The Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch Report:
Location: The Silver Diner (a chain) on Gallows Rd.
Today's Selections: Chicken Noodle Soup (cup); Silver Diner "Paddy" Melt (1/4 pound beef patty, with caramelized onions, American and cheddar cheese on marble rye); blackberry cobbler (their seasonal dessert).
The Silver Diner chain has been around the DC area for a number of years. When they started off, they used to be more diner-y, but they eventually succumbed to the corporate faux-slickness that a lot of restaurant chains succumb to as they expand and become more successful - for better or worse. In any case... The Menu has been tweaked over the years. Purveyors have been changed. And, alas, some old favorites are no longer on the menu. *They actually used to have a whole "healthy" menu - sort of Califonia inspired - which was never really touted as being "healthful". I miss their White Bean Spread and Flatbread appetizer. **I also miss their use of Haagen-Daaz and Mattus Ice Cream products. Oh, where was I...
The Chicken Soup is pretty decent here. Made in-house for the most part, with in-house made stock - at least so the menu says - and it tastes that way since the soup never really tastes exactly the same from visit to visit. And sometimes it's made differently. Today's cup had pasta shells in it, other times it's been flat egg noodles. But a very good cup of soup. Lots of chicken, vegetables and noodles. I, of course, crumbled the accompanying saltines into my cup.
The Paddy Melt was very good too. A very generous hamburger patty, lots of onions and lots of gooey, melting cheese. And grilled nicely too. Oh, and the accompanying shoestring fries had to be some of the best I've ever had there. Freshly fried, and still steaming a little bit. Very crisp too.
After a couple of minutes of digesting and reading - I brought along some newspapers - I finally decided on dessert. At first I was thinking I would get the Double-Chocolate Triple-Layer Cake... Then The Chocolate Brownie Decadence... Then the Banana Split... The the Junior Banana Split... Then the Diner Sundae... Then... Well, since the Blackberry Cobbler was new - and prominently featured on the table tent card - I went with that. My waiter heartily agreed with my selection. And it was quite the hearty portion too! A nice bowl full of blackberries, topped with cobbler "crust", crushed ginger snaps and vanilla ice cream. The crushed ginger snaps were a very nice touch, flavor-wise and texturally. A truly generous portion all around. In fact, I had to leave a few bites in the bowl. And I'd have to say there were at least a full cup of blackberries in the bowl if not more. And since it was freshly baked to order, the cold ice cream was the perfect foil to the warm cobbler.
Needless to say, I was quite "stufféd" (pronounced [stoo-fayed']) after my meal. I shall definitely being eating lite later on - if at all.
Oh, and good coffee and good service too. Seems like whatever tweaks they did in the last round of tweaking were all for the better.
