Diner wears a charming and retro aesthetic, housed in a tiny dining space reminiscent of old train cars and vintage diners. But there's nothing retro about the food; despite the name, no standard diner fare awaits here.
On a quiet Broadway corner, outdoor seats cluster around the non-descript restaurant, offering views of Williamsburg Bridge. Inside, there's a mix of leather or wood booth seating along one window-lined wall, seats at a bar, and a few more booths in a nook off to the side. Diner is known for extensive lines, a product of popularity, very limited capacity, and a no reservation policy. Arriving early for lunch on a rainy Monday was a nice way to enjoy the place; the absence of people lent a lovely, small-town feel to the place.
The easy-going and friendly staff got us settled in right away. In a gesture that could be gimmicky but instead delighted us, our waiter narrated the menu, writing one word to describe each dish right onto the white paper lining our table. Of course, an orally communicated menu could only work with a small menu; for lunch, theirs was only 7 items deep. That short list of appetizers and entrees was diverse, but Diner isn't the place for overly picky or limited palates. The menu that day? Summed up in their one word shorthand: peach, string bean, frittata, succotash, whitefish, brisket sw*, and burgers.
The food sparkled with fresh ingredients and skillful prep. The chilled peach soup was refreshing yet rich, dotted with crushed almonds and olive oil. Brightly flavored string bean salad well-balanced with spicy arugula and warm feta cheese. The delicious succotash was an excellent meld of sweet corn, earthy mushrooms, and smoked fish. Crusty, gently charred fresh bread smeared with good white fish salad finished off the entrees. Our server asked if we wanted dessert, and we asked for a menu without thinking. One dessert was all they offered, and surely no other was needed if its a fresh white peach and berry crisp, hot and perfectly balanced between sweet and tart.
The beverage list is quite extensive and not committed to anyone's memory; there's a menu for that. Besides the long wine list, there are cocktails from the bar and respectable beer choices.
Diner is a wonderful place to dine. Its ambience and style suggests precious, yet it isn't. The compact and ever-changing menu will be an attraction for those open-minded and curious, and the quality of the food rewarding. See me here again for dinner and other meals.
*sw = sandwich read more