New York’s best diners still have that classic, 24-hour appeal
Jerry Stephanitsis stands in front of his Pelham Bay Diner in the Bronx.
The Bronx Breakfast - bacon, ham, sausage, two eggs and pancakes - is one of the most requested dishes at the Pelham Bay Diner.
Longtime Rego Park resident Abby Metzger eats breakfast and dinner every day at the Tower Diner in Forest Hills, and raves about her kitchen away from home.
“I’ve never sent anything back,” says the retired dress store manager. “For breakfast, the omelets and the French toast are unbelievable. The dinners, you can’t ask for anything better. And it’s just a nice place to be.”
Diners – despite their dwindling numbers – still stir passionate feelings in New Yorkers charmed by the 24/7 hours and the larger-than-life menus where you can get breakfast at midnight or dinner at 4 a.m. Diners glorify tradition and evoke nostalgia for a simpler time, when the maitre d’ greeted every patron by name at the door and asked after family members. While the rest of the city’s all caught up in whether our cannoli have traces of trans fats or not, diners unapologetically celebrate gravy, butter, and salad dressing on top, not on the side.
So where to find these time-honored classic diners? When we invited Daily News readers to e-mail us about their favorite diners, we got letters singing the praises of places throughout the city. Here’s a peek at some of the most popular diners around the boroughs, and why their owners say they’re still drawing crowds.
Mark Walter lived in the Bronx for 47 years before moving six years ago to Colorado, where he works for a bank. When he comes to New York (which he still refers to as “home”), he always eats at least once at the Pelham Bay Diner (1920 East Gun Hill Rd., Bronx; 718-379-2123; www.pelhambaydiner.com).
“It has to be breakfast at the Pelham Bay Diner,” Walter says.
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