Gluten-Free Options Help Keep Montclair Restaurant Busy

MONTCLAIR, NJ — “Gluten-free” has been treating Natalie Colledge well. Colledge, the owner and culinary director at the Plum on Park restaurant and its 100 % gluten-free bakery, is set to celebrate another spring season in Montclair, and with it, help expand the area’s gluten-sensitive dining options.

Colledge recently said that the restaurant is ready to roll out a fresh spring menu, and plans to oversee a major renovation of Plum's historic interior – which is housed in a refurbished 1929 streetcar diner - to “bring it into the 21st century.”

Opened in 2010, the restaurant’s healthy takes on bistro classics include fresh fruit and vegetable juice combos with fun names like “Gutbuster,” “Clockwork Orange” and “Hangover,” as well as meat and vegetarian entrees.

Meanwhile, the bakery features 100% gluten-free breads, bagels, doughnuts and other pastries.

Gluten-sensitive herself, Colledge says that she’s “attuned to food allergies and other health concerns,” and tries to keep salt and heavy sauces to a minimum.

“Plum's tiny size means there's NO freezer/storage space,” Colledge said. “Everything comes in fresh daily and is cooked to order.”

Colledge’s success is welcome in a town that prides itself on its restaurant scene, and which recently lost another local gluten-free spot, The Cozy End on Valley Road.

• See related article: Montclair Restaurant With Gluten-Free Options Closes Due To ‘Skyrocketing Lease’
• See related article: Montclair's Punto Rosso Restaurant Offers Gluten-Free Italian Food
• See related article: Montclair's Gluten-Free Underground: Where To Find The Good Stuff

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Photos: Plum on Park