SECOND HELPINGS

New Latin restaurant in Clifton

Empanada's Spanish Grill, a Latin-American restaurant, will open Monday in the Allwood section of Clifton. It will feature a mostly Caribbean and Cuban menu, specializing in baked empanadas, rice and beans. While it primarily offers takeout, there is seating for about 15 customers.

Empanada's Spanish Grill is at 8 Market St., Clifton; 973-272-8202.

Flirt to open in Paramus mall

Flirt, the R-rated sushi bar, will be opening a second Bergen County restaurant Thursday, at Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus. Owner Marko Radiscic is the latest business owner to set up shop in local malls, a point noted by my colleague Joan Verdon a few weeks ago.

Flirt is at Westfield Garden State Plaza, on the lower level near Lord & Taylor; 201-291-8889; flirtsushi.com.

New cafe in Little Falls

Gli Cappuccino, a cafe serving salads, sandwiches, pastries and and an assortment of coffee drinks, has opened in Little Falls. It's in the original home of The Fine Grind coffee bar, whose flagship is now based out of a shopping center storefront around the corner.

Gli Cappuccino is at 420 Main St., Little Falls; 973-256-2635.

New buffet in North Bergen

The Fun House Buffet, which replaces the Hudson Buffet Restaurant in North Bergen, opens Saturday in the Columbia Park shopping center. It features 100 dishes, 300 seats and takeout.

The Fun House Buffet is at 3117 Kennedy Blvd., North Bergen; 201-601-3888.

New Mexican grill

Vista Hermosa Mexican Grill has opened in Ridgefield Park. The tiny restaurant does enchiladas, tacos, tostadas, soups, fajitas and seafood. 35 Ridgefield Ave., Ridgefield Park, 201-373-9463.

Cresskill Pizza relocates

Cresskill Pizza has moved around the corner into a double-wide storefront on East Madison Avenue that has been under renovation for most of the year.

The new address is 29 E. Madison Ave., Cresskill. The phone remains 201-871-3795. And it's very unfriendly Web site is cresskillpizza.com.

Two openings in Wallington

Liberty Plaza, a new shopping center in on Main Avenue in Wallington, finally has a tenant: Wallington Farmers Market, an Asian market that sells produce and sushi. Phone 973-773-1919.

And Mawal has opened in the former home of Riverside Grill and the Super China Buffet, where Main Avenue meets Paterson Avenue. It has a Lebanese menu and the stench of cigarette smoke. Phone 973-458-0800. 

Closings in southern Bergen Co.

A few closings to pass along. Let us know if you've seen any others:

• The Avenue Diner, a Wallington diner on Paterson Avenue that came under new ownership only a year or so ago (it used to be Tommy's Diner). It will become Canyon Hearth Grill, according to a new sign on the building, which is being renovated. The sign indicates it will serve bagels, baked goods, salads and burgers.

New Mediterranean restaurant

The former Il Piacere restaurant spot in Garfield is now Mediterranean Grill, a Mediterranean restaurant. The menu spans the region, with gyros, kebabs, burek and such Italian standards as chicken parm and lasagna. The dining rooms seats about 50.

Mediterranean Grill is at 190 Harrison St., Garfield; 973-685-7732.

Mythos closed, Jalapeno's back

Mythos in Glen Rock has closed after less than a year of business as a Greek Taverna. Owner Dennis Georgatos says he's converting it back to its previous concept, Jalapenos, a Mexican restaurant.

 "We're doing Jalapeno's again and this time we're doing it big time," said Georgatos, who said he bought out his partners and is bringing back some of his cooks.