It’s not enough that restaurateur and TV producer Franco Porporino already owns the buzziest restaurant in Montclair, Fresco da Franco, a favorite among the Real Housewives of New Jersey. In January, he’ll open Bar Franco, a “bespoke aperitivo bar with a unique, opulent, old-world Harry Cipriani vibe,” adjacent to his Church Street eatery. 

“The competition in Montclair is getting serious,” he said. "I felt I needed to elevate the game." Besides Fauborg, he said, there’s a dearth of places where you can “get a drink and a vibe.” Last year, Porporino, who lives in Palm Beach, Florida, bought one of Montclair’s few liquor licenses to use for Fresco da Franco, and it can serve two connected properties.