In case you hadn’t heard, Linden is a growing community. And with more people, comes more restaurants.
Evolving from its previous identity as Bakeristor Cafe (2019-2024), the once-simple and quaint space has been transformed into a beautiful dining room for the now-upscale eatery Pappardello. The goal was to create a really nice restaurant that would service all of the surrounding communities as well as the sizable number of kosher keepers who pass through the area on a daily basis.
The result is a menu that works for the whole day and even has some people showing up for late-night dessert. It’s a great place for a date, a lunch meeting, or just two friends meeting as a halfway point and grabbing a bite.
When I was invited to Pappardello, the first thing I had to decide was whether to go for lunch or dinner. Lunch has a slightly larger menu that includes some sandwiches and wraps that are absent from the dinner menu, so if those interest you, it’s something to consider. As far as those offerings go, I’d recommend getting the French Onion Panini. The first thing you should know is that these sandwiches are big. Like they are cut into four quarters instead of two halves. The second thing is that they don’t skimp on the cheese, so these paninis have some real gooeyness on the inside of a really nice crusty crunch from the bread on the outside. This specific panini is amazing if you love French onion soup. This is like a sandwich version of the soup, but with a little bit of an upgrade as the cheese is both mozzarella and gouda.
The next dish is perhaps the most unique on the menu. Though it’s technically only on the lunch menu, they’ll make it for dinner if you ask nicely. Let me introduce you to the Cheddar Waffles. No, these aren’t waffles with cheddar on them. These are waffles made of cheddar. As in, they take a fistful of shredded cheese and throw it in the waffle iron until it crisps into waffle form. Speaking as somebody who loves that crispy, half-burnt cheese taste, I love this idea. The two “waffles” are topped with guacamole, roasted garlic tomatoes, and two sunny-side up eggs. Not only is this a great mixture of textures, the blend of flavors is fantastic. Salty cheese, creamy guac, some umami from the tomato garlic combination and savory eggs? Sign me up.
As for the traditional menu, if you’re looking for an appetizer, look no further than the Fried Ravioli. There are some other options that are a bit more basic, but this choice stands out for a reason. Served on top of a bed of ricotta, topped with honey, and served with a side of spicy marinara, the ravioli are fried expertly. They have to be crisp enough to retain their crunch even while sitting in the ricotta and yet it still works. The honey gives the dish a hit of sweetness that is balanced by the creamy ricotta and the spicy sauce. And as six of them come on the plate, it’s a great order to split with another person or two.
Now we have the classic decision many people deal with when patronizing a dairy restaurant… pasta or fish? Starting with my pasta recommendation, it’s got to be the Mushroom Alfredo. There’s nothing like a great alfredo sauce and this one was particularly creamy and adhered well to the linguine. The mushrooms and breadcrumb topping added to the variability of the texture and the parmesan both in the sauce and sprinkled on top gave the dish a bit of extra richness that made me want to finish the pasta and scrape the plate.
However, the best complete plate has to go to the Creamy Grilled Salmon. Not only was the fish light and flaky, but the base was actually the thing that tied everything together. The fish was served on top of a basil cream sauce and a parmesan polenta and the plate was rounded out with a medley of seasonal vegetables that included broccoli, cauliflower, peppers and zucchini. Honestly, I would probably eat almost anything if you served it with this combination of sauce and polenta. Whether it was a bite of the fish or the vegetables, both were greatly enhanced by the addition of the sauce and polenta. The nutty parmesan and the herby basil flavors combined in harmony and were the star of a well-rounded plate that might have otherwise had me wishing it was mashed potatoes instead.
Like many others, I go to a dairy restaurant looking slightly past the meal towards dessert. There’s just that anticipation you get by knowing that everything in the after dinner department is going to include the real thing. Let’s just say that you won’t be disappointed by the Oreo Crunch Waffle. Easily large enough for two people to share, this is a large waffle with vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, Oreo crumbles and a full-sized Oreo just for good measure. I probably don’t really need to describe much about this. You can imagine what it tastes like and it’s just as great as you’re thinking.
So if you’re part of the growing community of Linden, a resident of one of the nearby communities like Elizabeth, Springfield, Staten Island, Metuchen, West Orange or Livingston, or just passing through the area on your way to somewhere else, Pappardello is a great place to stop for a nice meal, great ambiance and good food.
What more can you ask for?
Nati Burnside is a freelance writer living in Fair Lawn and is a man of many interests. He can be reached at NatiBurnside@gmail.com.
