Breakfast at El Mar

For all of my excitement over Italian cooking (and all Mediterranean cooking) I literally get a thrill when I’m sitting in a booth perusing a diner menu.

I grew up with the cooking of my Mom, dishes that were decidedly Italian, but the American side of my palate swoons for diner food.

The diners I knew in NY were often run by Greek-Americans, so in addition to eggs/sandwiches/salads/platters/burgers/etc., the menu sang with fabulous Greek dishes (which I loved), spanakopita, moussaka, pastitsio, souvlaki– what a great combo menu!

On a recent visit to Florida, to hang out with Duane’s brother Kurt (who lives in Fort Lauderdale), we dreamed of returning to El Mar diner. This cozy diner run by two sisters is perfection. How a plate of their eggs and home fries can light up the taste buds.

In Nashville, Wendell Simth’s (known as a meat ‘n three) fills the diner yearning with their complete menu. And so does Noshville, who puts a Jewish deli spin on diner. And then there’s Brown’s Diner, of course! It’s where Duane & I play music as “Duette.” Brown’s wasn’t exactly a diner, more a bar with burgers, until just recently. Now it has the full diner menu. Perfect.

Wendell Smith’s

Duette at Brown’s Diner

Noshville’s Matzah Ball Soup

People often ask me where are my favorite places to eat. I think because I’m a chef they’re expecting me to name the top best chef restaurants in Nashville or New York. My wheels start spinning trying to think of an answer. Sure, I love a bunch of chef-driven places, but the soul of my desire just wants to go to a cook-driven diner!