be exact, and inspired co-owners Lee Mangravito and Jarrett Bennett to open this ’90s inspired, casual restaurant in Montclair’s vibrant downtown.
“It was important for us to create a restaurant that can be enjoyed equally for a workday lunch as it can for a late-night snack after a night out in Montclair,” said Bennett, co-chef and co-owner of the restaurant. Bennett is a Cedar Grove, N.J. resident who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 2000. He has helped launch restaurants in numerous New Jersey towns, and across the country.
Grindage Wood Fired Pizza & Sandwiches is open for lunch, dinner and late-night eats, seven days a week. The new spot offers dine-in, take-out and delivery options, including delivery to local students at Montclair State University.
The restaurant is co-owned by Mangravito and Bennett. Profita, formerly of Mancinni’s, serves as the head chef. For more details, visit the Grindage Wood Fired Pizza & Sandwiches website at: http://www.GrindagePizza.com. You can also follow the team on Instagram @grindage_pizza.
Lea Porcelli is a recent PR / Journalism graduate from Montclair State (May 2018)
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