Pat's Diner

First thing you notice about Pat's Diner is that it's super small, especially because the back room (by the tiny bar) was closed. The prep station is right in the middle of the room so you can see your waitress make/pour coffee, toast your bread, and scoop your pudding. Not only can you keep tabs on your waitress (I'm sure the purpose was to do the opposite) but you can also see everyone else which could be awkward if you're looking for a more private dining experience.

Our waitress, who I'll call Tiana (from Princess and the Frog), was super professional, and had a sweet, hardworking demeanor. She was accommodating not only to us but to a difficult table next to us with three rowdy children who all DEMANDED dessert that they couldn't share.

Soup and Salad

 Let me just say- $8.25 goes a long way at Pat's Diner. I don't think I'll ever not appreciate how cheap NJ Diner's are, and how much you can get for your money. I ordered the fish and chips, because I wanted something hearty but not saucy. I was given an extensive choice of sides (multiple ways of doing potato, rice, veggies,etc.) and I chose broccoli because I was a little apprehensive. Not only was there that, but it came with soup AND salad. Most places give you the option of one or the other, so I was totally taken aback by this generosity.

Fish and Delicious Chips

My soup, lima bean, was surprisingly tasty and flavorful. It was more than just salty or brothy, and I appreciated the effort that was put into it. It was a bit watery, but I liked that the beans themselves were big and full. My salad, was basic as I expected, but clearly fresh and colorful with big, even slices of tomato which I appreciated. It wasn't drowning in water like previous diner salads that I've had, and was generally pleasant to pick at (even without dressing).

My main entree did not disappoint me either, although it was a little strange. Fish and chips has a very distinctive look to it, slightly thicker filet cuts of white fish, battered and then fried. You know the drill. These came out more like wide pieces of fish sticks. Granted, they were tastier than the ones you'd expect from the grade school cafeteria...I felt like un tres chic 4th grader. Nevertheless, the breading was decent, it wasn't that oily, and it stayed crispy throughout the duration of the meal. My 'chips' were amazing. Who'd a thunk that this little diner hidden in a nook of a not-so-great looking part of Trenton, NJ would make delicious, delicious, French fries that were hot, crispy, well-salted and never got that weird hollow density that happens when they get cold.

The Best Side of Broccoli I Have Ever Seen

Places like Pat's Diner is why I love this blog. I had never heard of this place, didn't know exactly where it was, and was completely unfamiliar with the area. As we drove through Trenton I admit I was getting a little nervous since some of the other shops and stores on the block seemed dirty and not well kept. But, then we saw the small building on the corner and I parked the car in a smaller lot around the back. Pat's certainly does not boast lavishness; the walls were not plated with chrome, but the place was clean.

Chicken Salad Sandwich Done Right

We were seated in a corner of the main dining room and were handed an extensive menu. I thumbed through the pages until I found the sandwich section. Pat's diner has a great list of double-decker sandwiches and they're all priced around six dollars. Like Chi said earlier, a little money goes a long way. I ordered the chicken salad sandwich and it was huge, which was great since I had a long night of lessons ahead of me. The chicken salad itself was refreshing and loaded with white meat. They throw in celery for the nice crunchy texture as you bite your way through the four triangles. The mayo was definitely present, but not overwhelming. Also, if you look closely, those are thick-cut bacon strips thrown in above the tomatoes, awesome. I think my favorite part of the meal, though, was the fries. The sandwich was good, but the fries pulled everything together. Each one was crispy on the outside and filled with soft, steamy, potato-y goodness. And, every once in a while I could take a little bite of tasty, non-soupy, coleslaw. I'm excited to visit Pat's again and maybe try their Reuben, or maybe their pastrami. Here's to looking forward.

Kate's Kitchen (San Francisco, CA)

Kate's Kitchen was a memorable mark on our trip to San Francisco. Thrown off by the cool days (and cold mornings) we kept gravitating towards hearty stick-to-your-ribs food. This is why we gained five pounds after three days.

Kate's did not disappoint. It's a small restaurant with mostly two tops and 1 or 2 four-tops with a open view of the kitchen in the back where a fully-kitchen was busy over the stove and juicing carrots and apples. Colorful and warm with a family and a young baby to our left and some couples to our left, we're struck by the giant mural of the United States on the main wall. 

We start with the hush puppies (which, if you remember, I had just introduced Chris to earlier this summer). Delicious, deep-fried cornmeal goodness was presented to us with homemade (crazy delicious) jam and "pooh butter" to dip- (honey butter). Dense, with a generous portion size, I could imagine myself coming to this place once a week just to eat these.

My entree was their biscuits with veggie gravy. I have to say that they were [almost] perfect. If there was just a dash more salt to bring out the flavors that had been developed, I think it would have been amazing, but I find that over-salting is a common fear of most restaurant these days. The biscuits texturally were between that of a typical biscuit and a scone (think hard edges and crumbly bits). With cheese and green onion inside, it was pleasant to eat on its own, but definitely improved by the veggie gravy underneath. I have no idea how they made the gravy, except to say that they must have used some type of wheat/flour with some stock, herbs, etc. Delicious- and something I wish that they bottled and sold so I could take it back home to the East Coast to eat with all of my meals. THIS is how you do a vegetarian breakfast. It wasn't just a non-meat version of something, but a legitimate menu item of itself.

I must say even as a meat eater I am impressed with how the west coast does vegetarian. It actually brings me down a little when there are no items on a menu tailored to my girlfriend's lifestyle. It's not like being a vegetarian is a new concept; the Mid-Atlantic corridor seems to vegetarians will be OK with asking for the same item on a menu, but with no meat, and paying the same price. Kate's Kitchen shows more than acceptance with a unique menu with variety of items, they also show creativity and an ability to cook. They do a pretty good job too.

With all of that said, I decided to appease my carnivore side. I ordered the Big Guys Breakfast, which unfortunately didn't make me feel like a "big guy" ordering it out loud. Eventually two plates were brought to me that consisted of two cornmeal buttermilk pancakes, two eggs, two slices of bacon, one sausage patty, and a side of homefries! Talk about using quality products. Kate's Kitchen nailed it with their eggs and bacon. The over medium eggs were super rich with velvety yolks and the bacon was the thick cut stuff. The strips had awesome marbleization, they were packed with flavor and had the perfect amount of salt. The sausage, which was a chicken sausage, was even delicious. It feel flat from a lack of fat leaving it a little dry, but it was still very delicious. The homefries had the low mark of the day. Even though their potato flavor was never in question (still clearly using top shelf ingredients) they were a little burned and I'm not sure anyone through some salt on them leaving them very under seasoned.



Back to the good stuff. The cornmeal buttermilk pancakes were pretty special. The extra sweetness from the cornmeal plus the texture will probably ruin other pancakes for the rest of my life. I might even swear off of pancakes that don't have cornmeal as an ingredient. They were that good.





P.S. Coffee in San Francisco is delicious. Does everybody use Peet's or do they just have extra-spectacular coffee presses? Also, Kate's Kitchen gives you a generous pitcher of (non-individually packaged, and actually containing dairy) cream.