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CURIOUS? Turn the page to find an in-depth look at six restaurants and over 50 menu items that are taking today’s diners from outdated to outstanding

Creative Concepts

SEP 2013

Contents INTRO…………………………………..…… 2 MENU APPEAL…………….……..…….. 3 LITTLE GOAT DINER………….……….. 4 THE FAT COW.………………...…..….. 6 CITIZEN’S BAND…………………….….. 8 NICKEL DINER………….……..…...….. 10 BIG VIEW DINER…………………..….. 12 STRIP T’S………………………………….. 14 A FEW MORE………….……………….. 16

How fine dining chefs are transforming this classic American concept

Contact Maeve Webster: 312-655-0596 or [email protected]

Creative Concepts | a Datassential Monthly

Diners are a culinary institution —

they’re as quintessential to the American dining experience as drive-ins and apple pie. But even institutions can be reimagined, and with today’s fine dining and celebrity chefs looking to showcase their vision and gastronomic skills to a whole new audience, the classic diner is undergoing quite the makeover.

How it started. During the recent recession, consumers began looking for low-priced meal options that didn’t sacrifice quality. Fast casuals and chef-driven quick casual restaurants filled the niche, increasing in number and offering consumers quality and freshness at approachable price points.

Recognizing this rising demand, many fine dining and celebrity chefs started testing their techniques in a classic concept: the diner. By mixing the familiarity and comfort of a diner with an emphasis on quality and innovation, this American institution evolved into today’s upscale diner.

Diner food, (re)defined. In many ways, diner food is classic American food. It’s dishes like sunny side-up eggs with home fries, cheeseburgers with thick-cut fries, mac ‘n’ cheese, BLTs, and milkshakes. The wide-ranging menu is simple, satisfying, and familiar, which may be why many diners serve breakfast around the clock.

Upscale diners take those classics and transform them, using new ingredients and innovative preparation methods to make them more adventurous, original, and gourmet.

Why it matters. By focusing on the midscale segment, chefs can play with new concepts, create playful and rustic dishes using unusual and quality-driven ingredients, make unfamiliar ideas more accessible, and entice new customers. This merging of fine-dining characteristics and comfort-driven cuisine is transforming the culinary landscape and could very well redefine the midscale segment. In fact, many regionally and locally-known chefs and hospitality groups are starting to jump on the upscale diner bandwagon.

Sep

2013

NOSTALGIA NOUVEAU +

2

what do consumers think about UPSCALE DINERS?

56% LOVE

the idea

40% HAVE

VISITED

68% WOULD

VISIT

MENU APPEAL % who want to try it

We tested menu items from this month’s Creative Concepts

with over 2,500 consumers. Let’s see how they scored.

29% SLOPPY GOAT | GIRL & THE GOAT

sloppy joe gone goat, rosemary slaw, squish squash roll

50%

76%

56%

Sep

2013

SKINNY COW CHOPPED SALAD | THE FAT COW

tuscan kale, cabbage, carrot, radish, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds

MAC AND CHEESE | CITIZEN’S BAND

baked macaroni and fontina, cheddar fonduta, and onion rings

SUNNY SIDE CUP | NICKEL DINER

two eggs baked on polenta with spinach and garlic topped with parmesan; served with toast and homemade jam


4% HATE

the idea

71% WHITE CHOCOLATE PASSION LAYER CAKE | BIG VIEW DINER

vanilla-coconut chiffon cake, passion fruit cream, white chocolate mousse, rum syrup

53% FAT ELVIS WAFFLES | GIRL & THE GOAT

banana, peanut butter-butter, bacon maple syrup

3 Contact Maeve Webster: 312-655-0596 or [email protected]

GRANOLA & FRUIT | CITIZEN’S BAND

ginger citrus glaze, seasonal fruit, Pinkie’s granola and Strauss yogurt

HICKORY BBQ BURGER | BIG VIEW DINER

applewood smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, house BBQ sauce, crispy onions

GORDON’S SHEPHERD’S PIE | THE FAT COW

braised lamb, Yukon potato mash, fresh horseradish

62%

77%

48%

Little Goat Chef: Stephanie Izard 820 W. Randolph St. Chicago, IL 60607 312-888-3455 Segment: Upscale Casual Menu Focus: American Average Check: $11-30

After Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard opened Chicago’s Girl & the Goat to rave reviews in 2010, she announced plans to open a diner reminiscent of the ones she loved as a kid on the East Coast. In 2012, Little Goat set up shop across the street from Girl & the Goat, complete with ‘50s-style decor and a menu full of hearty, decadent dishes.

Little Goat serves breakfast all day, as well as burgers, sandwiches, dinner entrees, and more. Izard also started a small bakery called Little Goat Bread within the diner; it serves freshly baked breads, pastries, bagels, and Stumptown coffee.

Little Goat has the look of a classic diner, with lots of cushy booths, modular chairs, and retro wallpaper. But a quick glance at the menu will tell you that you’re not at Denny’s anymore. Sure, there are cinnamon buns, cheese fries, and French toast, but the cinnamon buns are made in-house; the cheese fries are topped with goat chili; and the French toast is served with crispy chicken, sweet onion brioche, and barbecue maple syrup. Apple pie a la mode is still on the menu, of course; but so is a “Smoked Pork and Toffee Crunch Shake.” The diner’s popularity has even resulted in a Little Goat and Little Goat Bread outpost at Chicago’s French Market.

Izard has taken traditional staples of diner cuisine and infused them with her own modern, unique flavors. The comforting, satisfying richness is still there, but it’s packaged with fresh, high-quality ingredients that deviate from the norm. Every dish is still recognizable to the average eater, but it’s been taken to a higher level — such is the hallmark of the upscale diner trend.

Sep

2013 Creative Concepts | a Datassential Monthly

littlegoatchicago.com @StephAndTheGoat /littlegoatchicago Little Goat


Menu Highlights at

LITTLE GOAT DINER

Sep


PARATHAS BURRITO Indian flatbread, sunny side eggs, avocado-bean salad, chili pepper sauce

$12

BLUEBERRY PIE Served with goat cheese gelato $8

HOT CRAB DIP Creamy cheesy lump crab, Ritz crackers $12

FORK PORK CHOP Lemon soy jus, cauliflower, guanciale, kimchi $17

SUNFISH Sauteed sunfish, braised goat, warm veggie salad, goat’s milk caramel

$20

LOCO MOCO BURGER Jasmine veggie rice, egg, sweet n’ sour $11 GOAT CHILI Sour cream, cheddar, pizza poofs $6/$9

BEEF RAVIOLI Tangy beef tomato sauce, Mont Amore cheese $17


The Fat Cow Chef: Gordon Ramsay 189 The Grove Dr. Los Angeles, CA 90036 323-965-1020 Segment: Upscale Casual Menu Focus: British Comfort Average Check: $11-30

Gordon Ramsay is one of the most famous fine-dining chefs in the world. His very first restaurant earned three Michelin stars, and he’s gone on to open numerous upscale eateries since then. Recently, he’s ventured into more casual concepts, such as Gordon Ramsay BurGR in Las Vegas’s Planet Hollywood.

In 2012, he branched out further from fancy burgers, fries, and milkshakes with a diner concept cheekily named The Fat Cow. Located in Los Angeles’s Grove mall, The Fat Cow is Ramsay’s take on an American-style roadhouse eatery, but with British comfort food on the menu.

Unlike American diners, The Fat Cow doesn’t offer traditional staples like sandwiches and breakfast dishes. Instead, Ramsay menus gourmet burgers alongside fish & chips and shepherd’s pie, which are staples of British pubs. Like American diners, British pubs are neighborhood joints that provide a cozy, welcoming atmosphere. With The Fat Cow, Ramsay celebrates the comfort food he grew up eating in the UK while still paying homage to the American diner concept.

Ramsay may not draw inspiration from the traditional foods of American diners, but he’s clearly influenced by their warm, friendly vibe. The Fat Cow has the menu of a classy British pub, but it has the kind of deconstructed, almost industrial décor that is more reminiscent of the roadhouse eateries you find along America’s famed Route 66.

The reclaimed wood, retro leather booths, and unpolished metal details give the restaurant a vintage feel that is meant to transport you far from the modern glitz of the surrounding mall. The aesthetic, like the British diner fare on the menu, is sophisticated and rustic.

Sep


thefatcowla.com @FatCowLA /FatCowLA The Fat Cow


Menu Highlights at

THE FAT COW

Sep


FAT COW CHEESEBURGER Short rib and Kobe burger, butter lettuce, cheddar cheese, tomato, fries

$15 COPPA PICANTE HAM, FIGS Stone-baked pizza with fontina cheese, roasted garlic, roasted figs, caramelized onions

$17

BRANZINO CEVICHE Avocado, horseradish, ginger dressing $14

FISH & CHIPS Cod, beer batter, mushy peas, tartar sauce $20 FAT COW MARKET SALAD Grilled corn, dessert apples, romaine lettuce, avocado, dried cranberries, hazelnut, lemon dressing

$13

BEETS AND BURRATA Roasted beets, fresh burrata, upland cress $14

LOBSTER MAC & CHEESE Oven-dried tomatoes, tarragon, parmesan $24

FAT COW FRIES Golden fried Kennebec potato $8


Citizen’s Band Chef: Chris Beerman

1198 Folsom Street San Francisco, CA 94013 415-556-4901 Segment: Casual Menu Focus: American Average Check: $11-30

She ran a popular bakery business called Pinkie’s in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood; he made neighborhood-themed sandwiches and sold them out of her bakery. But when a lost lease forced them out of their shared space, longtime friends and collaborators Cheryl Burr and Chris Beerman combined forces and created Citizen’s Band.

At Citizen’s Band, Burr is the head pastry chef (Pinkie’s Bakery is now a part of the restaurant) and Beerman mans the kitchen. Both of them bring years of experience within the restaurant industry to the table, as well as a shared culinary ethos.

The concept was inspired by the restaurant space they chose—the big glass doors on the refrigerators reminded them of retro dessert display cases. From there, the chefs came up with a diner-style atmosphere that features elevated American comfort foods.

But unlike American diners of the past, Burr and Beerman’s comfort foods include house-made pastries and breads, artisan and farm-fresh ingredients, and other characteristics honed from years in fine-dining and independent establishments. For example, the fried chicken (which comes from a Petaluma poultry farm) is topped with local honey and served with a Pinkie’s buttermilk biscuit. The Angus beef burger comes with house-made bread-and-butter pickles and tomato marmalade.

Aside from the elevated diner offerings, the space itself has a cozy, lived-in feel thanks to the use of recycled and salvaged furnishings. The vintage magazine ads and postcards on the wall give it even more of an old-fashioned feel, though the menu is anything but.

Sep


citizensbandsf.com @CitizensBandSF /CitizensBand Citizen’s Band


Menu Highlights at

CITIZEN’S BAND

Sep


SWEET POTATO AND PORK BELLY HASH Garnet yam, gold potato, brussels sprouts, crispy pork belly, poached eggs, and molasses honey glaze

$11

S’MORES PUDDING PARFAIT Graham crumble, marshmallow fluff $7.50

FRIED CHICKEN Buttermilk battered Rocky Jr. chicken, Martin Farms mixed chicories, Pinkie’s buttermilk biscuit, Mr. Combover’s Soma honey, and bacon coffee gravy

$20

BURGER AND HOUSE-CUT FRIES Grilled double “g” all-natural Angus beef, Pinkie’s challah bun, tomato marmalade, roasted garlic aioli, and house-made burger pickles

$13

PORK Daily rotating cuts of Stone Valley Farms pasture-raised pigs; 50% Berkshire, 25% Duroc, 25% York, served with seasonal accompaniments

MP

STEAK Grilled Snake River Farms Kobe bavette, slow-cooked Kobe short plate, spring onions, sunchokes, oyster mushrooms, “tater tots,” and green garlic

$24


Nickel Diner Chef: Monica May 524 S. Main St. Los Angeles, CA 90013 212-623-8301 Segment: Casual Menu Focus: Breakfast/American Average Check: $11-30

Before opening Nickel Diner in 2008, chef Monica May successfully ran a coffee shop and wine bar called Banquette on 4th and Main in downtown LA’s Old Bank District. That is where her sense of community and cultivation of a neighborhood aesthetic really came into play — and where she met designer Kristen Trattner, the future co-owner and general manager of Nickel Diner.

Located a block away from the now-closed Banquette, Nickel Diner is a destination for both neighborhood regulars and tourists, thanks to a shout-out on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

If you didn’t know any better, you might say that the Nickel Diner has been around for years. The booths are red leather, the floors are retro tile, and the wall is decorated with an old menu from a restaurant that occupied the space in the 1940s. All of these carefully-curated pieces and old-school discoveries contribute to the homey, laidback vibe.

Nickel Diner is on Main Street between 5th and 6th, AKA “the Nickel,” or Los Angeles’ famed skid row. That it seems transported directly from the 1950s keeps the diner truer to its surroundings, as does its dishes. There aren’t any named proteins, exotic ingredients, or $20 burgers on Nickel Diner’s menu, yet the dishes are playful and intriguing, particularly the baked goods, which include homemade versions of Pop Tarts and Hostess Cupcakes, the popular Maple Bacon Donut, and a Salt Peanut Cake made with potato chips and peanut butter. It’s playful and accessible.

As May put it in a 2011 interview with LA Weekly, “What we do here is we make everything from scratch. It’s real. We feed regular people here.”

Sep


5cdiner.com @5cdiner /nickel.diner Nickel Diner


Menu Highlights at

NICKEL DINER

Sep


HANGOVER HELPER Scrambled eggs with bacon, Italian sausage, potatoes, topped with pepperjack cheese, avocado, and salsa

$10.25

SPICY PULLED PORK SANDWICH Pulled pork with BBQ sauce, coleslaw, pickle on a soft buttered roll

$8.75

BEEF STEW WITH MUSHROOMS Served over buttermilk mashed potatoes and fried carrots and parsnips

$10.75

CHILI-LIME GRILLED SALMON SALAD With quinoa, red beans, red peppers, corn, and cilantro over a bed of greens

$11.75

$9.50 NICKEL BURGER Cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, 1000 Island dressing

$10.50 NITECLUB Grilled chicken breast, bacon, tomato, arugula and pepper jack cheese on sourdough with spicy aioli

$9.50 ROOTY TOOTY VEGETABLE CASSOULET Root vegetables, cannellini beans, and pasta baked in a rich vegetable broth topped with bread crumbs and parmesan cheese (optional)


Big View Diner Chef: Stratos Lambros 16637 Lancaster Highway Charlotte, NC 28277 704-544-0313 Segment: Upscale Casual Menu Focus: American/Bakery Average Check: $11-30

The origins of Xenia Hospitality Group can be found in the classrooms of New York’s Culinary Institute of America. There, Stratos Lambos met Angelo Kaltsounis, and the two teamed up later with Angelo’s brother Frank to open a Greek/Italian fusion eatery called Ilios Noche in 2003. All three partners were schooled in the restaurant world since birth – their fathers both owned restaurants of their own. But with each new concept, they deviate further from their roots.

A few years after Ilios Noche, they opened Nolen Kitchen, and then in 2009, they entered the upscale-diner segment with Big View Diner.

Big View Diner showcases quintessential 1970s style, but the dishes are more contemporary and continental than the art deco exterior would have you believe. There are still touches of old-school on the menu: daily soups and all-day breakfast, for example. But right alongside these offerings are slightly more daring additions. As an appetizer, you can order steamed mussels or tuna poke with crispy wontons. There’s a black bean and quinoa patty with melted brie cheese in the burger section. And there are plenty of Greek and Italian dishes to choose from, so that patrons aren’t limited to the American version of comfort food. The restaurant also features the Big Bar and Big Bakery, with the latter serving homemade cakes and desserts made by the in-house pastry chef.

Hospitality groups like Xenia are quickly jumping on the upscale dining trend and further accelerating its spread. With each new take on the concept, the definition of “diner” (as consumers understand it) broadens.

Sep


bigviewrestaurant.com @BigViewDiner /BigViewDiner Big View Diner


Menu Highlights at

BIG VIEW DINER

Sep


CHICKEN + WAFFLES Chicken tenders, Belgian waffle, crumbled bacon syrup

$12

BRISKET STROGANOFF Slow braised beef brisket, wild mushrooms, sweet peas, sour cream, chopped dill, egg noodles

$13.50

SMOKED SALMON BAGEL Duck Trap River smoked salmon, Philly cream cheese, red onion, capers, tomato

$11.50

SOUVLAKI WRAP Greek-spiced lamb or chicken, romaine lettuce, vine-ripe tomatoes, red onions, cucumber yogurt, warm pita

$9.50

$8 NAPA SALAD Merlot marinated cherries, crumbled goat cheese, toasted almonds, tart cherry vinaigrette

$6.50 PRETZELS + PUFFS House-made pretzels and Vermont cheddar cheese puffs, warm cheese sauce, red jalapeno pepper marmalade

$8 KUNG PAO CALIMARI Flash-fried, chopped peanuts, peppers, sweet chili sauce


Strip-Ts Chefs: Paul Maslow/Tim Maslow 93 School St. Watertown, MA 02472 617-923-4330 Segment: Casual/Upscale Casual Menu Focus: American/Seafood/Asian Average Check: $11-30

Strip-Ts doesn’t just transform the classic diner into an upscale fusion of American, Asian, and New England flavors, it does it every single evening. Since 1986, Paul Maslow has been serving up traditional diner classics like cobb salads, onion rings, and the pie of the day.

But after his son, Tim, returned from a five-year stint with New York’s hottest chef, David Chang, Paul let him take over the dinner menu and today Strip-Ts is one of Boston’s most innovative restaurants, gracing nearly every “Best Of” list and making it difficult to snag one of the dining room’s few seats.

The restaurant’s old-school foundations can be found in many of Tim’s dishes, like the chicken wings (served with a sauce made from the classic local soda Moxie), fried green tomatoes (with crab batter, walnut sauce, and a rhubarb mostarda), and donuts for dessert (which change seasonally, but recently featured sourdough brioche, corn, basil, and tomato). The menu also makes heavy use of the Asian flavors Tim picked up from Chang, with dishes like octopus takoyaki, fried Japanese sweet potato wedges, and even a few sandwiches he’s snuck onto the lunch menu, like the Japanese eggplant banh mi and the tonkatsu, with a fried pork cutlet, cured carrots, maple sherry, and peanuts.

But Tim hasn’t forgotten his roots: the restaurant still features laminate tables, revolving metal stools, and wood paneled walls, and the “wicked small caesar” salad, though made with local romaine and house-made croutons, also includes bottled lemon juice and inexpensive parmesan. At Strip-Ts, one can experience the evolution of the diner simply by sticking around for the dinner service.

Sep


stripts.com @StripTsTM /Strip-Ts Strip-T’s Restaurant


Menu Highlights at

STRIP T’S

Sep


GRILLED ROMAINE Oxtail, poached egg, chili vin $12

WILD BOAR PROSCUITTO Broken Arrow Ranch, field mustard with root, banyuk, koji bread

$12

ROASTED GOLDEN TILEFISH Kohlrabi, fried clams, eggplant, pistachio $25

GRILLED BAVETTE STEAK Creekstone Farms, beets, Maine yellow eye beans, carrots, basil

$21

SAUTEED CABBAGE Maple, cheese crackers

$7

NYC’S PHO REAL SANDWICH Grilled chicken, Thai basil, avocado, bean sprouts

$10

PATATAS BRAVAS Padron, milkweed $10

YOGURT PANNA COTTA Dill, berries, sunflower $8


A FEW MORE CREATIVE CONCEPTS…

Stanley

547 Saint Ann St. New Orleans, LA 70116 Segment: Fine Dining Avg. Check: $15 to $20 Menu Focus: Southern 504-587-0093 stanleyrestaurant.com

Classic New Orleans Comfort Food

Comfort food classics served in a fine dining atmosphere mean that there is something for everyone at this French Quarter spot. This fine dining restaurant with a casual attitude offers all day breakfast and brunch as well as a soda fountain, homemade ice cream desserts, and the famous Stanley Burger.

Creole hollandaise and fresh seafood play a pivotal role in many dishes include the Eggs Stanley where cornmeal-crusted oysters add a Louisianan touch to classic eggs benedict.

Sep

2013

PRO TIP

The house-made ice creams and sorbets can be made into a shake, malt, float, soda, sundae, or served simply in a cup or cone.

Diner

85 Broadway Brooklyn, NY 11211 Segment: Fine Dining Avg. Check: $15 to $20 Menu Focus: American 718-486-3077 dinernyc.com

Au Cheval

800 W. Randolph St. Chicago, IL 60607 Segment: Fine Dining Avg. Check: $15 to $20 Menu Focus: American 312-929-4580 auchevalchicago.com

Old School Diner Revamped

Don’t let the humble setting fool you; Diner features truly upscale fare in a rehabbed 1926 dining car. Eggs can be found across all dayparts including a sunny egg with black eyed peas, squash and cippollini onions and a wine poached egg atop lamb, beans, and radicchio.

An extensive wine and cocktail list complements the upscale twists on simple diner options elevated with farm fresh produce and grass-fed beef.

PRO TIP

No reservations can mean long waits; use that time to learn the menu, which changes daily.

Upscale Twists on Diner Favorites

Chicago restaurateur Brendan Sodikoff, who updates another classic diner dish at his Doughnut Vault, uses creative interpretations on greasy spoon favorites to add a high end feel to traditional favorites at Au Cheval. The brunch menu features decadent foie gras with scrambled eggs and adventurous duck heart gravy, while the lunch and dinner menu offers hearty dishes like griddled bratwurst with smashed potatoes and roasted garlic gravy.

PRO TIP

The brunch menu features a list of beers specially chosen to be enjoyed with breakfast.




M. Wells Dinette

22-25 Jackson Avenue Long Island City, NY Segment: Upscale Casual Avg. Check: $31-60 Menu Focus: American 718-786-1800 magasinwells.com

Cafeteria-style Classics

M. Wells Diner was one of New York’s most popular restaurants until a rent hike forced it to close in 2011. Now the chef/owners are back with M. Wells Dinette, inside Museum of Modern Art-affiliate PS1. The design and menu take inspiration from the building’s former life as a public school, with school-desk tables and chalkboard menus, and dishes like a meatloaf with stroganoff gravy, spaetzle, and foie gras or snails served in a marrow bone.

Sep

2013

PRO TIP

Open up one of the school-desk table drawers and you’ll find notebooks and colored pencils.

Steelhead

95 Pine Street Pike Place Market Seattle, WA 98101 Segment: Casual Avg. Check: $11 to $30 Menu Focus: American/Seafood 206-625-0129 steelheaddiner.com

Fremont Diner

2660 Fremont Drive Sonoma, CA 95476 Segment: Casual Avg. Check: $11 to $30 Menu Focus: American 707-938-7370 thefremontdiner.com

Diner Dishes with a Conscience

Located in Seattle’s classic Pike Place Market, Steelhead calls itself a “smart casual” diner, with an emphasis on sustainability and local sourcing. Their artfully plated riffs on diner classics, like Dungeness Crab & Bay Shrimp Tater Tots; Caviar Pie; and Carlton Farms Pork Belly Hash featuring golden beets and served with eggs over easy and Sauce Robert, , have turned Steelhead into a quintessentially Seattle restaurant, popular with tourists and locals alike.

PRO TIP

The best seat in the house is at the open-kitchen counter, where you can get fly-fishing tips from Chef/Owner Kevin Davis.

Serious Southern Food

The Fremont Diner proclaims that they “get most of our ingredients from the farm out back and the rest from our friends nearby.” The playful menu features both breakfast (Drunken Hush Puppies made with sweet corn and whiskey-soaked cherries) and dinner (The Knuckle Sandwich with Marin Sun beef knuckle, horseradish, ginger pickled beets, and Paul’s arugula on a soft roll with crab chips), all in a charming old building filled with vintage signs and antique knick-knacks.

PRO TIP

Throw a few scraps to Oliver, a timid dog and the restaurant’s unofficial mascot, who wanders over from a nearby vineyard.




Satellite Room

2047 9th Street NW Washington DC 20001 Segment: Bar Avg. Check: $11-30 Menu Focus: American/Mexican 202-506-2496 satellitedc.com

Funky Late-Night Diner

The Satellite Room is a late-night bar with a hip, 1960s West Coast diner vibe. The menu features burgers, beer, boozy milkshakes (the A.C. Slater combines avocado and Jose Cuervo tequila), and a combination of diner classics (meatloaf, fried chicken, and pancakes) and Mexican-inspired dishes (huevos rancheros, elote, and fish tacos). And everything on the menu is available until last call – 2AM Sunday through Thursday and 3AM on Fridays and Saturdays.

Sep

2013

PRO TIP

The restaurant is located directly behind one of DCs hottest concert venues, The 9:30 Club.

Roll On Sushi Diner

5350 Burnet Road Austin, TX 78756 Segment: Casual Avg. Check: $11 to $30 Menu Focus: Sushi 512-454-7655 rollonsushidiner.com

Hopscotch

1915 San Pablo Avenue Oakland, CA 94612 Segment: Casual Avg. Check: $11 to $30 Menu Focus: American/Japanese 510-788-6217 hopscotchoakland.com

Sushi Bar Meets American Diner

Counter-service diners are an Austin tradition, and Roll On combines the American staple with a sushi restaurant, offering humorous menu items like the deep-fried Cholesta Roll, with mashed potatoes, grilled steak, and green beans in a soy wrap and served with gravy, or the Elvis Roll, with deep-fried peanut butter, banana, and bacon and served with chocolate sauce. The casual spot says, “Whether in your Sunday’s best or straight from the lake, we will feed you just the same!”

PRO TIP

Each dish is a fixed price that corresponds with the color of the plate. When you are finished, the staff will total up your plates.

American Diner with a Japanese Twist

Hopscotch proudly calls itself an upscale diner serving “regional American food with Japanese sensibility.” Chefs Jenny Schwarz and Kyle Itani raised $20,000 on Kickstarter to open the restaurant, which features a small, inventive menu showcasing dishes like the Grilled Chrysanthemum with jidori egg, bamboo shoot, and squid ink; Yonsei Oyster with sea urchin, salmon roe, and citrus soy; and Buttermilk Fried Chicken with marble potato salad and pickles.

PRO TIP

The seasonal cocktails, like the Plaid on Plaid with Islay scotches, lemon, honey, and egg white, are considered some of Oakland’s best.



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CURIOUS? - datassentials.trustsourcing.comdatassentials.trustsourcing.com/Pdf/Datassential-CreativeConcepts... · Creamy cheesy lump crab, Ritz crackers $12 FORK PORK CHOP Lemon soy