After eight years in business, one location change, dozens of five-star reviews and at least a few best-ofs, the secret is out. Hidden Kitchen in North Branford is on the map.
Along Route 80, the diner, which is owned and run by wife and husband Sandi and Dave Sulkowski, serves breakfast, lunch and, if you like, brunch inspired by their family favorites. Sandi says it was a spur of the moment decision that led the couple to go into business together after respective careers in teaching and engineering. “We put in our two weeks’ notice and went for it,” she says from behind the counter. “When I look back, it was a pretty brave leap.”
When it comes to the first two meals of the day, Hidden Kitchen hits for the fences with an enormous menu that, according to Sandi, is still growing thanks to frequent brainstorms between herself, her husband and their children.
“We’ll sit down to dinner, have a glass of wine and talk about our favorite dishes and how we can make them breakfast items,” she says. The flavor profiles of pizzas or seafood dinners are tweaked and re-imagined as frittatas or omelets, like the popular Buffalo Omelet, which was inspired by Sandi’s son’s love of Buffalo-style chicken.
I tried a few items off the breakfast menu, beginning with an updated classic, Eggs on Faulkner’s Island ($9.50). Named for the spit of land three miles off Branford’s coast, the dish has two slices of French toast, with eggs in the middle, a dusting of powdered sugar and Canadian bacon on the side. The toast was thick and pillowy, sweet and savory, while the eggs were perfectly cooked, just barely runny. Along with the ham, the dish came with the two pads of bread that had been cut out to make room for the eggs. Usually discarded, the whimsical add-ons were served buttered and lightly fried.
Next I sampled the Cocina Oculta Omelet ($11.40), a southwest-inspired dish served with fresh fruit and wholegrain toast. The omelet was expansive and fluffy, well stuffed with a mix of black beans, tomatoes and onions all smothered in cheddar cheese. The veggies were fresh and well-balanced, though spice fiends will want to pep it up with hot sauce.
What’s breakfast without dessert? Sane, perhaps, but not as fun. Especially at Hidden Kitchen, where the sweeter offerings include Peach Melba Waffles, Apple Pie French Toast and Cinnamon Bun Walnut Pancakes, the last of which the Sulkowski family eats for breakfast every Christmas. I had the Blueberry Stuffed French Toast, piled high with fresh blueberry compote. The blueberries were sugared with a light hand, allowing the fruit to shine. A couple of bites into the dish, I discovered the filling—more blueberry compote mixed with smooth, rich mascarpone cheese. Sophisticated and indulgent, the dish was remarkable, not least for its balance.
Hidden Kitchen itself is balanced between being a business and a homey spot full of noise and friends eating together. While many restaurants aspire to a personal connection to their diners, Hidden Kitchen actually has it.
“We’ve watched families grow up in these last eight years,” Sandi says. “There’s not really a line between [how we are] personally and [how we are] in business. I feel like if you’re kind to people and give them good food, they’ll keep coming back.”
Written and photographed by Sorrel Westbrook.
