After months of construction and a few weeks of welcoming early customers, Ariane Kitchen & Bar celebrated its arrival on the Verona scene with a ribbon cutting and tasting event. The restaurant is beautifully designed, the bar well-equipped, and the menu a delight for the tastebuds. The cutting was attended by Verona’s mayor, Bob Manley, Deputy Mayor Jay Sniatkowski, and Town Council members Michael Nochimson, Kevin Ryan and Frank Sapienza. Also present: several members of the local foodie community and Duarte’s long-time friend and Chopped judge Chef Amanda Freitag, originally of Cedar Grove. The tasting plates were a pleasure to sample and the cocktails intended to keep patrons warm through the winter.
Ariane Duarte, holding the scissors above with her husband Michael Duarte, grew up in Verona. The Duartes created and ran the high-end restaurant CulinAriane in Montclair for eight years. Working in partnership with Verona Inn owner John MacEvoy (second from left above), they designed AKB to be an all-occasion restaurant rather than just a special-occasion restaurant. AKB is located at 706 Bloomfield Avenue and is open every day except Tuesday starting at 4 p.m.
