The Food Whisperer: Karyn’s Kitchen … kindness is always on the menu

If you prefer a cup of kindness served up warm alongside your bacon and eggs, stop into Karyn’s Kitchen in Ayer. They take being kind to new heights here—framed sayings about it literally hang high along the walls. In between bites of delicious food—made to order by the owner herself—take a look around the place and you’ll see motivational messages such as, “In a world where you can be anything, be kind” or “Always stay humble and kind” staring back at you.

Karyn’s Kitchen is located 200 West Main Street in Ayer. (Courtesy photo)

Karyn Baldino bought the restaurant, formerly known as Dan’s Place, three years ago. Baldino, who lives in Harvard, worked at Dan’s for many years as a cook and manager. She left to pursue other interests, but when the opportunity arose, she jumped at the chance to buy her former workplace. “I’ve been in this building 17 years, and I’ve never once looked at it as a job,” she said during a recent interview. Along with the name change, Baldino also added a new motto to Karyn’s Kitchen: “It’s a karing place to eat!” And truer words were never spoken.

“We breed kindness in this building,” she said. “We work as a team even though my name is on the building.” Baldino said she encourages her staff to act as though the restaurant is their own living room and to welcome everyone who walks through the door with kindness and respect. “People choose to open the door and spend their hard-earned money here,” she said.

Baldino recalled the moment that first inspired her to put her feelings about kindness into action. She sat in the audience at the Bromfield School’s annual awards night a couple of years ago. Her boyfriend’s father once worked as a Harvard firefighter, and she was there to present an award in his name. She remembers sitting in awe listening to the accomplishments of the students up on the stage. Turning inward, Baldino thought about her own efforts. “I felt like I had not done enough,” she said.

Out of Bromfield’s awards night came Baldino’s “random acts of kindness” cards. Every day a member of her staff chooses one customer (or possibly an entire table of them) to receive the card. It says, “By receiving this card your meal is on us today. As you go through your day please remember to treat everyone with kindness and when possible pay it forward.”

There’s no real rhyme or reason to the selection process, but Baldino said her staff “always seems to pick the right person at the right time.” Be it someone who just had to put their cat down or who just said goodbye to a visiting relative, Baldino said people are genuinely touched upon receiving the cards, and some are even moved to tears. Customers often pay it forward right then and there, by footing the bill for a fellow diner, for instance. She joked that if a state trooper were to receive a card, maybe he or she would choose to give out only traffic warnings that day in the spirit of paying it forward. Speaking of traffic, Baldino keeps a card in her own car to remind herself to be nice for those times when it’s a challenge.

Karyn’s Kitchen menu offers favorite breakfast staples, some thoughtfully named. “The Hungry” features three eggs, two pancakes or french toast, choice of ham, bacon or sausage, homefries, and toast. “The Quickie” gets you two eggs, homefries, and toast. Along with breakfast sandwiches and creative omelettes—bacon cheeseburger was the daily special the morning of my visit—there are also Belgian waffles and pancakes that my son happened to thoroughly enjoy.
Baldino said she encourages customers to let her know what they like and what could be done better. “Good reviews and bad ones help you grow and hold you accountable,” she said. Diners often give their critiques in writing and according to Baldino, “I answer every email, good, bad, or ugly.” “Blame the Dog,” which is kielbasa, two eggs, baked beans, and toast, came directly from a customer’s request.

What’s the restaurant’s most popular breakfast offering? According to Baldino, “It’s hands-down anything with hollandaise sauce,” which recently stole top spot from the pancakes. Everything on the breakfast menu is under $10 and served all day. There’s also a $5 children’s menu. Karyn’s also serves lunch daily. The handmade burgers are a best seller, and Meatloaf Wednesday is the most popular day of the week, according to Baldino.

If you stop by Karyn’s, be sure to wave hello; she’ll be the one calling “Order up!” from behind the kitchen window. Grab a stool at the very diner-esque counter or one of the many tables or booths in the spacious dining room. There are regulars who come in every day, newspaper in hand, who will surely offer you a “Good morning” as they walk through the door. And as you leave, look up just over the exit sign and read the words of Gandhi as you step out. “Be the image that you want to see in the world,” brought to you courtesy of Karyn’s Kitchen, a restaurant with good food and kind people.