Popular dishes at Gencarelli's Ristorante & Pizzeria off Route 46 in the Pine Brook section of Montville include Chicken Dominick, Penne alla Gencarelli and "square pies"—pizzas baked in pans to give them a nice crunch, owner Guy Gencarelli said. Gencarelli's parents opened the restaurant in 1982 and operated it 22 years before their kids took over. Many of the recipes have stayed the same. "Basically, anything we gained from our parents we kept unchanged," Gencarelli said. They use quality ingredients and always make everything fresh, he said. The philosophy: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it…

If you're in the mood for live music, trying a new winter ale or a biting into a big burger, Poor Henry's Restaurant on Main Road / Route 202 in Montville Township could have your fix. Consider: guitarist Barry McArdle is scheduled to play at 8:30 p.m. on Friday at at the pub, which typically has live music Thursdays and through the weekend (Though dinner on New Year's Eve is supposed to be quiet if you're looking for a low-key outing.) Flying Dog K-9 Cruiser is a new seasonal ale on tap. And the kid-friendly Irish eatery serves a variety of dishes including prime rib, salmon, flounder, pasta…

James Gandolfini once stopped by Bella Pizza during a day of filming for "The Sopranos" and a newspaper photo of him sitting in the Italian restaurant is still taped in front of the register. The pizzeria on Main Road in the Towaco section of Montville Township has been around more than eight years and offers a full range of pizzas, calzones, wraps, cheesesteaks, salads, chicken wings and pasta—plus free coffee with your order. "Because our pizzas are made from authentic Italian recipes with the finest, freshest ingredients, including cheese, spices and dough made fresh daily with the highest…

Signature sandwiches, cheesesteaks and omelettes top the menu at the family-owned R&R Sandwich Shop just off Route 46 on Bloomfield Avenue in the Pine Brook section of Montville Township. Consistently good food always has been the shop's recipe for success, but its business has had to change over its 28 years in business, said Rachel Degraff, who owns the shop with her husband, Robert, and son, Michael. The family lives in Parsippany. The shop has weathered a changing dining and economic landscape by earning loyal customers with homemade food, including soups, burgers, wraps and baked goods, …

Conturso's Market & Fine Catering feeds its customers in a variety of ways. It home delivers Thanksgiving dinners, caters corporate meetings with zucchini bruschetta and other dishes, sells bagged, prepared family meals to-go and makes pizzas and sandwiches for people to enjoy at the tables inside. Owner John Conturso, who received his classic chef training at Culinary Institute of America, said the 3-year-old business on Main Road in Montville Township is about evenly split between catering and retail. Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking …

Marra's Italian Deli & Catering on Changebridge Road in Montville has a menu featuring a variety of hot, cold and gourmet sandwiches, and soups, salads, wraps and dinner specials. But if it was a popularity contest, the Number 10 would rise above the rest. Owner Anthony Marra said the Number 10—a chicken cutlet sandwich with fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers and balsamic vinaigrette—is the most popular choice among customers. Owned by Marra and his aunt, Theresa Marra, the deli is celebrating its three-year anniversary by offering deals on dinners through October. (You can't miss the huge …

Mention the Spa Restaurant in Lake Hiawatha, and you're sure to get comments. "Have you tried the cream soups?" "You can't miss breakfast at the Spa." After months of hearing people recommend the place, the time came to check out the Parsippany eatery. And what do you know? The commenters are right. The Spa is a traditional diner setting that offers breakfast, lunch, dinner, take-out and specials. Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: The Spa is well-loved for its homey breakfast platters, but we wanted to …

Donut Dugout, located in a strip mall on Route 46 in Montville, offers coffee and donuts, of course, as well as French toast, pancakes, wraps, sandwiches and bagels. A new lineup of three-egg omelettes named after baseball players could be on the horizon. Dominick Del Plato, a township resident who has owned Donut Dugout for 4 1/2 years, says he is considering adjusting the name of the 33-year-old establishment to reflect more of the menu. Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Donut Dugout Donuts are 95 cents …

Eli's Corner Gourmet Bagel, located in a corner of Red Barn Plaza on Main Road in Montville, offers fresh bagels, wraps and sandwiches with Boar's Head meats and cheeses. You can, of course, get a bagel with cream cheese. But you also can get specialty sandwiches known as the Paris Hilton, Jersey Devil and Mustang Pride. Special orders don't upset them, either. When a customer in front of me ordered butter on one side of his bagel and cream cheese on the other (he was celebrating his 10th birthday with an Eli's bagel), the staff hardly blinked. Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either…

Sometimes going out with to a meal with your family is the best way to spend a night. For this week's Bites Nearby, we've chose an ideal place to do just that: Suppa's Restaurant on 17 Old Bloomfield Avenue in Montville.  Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Suppa's Restaurant serves Italian, but this isn't a whole in the wall pizza place—it's a fine dining restaurant that has a private party room, serves lunch and dinner and allows for BYOB. The menu offers appetizers, soups and salads, chicken, steak, and …

New Jersey has a reputation for its diners and those in the mood for some waffles with a side of mozzarella sticks at 6 p.m. can get their fill at the Montville Diner. Each week, Montville Patch picks a great restaurant either intown or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Montville Diner—With a menu and a price list on par with just about every other diner in the nation, the Montville Diner is a step above thanks to its waiters and décor. The eatery ditches metallic shine and kitsch for a more welcoming, eating-at-your-grandmother’s-house interior and matches it with…

Sure, there is no shortage of places to get pizza in the area, but Bites Nearby can tell you where to get a slice with some personality. Each week, Montville Patch picks a great restaurant either intown or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: The Columbia Inn—Falling somewhere in price between the family-friend setup at Harrigans and the more expensive fair at the Montville Inn, the Columbia Inn is a moderately-priced eatery on the edge of Montville Township that specializes in wood oven-baked pizza. While specialty pies like Pizza Pesto and Pizza Amatricana offer a …

Each week, Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice:Montville Bagels and Deli—Let’s be honest for a second: there is no shortage of places in the area to get a good bagel. While Montville Bagel certainly won’t steer your wrong if  breakfast bread is what you are looking for, the real charm of this Changebridge Road eatery is its bakery. The store offers an ever-updating, inventive array of cakes, cookies, cupcakes and other sweets. The store also does speciality orders and catering. Add to that a full lunch menu and a well-…

Who says diners are for breakfast food? Whether you're in the mood for a hamburger, pancakes or burritos, this week's pick for Bites Nearby has got what you're looking for.Each week, Montville Patch picks a great restaurant either intown or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice:Macs Diner—With its large, inviting pink and turqouise sign, Macs Diner calls drivers in off of Route 23 North for a warm cup of coffee and a menu with endless options for breakfast, lunch and dinner food, no matter what time of day. Inside, customers are greeted by a case of cakes and pastries …

If there's one thing New Jersey knows how to do, it's bagels. Well, that and pizza.But this week, we're talking about bagels. The big, fluffy, warm kind that have the perfect amount of seasoning on top to leave you craving that next bite. Whether you smear them with cream cheese, butter or even a piece of smoked fish, the right bagel could brighten up your breakfast, and day, in the best way.Each week, Montville Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice:Kinnelon Bagel: A well-known staple in the Meadtown Shopping Center, …

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Montville Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: The Red Barn- On the surface, one could be forgiven for assuming the Red Barn offers nothing more than the standard home-cooked fare. However, once one passes the rustic, homey interior, complete with picnic table and counter-top seating and dives into the menu, the Towaco eatery becomes a place where comfort food and healthy choices come together with …

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Montville Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Yuki Hana-This small Japanese restaurant is located on Route 23 North, in Butler. Hidden behind the dull, grey facade is a beautiful, calm atmosphere, complete with soothing Japanese music and small waterfall arrangements on each table. Customers sit in wooden booths lined with Japanese mats, completing the Japanese experience. Yuki Hana offers sushi …

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Montville Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Taste of Reality Cafe – Anyone who thinks there is only so much you can do with a sandwich has obviously not been to the Taste of Reality in Kinnelon. With selections ranging from normal deli fare to more inventive creations like the “Mike’s Delight” (a chicken cutlet sandwich with pepper jack cheese, bacon and BBQ sauce), along with a breakfast menu, …

You can stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Montville Patch picks a great restaurant in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice: Il Positano There is no need to book a flight to Italy for a great Italian meal, just grab the family and head into Kinnelon. Walking into Il Positano you have your choice of sitting in the pizzeria in a casual fun atmosphere or you can choose to be seated in the dining area with more of a family style flair or a pefect date night. Either way, the quality of the …