Metro Pulse/Restaruant Rover/Old City Grill

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Old City Grill
137 South Central Street
524-4086

by Connie Seuer

Meet the Old City Grill, a new gig occupying the long-vacant space on Summit Hill and Central. But please, let's drop the formalities. This place has already become known simply as "The Diner." As in, "Oh, you're getting lunch at The Diner?" or "We ate at The Diner, you know the one down at the end of the Old City." Or most frequently, "The Old City Grill? You mean The Diner down on the corner?" Yes, exactly. The Diner down on the corner.

If its stylized, Edward Hopper-esque design isn't enough, the fact that it has its own parking lot (a major commodity in the tight entertainment district) and that it's open late should trip your interest. I've long said that all it would take to make a killing would be to open a downtown diner that serves breakfast 24/7. Steamy grits, crisp bacon, scrambled eggs, and a mess of hash browns. Add some hot coffee and a newspaper and life's just about perfect.

Unfortunately, the diner isn't serving breakfast all the time. Yet. You can only catch it weekdays, 7:30—10 a.m. and on Friday and Saturday night, from 11:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Although I haven't had the pleasure of one of their breakfasts, I have enjoyed a couple of dinners, which, I'm hankering to report, exceeded my expectations.

When Heinrich, Marlena, Ullrich, and I found ourselves downtown and starving, it was the desire to try something new that attracted us into the shiny chrome corner spot. And we expected strict diner fare—burgers and sandwiches and one ya-gotta-be-kidding special. Yes, the diner had this much, but much more. We also predicted encountering a thick, smoke-fog. Wrong-o. Wrong-o. Wrong-o. There is a smoking section, and a non-smoking section, but amazingly, they're separate enough to keep the air clean. As for the overall décor, the only complaint I can render is that the lighting is a tad bright. If the sconces, cans, and overhead illuminators were toned down a few shades, the diner could reap major film noir points.

To stave our weekend hunger, we enjoyed slices of warm, wheat grain bread and butter brought to start our table, and selected a plate of sausage stuffed mushrooms ($4.95) to share.

Basic button shrooms, stuffed with Italian sausage, Swiss, and Mozzarella cheese, allowed us each a couple of tasty little mouthfuls. The perfect set up for our respective plates.

Marlena, perhaps the hungriest of us all, took on the Old City Burger—eight ounces of freshly ground beef with your choice of raw or sautéed onions, bacon, sautéed mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, and pickle, as well as Swiss, Provolone, Monterey Jack, American, and Mozzarella cheese ($6.50). Cooked to your liking and all atop a soft, Kaiser bun, it's a dinner that will not disappoint. Marlena had to call it quits after only half of the chomper. Admittedly, the accompanying salted and peppered French fries may have impeded her progress, but what a pleasurable distraction.

Ullrich's selection, chicken marsala ($8.95), was heavily breaded. Although the bird was a tad dry, the marsala mushroom sauce added extra moisture and a flavorful foil for the dish. From the choice of baked potato, sweet potato soufflé, rice pilaf, French fries, or broccoli & hollandaise sauce sides, Ullrich opted for the baked tater. It was an easy, uncomplicated plate—it was diner worthy.

Dependably and predictably, Heinrich ordered an entrée of the diner's crab cakes ($9.95). See, he's got this thing about crab cakes, and if they're there to be had, he feels obligated to give 'em a try. Despite the fact that we're far from crab lands, the diner's cakes met Heinrich's world-traversed standards. They had a bright, fresh flavor, plenty of meat, and were complemented by (read: not smothered by) a homemade remoulade. Side-wise, Heinrich took the fries, which made it a fried and happy evening for the old man.

After a long day and a chill evening, I was lured by the promise of French onion soup ($4.25). Topped with melted Swiss cheese and a bowl-wide crouton, the soup itself was an ideal salty, onion-y, brothy elixir. And it balanced exceptionally well with a simple house salad ($3.50)— a quick toss of romaine, iceberg, red cabbage, carrots, and a bit of protein from hard boiled egg and real bacon crumbles.

In the diner spirit of things, Ullrich and Marlena ordered a vanilla milkshake; Heinrich and I ordered a chocolate one. A good, honest milkshake is a hard find downtown, and we held out hopes that the diner's make would be up to snuff. When the milky-rich, Haagen Daz-ice cream thick shakes arrived—poured right at the table— we each wielded a straw and slurped noggin to noggin. Ahh, now that's happy dining.