We’ve seen the construction since October. The food photos have appeared on Facebook since mid-December. The sign above the front door went up in February. Central Kitchen, the long-anticipated restaurant that has replaced Royal Cliffs Diner (at the heavily-trafficked intersection of 9W and Palisades Avenue) in Englewood Cliffs, has opened to the public. A grand opening date has been set for Friday, June 7th 2013 from 7:00pm till closing.

Central Kitchen describes itself as serving “hand-crafted food and drink”. This includes locally sourced meats and produce and a full seasonal menu created from scratch including Balthazar breads and beef from LaFrieda Meats. The kitchen will be open till 11pm nightly, while the bar’s hours will extend till 2am.

CK House Salad (baby greens, raspberry balsamic vinaigrette, toasted walnuts, craisins, parmesan veil, basil oil)

Buffalo Chicken Wings with a sweet and tangy Thai pepper glaze

The menu covers a lot of ground with traditional American foods, many with a twist. These include various interpretations of Italian dishes, Asian-influenced flavors and more. The brick oven cranks out a variety of pizzas, including gluten-free and whole wheat crust options. A create-your-own-salad option gets its own dedicated menu featuring an extremely large array of options. They are serving breakfast (including a grab-and-go option), lunch and dinner with Brunch service on Sundays and a fully stocked bar with wine, cocktails and draft beer.

CK Sampler (Left: homemade mozzarella triangles; Center: spinach and artichoke dip; Right: Sicilian rice balls)

Burger with sweet potato fries

Thin crust, brick oven Margherita Pie

The fixtures are both modern and rustic with excess light from windows lining the streets. The room has separate bar are with long and high communal tables. The dining area sits in front of the open pizza kitchen, while the outdoor patio allows for outdoor dining in the warmer weather.

Central Kitchen 717 East Palisade Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ Website