The New England Emporium Eatery & Marketplace

You could stand on a corner and look around until a restaurant sign draws you in. But we've got a better idea. Each week, East Hampton-Portland Patch picks a great restaurant either in town or nearby that is worth checking out. Here's this week's choice:

Overview: One of the latest hot-spots on Main Street in Middletown, The Emporium is a quaint coffee and sandwich shop offering a wide variety of New England favorites with products from local vendors.

Decor: Oozing with a chic, rustic vibe. Artwork hangs from the brick walls surrounding the dining area.  Candle-lit high-top tables offer some ambiance while the sofa-lounge area by a cozy fireplace serves for a casual, fun place to relax.

Drinks: A unique selection of specialty coffees, espressos, cappuccinos, lattes and teas are available as well as New England hand-filled sodas.

Appetizers:  A choice of the hearty, daily soup selection ($3.50 cup, $4.75 bowl) or a chowder ($4.25 cup, $5.75 bowl). 

The popular salad station allows customers to invent their own creation (Medium, $5.95; Large. $6.95) choosing the type of greens, and five toppings, with additional vegetables at .50 each, gourmet toppings (.75 each) and/or grilled chicken, roast beef, avocado, turkey or ham ($1.75 ea), and/or grilled shrimp ($3.75).

Entrees: Breakfast items are a hit, varying from the breakfast crepes ($4.25-$5.75), classic egg dishes such as the popular fritatta ($5.25) - a baked Italian omelet with cheese served with a slice of country white with butter and jam. Also, breakfast breads and pastries featuring bagels with smoked salmon spread ($3.95), or their own granola ($2.50).

Craft Your Own Sandwich also allows creativity, offering a possibility of different combinations of bread, meat, cheese, fixins, shmears and additional fixins (.50 ea). The sandwich can come with chips ($6.95). A half sandwich and cup of soup ($7.50). A cup of soup is ($1 extra).

The savory crepes are prepared with buckwheat flour and vary from the citron shrimp ($8.95), with avocado, lemon and mesclun, to the Tuscan ($7.25), with grilled chicken, cheddar and sauteed onions & peppers.

Other menu categories offer wraps and clubs from the Emporium Craves, old-time favorite sandwiches from the Emporium Classics, satisfying Emporium Salads, and of course, a small kids menu.

Sides: Croissants (.90), baby hash browns ($1.50) can be added to any breakfast dish, and all items from the Emporium Craves and Classics come with a side of chips.

Desserts: A daily selection of gourmet desserts, in addition to Connecticut-made ice cream and gelato make choosing one item a tough decision for anyone with a sweet-tooth.

Also tempting are the sweet crepes. They're prepared with wheat flour and come in playful, delectable flavors such as the Italian Love Affair ($5.50), made with Nutella, strawberries or banana and whipped cream, and can be prepared gluten-free upon request.

Service: Guests order at the register, and are free to choose their seating.  After no time at all, food is delivered right to the table. 

The Marketplace sells dip mixes, whole leaf teas, New England-made jams, packaged nuts and much more.

The Emporium also offers a full-service catering, event planning and rental service.

Signature Dish: One of the Emporium Classics, the Dagwood Sandwich, offers quite a challenge for any hungry customer as it stacks turkey, pastrami, salami, Swiss, American, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion and potato chips between two pieces of country white bread spread with their own mustard sauce ($9.95).

The New England Emporium Eatery & Marketplace

newenglandemporium.​com

Address: 386 Main St. Middletown

Chef: Gianna Coletti

Cost: With a coffee, sandwich, chips and dessert, average meal cost is around $13