Turtle + the Wolf
“Must try : Chicken Liver Mousse
New favorite spot !!!!”
“My husband's brisket moist and flavorful, and a pleasant surprise for 'Northeastern' BBQ.”
“The three choices were the flourless chocolate cake (no thanks), the zeppoles or the apple and cranberry tart.”
Turtle + the Wolf
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
6 reviews
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On a terribly rainy summer Saturday night, this neighborhood Montclair gem provided a cozy refuge with some great food and service.
Our server was truly lovely and she was super friendly, enthusiastic in her recommendations and on point in delivery of food and beverages.
The atmosphere is low key, minimalist but warm, comfortable but not stuffy and the tables are amply spaced, which is refreshing for a Montclair BYO!
All of our wines were opened, decanted as requested and water glasses filled at appropriate intervals. We started with the grilled octopus, the chicken liver mousse and a greens dish for appetizers. I opted to wait for the main course, which did not disappoint. We had the roasted 1/2 chicken which was moist and served with bok choy and mushrooms. Flavors were clean and the herbs really shined. I tasted our friend's brisket which was truly spectacular. My hubby enjoyed his mussels and the focaccia to soak up the delicious broth. The collard greens were also yummy.
We skipped dessert but would have opted for the zeppoles if we had to. Coffee was superb.
Overall we were impressed with the dining experience and will definitely return. If we had one suggestion, it would be to include a few more vegetarian/pescatarian options. It just seemed like if you don't eat meat or pork, you might be a bit limited.
Looking forward to the next time and a menu addition or two!
My boyfriend and I were able to secure same day dinner reservations through T+W's website (via Open Table) this past Sunday. Courteously, the restaurant had called a few hours before our booked time to confirm. I had selected 6pm for our reservation time thinking that it would be first: enough time to go home early on a Sunday evening and the latter: less people would be at the restaurant. To my surprise, the place was near full when we arrived! I'm glad I had booked when I did!
Turtle + the Wolf fulfilled my expectations and more. Having read of the history of the chefs, I was a little skeptical at first to hear that such high quality food and craft (pun intended) would make it in little Montclair, especially after reading "$125 Tasting Menu" on their website. After my first dining experience, I welcome them with open arms!
By BF and I had truly stretched our stomachs to try as much as we could the other night. We had ordered the ROSEMARY FOCCACIA and AUTUMN SQUASH to start. For our entrees, the increasingly popular TROUT and RABBIT dishes. In addition to the mains, we also had ordered the ROASTED CAULIFLOWER side. And to put ourselves in stumbling food coma, we had finished with the FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE.
The ROSEMARY FOCCACIA was perfectly seasoned with salt flakes and the right amount of rosemary. I found it peculiar that it wasn't brushed with any olive oil, but soon enough our server had asked if we had wanted olive oil or butter with the bread. (Personally, I think it should have been brushed with olive oil to begin with. It's foccacia).
The AUTUMN SQUASH, which was compiled of korbacha, spaghetti, and yellow ( I think? – don't quote me) topped with candied walnuts over a smooth ricotta base, was a pleasantly nice cold dish. ( If I were to change this slightly, I would have like a little more smoke or char on the squashes if still served cold. For non-vegetarian version, perhaps some pork belly or bacon).
For my main, I had ordered the TROUT. It was a perfectly constructed dish and I had thoroughly enjoyed every bite of it! The Frisee gave the dish the right amount of freshness and texture. The lemon added great acidity to cut through the fish and potatoes. I had a taste of the RABBIT which too was wonderfully cooked, the only complaint I think my other half had was the amount of bones he had to filter through.
The roasted CAULIFLOWER side dish with anchovy vinaigrette, wasn't really needed since our main were large enough to fill us, but equally up to par as the rest of the dishes we had. My only complaint is that the dish was rather oily and lacked the vinaigrette to cut through the richness.
Last but not least, our server had recited the only two dessert dishes available: an Apple Crisp and obviously the FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE. Our neighboring table had ordered the crisp which turned out notably huge, thus why we went the flourless cake route. It was served with a fresh Cranberry compote and whipped cream, but I personally would have like something a little more solid/denser like a creamy sorbet or frozen yogurt to mellow out the tartness of the cranberry. All in all it was an excellent cake, with great body, which is hard to find in flourless cakes.
AMBIANCE: 5.0 – by far the best in Montclair
SERVICE: 4.5 – my water glass was almost near empty at one point
FOOD: 4.75
VALUE: 4.5
The fine touches were impressive (don't think I didn't notice your Restoration Hardware flatware and the Jono Pandolfi dinnerware, T+W). All in all the highly anticipated Turtle + the Wolf was a hit! Everyone deserves quality food and quality dining in such a trendy modern setting. It truly is a piece of New York City in Montclair. I cannot wait to go back and try the suckling pig. The tasting menu for a $125 still sounds rather steep for Montclair, let alone NJ, (I'm sure they are fully capable of serving something with that price tag).
Turtle and wolf is a nice new spot located in a prime location in Montclair, I was a big fan of the outside and a bigger fan of the interior, the decor was really neat!
Heads up if you plan to come with a group, their reservations start at 6 persons and they will not seat you if you aren't complete.
With that being said, we came for brunch and found the food to be pretty decent. The kitchen is open so you can see the chefs at work after you order, this is a nice touch because you can see that their keep a very tidy kitchen. I wouldn't say the brunch menu is limited, just different, it's certainly not a menu you would find everywhere else, which is excellent if you want to be adventurous.
I ordered the egg frittata which came with sweet peppers and potatoes, it was good but I would definitely opt in to adding meat to it, it didn't feel complete. The homefries were very delicious.
Overall my party was pretty happy with the place, the food was fresh and definitely made with tlc, I would go back.
Enjoy.
Beautiful space. Special lighting! We had a great meal on their opening weekend. Focaccia and mushroom app– really good combo. Trout amazing. Brisket really good. Service so nice but a little slow as they open. Angelbeck's across the street for BYO. Just saying. Think this is an Upper Montclair cool option. Eager to return.
Let me tell you a story about a turtle and a wolf. Actually, I don't know anything about it, so let Lauren, the chef/owner tell you about it on the "vision" tab of the restaurant's web site. After reading up on his (not her) culinary background, I now understand why everyone has been raving about this place and why we had such a great meal here.
We walked in around 7:30 on a Friday night. We were asked if we had a reservation, which we did not, so the host directed us to the bar. Our waitress Megan (sp?) gave us plenty of time to settle in before coming over to introduce herself and explain the menu, which is the perfect size. Probably about 10 appetizers, 6 or 7 entrees, 5 or 6 sides, and 3 desserts.
We didn't know where to begin (or end), so we spread out the enjoyment by sharing just about everything.
Started with the deviled eggs (1 1/2 eggs). For $3, how could anyone pass these up? They were super fresh and delicious. Just the right amount of filling and paprika.
The Beausoleil oysters ($18 for 1/2 dozen) were equally fresh. Kudos for the addition of the peppercorns in the mignonette.
The baked clams carried a nice enough amount of herbs, I think anyone who doesn't like clams would probably appreciate these.
The roasted beet salad with pistachios and goat cheese wasn't a first for me. This combination seems to be picking up steam at other farm-to-table concepts, but the freshness theme continued throughout.
When it came to entree choices, it didn't matter what Megan recommended. I saw that brisket on the menu before I even walked in the door. No one was going to talk me out of it. It was as tender as I dreamed of, though the parsnips were probably just a tad undercooked and the puréed potatoes a few seconds overpuréed.
The exotic mushrooms with crème fraîche as a side didn't do it for me, probably because the mushrooms were cold. I almost think these could have been served warm on the same plate as the brisket, less the crème fraîche.
Megan really sold me on this place when it was time to order dessert. The three choices were the flourless chocolate cake (no thanks), the zeppoles or the apple and cranberry tart. When asked if the tart came with ice cream, Megan informed us T&W doesn't have a freezer. SOLD. A true sign these people have the whole farm-to-table thing down. Instead, the tart came with mascarpone, and it rocked!
Elisa (sp?), the floor manager, also came over at one point to see how everything was. Classy.
Overall, excellent service, food and ambiance. All that, combined with BYOB, means 5 stars from me! The only thing I'd say they need to chill out on are the espresso prices. $5 for a single; $8 for a double. Yikes. In fairness, though, all that we did order only came to $114, not including tip.
I was very impressed with Turtle + the Wolf. Specifically, I really liked their food.
Other aspects of the restaurant (I'm sure) would impress others. Eating in this restaurant feels like eating in one of the dining rooms in a West Elm catalogue – not necessarily a bad thing.
The service was very attentive. Our water glasses were always full and they poured our BYO red wine generously.
Now, the food. I wish the portion sizes were bigger because it was so delicious. For entrees in Montclair hovering mostly around the $20-$30 range, though, it was reasonable. There are plenty of restaurants that score a $$$ on Yelp in Montclair that charge more. We tried the tilefish and brisket. The brisket was moist and tender and well balanced by the sides. The tilefish was fantastic – a really good piece of fish I don't usually get to try as most restaurants seem to think Chilean Sea Bass is an excuse to give up experimenting on tasty seafood. It was paired with, per our waitress – sunchokes – another new food for me. For some people it reminds them on artichokes, for me it was kohlrabi. Either way, that dish was amazing.
Finally, we sampled the flourless chocolate cake and apple pastry for dessert. Both outstanding. Not much to say about that.
I almost forgot the appetizer. We had raw oysters that were nice and fresh. The waitress was knowledgeable enough to let us know where they were from, their size and how they were likely to taste – all information on point.
Even without the Brooklyn-style décor, I would still come back here. What a great experience!
P.S. I THINK there is parking in the back, or at least off the main street. Saw many patrons come in through the back door. Doesn't hurt to check. Don't be like us walking a block in the bitter cold because we were afraid we wouldn't find parking closer.