(609)397-8033
Bridge and Main Streets
Stockton, NJ 08559
Meil's - A Look Inside
Meil's Restaurant. Yes, it's that tiny little place with a name that nobody can pronounce in a town that nobody can find, serving meals that nobody else can make. From city dwellers to devoted country folk, Meil's loyal clientele keep coming back to that one-of-a-kind restaurant in the middle of nowhere for one reason: the food! Serving three meals a day, seven days a week, Meil's is almost trendy in its home style simplicity. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes with gravy, potato pancakes with apple sauce and sour cream, corn fritters with raspberry mayonnaise, roast half chicken with stuffing, rotini with pesto, marinara sauce and goat cheese, cinnamon raisin bread custard — they speak for themselves. But, any one of the numerous write-ups in local papers about Meil's holds this information.
So ... what don't the articles tell?
It's not the waiters and waitresses in funky T-shirts, the modern paintings on the walls, or the less than fifty available seats placed in the old gas station building that makes Meil's run. Quite simply, it's the kitchen. You won't find very many cans, bottles, or other prepackaged items on Meil's shelves. In the first place, there aren't enough shelves in the smallest kitchen ever to put out so much homemade food. Second, and most important, it's just not the way Meil's does things. Owners/Chefs Kristin and Michael Meil know that anyone can open cans of applesauce, marinara sauce, and salsa. But, they also know that these items (and many others, right down to Meil's own marshmallows in their own hot chocolate) are better made fresh. That's what keeps customers coming back and that's what will put the Meil's three teenagers through college.
And because homemade food doesn't make itself, Meil's has a staff — three “hot” chefs, three “cold” chefs, two “preparation” chefs, two bakers, three dishwashers, and assorted others who lack official titles. They chop, dice, bake, beat, scramble, mix, sauté, braise, mince, pickle, marinate, and slave away at almost any other task associated with cooking.
They are the heart and soul of Meil's — the ones who make the crucial discoveries like “corn fritters are better made without any egg whites” and “crab cakes should be chilled completely before adding any crab”. In the sweltering kitchen of this small restaurant in a small town, food truly comes alive. To experience Meil's is not only to enjoy one of its meals in the dining room but to be involved in its preparation in the kitchen. Under the watchful eyes of Kristin and Michael, recipes serve as starting points and creativity becomes anachronistic in the strive to perfect meatloaf.
