This place has saved me multiple times where I've been in the middle of cooking and realized I…read moreforgot an ingredient. It's very convenient to have right down the street, no need to pop onto a highway. Some of the reviews say the prices are higher, and that may be true. I haven't taken this into consideration when shopping, because it's very convenient so I'm willing to pay more. They are open until 8PM on most days, which is great and unusual for a place like this as well. Grateful to have this place in town!

You may not seek this place out. You may not believe what I am about to tell you. You may not ever…read morecome across this review because you are busy searching restaurants in NYC for your next first date...BUT, you will be missing out. Lucky Farmers Market is a non-descript bodega perched in a four deep mini-mall on Bloomfield Ave. in Verona (co-occupied by Subway and double Krauszers). Sounds awesome, right? Actually, it is. Inside is where you actually get lucky.* Fresh fruit and vegetables in droves for way less than your not-so-supermarket. From gargantuan Asian pears to three kinds of cucumbers to berries of all kinds, Lucky will not let you down on the fruit and vegetable end. This is not a full market so don't get all, "That dude said this place had everything," because they don't have everything. They just have good produce, a smattering of market items (good, healthy options) and THIS IS WHERE YOU MUST PAY ATTENTION - a full-time sushi chef that churns out the best sushi around, restaurant or not. Yes, a small bodega will give you excellent sushi in a plastic container and you won't have to overpay for it. If you take anything from this, just get the Tuna/Salmon sandwich sushi and thank me later. Lucky is my go-to spot for the items I rely on - fruit, vegetables and sushi. I do the bulk of my shopping at a regular, large and fat market, but I get all my fruit and vegetables here and I get dinner here 2x a week, every week. Everyone who runs this place and works here is super friendly and a pleasure to see every day. In a pinch, you can get flowers here which actually last a while too. What else is there to say? If you don't ever have a reason to go to Lucky Farmers Market, no one will care (not even your Mom), but if you do have a chance to swing by with fruits, vegetables, sushi or something interesting in mind you just might have found your spot. ____________________ *Well, you might not get lucky if you are thinking something other than groceries or sushi, but I get Lucky almost every day.

Very friendly people that stand by their products. Good selection of quality produce as well as…read moreother grocery items.

A little bit of everything for everyone at this Farmers Market. Lots of fresh produce as well as…read moreprepared foods and treats for everyone including dogs.

This was my first time visiting the Montclair Farmers Market and it was enjoyable time. This…read morefarmers market is full of fresh produce from many local New Jersey Farms and also has a variety of different vendors selling their wares. So anyway, I made it my business to buy as much produce as I can use in a week from as many different vendors as I could possibly purchase from. And I even splurged on some excellent looking Bison New York strips and some Mexican style Pork chorizo from a local cattle farmer. Which I quickly took home and threw on the grill with some of the vegetables that I purchased. They made for a wonderful Saturday evening dinner and paired perfectly with a bottle of wine that I had. Yummy! I love food & wine!! As for the overall variety of vendors at the market I only have one little complaint. And that is, I wish the market would have had some local cheese vendors and more baked goods like fresh breads. That would have made it the ideal experience for me. But nevertheless, I found myself having a joyful time being lost in all of the available selections of produce. Anyway, I will definitely be coming back to the Montclair Farmers Market as often as I can and you should too! FYI the market only takes place on Saturdays from 8 AM to 2 PM, so get there early to get all the choice produce! I hope you enjoy! P.S. Mostly all the vendors take Plastic!

Wow what a cute shop! I came here to get Christmas gifts and the owners/employees were so friendly…read moreand encourage us to try as many olive oils/balsamic vinegars as we wanted. Everything was really good but our favorite was the citrus habanero olive oil and the raspberry balsamic vinegar. The chili pepper olive oil and the lemon cucumber balsamic were also really good. They were also very kind and wrapped the gifts and made baskets for us. Definitely the place to go if you're looking for a nice hostess gift or a unique gift.

Food and service were great! Will definitely be back. Especially nice for outdoor dining.read more

Fresh Grocer is a newer name of a longstanding supermarket in Cedar Grove. The 'Fresh Grocer'…read morebrand is associated with 'Shoprite,' so many of the Shoprite brands (Bowl & Basket, etc), are available here, and the prices/sales are worth checking out. The supermarket is on the small side, so try to shop during early morning or evening hours to avoid crowded aisles in the store and tight parking.

We have been shopping this store since it was Foodtown, about 25 years and like it very much. But,…read morethere is absolutely a problem with their pricing. The digital coupons don't always work, I was overcharged $25 on a rib eye and $3 on another item. A cashier 'forgot' to process $16 credit on another item in which I was overcharged. That is a total of $44! They will make good on this, but it is a hassle. The pattern is very clear, they need to fix their pricing it's not acceptable. It appears that we are getting ripped off, because we are. Check your receipts before you leave!

low quality produce and most items are close to expiration. Buyer beware…read more The few times I have tried to buy berries they have been moldy or rotten. fruit is often bruised and on the verge of going moldy. This would not be an issue if they charged lower prices but you can get better quality for the same price at stores nearby such as Jacks.

I've shopped here for years. And it's always a pleasure. The owners are great, always helpful and…read morekind. And I almost always find what I need at a fair price.

This is second time ordering the Large Charcuterie & Cheese platter for our staff for lunch…read more Everyone absolutely loves it! When I pick up the platter the grocery is clean, neat and organized offering lots of additional extras to add to your platter like mustards, jams, crackers, etc.

Great place to advance your cheese and snack game…read more Excellent customer service Small shop Grilled cheese freshly prepared Plenty of parking Outdoor seating

I have been part of other food coops in Brooklyn. Yup, that one that is often mocked in the NYT. (…read moreYou can mock it but they built a multimillion dollar business so mock it all you want the hippies built a sustainable model for a grocery store with lots of good organic options.) Thirty years ago people thought we all joined a cult in these food coops. Yup that's right. Usually you join a food coop group with a work commitment to keep the project going, then you get a box of veggies or groceries weekly or so. Fast forward to the present many things food related are a club of sorts. Turns out its not so crazy to join a group and get special food needs met and its also not so crazy to work a bit for it. Anyways Purple Dragon is a food coop, like a buying club, not so much a CSA or community supported agriculture. Although i could be wrong... correct me please. I have been on and off part of this group for 5 years. When i am part of it, I like the affordable box of veggies. There is a good amount of fruit, salad items and veggies to cook. When i come off the subscription its mainly when I cook less in the summer or when i go out of town. The cons. They often include this crazy handout that is crammed with info which i dont read. My eyes are pretty bad. Sometimes you get rutabaga... not my favorite. Also ground cherries are weird. You only get what they give you. This could be a con or a pro. I dont mind being assigned my veggies and fruit but sometimes i do want to buy asian veggies. The pros. Great lettuce. Great organic produce. Often it was boston bib. And often its organic romaine. Great tomatoes and organic bananas that taste amazing. They have it in many towns in the central NJ area like South Orange snd Maplewood.

Purple Dragon is essentially a coordinated bulk buying group for organic fruits and vegetables…read more There are groups (15 people) in many locations in NJ and NY, and you pick up a mixed box of organic fruit and vegetables every other week - the day depends on the group you're in. Just about everything you get will be cheaper and much fresher (and last longer) than your local Whole Foods or supermarket. Because the group prioritizes local organic produce but is not a farm CSA, the mix of produce you get is more varied and useful (you'll get some fair-trade bananas and Florida grapefruit along with those local apples and squash). The people (in my group at least) are consistently nice. Couldn't recommend this group more to anybody looking to make a healthy lifestyle easy and enjoyable. http://www.purpledragon.com/

EVENT VENUE REVIEW ONLY:…read more Last night, my husband and I attended a board meeting held at Van Vleck House & Gardens. I've driven past its gates many times over the years, but this was my first opportunity to visit Van Vleck in Montclair. The meeting took place at 6:30pm, but the hour leading up to it was allowed for check-in, picking up name tags, and a light cocktail hour with food and refreshments. The organization had the check-in outside of the main house's entrance way. When we walked inside, there were cocktail tables covered in white cloth and adorned with floral center pieces and tealight candles. There was a buffet table in one of the first floor rooms to the left. There was also a bar setup in that room, as well as some seating. The library was rearranged for another bar setup and more cocktail tables. The library has windows that let in natural lighting and there is also beautiful fireplace. The catering and bartending team did a great job. The food spread was high quality and delicious. My vegetarian husband gave two thumbs up for the butternut squash ravioli, mushroom penne, and goat cheese salad. The bartender in the library was great. The people offering hors d'oeuvres were all professional and kind. It was a lovely hour before the meeting. The meeting was held in the room where most likely wedding ceremonies or event activities take place. That night, they had a stage set up for speakers and performers, and white wooden fold-up chairs for attendees. The room acoustics are good. At this meeting, there was short musical performance from two string musicians, and you could hear every detail of the notes played (i.e. great sound). After the meeting concluded, attendees began to exit. There were desserts by the front entrance for people, which was a nice surprise. It's a very special venue. My only note would be - and it's because I'm always looking out for this stuff - the pathway from the front door to the gate opening has very low lighting. Our meeting ended at 8pm and it was already sundown. While my husband and I were fine, another attendee exclaimed how it was so dark. We offered the flash lighting feature on our phones to help her out and lit up the path to avoid any falls. This may not be the usual for events as I imagine many people have them during the day to enjoy the lush gardens and natural beauty of the property... but I'm just saying should this apply to you.

We went here for Mother's Day, so it was exceptionally crowded as expected. It is a lovely smaller…read moresized garden. There aren't many walking trails available, but nice flowers, trees, and open areas to roam around for a bit. It's a nice spot to go and enjoy some outdoor time. It isn't someplace that you could really get some farther walking in. But nice mini escape.