Montclair, N.J. — After gaining a cult following during its 2-year run as an exclusive, invite-only pop-up, pastaRAMEN is debuting its first brick-and-mortar restaurant in Montclair, N.J., in early February. The first-ever Italian ramen shop marries Japanese and Italian cuisines in a style called “Wafu-Italian,” which blends ingredients, textures and techniques from both worlds. “The response we received from our pop-ups in Seattle, Jersey City, Miami and Los Angeles was overwhelmingly positive, so when it became clear that there was an appetite for pastaRAMEN and this new type of cuisine, …
Joey Simons
New York City — Montclair Hospitality Group (MHG), a leading chef-driven, global hospitality group focused on curating unique restaurant brands and experiences, has appointed hospitality veteran Joey Simons to lead the group as chief executive officer. Simons was handpicked by MHG’s founder, Luck Sarabhayvanija, and brings decades of experience, having developed some of the world’s leading elevated dining, food tech and hospitality brands. With his new appointment, Simons leads all of MHG’s business units, overseeing business development and growth, as well as leading strategy on company operations. In a short …