Eda’s Garden, Yorktown
The recent opening of his third restaurant, Eda’s Garden in Yorktown, should have been an exciting time for Putnam Valley resident Adil, who goes by his first name.
But the start of his new venture, which opened on November 6, has been bittersweet.
The organic food restaurant was named after his wife, Eda, who died in an accident in Albany in August.
But he is carrying on in the new eatery, which features many of her ideas.
“We were excited to open this together,” he said last week. “Unfortunately, she passed away three months ago in a freak accident.”
Eda’s Garden provides “organic healthy dishes cooked at the right temperatures, not overcooked,” Adil said. “There’s not many places like this in Yorktown.”
Adil also owns the Pronto Pizzeria in Croton and Nonna’s Brick Oven Pizza & Restaurant in Yorktown. “This is why we came up with this idea (for Eda’s),” he said. “Customers were asking for choices.”
Even though it has been open for less than a month, customers are already enthusiastic about his new restaurant, Adil said. “They love the place. They love the food. They love the concept.”
All food items are gluten-free. Breakfast options include omelettes in four varieties or a customer’s choice of up to three toppings, including vegetables, cheeses and turkey bacon.
Breakfast bowls, which are available all day, include a choice of base (house made coconut yogurt, acai or oatmeal) accompanied by such toppings as fruit, nuts, seeds and coconut flakes. Another breakfast option is the Toasty, which is a flourless lentil toast tortilla with nut and seed or bean spread and crisp vegetables.
Hot bowls feature a choice of three bases – quinoa and millet, brown rice or braised greens, topped with such items as wild mushrooms, aromatic beans, roasted cauliflower, avocado, caramelized onions and organic chicken.
The restaurant also offers a choice of entrée salads and a popular beverage, Red Den organic coffee.
Adil said his customers have been impressed with his new restaurant and have told him, “We’ll be back.”
The new eatery’s culinary chef is resident Jonathan Gonzales of Mahopac, who specializes in cooking with plant-based foods. Gonzales said he has been working in the restaurant industry in the northern Westchester area for 18 years.
“For the last five years I’ve been focusing on plant-based diets,” Gonzales said, noting he has based many of his recopies on Italian and French cuisine but making them healthier dishes with plants substituting for animal-based foods. For example, he uses glutton-free flour, vegan cheese and coconut sugar.
Gonzales also does consulting work at other eateries Since changing to a healthier diet, Gonzales said he has lost about 50 pounds and has more energy.
Many people come to a point in their lives when “you want to be comfortable with the stuff that you want to put in your mouth or you want to feel good with the stuff you put in your mouth,” Gonzales, who formerly was a meat eater, said.
Gonzales and Adil have Eda’s Garden to provide healthier choices for their customers.
Eda’s Garden is located at 1871 Commerce St. in Yorktown. For more information, call 914-914-352-6280 or send an e-mail to garden.edas@gmail.com. The business is also on social media.
