Michael’s Diner
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Any place that has a dry-erase “Soup Schedule” in the holding area is immediately a friend of mine. Monday through Sunday, three choices per day, hearts to emphasize the cream of, chowder, and “noddle” affections (that last one is how they spelled noodle). Unfortunately though, patiently standing to be seated, the host called the couple behind me like I wasn’t even there. Then, barely caring to recognize his mistake, he reluctantly sat me in a cobalt booth after them. If the place had been packed, I’d understand. But, at 8:30 on a Friday, it was at best building steam. Unless you were in a booth across from other diners, it hit a quieter note than your normal diner experience. The seats are taller than you realize, a upper head panel above the blue vinyl containing the sound. The regulars do come in—one ordered tomato juice instead of coffee—and a pair near me chatted, heckled a friend over the phone, and laughed the entire time. The lower level of activity wasn’t just me being hyper-vigilant, a waitress’s comment confirming my suspicions at 9:30: “Well, it started out as a decent day.” Content with what I got to take in of the outdated tabletop advertisements, I paid at the front counter. Michael, I’m so full, I thought to (given the new ownership) no one in particular. Somehow though—by some sort of diner magic—it seemed plausible that some Michael somewhere must be pleased.
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Drink: Coffee
It’s diner coffee. There’s not much more to say here. “Half and half with your coffee,” my waitress strangely suggested in the form of a question. Nope, black. And that was that. It came out piping hot at 8:30, making it correct enough. You’ll sip and spend no time wishing it to be more.
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Food: Athenian Skillet
They had all your normal omelets and skillets, but this one stuck out. Eggs, potatoes, red pepper, and spinach are the components, but it’s not as obvious as you might think. “How would you like your eggs,” the waitress asked. “Oh, um, over-easy.” Nothing about toast with the item, yet this question followed, and I got the following options: “White, wheat, or rye.” When the skillet came, it was GORGEOUS. Potatoes, topped with the peppers and spinach, covered in an avalanche of feta, and finished off with two true over-easy eggs. I looked at the menu again and, where the eggs are detailed for the skillet, it says that they are mixed with cheese. Doesn’t specify which type or what happens when you don’t scramble the eggs. I guess you get a deconstructed scramble. I’m here for it. You might find a stray shred of another cheese (I found some cheddar), but overall it isn’t at all damaging. I will say that the feta might not be top tier (now, take that with a grain of salt, I’m not a fromagier by any stretch of the imagination). And yet, you’re at a diner and the crumbled cheese sits on top of hot potatoes and below hot eggs. I’ve always found that feta changes when heated. The test would be a feta-topped salad. But, if I’m being honest, the amount and look of the feta was too good to even give this attention to quality one more minute of thought. The potatoes are cooked lovingly, lightly spiced, and in big chunks. The proportion of egg to potato was praiseworthy and, you better like roasted red pepper if you order this dish (I adore it) because they do not hold back. I absolutely cleared house on this skillet.
Price: Total=$16.33 (Athenian Skillet=$13.45; Coffee=$2.25; Credit Card fee=$0.63)
Hours: Everyday {7–20}*
*According to an article online, they plan to be 24H at some point in the near future. Stay tuned!