The Diner, Meatpacking District in Manhattan

A new restaurant in Manhattan.  Shocking.

Ok, not shocking, really almost a daily event. 

The Diner, as it is called, is located at the corner of 14th and 9th, just down the street from the now world famously crowded Chelsea Market.  The Diner used to be, get this, a real diner.  A green and probably once white greasy spoon that had turned off-white with age and grease.  A makeover of the space has occurred, giving it nice new yellow, red and chome walls.  They have opened the space up with giant windows that fold back during warm days to allow pedestrians to stroll in off the street.  The space now looks like an upscale version of a diner.  How appropriate for an area that now looks like an upscale version of a meatpacking district.

The lunch menu on the otherhand is decidely downscale in size.  Disturbingly only one page long.  "How can a diner have a one page menu," I wondered?  Gone are the days of pouring over a lengthy menu while trying to figure out what to eat.  My colleague commented that perhaps they were trying to keep it simple and get it right. 

Well, I am not so sure about that.  This place still needs to do some work on their service and timing.  The kitchen was exceedingly slow getting us our meals, and they got them wrong at the table next to us.  It took so long that the waiter came by to remind us that our meals were, in fact, arriving soon.

When the food arrived, it was fresh and warm.  However, my colleague and I both noted that everything seemed very sweet.  While fries often have a sugar coating to help them crisp, these had a sweet aftertaste.  And the brioche buns on the bugers seemed sweet too.  No need for dessert here.  On the other hand, my coke arrived flat, so they need to look into their soda machine.  The prices also seem to have gone up a bit from those of the less hip diner that once occupied the space.  $9.95 for The Diner Burger, which comes with fries and a truely tiny serving of cole slaw.