Long Valley Café Opens, Offers Nostalgic Feel

The next time you go through the center of Long Valley, whether by foot, bike or car, be sure to take a deep breath.

When you smell the aromas of fresh baked bread or homemade soup, you’ll know that Maria’s Café is open.

The quaint, European-style café in Restaurant Village hopes to fill a void in Long Valley, offering everything from fresh baked goods and hot sandwiches to organic coffee and original sodas. 

Maria’s officially opened on Sept. 7, and alterations are still being made to the interior of the café each day until it suits owner Maria Solano’s vision. The cafe was originally scheduled to open Aug. 29, but Hurricane Irene's devastation pushed off the date.

“I want this to be a place to come home to,” Solano said. “I want (customers) to feel like grandma’s cooking a good bowl of soup, and they can feel at home here.”

Solano, , has been working at both locations since the opening of the Long Valley store. Employees at the new location include Cassandra Miranda, Anne McMullen, and Solano’s brother Joe, who travels from New York City to lend a hand.

In an economic climate like this, though, why would the Rome, Italy native want to take a chance on opening a new business?

“I think it’s nice to have a place like this around,” Solano said. “It has a nostalgic feel. Maybe for five minutes out of your day, being here will be able to take your mind off all the hustle and bustle going on out there. I saw (opening) as a challenge, and I was intrigued by that. I think at the end of the day, a good product, fresh resources and a clean establishment with reasonable prices will take care of itself.”

Solano admits the café wasn’t opened to make money, rather to put smiles on customers’ faces. And although her Chester shop is a little more than a year old, she’s created a following that will surely help the new location thrive.

“It’s in a very convenient location,” said Karen Paz of Long Valley, who frequented Maria’s of Chester prior to the Restaurant Village location opening. Sitting with Paz, Jackie Fenimore and Renee Mange explained they’d be coming back for more.

“I know I’ll be coming back with my book club,” Mange said. “Just the other day, something at the school was running behind, and I was able to come (to Maria’s) while I waited.”

Fenimore, who introduced Maria’s of Chester to her two friends, said she’ll likely frequent both establishments, and purchasing the fresh offerings regularly.

Not Just Baked Goods

Aside from breakfast and lunch offerings, Maria’s will be introducing a wine bar on Friday and Saturday nights this fall, which is still in the works.

The store will also be available for holiday parties, and includes free WiFi Internet access for those who need it. The café will also offer gift baskets of baked goods and desserts, Solano said.

On any given day, a customer can choose between coffee, lattes, chai teas, and bottled, homemade soda to complement everything from a turkey and gouda Panini to lentil or pasta fagiole soups and imported Italian oils.

Maria’s is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays. You can find the shop online by going here.