Ray's Luncheonette - A Montclair Tradition for Over Forty Years

Manager Angelica Flores loves talking about Ray's Luncheonette!

Ray's Luncheonette was started by Montclair resident Ray, by all accounts a colorful character with a big personality and heart. Ray founded the business in the 1960's, and the diner has been operating ever since for almost fifty years. Ray would open at 4 am, and all the sanitation workers would come for breakfast, with their garbage trucks parked outside. That must have been some sight! On snow days, Ray would open at 1 am to help out the snow removal team!

Ray grew up in Montclair, went to Montclair High, played football there and was All-State!

After he graduated, he still kept in touch with the school, sponsoring football and other sports. When the team would win he would bring them back to Ray's for lunch! He started a "Meals for Students" program - a special deal with hamburger, fries and a drink for $4.50 - and the place would be packed from 11 am to noon. The tradition lives on - but now the price has gone up to a whopping $5.25!

Ray got along well with the customers, but didn't mind chasing them out when the situation called for it - with a bat! "Get the hell out of here and never come back!" he would yell as he ran after them.

Towards the end Ray fell ill and eventually transferred the business to his wife. Sadly, he passed away a few months later, about 20 years ago. Ray is still missed and fondly remembered by many of the regulars who still frequent his luncheonette.

Solo took over Ray's next, and moved more into Greek-style food. After operating the diner about three years, he then passed the baton to Omar, who took the Greek food off the menu, and brought the older food back. Omar and his wife Miria owned Ray's for seven years before selling to Miria's cousin Ufredo Molina, better known as Freddy, in 2006.

Freddy and Nancy Molina, Proprietors

Freddy, a welder by trade, and welding instructor, used to live in Kansas. He learned welding in NY, and went to Kansas to work for Modine Manufacturing for 10 years. Eventually Modine moved to Mexico, as did many American industries, and Freddy had a chance to go with them. But he didn't want to move to Mexico, he wanted to stay here. He also yearned for his own business, and was looking around for an opportunity. He had family in NJ, so moved back East.

Freddy, originally from Ecuador, had moved to NY to be with his parents, who he hadn't seen for 10 years. Then Kansas, and back to NJ. He was working in Union as a welder in construction, but wanted to be on his own. "Welding is not a good thing to do all the life." muses Freddy. But he was looking around to buy something different than a diner, like a liquor store, or convenience. He didn't know anything about restaurants, "He came in blind," says Angelica.

He got a phone call that the place was for sale. Miria wanted something bigger. "Let me go see it. Maybe I like it. Let me give a try."

Freddy started coming by the place over the course of two weeks, back and forth, to check on the business and customer flow. He did his market research, talked to Realtors, and decided the price was right. Within 3-4 weeks, he decided to buy. "I went for it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna take a chance. And I'm still here. But I didn't know anything about restaurants."

Three months later, after a lot of paperwork, inspections and the like, he bought it with cash out of his own personal savings. "That's why I been working all my life," he said.

Freddy was lucky to learn the business from Steve and Milton. Milton had been there already seven years, and Steve, he had been working there for twenty-five! Steve and Milton taught Freddy everything he needed to know, including Ray's original, time-honored recipes with secret ingredients.

The diner is an interesting mix of standard American fare with a Latino twist. The rotisserie for roasting chicken Latin-american style was already in place.

So let's take a look at the delicious mix. Angelica rattles it off:

• Roasted Pork
• Cuban Panini - roasted pork, ham, cheese, pickles, Swiss cheese, mustard and mayo. Put into panini bread, and put on a presser, leave for 10 minutes, then it's ready.
• Chicken stew
• Beef stew
• Spanish ribs (with stew sauce)
• Soups everyday - Lima bean and chicken vegetable, chicken tortilla soup, cream of chicken.
• Rice and beans with eggs, pork chops chicken.

• Two eggs any style, with home fries or grits, and toast, $3.95
With meat, add $1.95
• Sausages, add $2.50: Italian, Columbian or Mexican sausage
• Also omelettes - avocado sunrise omelette: green onions, mushrooms, avocado, cheese served with home fries or grits, and toast.
• Pancakes, waffles french toast.
• Lunch: hamburger, cheeseburger, cheese steak, chick cutlet
• Bacon, egg and cheese sandwich
• Chicken Fajitas

"Cheese fries with gravy is a huge hit."

Angelica shows off one of Ray's many specialties,
Roasted Pork with rice and beans

How about the dishes going back in time, back when Ray was still running the place? Dishes from over forty years ago!

Gravy fries - six hours to make the gravy. Learned this recipe from Steve. It's a secret! Includes beef gravy, mustard, and secret ingredients.

• Soup: Lima beans, Split pea - secret also!
• Grilled cheese
• Meatloaf - old recipe mashed potatoes, or rice and beans, mixed vegetables, carrots, and all.
• Grits
• Home fries - people love the way they do these different than anywhere else.

Angelica Flores is the diner manager. Freddy's niece, she was born in the US of Ecuadorian background. Fluent in English and Spanish "Se habla espanol." Angelica worked at Ray's 3 years ago, then left and came back. Knows all the regulars, knows what they like, what they eat and drink. Angelica went to Bergen Community College, associate degree in science, now attends Kean University, going for a degree in psychology, and will follow hoping to go to Rutgers Newark, for graduate school, with masters in social work.

Other family members have included his son Randy Molina, and cousin Zuly Molina, who taught Angelica all the procedures, how to use the espresso machine, how to greet customers, how to deal with them in general. And now Angelica teaches others.

"Freddy gave everyone a chance."

Freddy's wife Nancy Molina is the cook's assistant, waitress "and mommy."

"She brought in the milk shakes and smoothies, and seasoning of the the food," Angelica adds.

Angelica muses on the colorful past of Ray's Luncheonette

Overhearing our conversation about the special taste that no other eatery captures quite like Ray's, Montclair resident Eric Pearlman chimes in:

"The grill has a patina, like a type of coating baked onto the surface from decades of cooking on it. That's what gives it its special taste."

His son Elias needs no convincing. Elias comes to Ray's several times a week to pick up his favorite sandwich, the grilled cheese. "He won't eat a grilled cheese sandwich anywhere else," says Pearlman, "There's nothing like the grilled cheese sandwich at Ray's Luncheonette!"