Great food done right is the motto at Ridgewood Eats, and by the looks of the nearly full dining room on a rainy Wednesday evening, it pays off. Opened less than four months ago, Ridgewood Eats is a welcome addition to the quiet, residential neighborhood for which it’s named. The casual atmosphere entices families and locals who come for great breakfasts, lunch and dinner, since Ridgewood Eats is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. The brand new dining room sparkles with track lighting, illuminating glistening clean tables and ceramic tile floors. Renovations revealed an original brick wall that lends charm to this casual neighborhood restaurant.

Owners John, Spiro and Chris work tirelessly to maintain their eatery. The secret to Ridgewood Eats’ success is providing big portions of freshly prepared food at incredibly low prices, served by a friendly wait staff in a clean and comfortable setting. Dig into some great appetizers such as chicken quesadillas, rolled, fried crisp, then served with sour cream. Spicy and flavorful Buffalo wings are served with bleu cheese dressing and celery on the side. Chicken fingers and mozzarella sticks come with honey mustard or chunky marinara sauce and are very popular with kids. If you can’t decide, try the sampler platter and everyone will be happy. Ridgewood Eats also offers three homemade soups each day. The lentil soup we tried was delicious and the others, chicken noodle and cream of mushroom, are so good that not even the warm weather stops people from ordering them.

One of the great things about Ridgewood Eats is that there is something for everyone on the menu. Feel like something light? Try their freshly tossed salad “Popeye” salad, fresh spinach, sliced egg, bacon, tomato, mushrooms and toasted croutons. The Greek salad, loaded with mixed greens, creamy feta cheese, tomato, cucumbers, olives, scallions and stuffed grape leaves, is very popular. Given the enormous portions, these salads are quite a bargain.

At lunchtime, some of the most popular items include oven pressed Italian style panini sandwiches made on foccaccia bread, then pressed with a sandwich grill. Ridgewood Eats makes hundreds of these tasty sandwiches a day, the most popular being the Honey Chicken Panini. A grilled chicken breast is topped with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and a touch of honey mustard. The Sicilian panini layers prosciutto, mozzarella and sun dried tomato with arugula and balsamic vinaigrette for a taste of Italy. Best of all, every panini comes with Ridgewood Eats’ sweet potato fries, which are not to be missed. You can also wrap up your lunch with one of Ridgewood Eats’ delicious wraps, made on flour tortillas. The grilled chicken pesto wrap includes fresh mozzarella, sun dried tomato and lettuce and tomato with a smear of rich pesto sauce. Grilled salmon in a wrap with tomato, arugula and roasted peppers makes for a healthy lunch,. All platters, even sandwiches, are beautifully presented on gleaming white dishes with lots of pretty garnishes, such as carrot confetti, roasted red pepper ribbons and circles of olives. This adds a nice visual touch to the food.

The dinner menu offers lots of options. Fresh pasta dishes such as rigatoni Bolognese with homemade meat sauce, spaghetti puttanesca, with spicy tomato, anchovy and caper sauce and linguine primavera are just a few of the options, all at unbeatable prices. Chicken dishes, including francese, marsala and parmigiana, are all made to order and served in large portions, with rice or pasta and soup or salad. Ridgewood Eats does a fine job with fish and seafood, too. I loved the shrimp scampi; tender shrimp in a lemon sauce served over rice. Next time I’ll try the salmon piccata with lemon and caper sauce or the lobster and shrimp filled ravioli. If you crave Grade A beef, try their 12-ounce dinner steak, Roumanian steak or their ever popular 8-ounce charcoal broiled burgers. Enjoy a juicy, all-beef burger with your favorite toppings and fries too, for the same price as fast food. A menu of dinner specials is put out each day as well.

Rumor has it that Ridgewood Eats’ weekend breakfast specials are so popular, a line goes out the door. Why not? Country style omelets with cheeses, ham, spinach, avocado, mushrooms and more folded in are a real treat on Saturday and Sunday mornings, when there’s time to enjoy the first meal of the day. French toast, pancakes, muffins, cereals and the specials of the day make up more of the menu choices.

Ridgewood Eats has plenty of options in great food done right. The price is right and they’ll even deliver to your home or office. Menus are faxed daily to local businesses, who receive fast, friendly deliveries of delicious food. Visit Ridgewood Eats any time, any day for great food done right.