Two Aprons: A not-quite-hidden gem

Two Aprons is a small cafe with a Mediterranean-inspired menu that serves everything from croissants to a turkish cheese sandwich to hormone and antibiotic free rotisserie chickens you can take home.

The store is on Warren Street, a tiny space with a table inside, sometimes one or two outside and a tempting display case of the day's pastries. They have their menu written on the walls for those who need to ponder and with so many delicious sounding options, I definitely needed some time. For breakfast, there are the afore-mentioned pastries, yogurt parfaits, and bagels while the rest of the extensive menu is made up of a wide variety of sandwiches including wraps and paninis, salads, and sides; many of which I was happy to see were vegetarian. While reading the menu, I was intrigued by the fact that the Mediterranean influence is seen in just about every item I saw - even if it was just in the form of an ingredient or the way the ingredients were put together, creating a slight twist on some of the more "classic" menu options.

I've had some trouble finding just good, simple salads for a quick lunch in Jersey City, so on my first visit, I tried the rotisserie chicken salad which was romaine, cucumber, tomato, bell peppers, and rotisserie chicken and I was given a little container of exceptionally good tahini and the house herb dressing from which I primarily picked up rosemary and thyme that was also excellent and very tasty with the chicken. I ended up using a bit of both on my salad and didn't regret it. All the ingredients, dressings included, were very fresh-tasting. The vegetables were ripe, crisp, and with the addition of the chicken, it ended up being quite a refreshing and satiating salad.

On my next visit, I wanted something that was a bit more original and I'd remembered being very curious about the Chicken Makdoos Ciabatta sandwich. Makdoos, prominently featured throughout the Two Aprons' menu, are marinated baby eggplants stuffed with walnuts. The sandwich itself was a very generous size, made with some of their juicy, delicious rotisserie chicken, the Makdoos, tomato, and aioli and while it was good, I was a bit overwhelmed by its saltiness. I believe it was caused by the eggplant because when I removed a few pieces, it seemed much more manageable. I don't know if I just had too much on there, but once I cut down on the eggplant, I really loved the sandwich which showcased the fresh, high quality ingredients.

I also got a very good strawberry lemonade - it was freshly made on-premises and just waiting in their refrigerator case. I believe it was made with fresh strawberry puree because it was slightly thicker than regular lemonade and the result was a tart, refreshing drink. I noticed a few other juices and drinks I'd be interested in trying as well. To be honest, there's very little there that I'm not interested in trying.

All in All
You may not be familiar with Two Aprons (201 Warren Street btwn Sussex and Morris) if you don't live in the Paulus Hook area, but it's well worth getting to know. This is a place you could easily pick a couple of favorites to stick with or keep trying something new and still feel safe that you're going to enjoy it. The service was friendly, they care about the food they are making, and prices are quite reasonable with most lunch/dinner items running $6-$8. The all-natural, hormone free roasted chicken plus sides they offer as for take-out alone are worth investigating. Be forewarned, they do run out of some of their more popular items early and they only make a set amount of chickens per day. It is pretty much a take-out place but they do also have limited delivery available.