Perfect Pea Soup at The Restaurant

At The Wave, the art department has a long-standing tradition of ordering split pea soup for breakfast on Thursdays. And it must be from The Restaurant. Our former office was just across the street from the luncheonette, located in the shopping center at 8605 Rockaway Beach Blvd.  Veteran graphic designer Janette Rappo would pick up the soups for everyone, taking the headcount the night before. But I never thought to partake. After all, pea soup for breakfast?

While we’re enjoying the new amenities on Beach 129th Street, the designers have been missing their warm pea soup breakfast. Then a few weeks ago Janette called out, “Who wants pea soup tomorrow?! We’re only 10 minutes away, we can still get it”. With all the renewed soup excitement, I decided to give it a shot.

So last Thursday I volunteered to pick it up before work. “5 large split pea soups please,”  I said to the waitress at the counter. “This must be for The Wave.” She replied. I explained how everyone was going through “split pea withdrawal” since the move and the team is in desperate need of the coveted cup. I added, “And this will be my first time!”

While I was waiting for my order, I spoke with Nick Plevritis co-owner of The Restaurant. Along with his parents, Peter and Kathy Plevritis,  they have owned the diner for almost 30 years now. Nick grew up in the restaurant industry, learning everything from watching his parents put in the hard work it takes to run a successful small business.

Nicholas Plevritis Kathy Plevritis and Waitress Sarah Gearin of The Restaurant

I asked Nick about the pea soup recipe, “It’s my father’s recipe. You’d have to ask him about the ingredients.” I got the feeling that it was a secret recipe so I didn’t want to push it! I did learn there’s no ham, it’s vegetarian.  I also asked, “If the pea soup is so good, why only sell it on Thursday?” Nick explained each day of the week is a different soup and different customers have their own favorites. I was told the lentil soup is stellar and maybe the most popular is the cream of turkey soup served up on Saturdays.

Hot soups in hand, I drove up to Beach 129th Street. Everyone was excited about the steaming delivery.

I spooned my first mouthful and it all made sense. The split pea soup is absolutely delicious! It was hearty and full of flavor. It has just the right amount of salt. There must be onions, carrots, and celery in the mix. The soup is pureed for a professional creamy texture. It comes with a large portion of homemade croutons which seem to be deep-fried for an excellent crunch – a perfect complement to the smooth soup.

Mark Hogan, our cover designer and ad man extraordinaire saw me fumbling with a  small spoon. He explained it’s better to just drink the soup straight from the cup. He was right. This technique is easier and you get a bigger gulp of flavor.

Stay warm with a hot cup of split pea soup from The Restaurant, or try their other tasty home-style eats.  The Restaurant is located at 8605 Rockaway Beach Blvd, Far Rockaway. Call for pick-up or delivery – 718.634.5809. Find The Restaurants on Facebook  here

Previously, The Wave wrote about The Restaurant and the Plevritis family for our Monday Motivation series, Check out the article here.