"[T]he new incarnation of Arturo’s does not seem out of place in this little town, with the kind of crowded, varied and innovative restaurant scene that city dwellers think is theirs alone."

So writes Richard Perez-Pena in The New York Times (July 11, 2011).

It's not the first time that The Times has singled out Arturo's or James Beard-nominated chef and owner Dan Richer, nor effused about the charms of Maplewood in recent years.

But Perez-Pena extends the compliments further this time around, extending the Gray Lady's notice up to Verjus on Springfield Avenue (celebrating 10 years of operation this month!), and recognizing more than ever before that Arturo's is not an anomaly and Maplewood is not a wannabe food scene.

"The local scene now encompasses Indian, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, pub fare and several takes on Italian. Maplewood, a town of 24,000 people, has two dozen restaurants, most of them jammed into a three-block strip alongside the train station," writes Perez-Pena.

In fact, other suburban towns — namely Chatham, Hoboken and Montclair, N.J., and Port Chester, N.Y. — get some love from The Times too.

But our favorite quote in the piece comes from Swirl Wine Events owner Hank Zona: “It’s been astounding to watch this transformation, where it became a destination,” said Zona, a frequent Arturo’s customer. “But that’s true of Maplewood in general.”

Read the full article here.