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» Award-winning diner celebrates its 25th year by Amanda Marinaccio
» Breakfast with Bronx Community Leaders at the Pelham Bay Diner
» One Hot Diner Owner's Winning Recipe By Rafael A. Olmeda
» New York's best diners still have that classic, 24-hour appeal BY Rosemary Black
» Breakfast with Bronx Community Leaders at the Pelham Bay Diner
» One Hot Diner Owner's Winning Recipe By Rafael A. Olmeda
» New York's best diners still have that classic, 24-hour appeal BY Rosemary Black
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Residents of the Bronx will have a special treat as the Pelham Bay Diner celebrates its 25th anniversary.
For approximately two years the diner has been undergoing a cosmetic facelift to preserve the comfortable, modern atmosphere its diners have always enjoyed. 
“We did renovations in 1990, 1997, and our most recent was just completed,” said owner Jerry Stephanitsis. “We changed the look inside and out to keep up with the times.” The E. Gun Hill Road restaurant has been servicing customers since 1982, being awarded ‘Diner of the Year’ in 1995, 1996, 2002, and 2004, and hopes to take home the honor once again this year. “This diner has become a landmark for the Bronx. I think every resident knows this diner, and we have very loyal customers,” said Stephanitsis. “It’s a great location because people can get here in about ten minutes from anywhere, there is easy access from all the major highways.” The family-run restaurant is 10,000 square feet, seats 500, and features two catering rooms that can accommodate up to 140 people for almost any occasion. For the celebration, the diner will pick a special day at the end of March to cut an anniversary cake, offering a delicious treat to customers. This offer will continue for several months, so no guest will miss out. Lunch and dinner specials will also be apart of the celebration. “After 25 years here this is our life,” said Carol, wife of the owner, who assists in running the location and selecting the new designs. The Pelham Bay Diner is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week everyday of the year, with delivery service available during certain hours. by Amanda Marinaccio Read this article at
YourNabe.com
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| Jerry Stefanitsis' mother should be proud.
The hardworking owner of the Pelham Bay Diner, just named Diner of the Year by the Daily News, works at least 12 hours a day to keep his place humming and his customers happy. "We use top quality food," said Stefanitsis, 47, who opened the Pelham Bay Diner 14 years ago. "The best of produce, the best fish, the best meats, everything fresh on a daily basis." Three judges picked the Pelham Bay Diner out of 17 finalists from all five boroughs. Jerry's place ranked tops in taste, friendliness and cleanliness. "The food is good, the service is good, and they give very generous portions," said Sister Elaine Goodell, 70, a health care chaplain at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. "The people are pleasant, and that makes a big difference." Stefanitsis came to New York from the Greek island of Cephalonia in 1972, fresh from duty in the Greek army. He said he came looking for the American Dream, and he was not disappointed. He worked for 10 years as a produce wholesaler, scrimping and saving every last penny until he seized the opportunity to buy the diner, which at the time was a catering hall. "I still get people coming in telling me they were married in this room or the other room," he said. The diner seats 500, and it's often packed. There are two rooms for private events and a separate room with a bar. "We do everything ourselves," Stefanitsis said. "Nothing is pre-cooked. Even our coleslaw we make ourselves." Keeping the diner in business are two chefs, 10 short-order cooks and two dozen of the nicest waiters and waitresses in the city. The menu is packed with the usual burgers and fries, bacon and eggs, steak and potatoes. The pasta and seafood are mouth-watering. There are also Greek specialties like baked moussaka, pasticcio and, of course, baklava. The judges who picked the Pelham Bay Diner were former Channel 2 News anchor Ernie Anastos, host of the popular "Our Home" show on the Lifetime cable network, Daily News Deputy Features Editor Jane Freiman, a long-time food critic, and Lauren Connolly, who works at the Police Academy. By Rafael A. Olmeda Read this article at
NY Daily News
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Longtime Rego Park resident Abby Metzger eats breakfast and dinner every day at the Tower Diner in Forest Hills, and raves about her kitchen away from home.
"I've never sent anything back," says the retired dress store manager. "For breakfast, the omelets and the French toast are unbelievable. The dinners, you can't ask for anything better. And it's just a nice place to be." Diners – despite their dwindling numbers – still stir passionate feelings in New Yorkers charmed by the 24/7 hours and the larger-than-life menus where you can get breakfast at midnight or dinner at 4 a.m. Diners glorify tradition and evoke nostalgia for a simpler time, when the maitre d' greeted every patron by name at the door and asked after family members. While the rest of the city's all caught up in whether our cannoli have traces of trans fats or not, diners unapologetically celebrate gravy, butter, and salad dressing on top, not on the side. So where to find these time-honored classic diners? When we invited Daily News readers to e-mail us about their favorite diners, we got letters singing the praises of places throughout the city. Here's a peek at some of the most popular diners around the boroughs, and why their owners say they're still drawing crowds. Mark Walter lived in the Bronx for 47 years before moving six years ago to Colorado, where he works for a bank. When he comes to New York (which he still refers to as "home"), he always eats at least once at the Pelham Bay Diner (1920 East Gun Hill Rd., Bronx; 718-379-2123; www.pelhambaydinerny.com). "It has to be breakfast at the Pelham Bay Diner," Walter says. Owned by Jerry and Carol Stefanitsis, the diner's been open for a quarter of a century, and indeed, one of its best sellers is the Bronx Breakfast, a massive, heart- (un)healthy platter that consists of bacon, ham, sausage, two eggs and pancakes. The breakfast could easily satisfy three people, while the chicken soup, burgeoning with chunks of chicken, carrot and noodles, is a meal in itself. "The egg specials are one of our biggest sellers," says Jerry Stefanitsis. "Also, people like that we never close. We don't even have a key to lock the door." That's good news to customers like Kevin Quinn of City Island, who often stops in with his wife on the way home from visiting his 21-year-old son, who's been hospitalized for the past couple of months. They usually get cheeseburgers. "It's always been top shelf," he says. "Every time I eat here, it's good." Tara O'Connell of City Island visits the Pelham Bay Diner at dawn, after a night on the town, to feast on cheese fries Read this article at
NY Daily News Talkbx.com |
Pelham Bay Diner © All Right Reserved Address: 1920 East Gun Hill Road
Bronx, NY 10469 Phone: (718) 379-4130