The first thing you notice at Clementina is that the room does not behave like a former hardware store. Light bounces.
Curves soften the edges. Brick arches peek through like they have been waiting patiently for someone to make them useful again.
At 627 Valley Road in Upper Montclair, the new Italian restaurant could have easily leaned into the usual safe formula: white tablecloths, a few framed Italy photos, maybe a lemon somewhere for good measure. Instead, New Jersey designer Blanche Garcia gave the space a full personality…