Eating In Eden?

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		Garden of Eat-In
		Eating In Eden?

It was about one year ago when I visited the Garden of Eat-In for the first time. Although I felt at that time that I could recommend the restaurant for light meals or dessert, I couldn’t do the same for “serious eating.” Several people contacted me and took exception to my comments, apparently feeling that I was unfairly knocking a really terrific eatery. Although my evaluation was honestly given, I assured these Garden of Eat-In supporters that another review would be forthcoming and that any necessary revisions from my initial impression would be happily noted in future reviews.

Last Sunday, June 28, 1998, I dined a second time at the Garden of Eat-In. Most noteworthy was the physical expansion of the restaurant, which now has a second dining room. Unlike the older dining area, with its café styled ceramic tile floor, tables and chairs; booths, and diner ambiance, the newer room is somewhat more dressed up. Because it is carpeted and closed off from the main room, it is significantly quieter and more serene. The noise level in the main dining area proved to be uncomfortably loud, with the mirrored and stained glass walls, laminated table tops, and hard floor reflecting the shrill peal of a blender, screaming toddlers, and people trying to talk above the din. The noise level was compounded by the bus boys, who tended to throw collected plates and cutlery into bins with apparent indifference to diners sitting nearby. It is also difficult to avoid mentioning the occasional sound of the Zapper, curiously placed on the wall in the middle of the main room, if only because its placement is so unusual. Thus, if you arrive at the height of dinnertime, on a Sunday evening or other busy mealtime, and you don&'t have small children in tow, insist on a table in the second dining room. It can easily determine the success of your dining experience. Another consequence of being a family restaurant and apparently very busy (at least on Sunday evenings) is the cleanliness factor. We had to ask for the booth area to be swept out before we could sit down. Off peak hours, however, the diner/soda shop décor can be pleasant enough. The newer room is minimally decorated. Lighting is provided by chandeliers and is therefore more subdued than the florescent lighting found in the main room. The choral walls are sparse, except for several trompe-l’oeil columns. There is seating for approximately 75 people in each room.

The menu offers a respectable variety of choices. Breakfast possibilities range from 3 egg omelets, waffles and pancakes to sandwiches and salad platters. Pasta Plus dishes (16 of them) feature pasta with assorted combinations of vegetables and/or fish and can suffice as entrees. Fresh fish selections include salmon, sole, tuna and halibut. The large array of dessert and soda fountain specialties bring to mind ice cream parlors of years past.

Of the three, out of five, soups we tried, the Pea Soup and the Mushroom Barley Soup were the most flavorful. Although tending to be thin in consistency, they are made daily with fresh ingredients. Seasoning was restrained and the overall taste for both was agreeable. For my entrée, I ordered the Baked Coho Salmon, as I did on my previous visit. My companions tried the Grilled Whole Snapper with Steamed Vegetables and the Fettuccini with Mock Shrimp and Vegetables, both specials of the day.

The Baked Coho Salmon arrived on a large plate accompanied with ½ jumbo baked potato, steamed vegetables (zucchini, carrots) and sautéed mushrooms and tomatoes. The salmon was supposed to be wrapped around spinach stuffing, however the amount of stuffing was meager. The fish itself, a tail portion, was short on meat. What there was, however, appeared dry. I sent it back and asked that the fish portion be replaced with a grilled fillet of salmon. This was done after some discussion. The grilled fillet, when it finally arrived, was overdone as well, but being a thicker piece, it managed to retain some moisture and was an improvement over the Coho. The size of the fillet wasn’t large, but together with the abundant sides, was sufficient. The steamed vegetables were well prepared and retained the crunchiness that bespeaks of freshness. Their subtle flavor and texture offered a welcome counterpoint to the salmon. The sautéed mushrooms and tomatoes, however, blended nicely with the fish, their moisture making up for any dryness.

The grilled snapper, a Special of the Day, which was actually broiled was also served with the steamed veggies and baked potato. Although my uncompromising companion emphatically stressed that the fish not be overcooked, it still arrived slightly dry, straddling the edge of acceptability. The use of seasonings was on the whole minimal, except in the case of garlic, which generally overpowered the fish. The baked potato was cold on arrival, but there were no complaints about the vegetables.

The “mock shrimp” in the Fettuccine mimicked the appearance of the authentic crustacean convincingly. They crowned a heap of fettuccini mixed with vegetables producing a filling pasta entrée. Its mild sauce was just that, blending the flavors of bell pepper, tomato, and salt. Personally, I prefer an entrée that offers a variety of individual tastes as opposed to a homogenous one, where the flavors become monotonous after a while. My companion, who ordered the Fetuccini, however, did enjoy it. Portions in all cases were generous.

An eye filling display of cakes and pies tempts you during your meal and almost ensures your order of cake for dessert. However, the cakes do compete with a selection of old fashioned ice cream sundaes with names like Chocolate Bomb, Snow Man, and Hawaiian Delight. We succumbed and ordered two cakes, the Rocky Road and the Othello, both layer cakes. Actually, we ordered the former first and deciding that it had the taste of a cake that had been sitting around for a while, we switched to the Othello. The Othello, with layers of caramel paste alternating with vanilla cake and covered with crust of vanilla frosting, was very, sweet, even for this nosher. To avoid hypoglycemic shock, it should be eaten sparingly. A more satisfying choice would probably have been a fruit pie.

A fairly large list of beverages is expanded further to include ice cream floats, malts and ice cream sodas. The vanilla Malted and the vanilla Egg Cream (a Brooklyn institution) both arrived short on syrup, but were altered to our satisfaction without hassle. Otherwise, they were made well, sufficiently thick and creamy.

Our waitress proved to be quite a trooper, in spite of being overwhelmed by the understaffed and crowded conditions. Although we requested exchanges be made in the midst of a sometimes chaotic circumstance, she remained friendly and anxious to please. In view of the situation, it would be unfair to attribute the slow, somewhat distracted service to her.

The Garden of Eat-In is not an upscale, gourmet eatery and although one is tempted to compare similar foods served at different restaurants based on the food preparation itself, one should also consider price differences and the focus of the restaurant itself. As a family restaurant, Garden of Eat-In offers good value, fresh and often healthily prepared food in portions that are sure to be filling. It does not pretend to be a “fine” restaurant and by understanding the needs and desires of its customers, it serves its following well.


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