Photo of Voluptuous Grilled Cheese at Morgans via Facebook
We're breaking our South Beach Diet this week, Miami. Let's make like Guy Fieri and focus our attention on some American muscle. Think early 20th century United States, linoleum floors, shiny countertops and red stools -- like Eater's gastronomic version of Throwback Thursdays (no filter). It's Greasy Spoon Week, so we're paying homage to the prefab and late night that is the classic American diner. At Eater, we've put in the legwork and dug up your favorite diner food outside of its natural habitat. Enjoy:
Blue Collar is Daniel Serfer’s nod to diner culture. As chef and owner, Serfer is remixing Southern nostalgia and first-class ingredients like Trugole cheese and Neuske Bacon in his pièce de résistance, shrimp and grits. Even critics are using greasy spoons to lap up the N’awlins style BBQ sauce and plump shrimp. It’s not getting better than this.
Quinoa is finally seeing some action outside of Whole Foods. This reinterpreted American classic is “hash light” with a Mexican undercurrent, black beans, corn, pico de gallo and queso fresco. But old time America is present in the bright yolk of the fried egg adorning this dish. It will rehash your conception of hash.
The Federal is serving patrons a patty of U.S. history folded in a pretzel bun. The lamb burger fuses an American classic with the immigrants who redefined diners, the Greeks. You can taste Olympus in that lamb, mint and goat cheese. And always add the duck egg.
We’re talking about the Blue Plate Special: crispy chicken, citrus pepper watermelon, and a homemade buttermilk biscuit served on a blue plate – Yardbird doesn’t lie. It’s the most authentic greasy spoon experience for the least amount of cash. And so it’s been said many times about Yardbird: winner, winner, chicken dinner.
Not the Dr. Seuss kind. The Front Porch Cafe scrambled the American diner’s omelet and threw in pepper jack cheese and fragrant pesto made with basil, pine nuts, and sundried tomatoes to up the ante. Plus they’re served with fruit, vegetables, or potatoes instead of ham. It is next-level greasy spoon breakfast.
A grilled cheese so voluptuous it could be a pin-up girl (wipe that drool off your face though). This retro sandwich is the product of flattop grills, melted cheese, and good feels. All the necessary ingredients for old-fashioned fun. The best part is you don’t even need a greasy spoon.
It’s about that time in the list where we start with the word associations. So when you think “diner,” you’re also thinking “meatloaf.” Meatloaf is comfort; meatloaf is sitting at your favorite table while your favorite waiter puts in your order before you glance at menu because he or she already knows what you want: meatloaf. And it’s meatloaf fully loaded from Biscayne Tavern: balsamic tomato glaze, Portobello gravy, and bleu cheese mash. Delicious.
Not to be mistaken for the type of fare you get at the pancake house off the highway. Go slow with a whole-wheat stack from Peacock Garden Café. These light and tasty pancakes are served with fresh fruit and less guilt than the hot cakes in a 1970’s greasy spoon. And that’s O.K.
Sometimes you don’t need a fork and knife to cut into something truly sublime. The turkey sandwich at Whisk is the revamped version of the homely turkey sandwich served in many diners. It is Brie cheese, cranberry mayo, tomato and arugula, all tasting fresher than nostalgia.
This is a textbook-looking hash, but the ingredient list says otherwise. The chef Alberto Cabrera has created a dish that pays tribute to two cultures, American and Cuban. A muscular dish, Cabrera balances tasajo, or dried beef, boniato and a poached egg over Cuban toast. The result is a mixture of flavors that represents Miami. Dale!
Order the mozzarella sticks at The Local, and you won’t be served mozzarella. Marinara and stringy cheese are subbed out for blueberry sweet and sour sauce and brie, respectively. It’s a much-needed overhaul on a greasy spoon classic. If you’re feeling guilty about indulging, they’re also served with a granny smith apple. It’s a win-win.
Moloko in Midtown is the antithesis of a greasy spoon. Yet in the art exhibited there, we can find the spirit of Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks. Their Monte Cristo embodies everything decadent about diner food: aged white cheddar, slabs of deli meat, sticky, syrupy berry drizzled on top and French toast that will make you scream. You’re encouraged to double dip in the maple syrup too. Yum.
Blue Collar is Daniel Serfer’s nod to diner culture. As chef and owner, Serfer is remixing Southern nostalgia and first-class ingredients like Trugole cheese and Neuske Bacon in his pièce de résistance, shrimp and grits. Even critics are using greasy spoons to lap up the N’awlins style BBQ sauce and plump shrimp. It’s not getting better than this.
Quinoa is finally seeing some action outside of Whole Foods. This reinterpreted American classic is “hash light” with a Mexican undercurrent, black beans, corn, pico de gallo and queso fresco. But old time America is present in the bright yolk of the fried egg adorning this dish. It will rehash your conception of hash.
The Federal is serving patrons a patty of U.S. history folded in a pretzel bun. The lamb burger fuses an American classic with the immigrants who redefined diners, the Greeks. You can taste Olympus in that lamb, mint and goat cheese. And always add the duck egg.
We’re talking about the Blue Plate Special: crispy chicken, citrus pepper watermelon, and a homemade buttermilk biscuit served on a blue plate – Yardbird doesn’t lie. It’s the most authentic greasy spoon experience for the least amount of cash. And so it’s been said many times about Yardbird: winner, winner, chicken dinner.
Not the Dr. Seuss kind. The Front Porch Cafe scrambled the American diner’s omelet and threw in pepper jack cheese and fragrant pesto made with basil, pine nuts, and sundried tomatoes to up the ante. Plus they’re served with fruit, vegetables, or potatoes instead of ham. It is next-level greasy spoon breakfast.
A grilled cheese so voluptuous it could be a pin-up girl (wipe that drool off your face though). This retro sandwich is the product of flattop grills, melted cheese, and good feels. All the necessary ingredients for old-fashioned fun. The best part is you don’t even need a greasy spoon.
It’s about that time in the list where we start with the word associations. So when you think “diner,” you’re also thinking “meatloaf.” Meatloaf is comfort; meatloaf is sitting at your favorite table while your favorite waiter puts in your order before you glance at menu because he or she already knows what you want: meatloaf. And it’s meatloaf fully loaded from Biscayne Tavern: balsamic tomato glaze, Portobello gravy, and bleu cheese mash. Delicious.
Not to be mistaken for the type of fare you get at the pancake house off the highway. Go slow with a whole-wheat stack from Peacock Garden Café. These light and tasty pancakes are served with fresh fruit and less guilt than the hot cakes in a 1970’s greasy spoon. And that’s O.K.
Sometimes you don’t need a fork and knife to cut into something truly sublime. The turkey sandwich at Whisk is the revamped version of the homely turkey sandwich served in many diners. It is Brie cheese, cranberry mayo, tomato and arugula, all tasting fresher than nostalgia.
This is a textbook-looking hash, but the ingredient list says otherwise. The chef Alberto Cabrera has created a dish that pays tribute to two cultures, American and Cuban. A muscular dish, Cabrera balances tasajo, or dried beef, boniato and a poached egg over Cuban toast. The result is a mixture of flavors that represents Miami. Dale!
Order the mozzarella sticks at The Local, and you won’t be served mozzarella. Marinara and stringy cheese are subbed out for blueberry sweet and sour sauce and brie, respectively. It’s a much-needed overhaul on a greasy spoon classic. If you’re feeling guilty about indulging, they’re also served with a granny smith apple. It’s a win-win.
Moloko in Midtown is the antithesis of a greasy spoon. Yet in the art exhibited there, we can find the spirit of Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks. Their Monte Cristo embodies everything decadent about diner food: aged white cheddar, slabs of deli meat, sticky, syrupy berry drizzled on top and French toast that will make you scream. You’re encouraged to double dip in the maple syrup too. Yum.
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