NEWPORT NEWS -- For years, my husband Ken and I regularly ate at the Silver Diner outside the Potomac Mills shopping center in Northern Virginia.
Now, we just drive to upper Jefferson Avenue in Newport News to enjoy the diner's breakfast, burgers, meatloaf dinners and to-die-for desserts. Best of all, the recently opened diner serves breakfast any time of the day.
The only downside to eating at the diner is the frequent line snaking out the front door. Fortunately, we walked right in and sat right down when we visited about 5 p.m. on a recent Sunday. When we left, a line had formed and more customers kept arriving.
The diner is the kind of place we prefer - quaint and affordable. You slide into a comfortable upholstered booth and slip a quarter into the tabletop jukebox. It's a pleasant reminder of the good old days when jukeboxes were the main means of listening pleasure. Owners Bob Giaimo and Ype Von Hengst see the 15-member chain as a contemporary bridge between fast-food sites and tablecloth restaurants. In fact, they say they visited more than 1,000 diners nationwide before opening their business in the late 1980s.
Our server Erin was fantastic throughout our almost two-hour meal - yes, we took our time and enjoyed the ambiance of the chrome accents and soda shop-style stools at an old-fashioned counter.
First, our server brought 32-ounce drinks - iced tea for me, lemonade for Ken ($1.99). She made the tea just like I asked - half sweetened, half unsweetened, with a bowl of lemon wedges on the side.
For starters, we tried the chicken tenders, which were five strips dusted with seasoned breadcrumbs, fried and served with a honey mustard sauce ($6.99). They were crisp, not greasy. I thought they were a little too brown; Ken, however, thought they were perfect. Other appetizers to share include clam strips, baby burgers, cheese fries, buffalo wings and quesadillas ($5.99-$8.99).
Then, it was time to get down to serious business - ordering our entrees, which is where I get confused when a menu is as extensive as the one at the diner. Do I get the fantastic chicken potpie or try something new like the Yankee pot roast dinner? Should I think healthy and go for veggie chili or the herb grilled chicken breast? My confusion exasperated Ken, who immediately spied the meatloaf dinner and gave Erin his order while I tried to decide. Erin stood patiently by, her pen poised to capture my decision.
Finally, I thought what the heck and went for the jumbo deluxe burger with bacon and Mozzarella cheese ($6.99, plus 99 cents for bacon and cheese). Shoestring fries came with it. We each also ordered a side house salad (99 cents extra with entrees).
Our house salads were crisp and fresh, made with mixed greens, cucumber, carrot slivers and croutons. If you prefer soup instead of salad with your main meal, you can order chicken noodle, veggie chili or crab chowder (99 cents-$1.49); soup and chili by the cup or bowl can also be ordered a la carte for a couple dollars more.
Ken gasped when his meatloaf platter arrived because he had not taken the time to realize there were five options for meatloaf meals. His was the "major" meatloaf dinner with everything but the kitchen sink. It came with three thick slices of meatloaf (two went home for meatloaf sandwiches for lunch the following day) as well as dressing, mashed potatoes, corn, string beans and gravy and a home-style biscuit ($9.99). Everything tasted good, especially the potatoes with bits of skin mixed in them.
My burger was cooked medium well, not too dry or done. It, too, was more than I could eat, so half of it went home for another day's lunch. The fries were seasoned and crispy. You add your own ketchup, mustard or mayonnaise, which is good because I dislike sauces or condiments drowning my food.
Dinners at the diner include something for everyone's taste - seafood, turkey, country-style steak, pasta, pork chops and even calf's liver. Ken wants to go back and get one of his favorites, the "paddy melt," a jumbo burger with cheese and grilled onions ($8.99). For winter, I favor the potpie ($9.99); for summer, I always like the Cobb salad ($8.49). There are several vegetarian options, including a burger ($7.49).An activities sheet for children 12 and under lists their special menu, including turkey, chicken tenders, spaghetti, burgers, breakfast, side dishes and desserts (79 cents-$3.99).
If you live life in the fast lane, you can call ahead for meals to go; soon, you'll be able to order online and get it delivered curbside to your car.
When Erin asked us about dessert, we groaned. Even so, we shared the bread pudding topped with Breyers vanilla ice cream. It was a moist, tasty treat spiced with apples, cinnamon and walnuts ($4.99). We took home a slice of carrot cake that was big enough for three to enjoy ($4.29); it was yummy, filled with bits of carrots and pineapple with a not-too-sweet cream cheese frosting. Whole homemade cakes and pies are also available ($12.99-$18.99).
We can't wait to go back to the diner, hopefully soon for breakfast. Now, do I get the vegetarian omelet ($6.99) or just be bad and pile on the home fries and bacon with eggs? I know Ken's style - buttermilk pancakes!
Posted from Daily Press 1/19/06
For more info contact: John Womeldorf, Liz Moore & Associates, Williamsburg, Va.
JohnWomeldorf@LizmooreHomes.com
www.LizMooreHomes.com
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