Montclair Ramen Restaurant And Bergen County Pizzeria Collaborate On Japanese Pizzas

NORTH JERSEY, NJ — Downtown Rutherford has been revitalized with a host of new businesses in the last year, including a new tavern called Union Bar & Provisions, a thrift store called Mikayla's Thriftique, and a cozy 1950s style pizzeria called Casano's.

Last month, Casano's hosted a one-time collaboration with Montclair's PastaRAMEN, serving up two unique pizzas and a chicken cutlet/Wafu Caesar salad dish for customers who bought a ticket.

The event gave Casano's, now open for over a year, chance to show off its 1950s themes and willingness to experiment with a variety of ingredients.

Chef Robbie Felice of PastaRAMEN and chef Dave Ligas of Casano's joined forces to blend Japanese and Italian flavors.

The results were a Japanese corn cacio e pepe pizza and a pancetta clam pie, as well as the cutlet.

The flavors of the sea combined with sweet and spicy to wow local foodies. The bonito flakes on the pancetta waved in the heat, stunning a young boy who stopped in with his family.

Last month wasn't the only day that Casano's tried something new. Their Long Hot and Shallot Pie is a popular sweet and spicy item (see photo here) and they've been praised for their chicken parm stracciatella.

A Shopping And Foodie Experience

Those looking for a downtown to check out for the holidays might consider Rutherford. Next to Casano's were Be Well juice bar, Mikayla's antique and thrift shop, Social Club Records, Sweet Avenue Bake Shop, and more.

"The whole area's really taking off," said the owner. "The mayor and the city have been great."

Casano's is located at 8 Highland Cross in Rutherford, and PastaRAMEN is at 6 S Fullerton Ave., Montclair, if you want to check them out or watch for upcoming events.