Kacey Librizzi balances a jerk burger (above) and mackerel salad at Miss Lily’s, inspired by Brooklyn’s Jamaican eateries. (
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The classic New York City diner may be on the decline — but its modern equivalent is definitely on the up and up.
A new coterie of diners du jour are joining retro-cool eateries such as Peels in the East Village, M. Wells in Long Island City and Diner in Williamsburg.
And more spots are on the way: In mid-August, chef Mathieu Palombino of Motorino Pizza will open the Bowery Diner at 241 Bowery, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week — from coffee and doughnuts to burgers and milkshakes.
PHOTOS: THE DINER GETS DELUXE!
“Diners are really part of the city fabric, and there’s something comforting and real about [them],” says Derek Sanders, who is opening a new branch of La Esquina inside a classic Williamsburg diner next month. Straightforward menus and pricing — as well as counters that facilitate conversation between patrons — are also a plus.
But, as you’d expect, the new crop of coffee shops offers plenty of contemporary touches, too — especially on the menu, where you’re likely to encounter farm-fresh eggs, artisanal coffee and global twists on the comfort-food genre.
“Like a smell, [the diner] reminds us of a time when we were younger,” says Serge Becker, the designer behind Miss Lily’s on West Houston Street. “These things are all cyclical. The moment will come when we’ll be sick of retro diners — but right now, it definitely strikes a chord.”
Art deco redux
The Highliner, 210 10th Ave.; 212-206-6206
After a year of construction delays, Chelsea’s iconic Empire Diner has reopened under Charles Milite, who also runs Union Square’s Coffee Shop. “We wanted it to look like it’s been there forever,” says Milite, who replaced the clubby, black ’70s interior. He also changed the name, which was trademarked by the previous tenants.
* Diner by design: To achieve that timeless effect, Milite gutted the venue, which was built in 1946 by the New Jersey-based Fodero Diner Co. Anything that was vintage (i.e., stainless steel) was temporarily put into storage, and he scoured old diner books and eBay for period details, such as conical aluminum light fixtures. Still, he did make some subtle tweaks. “All that linoleum and Formica is classic, but we wanted to warm it up,” he says, noting that the addition of mahogany is meant to evoke a train car on the Orient Express.
* On the menu: American comfort food with elevated touches, such as macaroni and goat cheese ($13) and an omelet with crème fraiche and paddlefish roe ($16), is currently available until midnight. There’s also a full bar and plans to stay open until 5:30 a.m. come fall, when an additional dining room decorated with classic boxing art will open.
Jamaican joint
Miss Lily’s, 132 W. Houston St.; 646-588-5375
A warm peach glow suffuses the front room of cool new Village canteen Miss Lily’s, inspired by the cheerful Jamaican eateries of Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant. “A lot of them have this cheap-diner/fast-food aesthetic — but always with a more exuberant color scheme,” explains creative director Serge Becker. “There’s a really sweet, amateur quality that’s endearing and charming.”
* Diner by design: Becker “distilled and amped up” the typical Brooklyn look — think menu boards with multiple fonts, red Formica booths and hand-painted artwork that mimics the genre’s cheesy food photography. “It’s slightly familiar but still feels quite refreshing, which is the idea,” he says.
* On the menu: Jamaican comfort food classics, such as jerk chicken ($19), are served until 1:30 a.m. most nights. There are also lighter, fusion-y twists, such as curried lobster jaquitos (three mini-tacos for $9), and beer-and-wine-based cocktails, such as the Ting a Ling (Red Stripe and grapefruit-based Ting soda, $9). A next-door record shop and juice bar will open in September, the latter serving drinks that adhere to Ital — the spirituality- and vegetarian-based diet of the Rastafarian movement.
Late-night Latin luncheonette
Coppelia, 207 W. 14th St.; 212-858-5001
Named after the term for an ice-cream parlor in Cuba, Coppelia offers nuevo-Latino fare 24 hours a day in a location that borders the Meatpacking District, the West Village and Chelsea. “We wanted to incorporate a classic New York diner feel with a Cuban luncheonette,” explains chef-owner Julian Medina, of Toloache and Yerba Buena.
* Diner by design: The gleaming counter stools, prominent dessert case and placemat menus are traditional, but the Cuban spirit is fresh. A sunny yellow-and-teal color scheme is accented with folksy tiles, nostalgic Cuban artwork and seating like you would find in an old Chevy.
* On the menu: Reasonably priced Latin American dishes with Mexican touches and contemporary flair include empanadas ($2.25 to $3.25), fresh flounder ceviche ($10.95) and classics such as arroz con pollo and ropa vieja (both $15.95). A full liquor license is expected in a few months — until then, try a Mexican Coca-Cola ($1.95) or a dulce de leche milkshake ($4.95) with deep caramel notes.
Viva la diner
Café de La Esquina, 225 Wythe Ave., Williamsburg; soft opening Aug. 8
Like the NoLIta original, this Brooklyn spinoff will showcase Mexican street food from chef Akhtar Nawab in an old New York setting — this time a 1952 prefab diner with a back room and outdoor garden taqueria. “The diner aspect itself — with the patina and bit of wear, but still so beautiful — was so appropriate to us,” says owner-architect Derek Sanders, who notes it recently served as a set for the upcoming “Men in Black 3.”
* Diner by design: “I almost didn’t want to interfere with [the design],” says Sanders of his less-is-more approach to the former Wythe Diner, whose bones he calls “really well thought-out and conceived.” Instead, he added warm layers through elements such as wood blinds and paneling. “The average person might think it’s still the same,” he notes.
* On the menu: The diner portion of the restaurant will open for lunch and dinner next month with a menu offering La Esquina classics and newer creations, plus a number of tequila cocktails. More sophisticated dishes will be available in the moodier back room.
Coffee shop couture
Untitled, Whitney Museum, 945 Madison Ave., 212-570-3670
Before Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group took over the old Sarabeth’s space in the Whitney Museum this year, its owners walked up and down Madison Avenue to find what the neighborhood needed. “Years ago [that stretch] was dotted with diners and coffee shops,” says partner Richard Coraine. “Where a diner may have existed was now a luxury retailer.” So the solution seemed simple: “Get the best ingredients we can and do the same thing.”
* Diner by design: According to Coraine, the challenge was, “How do you put a restaurant in a space that has a lot of right angles and hard surfaces?” By adding stainless steel and wood, an inviting counter with comfortable bone leather chairs and familiar touches, such as condiment caddies and drip coffee served in old-timey hottles.
* On the menu: “We didn’t want to do the seven-page diner menu,” says Coraine. Instead, you’ll find coffee-shop highlights made with artisanal ingredients — from sausage, egg and cheese on a roll ($8) to a burger with home fries ($14) to a Greek salad ($13), plus Stumptown coffee and draft soda from Brooklyn Soda Works. The daytime cafe also serves a fancier three-course dinner Friday through Sunday evenings.