Montclair institution Ruthie's BBQ and Pizza set to close, owners say it was time

Montclair is set to lose as an institution after the owners of Ruthie's BBQ & Pizza announced they were closing their beloved restaurant on the corner of Chestnut and Forest.

For owner Ruthie Perretti and her husband Eric Kaplan, who served as head chef, the decision was anything but easy. But they both acknowledged that it was time.

"I've been in the industry for 45-something years," Kaplan said. "I wanted to try something new."

Perretti described the restaurant as a "labor of love." It's easy to understand what she means. She and Kaplan met each other in West Orange over 16 years ago. Kaplan was playing guitar at a blues club, and Perretti was in attendance. They started dating, and both decided that they wanted to open a restaurant. Kaplan was a professional chef trained at the Culinary Institute of America, while Perretti worked for years in the fashion industry.

The pairing resulted in a restaurant with excellent barbecue, a rarity for North Jersey, along with thin-crust pizza.

Ruthie's was "simple food done right," the way Perretti and Kaplan wanted it. But it was also a hub for live music, with bands jamming on the outdoor patio in the summer. It was a community linchpin for Montclair, especially for high school students looking for an after-school slice.

"People would meet each other there," Perretti said. "I had several people who met their future wives and husbands there, we've had weddings there."

It was never just a restaurant to the pair, it was literally home. Perretti and Kaplan lived in the apartment above the restaurant. They'll now reside on Perretti's family farm in Warren County, but will continue to give back to the community.

A few years ago, the couple began growing natural grains and have since established Marksboro Mills. They aim to help start a market for other local growers. The hope is that in the future, Marksboro Mills will eventually be open for more live music and locally sourced food, a Ruthie's staple.

Perretti and Kaplan will both miss the community that was an integral part of Ruthie's. Perretti remembers people who would come up to her at the restaurant, grab her hand and say "thank you." Kaplan says he's heard some say it feels like losing a family member.

"How important is community?" Perretti said. "It's the whole reason we did it."

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Ruthie's BBQ and Pizza restaurant in Montclair NJ to close