Diners. They’re everywhere in our lives from the movies to television shows and featured in pop songs. As teenagers it’s where most had their first date, or gathered after a high school event, or where families had Sunday night dinners. The tables had individual jukeboxes, the servers were friendly and always seemed to have a pot of coffee in hand ready to pour refills. They went from morning to night, and the menu spanned the globe. Their history is wedged like iceberg lettuce into the fabric of American culture so it stands to reason that chefs and restaurateurs would want to bring them back in a form that suits today’s, well, diners.
One such team is Chef Franklin Becker and Restaurateur Stephen Loffredo of Hospitality Department, who announced the grand opening of B&L Diner, located in the heart of Manhattan in Herald Square where the American entertainer, playwright, composer, and lyricist George M. Cohan said to remember him too. B&L Diner delivers on the nostalgic and the current by serving market-driven comfort food featuring a breakfast and all-day menu running from lunch through dinner crafted from fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Becker and Loffredo’s commitment to whole foods and real flavors ensures that each dish provides delicious satisfaction that fills one up without weighing one down. They even list their purveyors on the menu for full transparency.
As with any diner menu, items are too numerous to mention but what Chef Franklin and his team of long- and short-order cooks have done is ensure that there is something for everyone, and give kudos to diners in all their forms from Jewish to Greek, a French bistro to a Soda Shoppe, and a nod to Koreatown, which anchors the location. A Gyro Taco; the B&L Foot Long Hot Dog layered with crispy onions; a Reuben with kimchi and Jeju Island dressing; Pot of Bangs Island Mussels; a TV Dinner of Turkey and Pork Meatloaf with Mushroom Gravy; Roumanian Tenderloin smothered with mushroom and onions; Burgers in all their forms; and Shake ‘n Bake (remember “and I helped”?), as a nod to the restaurateurs’ childhoods.
However, unlike a typical diner, B&L will feature a world class wine list that Hospitality Department beverage director Luke Boland curated. Riesling with that Rueben? Merlot with Meatloaf? There are over a hundred selections to choose from. A diner is all about nostalgia and comfort, so the wines should be too. Luke’s selections are like familiar friends reuniting with dishes that make one think they were just meant to be together. Adding a Shake to those Disco Fries? In the hands of bartender Max Green, they become boozy. At B&L the ubiquitous Espresso Martini is a Milkshake, and a Grasshopper is a frothy delight. Have a Dirty Shirley or a B&L Old Fashioned with Jim Beam, Demerara, Smoke and Oak Bitters, or make it an Old-Fashioned Arnold Palmer – AKA Dead Billionaire.
Just as with the food, the dessert menu tugs: Homemade Pies, to a Banana Split, and Romina’s Cheesecake by Pastry Chef Romina Peixoto whose talents are also on display at B&L Bakery, a kiosk just outside the restaurant. There one will find a selection of artisanal freshly baked treats, grab-and-go breakfast items, and indulgent viral worthy pastries.
The look is contemporary and warm. Pop-art photos of classic diner scenes and memorabilia line the walls, there are booths (not banquettes) to gather in. The tables are formica, the fabrics are soft, the mood is festive. There’s no place like home. B&L is the Tea.
B&L Diner is located at 1262 Broadway (32nd Street) and is open from 7 AM – 11:30 PM every day.
