Orchid Kosher

455 Main Street
Metuchen, NJ 08840

So there I was, on the tail end of a VERY long day. I had just left the New Jersey Expo Center (see wghshow.com for an idea of what my afternoon was like) and needed to find a place to feed the kids ASAP as it was already 4:15pm and we had all basically had enough of trains (which is rare for MY kids lol).
Praying there was something close by, I googled "kosher restaurants Edison NJ 08837" and waited.
Up popped Orchid Kosher, it was about 5 miles away so away we went. It was a seriously short drive, (six min) and we were there! Tons of parking, and a quaint little storefront with tables and chairs outside. I felt like I was in upstate New York, in one of those little towns you drive by but never stop at. They list themselves as kosher deli and vegetarian and are certified by the star k. I was with my kids, who were already on the edge when we got there, so it was difficult to take in my surroundings but it was nice enough I suppose. Linen napkins, tablecloths, real silverware, etc.
My 8 year old was very excited for the children's menu (so was my wallet). He ordered a hot dog, fries and a matzoh ball soup. The hot dog looked like it came right off the grill and the fries were REALLY good. They were shoe string but looked like they were tossed in flour right before they were fried. I didn't taste the soup but it looked OK, a little light for my taste but i didn't really care because he finished it... I ordered a "junior" turkey sandwich, for my 4 year old, which came with mustard and a healthy serving of cole slaw. The sandwich was delicious; bread was super fresh, turkey was sliced nice and thin, but not TOO thin, and the cole slaw was great :). I ordered an hot open-faced corned beef and pastrami sandwich, that came with mashed potatoes and gravy. Everything was amazing. NOTHING that I tasted needed seasoning, which is rare anywhere that I've been lately.
The waitress was sweet, looked about 19 but was very on top of things....until she sat down on the side with her laptop. Yup, that's right people, she had her laptop set up on a small table on the side, not like out of view either, seriously in view right when you walk in. Now, since it was me and one other couple (the place is pretty small) I wouldn't have even cared, considering the ruckus my youngest was making BUT every dish that we ordered HOT came back LUKEWARM at best. Dare I suggest it was because she was very focused on her computer?? Who knows?
Overall, food was DELICIOUS, a pleasant surprise to a place I found by using google and pretty decent price wise.
Total bill was about $40 but the look on peoples faces (mine included, I'm sure) when my youngest tipped his glass full of water over and onto the floor $PRICELESS$ :)
I definitely recommend going here, just try to do it with children who are a little less edgy and keep on top of your waitress!
Stay tuned...

Basil

270 Kingston Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
http://www.basilny.com/


Today is the first day of my food blog!! I'm super excited and can't wait to see the adventures it will take me on! 
Let's get straight to the good stuff, shall we??

After hearing about this restaurant from a number of sources I decided I must experience it myself! So, after dropping my kids off at their respective schools, off I went, to (hopefully) discover a hot, new restaurant. 

The restaurant is located right off of Eastern Parkway and Kingston Avenue, on the corner of Lincoln Place. The impression upon walking in is a modern look. I chose to sit by a window (stupid of me because it was quite drafty :-/) and took a look at the (relatively new [three weeks to be exact]) breakfast menu. It was quite impressive, different from what I normally see on a "breakfast special" menu. I settled on poached eggs accompanied with sauteed spinach and sage potatoes and a coffee. 
After I ordered, I got up to look around and (of course) the fresh pastries caught my eye. Fresh scones, blueberry, cranberry, chocolate chip...fresh croissants....and then I saw the muffins. Chocolate chip and carrot cake, to be exact. I ordered the carrot cake muffin because, as an avid baker, I know it's difficult to get the consistency light enough without it being too oily. I also thought it was bold to serve it without any frosting at all, like they would have nothing to fall back on if the pastry itself was not good, most places accompany carrot cake with cream cheese based frostings...I sat back down and waited.
About three minutes later the coffee and carrot cake muffin (warmed, at the suggestion of the server) arrived. The first thing I noticed about the muffin was how it made my mouth water just from the smell alone. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint! It was amazing; moist, light, with just the right amount of carrots and walnuts.
After I inhaled the food in front of me I tasted the cranberry scone my friend had ordered. I'm not such a big fan of scones or baked cranberries but she said it was baked to perfection and, after my carrot cake experience, I believed her.
About ten minutes later the "real" food arrived. I was just about to dig in when I noticed that the ciabatta bread my eggs were served on looked a little well done and when I felt it, it was cold to the touch. I (being me) dug in anyway (I was STARVING!!) 
I started with the eggs, which were velvety and delicious. The spinach that accompanied it was unbelievable! It was so full of flavor I was sure they had used some special oil or spices but when I asked the server they said it was cooked in olive oil, salt and pepper...The potatoes were good, but that spinach...!! Lol


As a side note, a few minutes after our food had arrived someone came over to check if everything was okay. I informed him about the cold bread and he immediately ordered me a new bread AND a new poached egg (because one of the ones I got were cracked a little). THAT i was impressed with. 


All in all, the food was delicious. I sneaked a peek at their main menu and actually saw things I want to go back and try...THAT doesn't happen often for me ;)