By Judy O’Gorman Alvarez
LITTLE SILVER – The bacon is sizzling, coffee is brewing and plates of pancakes, waffles, eggs and more are being ferried from the kitchen to hungry breakfast diners. At Edie’s, the tables are close, the staff is warm and the ambience is friendly. And the omelets are the best, according to the eatery’s fans and Yelp reviews.
This month Edie’s, the quaint little luncheonette on Rumson Road that has been pleasing palates and serving breakfast and lunch for decades, is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
The humble red building had a history of its own before being opened as Edie’s in 1973 by Edith and John Baciagalupi. The eatery changed hands in 1990 and then again in 2006 when Tim Judge and Dave Dillon of Parker’s Creek Partnership bought the building and continued to run the business as Edie’s.
“Dave and I both grew up in Little Silver so we knew Edie’s very well and when we found out that it was for sale we decided to buy it,” said Judge, who lives in Shrewsbury.
“It’s kind of an institution in Little Silver,” he said. “The building has been there since 1849. And it was Dennis’ luncheonette (and general store) from 1928. So it’s been serving food for a really long time.”
The property’s location, Judge explained, is grandfathered in because it’s not a commercially zoned area. “It’s on a county road and it is busy,” he said. Tight parking on the side of the road is a testament to loyal customers.
Edie’s is open every day for breakfast and lunch and hungry diners pack the small tables. “There’s a wait, but it’s a very fast-paced place,” said Judge.
Customers come from Little Silver, the surrounding towns and even travelers on their way to the beach. “Our return clientele is huge,” he said.
During the pandemic, outside dining was a godsend for the luncheonette. “And then we got on DoorDash and there was a huge uptick in our takeout.”
“It has a very loyal crew of people” who run Edie’s. Some of the employees, Judge points out, “have been with Edie’s for 25 years-plus.”
Nancy Cody and Kim Brockway of Shrewsbury have been breakfasting at Edie’s every other week for the past 10 years or so – ever since they met when their kids, now 23, were in middle school.
The meal is usually the same: two eggs over easy – sometimes with bacon – and coffee for Brockway and an egg white veggie omelet and iced tea for Cody.
Like many of Edie’s customers, the friends have remained faithful to their eatery, angling for a good table, taking the meals al fresco under the tent in back during the pandemic and once waiting outside for the doors to open at 7 a.m.
“We talk about recipes, what’s going on with our kids, vent about husbands,” said Cody. They love the place because “it’s comfortable” and provides a chance to catch up and enjoy a tasty meal.
Anne Zack of Rumson has been frequenting Edie’s for breakfast one or two times a week since 1982. “Nothing has changed,” she said, “and that’s the attraction. Everything is exactly the same.” That’s what she takes comfort in and suspects other customers feel the same.
Zack’s menu selections vary – sometimes it’s a one-egg omelet with tomato sauce; sometimes French toast – but she’s always delighted with the meal.
Gloria Castillo, front manager, mans the counter along with other waitresses and anticipates her regulars’ requests.
“The staff is amazing,” Zack said. “They know what you want. For example, I don’t like the little half-and-half containers so Gloria will bring me a large container.”
Buddy Emmons of Fair Haven has been moseying up to a counter stool for 25 years or so – even more often since his retirement. His breakfast orders are varied. “I mix it up,” he said. “I see what the specials are.”
But he said the draw for him is simple: “The food’s always good.”
The article originally appeared in the June 22 – 28, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
