Janice
Pullicino, the proprietor of Naidre’s, had some customers to take care of, so
the writer sat and sipped a cup of coffee as business was attended to. Good
thing I did, too, because I was struck looking around the place that Naidre’s
had a different feel to it : no customers were rushed, the service was very
friendly and efficient, and patrons seemed very content with their food
selections. And, many patrons were regulars, another sign of a superior eatery.
The food? Varied, fresh and
delicious. Naidre’s serves breakfast all day: the breath of choices is
astonishing – 3-egg [organic and ‘cage-free’] omelets; a gluten-free breakfast
sandwich; a ‘plain-old’ breakfast of two eggs, potatoes [or greens] and a
choice of meat, including chorizo; a vegan breakfast; organic oatmeal; and a
yogurt-granola-fruit combination. Janice, incidentally, gets her yogurt locally
from Culture [Greek yogurt’s made on the premises] on 5th Avenue;
she prides herself on working with local businesses.
Naidre’s is not just a coffee house
serving breakfast, though. Janice calls her shop a “full service” operation,
with an emphasis on fresh, home-made food. There’s home-made apple pie, which
looked fabulous, home-made quiche, soups are all made in the shop, and even the
turkey for sandwiches is marinated and cooked in-house.
Janice also has a baker come in to
bake brownies and pastries.
Naidre’s offers a host of sandwiches
for lunch; two that caught the writer’s eye were a ‘Veggie Reuben’ and the
‘Woodstock’ [ingredients include red pepper hummus, avocado, cheddar, romaine,
and chipotle dressing]. Sandwiches are made with a ciabatta roll or multigrain
bread. Perhaps the piece de resistance on the menu: fresh, made-on-the-premises
‘Mac N’ Cheese.’
Naidre’s is open from 7am to 8 pm
every day, so dinner’s also an option. Large salads, including Cobb and
Southwest, are suitable for lunch or dinner. And, the sandwiches can be ordered
up until closing.
Yes, observing the goings-on in
Naidre’s, the manner in which customers are treated, and – this is always
important to the writer – the generous portions offered were very impressive.
As Janice emphasized, Naidre’s is not just a coffee house, but an excellent
Park Slope destination for any of the three meals.
And, the coffee’s superb, too.
By Jim Israel
Jim@ParkSlope.com |
