Marlboro’s over easy kitchen is banishing the greasy-spoon model and waking up to a new kind of breakfast

by Marisa Procopio

“We really wanted to build a special place, and we took the time to do it right,” said Demetri Rexinis of his brainchild, Over Easy Kitchen. With some 23 years in the restaurant business under his belt (“Being Greek, you grow up in that business”), Rexinis and his family opened the cozy, bustling breakfast spot this past January.

The owners found an ideal location in Marlboro, and their enthusiasm is reflected in a design on one of their windows, which greets guests with, “hello Marlboro, hello.”

“We felt it was a great location,” said the owner. “We knew it had great surrounding neighborhoods with a lot of transplants from the city.” City people who know from good food? “Yes,” he laughed.

Over Easy’s menu is filled with upscale versions of treasured and totally-scratch-made comfort foods (think tender brioche bun instead of a Kaiser roll, chewy steel-cut oatmeal instead of instant), where guests feel pampered and can relax with a really satisfying meal.

“The menu is an extension of what our lives are and what we enjoy,” explained Rexinis. “Part of building the menu was answering the question, ‘How do we make this food but with better ingredients…better quality?’”

“Today’s guest is a lot more educated and health-conscious, but still enjoys comfort foods,” he continued. For the eclectic minded, the restaurant pours Corso coffee, a brand their patrons adore, and a local French bakery provides the light, egg-rich brioche for their buns and French toast.

To treat those with gluten intolerance, Over Easy offers gluten-free pancakes, as well as those made with traditional wheat flour, along with 100% organic maple syrup—deeper, darker, and infinitely more delicious than the supermarket “maple-flavored” corn syrup brands. Bigger appetites and/or those who thrive on a protein-packed breakfast will relish the Protein Breffy: a plate loaded with scrambled egg whites, marinated grilled chicken, sautéed spinach, extravirgin olive oil, avocado, and multi-grain toast. It promises energy to spare.

For lunch, tuck into hefty sandwiches, panini, salads, and soups made in house, and chefs have no problem being playful here. (Imagine a classic Cubano sandwich with ham, pork, and dressings…but on a pretzel croissant. Let your mouth water.) Rexinis is also aware that New Jersey residents, more and more, are looking to buy homegrown and raised. To that end, guests can also look forward to sampling locally sourced ingredients once the growing season is upon us.

“The menu is always a product of what’s going on seasonally,” he said. “We’ve already talked to a few farms.”
He and his wife, Lynn, aren’t just restauranteurs; they’re parents, too. Along these lines, they pay careful attention to what they offer younger guests. Lynn was the guiding force behind the kids’ menu, and made a point of selecting for it organic apple juice, organic, antibiotic-free chicken, and gluten-free items. It’s a rare restaurant that wants (or even thinks) to go to this extent, but it’s about “spending a little more on quality, making an honest effort,” Rexinis explained.

The owners “built a place from scratch,” he added, versus other restaurant ventures he’s orchestrated in which “you hit the ground running.” His greatest satisfaction comes from the result of his and his family’s hard work.

“To see all the effort come together, to see it all come to fruition, then see guests come in and appreciate it and to hear the compliments. People tell us, ‘I feel like I’m in New York.’”

Over Easy Kitchen
460 County Road 520, Marlboro / 732.526.4422
overeasykitchen.com