Finding a good lunch spot can be surprisingly hard. Long ago, I swore off Yelp (and even created a blog, Yelp: Reviewed, that served as commentary for how unhelpful — and often bizarre — their reviews are). These days, I use a combination of frequently sordid (unappetizing?) Jersey eats Instagram accounts and local Facebook groups to find new places to eat. Occasionally, I’ll use the ol’ “lunch near me” prompt in Google to find endless options (many not open, many not serving lunch) as a shot in the dark.

Today, I had the pleasure of inviting one of my all-time favorite conversationalists to lunch: my mom. She lives in my hometown of Union, NJ, so I considered driving us to a local downtown in search of a restaurant. Before taking that step, I tried searching for lunch places in Kenilworth, a small neighboring town to Union, that may exist solely to fill the oddly shaped geographical gap between Union and Cranford. Chat & Griddle, a place I had never heard of, popped up, on the speed-trap Boulevard no less, so I thought we’d give it a shot.

Situated a ways beyond the three-block strip of shops on the Boulevard, heading toward Nomahegan Park, Chat & Griddle is easy to miss. “This used to be a candy store,” said my mom, knower of all things nearby, as we walked in. Instead of a sit-down service place, this is more of a Valley Street Eatery type place, where you order at the front and snag a seat at one of the 10 or so tables, or a counter spot.

Chat & Griddle is open every day for breakfast and lunch except for Monday, and they proudly state that breakfast is served all day on the menu plastered on the wall. The owner/chef helpfully provided a paper menu to me when he saw me taking a photo of the wall (as Chat & Griddle does not have a website, at least not yet, but you can order via their online menu on Google; I didn’t see it listed on UberEats but they are on Instagram!).

Behind the service counter, there’s a Boylan soda fountain machine, with drinks ranging from root beer through lemonade and beyond, something I’ve actually never seen, but speaks to the good aesthetic instincts Chat & Griddle has. Bags of chips and baked goods are available where you order. Grab a bottle of water or a Coke or Snapple product on the way in, if root beer and the like aren’t your thing.

Once I had thoroughly studied the menu, searching for a non-sandwich item, I walked over to the counter to order. Before I could get there, an ecstatic 20-something man in shorts (it was 60 degrees today), effusively praised the owner/chef for their Taylor ham, egg, and cheese (THEC) sandwich. “This is the best ever. Nobody makes it better than this,” he exclaimed. His soliloquy went on for about three minutes, and it occurred to me that he may have just walked in to compliment the sandwich; he was neither ordering nor finishing a meal. Hey, you do you, man. When it appeared he had run out of superlatives for their THEC, I placed my order, while my mom sat at a table.

Like all things I love, Chat & Griddle is good at managing expectations. The menu notes that all food is made by hand – something that shows in both the presentation and craftmanship of what we ordered – to suggest that you might need to wait a bit. After about 15 minutes, one of the guys behind the counter brought out our food.

I ordered the chimichurri steak bowl, which was served on a plate, but I recognize that anything made with a grain base is considered a “bowl” in 2024. In addition to the steak (flavorful if a tad fatty), the dish comes with a hearty serving of fine quinoa, baby spinach, guacamole, grape tomatoes, feta cheese, and two fried eggs. It also comes with potatoes, which I asked to be omitted.

I thought the dish was fantastic. I was impressed by how fresh everything tasted, and the combination of flavors created an elevated experience. I had never thought to have a bit of spinach, guacamole, chimichurri, egg, and steak in one bite, yet I’d highly recommend it! The chimichurri itself was quite bright and served as a solid complement to the overall flavor profile.

My mom ordered a cheddar burger that arrived on a sturdy, fresh-baked bun. Although the menu has a fancy burger that I bet is delicious, my mom wanted something more low-key, and the person taking our order happily complied with a custom option. The beef patty was neither too thin nor too tall, and like its proportions, it was cooked perfectly. Just as my dish was overflowing with freshness, the vibrancy of the green leaf lettuce and tomato basically jumped off the plate. On the side, there was an ample portion of fries that were salted just right.

I left Chat & Griddle thinking about when I could return. Based on what I saw, Chat & Griddle takes great care with everything that leaves their kitchen, including the artfully plated, must-try pancakes. I can see where the THEC lover I encountered was coming from, as Chat & Griddle has many variations of the sandwich on their menu – something for the traditionalist, the adventurer, and even the strange (see the one with powdered sugar). They even have a kids’ menu, making it a low-stress breakfast and lunch destination for the whole family.

Although the experience of Chat & Griddle is unpretentious, the flavor aesthetics are refined and advanced. In fact, I cannot think of a restaurant I’ve been to in Cranford or Westfield lately that I enjoyed more than this, so check it out!