Felicia’s Kitchen

For a tasty breakfast or lunch with an authentic Italian twist, head to Felicia’s Kitchen, located in the shopping center off Markham Place in Little Silver. Since 1987, when longtime owners and newfound friends Felicia and Sam came to America from Italy, they have operated this cute little eatery in this charming Jersey shore town.

The storefront is painted in warm beiges and browns, with a high-top bar at the counter, and about a dozen regular tables for guests. The addition of red brick flourishes and kickwalls gives Felicia’s Kitchen a rustic feel, as does the assorted personal knick-knacks displayed. Best of all are the two oil paint portraits on either side of the restaurant—one of Sam, the other of Felicia, under which reads “Be careful how you address the Queen.” Take that advice to heart!

Attention, sleepyheads! Felicia’s Kitchen serves breakfast until 2 p.m., for all those late risers out there. There are eggs any style, nine varieties of omelets, and several types of pancakes, including blueberry and banana. You can grab and go assorted breakfast wraps with potato, tomato, squash, and bacon. Or try Sammy’s Eggs Tegamino, gently cooked and served over a savory Italian red sauce, for $14.95.

They also offer a wide variety of lunch options, from panini to wraps to sandwiches to burgers, as well as bigger platters for those who arrive super hungry. Popular paninos include the Panino Italiano, with grilled chicken, fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers and pesto. Sub out turkey and you’ve got the Panino Rustico. There’s a Crispy Chicken Panino—think mom’s parm—and a Little Silver Panino with roast beef and fresh mozz. Angelo’s Panino has fried eggplant, and Joey’s has ham. They even offer quesadillas.

For those who eschew the bread, Felicia’s Kitchen offers wraps, like the Buffalo Chicken Wrap and several other assorted chicken wraps including Caesar, Suzy’s with fresh mozz, and Waldorf salad style with sliced apples, craisins, and walnuts. 

Felicia raved about their chicken salad, made fresh daily, so I ordered a Chicken Salad Sandwich on rye from their Deli Menu. It arrived loaded up on toasted rye with lettuce and tomato, and was delicious, as promised! I ate the entire thing, and didn’t even save one bite for the dog.

The sandwiches come with chips and are served on hard roll, deli rye, white, wheat, or seven-grain bread. You can get roast beef, ham, pastrami, corned beef, BLT, egg salad, chicken salad, ham salad, tuna salad, or crab meat. Our friend ordered the BLT, and it was huge, larded with bacon, crispy lettuce, and bright red tomato slices. She only made it through one half before she threw in the towel and wrapped it to go!

Combination and triple-decker sammies are also offered. There’s turkey, muenster, and cole slaw; roast beef, turkey, and swiss; and ham, roast beef, and swiss. Clubs include chicken salad, tuna, turkey, roast beef, and egg salad. 

You can also get these assorted sandwich fillings served platter style, with fresh mozz, tomato, and avocado on a bed of spinach. They come with a choice of fruit salad, macaroni salad, or cole slaw. Other lighter bites include the Little Silver Salad with chicken salad on romaine; the green salad with grilled chicken, Caesar salad with chicken, and Chef Salad. 

At the grill, Sam brings the sizzle, offering an array of hot sammies like the Reuben, Grilled Cheese, Tuna Melt, and related Chicken Salad, Corned Beef, or Crabmeat Melt. Bet you can’t get those anywhere else! 

He also grills up a variety of burgers, including the Patty Melt, California Burger, Pizza Burger, Alex Burger with an over-easy egg, Swiss cheese, and onion; plus his featured Sammy Burger, topped with fresh mozzarella and bruschetta on a brioche bun. 

J ordered this classic with a side of cottage fries. It arrived piping hot, perfectly cooked, and tasting as though Sam put a lot of thought into the mix of burger meat in his namesake dish. J loved the addition of the tomatoey bruschetta; she liked the fresh mozzarella a little less, as it didn’t melt onto the burger in the way she’s accustomed to a cheeseburger being. She ate a bit more than half, and brought the rest home to bribe the dog for leaving him inexplicably for our midday Ladies Luncheon.

Felicia’s Kitchen is an ideal spot to pop in for a bite with friends, or even to get a quick takeout lunch to go. For those who like to pair errands with outings, nearby Benchmark Breads bakery offers high-priced, tony loaves with which the deep-pocketed can make their own delicious sandwiches. Just don’t try to compete with Felicia’s! 

129 Markham Place
Little Silver, NJ 07739732-530-3211
https://feliciaskitchen.com

Tuesday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-2:45 p.m.
Saturday 8 a.m.-2:45

Save a Few Clams

Every day, Felicia puts a new special on the whiteboard. It’s a great way to get a deal. On our visit, it was a Chicken Antipasto Platter with farfalle pasta salad and bruschetta for $17.95.