My Diner Criteria: This poorly articulated comment made me want to briefly discuss my criteria for judging these restaurants I frequent.
I like my diners humble and cheap. I expect a bacon and eggs breakfast (with potatoes, toast and coffee) to cost about $6. I expect the food to be greasy and generally bad, but I expect the refills of coffee to be plentiful and for one part of the dining experience (say, the potatoes, the toast options, the mini-jukebox, etc.) to be good enough that I don’t feel completely unsatisfied. As for décor, the diner doesn’t even have to be stereotypically retro, although there is a thrill in eating in a place that hasn’t changed décor or menu or price for the past 20 years. I like cozy booths, yellowed posters of Greek islands on the walls, and random newspaper sections laying around. Basically – I really don’t expect much when I go to a diner. This is why I’m always disapointed by "fake" diners. They just bug me, mostly because the food is usually still at regular diner quality, but with upscale prices. It’s just a waste. There is, however, a difference between "fake" and "fancy". I’m not so bothered by say,the Swan. I like the Swan; I don’t mind its pairing of fancy breakfast food with vintage 1950s diner design (although, "no coffee, just espresso" is still the most annoying thing).
I start getting really bothered when the food doesn’t justify the higher-than-regular-diner prices. Like the Avenue Diner. The food is just whatever, non-descript, but on top of that the atmosphere is all wrong. I could’ve probably tolerated the food otherwise, but sitting in a small room tightly packed with people discussing their hired help or their leather pants did not charm me at all. So unappetizing for a Saturday morning, and I blame it all on their location: too close to Yorkville/Forest Hill. So, I will call the Avenue Diner a "fake" diner no matter how long it’s been open – you can fall from your roots. Not as fake as Celine Dion’s Nickles, but not as good as People’s, which is just down the street. I would be willing to try it again without the morning rush, but I doubt I’ll ever be in that position, so, sorry Avenue Diner. You fail my criteria.
I like my diners humble and cheap. I expect a bacon and eggs breakfast (with potatoes, toast and coffee) to cost about $6. I expect the food to be greasy and generally bad, but I expect the refills of coffee to be plentiful and for one part of the dining experience (say, the potatoes, the toast options, the mini-jukebox, etc.) to be good enough that I don’t feel completely unsatisfied. As for décor, the diner doesn’t even have to be stereotypically retro, although there is a thrill in eating in a place that hasn’t changed décor or menu or price for the past 20 years. I like cozy booths, yellowed posters of Greek islands on the walls, and random newspaper sections laying around. Basically – I really don’t expect much when I go to a diner. This is why I’m always disapointed by "fake" diners. They just bug me, mostly because the food is usually still at regular diner quality, but with upscale prices. It’s just a waste. There is, however, a difference between "fake" and "fancy". I’m not so bothered by say,the Swan. I like the Swan; I don’t mind its pairing of fancy breakfast food with vintage 1950s diner design (although, "no coffee, just espresso" is still the most annoying thing).
I start getting really bothered when the food doesn’t justify the higher-than-regular-diner prices. Like the Avenue Diner. The food is just whatever, non-descript, but on top of that the atmosphere is all wrong. I could’ve probably tolerated the food otherwise, but sitting in a small room tightly packed with people discussing their hired help or their leather pants did not charm me at all. So unappetizing for a Saturday morning, and I blame it all on their location: too close to Yorkville/Forest Hill. So, I will call the Avenue Diner a "fake" diner no matter how long it’s been open – you can fall from your roots. Not as fake as Celine Dion’s Nickles, but not as good as People’s, which is just down the street. I would be willing to try it again without the morning rush, but I doubt I’ll ever be in that position, so, sorry Avenue Diner. You fail my criteria.
1 Comments:
Amen.
Post a Comment
<< Home