Sorriso Kitchen

252 Main St, Chatham NJ 07928

Located in the heart of charming downtown Chatham, family-owned Sorriso Kitchen offers farm-to-table meals with fresh ingredients sourced locally and sports an awning that dubs it, “a unique eatery.” Its namesake means “smile” in Italian (half-remembered from my high-school Italian classes and confirmed on the Sorriso website), and the café itself certainly lives up to the moniker. On Mondays, the café closes to patrons but opens its doors to students with special needs who learn real-life job skills to help them find employment. Parking is on-street (or nearby lots), and public transit options within walking distance include Chatham Station (NJ Transit MNE line) and NJ Transit bus stops along Main Street.

Sorriso mostly caters to a breakfast and lunch crowd, though they do offer occasional “chef’s dinners” served by candlelight (which doesn’t sound very conducive to polishing those novel chapters, not to mention the $125 price tag). NJ writers best stick to the breakfast and lunch options which are more reasonably priced ($$ according to Yelp) and offer a good variety including cinnamon roll pancakes, brioche French toast, and egg-based breakfast sandwiches. Breakfast cookies and avocado toast are also options, along with Miscela d’oro (Italian-brand) coffee. The lunch menu offers paninis, salads, and classic sandwiches (including burgers (and veggie burgers!)).

My choice for the day was strawberry-topped pancakes, and they did not disappoint: a fluffy texture with just the right amount of surface-crisp, bold flavor without being overly sweet, balanced by fresh-sliced strawberries, powdered sugar, and artisan maple syrup. My only suggestion for improvement would have been to incorporate some strawberries into the actual batter itself.

Kiersten chose a short stack of cinnamon roll pancakes and noted they were buttery with considerable cinnamon-spice and an enticing sugary sheen—just like a cinnamon roll. The coffee was hot and bottomless (always a plus!) and the wait staff stopped by consistently to refill even after dropping off the check.

The intimate space brings patrons fairly close together, with mostly tables intended for two spaced about an arm’s length apart. Tables can be pushed together for larger groups (or laptops, as single tables might not accommodate both food plates and writing hardware). Food service is by wait staff, and while we didn’t feel rushed, there’s always that guilt of “occupying” a table beyond one’s welcome. The noise level was fairly loud (the café was mostly full while we were there) just from ambient conversation (no music), and the only outlet I noticed was tucked next to a table by the front window.

Overall, NJ Writer’s Café rates Sorriso Kitchen a 3/5. The service was friendly and attentive, the atmosphere inviting and homely, and the vibe warm and welcoming. For writing, though, this spot might not hit all the marks.

Wishing you the best in all your reading, eating, writing, and dreaming! Till next time...

AJ