Montclair's Uncle Momo is following the culinary migration east to Jersey City, opening a second outpost of the French Lebanese restaurant in the space occupied by longtime favorite Marco & Pepe, which closed after 16 years in March.

The new location comes on the heels of the opening of Ani Ramen, the no-reservations Montclair ramen house, on Newark Avenue, and with the news that Diesel & Duke, the upscale burger chain with locations in New Brunswick and Montclair, are also planning a Jersey City outpost.

"Jersey City is like the Village," says Ali Lyoussi, who owns Uncle Momo with chef Wissam El Masri. "Everybody is moving from the city. I like the vibe of Jersey City, and the concept we have here in Montclair is not there."

The menu heavily reflects El Masri's Lebanese background (falafel, $13.50; shish kabob, $16-$23; makenek, Lebanese sausage served with pomegranate molasses, $12.95) with a nod to Lyoussi's Moroccan heritage (lamb tagine with almonds and caramelized prunes, $24, while the mood and decor has a French bistro vibe. "When you go inside, you feel like you are in Paris," he says.

The restaurant's pita is celebrated, as is its "pitza," pita with a variety of toppings, from the lemon-marinated chicken ($14) to the shrimp and scallops with garlic and parsley sauce ($15). Expect the same at the Jersey City location at 289 Grove St. Lyoussi expects to open in two or three months.

Meanwhile, Diesel & Duke is shooting for an October opening at 389 Monmouth Street. "It's turned into a beautiful city," says co-owner David Cusumano, who opened the first Diesel in New Brunswick in 2014 with Kevin Rezvani. "The demographics are there. We feel that we can bring something to table there."

This will be the chain's largest restaurant and its flagship location, he says. The menu will remain the same -- the burgers start at $6.99, with hand-cut fries starting $2.99 (poutine fries with gravy and cheese curds are $5.69) -- but customers should expect lots of creative specials. He and Rezvani are also considered more locations, eyeing Newark and Morristown, but he says, "we really want to focus on Jersey City, to do this one really cool and then kind of grow it from there."

Among other New Jersey restaurateurs who have expanded to Jersey City in recent years:

Vicki Hyman may be reached at vhyman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @vickihy or like her on Facebook.