Ellen’s Stardust Diner

The décor at Ellen’s Stardust Diner is designed to transport guests into an idealized version of 1950s America, but with a distinctly New York and Broadway personality. The interior is packed with nostalgic touches rather than being a minimalist recreation of an old- fashioned diner. One of the most meaningful elements is the collection of photographs of former Miss Subways, creating what the restaurant calls its famous “Miss Subways” gallery. The display ties the restaurant directly to 85-year-old Ellen Hart’s personal history (she was a Miss Subways in 1959) and to a fascinating piece of New York transportation and popular culture. T

BROADWAY’S FUTURE SUPERSTARS
The atmosphere is perhaps even more important than the physical décor. Once the Stardusters begin singing, the room becomes a miniature live-performance venue. Servers can move from taking an order to performing a Broadway song, with the entertainment integrated directly into the meal. That combination of diner, theater and Times Square energy is what makes Ellen’s quite different from a traditional diner.

The restaurant’s location adds another layer to the experience. Being on Broadway in the Theater District puts it directly in the middle of New York’s theater culture, and the diner has become especially popular with theatergoers, tourists and families. It can be busy around lunch, dinner and Broadway performance times, and the restaurant does not generally accept regular reservations, so arriving with some extra time is wise.

When it comes to the food, Ellen’s serves a broad menu of familiar American diner favorites rather than trying to be a fine-dining restaurant. Breakfast is available all day, with dishes ranging from Challah French Toast, Belgian Waffles and Buttermilk Pancakes to Bacon And Eggs, Eggs Benedict, Breakfast Burritos and Corned Beef Hash. Many of the traditional breakfast plates come with Tater Tots, reinforcing the hearty, old-fashioned diner character.

There are also plenty of playful New York and Ellen’s-specific choices. The current menu includes a New York Schmear with smoked salmon and cream cheese, a rainbow-bagel breakfast called the Brooklyn PRIDE, Chilaquiles, Huevos Rancheros and the Lenox Avenue Style Chicken + Waffle which features juicy buttermilk fried dark meat chicken. These choices give the menu a little more variety than a strictly traditional 1950s diner menu.

For lunch and dinner, the menu moves into burgers, sandwiches, comfort-food entrées and diner classics. There is a Classic New York Reuben (available with turkey breast if you are not a meat eater), Philly Cheesesteak, Grilled Cheese, BBQ Brisket, Fried Chicken, French Dip and several types of burgers. The Yankee Doodle Burger is particularly over-the-top, combining an eight- ounce beef burger with macaroni and cheese. There is also a Be Bop A Lula Burger with American cheese, bacon, onions and mushrooms.

GO BIG OR GO HOME
The larger entrées continue the comfort-food theme. Guests can order Chicken Parmesan with spaghetti, Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and vegetables, roasted salmon with teriyaki, rice and spinach, or Skirt Steak with peppercorn sauce, mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables. In other words, the food is designed to offer something familiar to almost everyone in a group, while the entertainment supplies the excitement.Dessert and drinks are where the restaurant really embraces its playful side. Ellen’s offers large signature shakes, including unusual flavors like S’mores, Salted Caramel Pretzel, Cookie Monster and Banana Pudding Pie, but of course they also serve an amazing traditional Egg Cream.

The menu’s most whimsical dessert is a large Kitchen Sink dessert designed to serve six, with multiple ice creams, sauces, fruit, sprinkles and whipped cream. I personally fell in love with the Homemade New York Cheesecake with fresh strawberries in a classic sauce. The portion is large, the recipe authentic and it’s perfect for sharing (although I kept my piece to myself, LOL)! For ice cream lovers, there is the Barbarino’s Banana Split named after Ellen’s affable Creative Director Scott Barbarino—it includes three scoops of extra creamy ice cream, three sauces, bananas, walnuts, whipped cream, strawberries and sprinkles. Again, this is a very shareable item.

MUCH MORE THAN JUST A DINER
Ultimately, Ellen’s Stardust Diner is best understood as an entertainment experience wrapped around a classic American diner. The 1950s décor, Miss Subways memorabilia, Broadway location, enthusiastic singing staff and nostalgic menu all work together to create something much bigger than an ordinary meal. It has also developed a unique place in New York’s theater culture by giving aspiring performers a public stage and, in some cases, a first step toward Broadway careers. Arguably, the most successful former Starduster is Marla Mindelle, who was a lead in the popular Broadway play Titanique.

One of Ellen’s unique highlights is the occasional reunion of former Miss Subways—I had the pleasure of recently attending one on Ellen’s birthday and getting to meet the oldest living Miss Subways, 92-year-old Mary Gardiner, who is remarkably sharp, who won the title while she was living in Washington Heights and serving as a flight attendant for Scandinavian Airlines way back in May 1953!

A STELLAR CHOICE FOR FAMILY DININGEllen’s Stardust Diner is particularly well-suited to family dining because the entertainment is built right into the meal. Instead of expecting children to sit quietly through a long dinner, the singing waitstaff—known as the Stardusters— perform throughout service, turning lunch or dinner into a lively, Broadway-style experience. The restaurant itself describes the Stardusters as singing from open to close, so there is always something happening around the tables.

The menu is also designed to appeal to different ages and tastes. There is a dedicated children’s menu for kids 10 and under, with familiar choices including Cheeseburgers With Fries, dinosaur- shaped Chicken Nuggets, Hot Dogs, Spaghetti with butter or marinara, Mozzarella Triangles and Mac And Cheese.

Ellen’s often has a line outside due to its popularity, so I strongly recommend getting on line at least an hour before your desired dining time or even better, dining during off-peak hours (Ellen’s does not take reservations). The staff is extra efficient and does indeed pay close attention to those on line. I can guarantee that any wait is well worth it. Your meal at Ellen’s will be something that you will be talking about for weeks and you might be fantasizing about the Reuben every night for months!

For someone looking for a quintessentially New York experience—with retro décor, diner food, Broadway-style singing and plenty of energy—Ellen’s Stardust Diner is as much about the show as it is about what arrives on the plate.

For more information on Ellen’s Stardust Diner, go to: ellensstardustdiner.com