Fresh Veggies, Meats—Variety of Combinations

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, Bridgewater Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice:

Fresh Food Kitchen

Overview: The restaurant is very laid-back, with the counter where you order your salad or panini, and plenty of tables available. The choices are varied with all different options to satisfy any kind of craving, including meat, vegetarian and any combination thereof. The biggest issue is actually getting there. Nestled where Raritan, Somerville and Bridgewater meet at the Somerville Circle, you need to (if you're coming from Route 28, as I normally am) drive three-quarters of the way around the circle and down toward Somerville to get there. And when you're trying to make a left out of the parking lot, it's a little bit scary trying to judge if there is anyone zooming around the circle on the other side of the corner. Like I said, it's right on the edge, so it's hard to tell. But the food is totally worth it.

Décor: There is no extra special decoration to speak of, so it's a little hard to describe the décor other than to say that it's an easy place to get comfortable in, easy to eat and an otherwise perfectly nice place to be. 

The Drinks: This is strictly a panini and salad place, so the drinks are mostly limited to Snapple, waters and sodas. Although the restaurant does serve Cheerwine, a type of soda which I'm told is usually only found in South Carolina.

Entrees: Oh, where to begin. Let's start with the salads—you have your choice of romaine, iceberg or a mix of lettuce as the base, and from there you add your toppings. You can usually add about five toppings, and choices include cucumbers, carrots, cheese, artichokes, roasted red peppers, mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, nuts, meats and anything else you could imagine. It's all fresh, all delicious and makes for a healthy treat created entirely by you. And then there are the paninis. I normally feast on the Fresh Mozzarella panini, preferably on wheat bread, with its mozzarella, fresh plum tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh spinach and a sun-dried tomato spread. And my dining partner normally gets the Downtown Express with its roast beef, carmelized onions, muenster cheese, baby spinach and tomato with horseradish scallion mayo. Sounds good and quite the combination. The sandwiches all have their own interesting [if descriptive] names like Delightful, with fresh honey-glazed turkey, avocado, swiss cheese and honey mustard. Then there's Sweet 'n' Sour, with turkey, swiss cheese, cranberries and herbed mayo. So many choices, so little time to try. And all paninis come with tortilla chips and salsa.

Desserts: There are no desserts to speak of, but if you're looking for something, you can always head into Bridgewater to the mall for some ice cream in the food court, or down into Somerville for Rita's or anything else.

Service: The service is very quick. They make the salads as you watch, and the paninis are already prepared, they just need to be heated up. You will have your food within five minutes.

Fresh Food Kitchen
Address: 223 W. End Avenue, Raritan, NJ 08869
Cost: $