Clean Plate Kitchen

Clean Plate Kitchen
Clinton
49 Main Street
908-200-7610

Open: Lunch & dinner, Wed-Mon

Price: $$, BYO

Style:  This cozy eatery, opened in 2015, stands beside the little 1870 metal truss bridge over the South Branch of the Raritan River. It devotes itself to what it calls “feel-good food [that’s] healthy, allergy friendly and locally and sustainably sourced.” It’s how the owners themselves eat.

The Scoop: Nicole Piazza, who has a holistic nutrition practice, Nourish to Heal, down the street conceives and names the dishes and teaches the cooks. Her husband, Anthony, a restaurant veteran, “does everything else,” as he humorously puts it.

The Menu: Nicole loves cutesy names. The Yummus is the daily flavored-hummus plate (ours, lemon-basil, was very good) with plantain chips (pictured). Appetizers are divided into Openers like the Yummus, and First Act items such as the Homegrown Freshies, a bowl of herbed quinoa tabbouleh with fresh vegetables and grilled tomatoes. To any of these you can add one of the Groupies, such as Scottish salmon or a free-range turkey burger. Or go straight to The Main Event, where you’ll find the flavorful coconut-curry chickpea sauté and the customer favorite, a grass-fed beef entrée dubbed the Nama-Steak.

Heads Up: In lieu of bread, servers bring popcorn drizzled with basil-infused olive oil. Desserts (like chia-seed pudding or ginger-spiced macaroons) are made daily in-house.