Englewood, NJ: The Kitchen

The Kitchen
21 East Palisade Avenue
Englewood, NJ

Tips: I was initially confused after reading reviews about this catering company who display their food through the side vehicle of this restaurant.  Reservations are an absolute must.  Expect NYC range prices, but as a BYO restaurant, you save on the price of liquor. Expect at least three rounds of small appetizers (similar to an amuse bouche) - chef's choice, and an accompaniment to your entree.  The appetizers are an absolute reflection of small catered bite sized eats. 

The ambience makes you forget that you're just in New Jersey, but the young/unexperienced wait staff reminds you that you're somewhere local.  Not a quiet affair - the room can get pretty din with various conversations to be heard from the tables.

Food: We began with our BYO bottle of Coppola Pinot Noir.  For appetizers, we ordered the Mushroom, Goat Cheese & Leek Tart and their Soup of the Day, Vegetable.  Before they came out, the server came around with the chef selected amuse bouche.  All bite size, but a great way to build up your appetite (hence an amuse bouche) and showcase their catering option. We were offered a chicken meatball, fried shrimp roll, and salmon tartare on cucumber. 

We then had our appetizers. The Mushroom, Goat Cheese & Leek Tart was delicious, though nothing special, but the Vegetable soup was delicious, comforting, and full of flavor.  It was full of finely and  perfectly diced vegetables, and the broth was perfection.

For the main entree, we had the The Kitchen Truffle Chicken PotPie and Pomegranate Glazed Salmon.  The Kitchen Truffle Chicken Potpie arrived in a pretty large cast iron skillet.  While there was as aroma of truffle, I couldn't quite taste the delicious goodness.  The pie crust on top was flaky and delicious, while the pot pie was surprisingly light; it didn't have a heavy cream consistency, but in fact was on the lighter side.  The pieces of chicken were BIG, with a mix of light and dark chicken - clearly fresh and hand pulled.  The Pomegranate Glazed Salmon was perfectly cooked.  While the glaze wasn't overly sweet or heavy, which I appreciated, it added a light touch to once again (I must emphasize) a perfectly cooked piece of salmon.  The side of spaghetti squash was full of flavor and a healthy portion.

Lastly for dessert, we ordered the Baked Alaskan Julius. A perfect size for two full people, the meringue was light and cloud like.  The pistachio ice cream inside sitting on a chocolate sandwich was delicious, but unfortunately it was overly frozen and seemingly I couldn't get it to melt just enough for me to bite into it without sawing at it.

Final Thoughts: Able to accommodate large parties with the value option of BYO, I'm absolutely planning to throw a dinner party here. You won't find innovative dishes or an ever changing menu here. What you will found however is solid food with the guarantee that it's done right.

Happy Eating Bergen County!