LOCALadk Magazine
Issue link: https://localadkmagazine.uberflip.com/i/212613
LOCALadk | Food tangy, and salty, and the flaky crust provided the perfect contrast to the warm meat inside. The homemade kielbasa was not your mundane tube of nitrates, but a hand-shaped patty with a flavor and life of its own. The Brussels sprouts had a tremendous depth of flavor, and when I saw the tubs of fleur de sel (hand harvested sea salt) from the île de Ré (Isle of Rhé) in the larder, I discovered at least one of Vargo's tricks Having been trained at the New England Culinary Institute and having served under one of France's top chefs, Vargo's got more than a few up his sleeve. One of his signatures is Vargo's in-house smoked corned beef. The sliced meat has all the salty tenderness of good corned beef, coupled with a rich hue of smoke that brings to mind Texas brisket. He serves it piled high on rye, NYC Deli or Reuben style, or heaped on a crusty roll with barbeque sauce ($10). I warn you, this meat is no gateway drug, one hit and you're hooked on the real thing. It had been a long time since we had been served such a delicious and well-cared-for meal, and I remain grateful to Eat 'n Meet for not only filling our stomachs but cheering our moods. John and Colleen have an aesthetic and an ethic that I admire. They are serving some of the very best food without any pomp and pretention. Eat 'n Meet is something of a Robin Hood of the culinary world. You could roll in there in your filthy Carhartts after a day's work and eat just as well as the rich folks in their fineries. Eat 'n Meet offers a wide variety of creative meatless options, as well as a deep vein of seafood on the menu. Having grown up close to the coast, I am always a little skeptical about ordering sea fare too far from the ocean, but with John's history in the seafood business, you're in good hands. We recently revisited Eat 'n Meet over the summer and gorged on his delicious Alaskan Pollack fish tacos ($13). Since my hands were starting to shake in withdrawal, I also had to get a Reuben to get my fix of that brisket. As my son wobbled around the restaurant, John and Colleen stuffed him with fresh tomatoes, and while we waited for our meal we got a few rounds on the restaurant's own rustic minigolf course that brings to mind all of those old Adirondack theme parks I remember from the 70's. John and Colleen live upstairs from the restaurant with their children, so their establishment has a warm vibe that welcomes the whole family. But remember, this is not fast food. If you are in a rush, check the daily menu on the website and call your order in ahead of time.