#TerrificTakeout #InauguralReview #TimesSquareDiner by #ExecutiveChef #GeorgiosKantaris and #StephenKatsaros
Star of the Show: Corned Beef Reuben
Fabulous Salmon and Broccolini
It's not who you know, it's WHOM YOU KNOW and we know Executive Chef Georgios Kantaris who has proven to have a second trick up his sleeve with Times Square Diner and Grill. Previously he was featured here earlier this year.
Do not be fooled by the name. This place is like a diner like the Mid-Engine Corvette is like a car.
Catch our drift?
If you are unfamiliar with Corvettes and the amazing Corvette Racing team, we feel sorry for you and you should know that it's so much more than a car.
We feature very few new places to us because frankly not enough of them are competitive with the places we already feature and constantly impress us. We were impressed with the fun ceiling and unique decor when we walked in. We had never been before. Decor matters!
Salads matter.
Particularly in this high holy time of bathing suit season!
Above, meet the Garden Salad, a total classic.
Romaine hearts, cherry tomato, peppers, onions, cucumbers and dressing that they put on the side for Ms. Pretty Picky (yes, they listen here! great service goes without saying in our reviews across the board) team up for a rainbow of nutrition and a must for every meal. It will go with everything you order and you want to balance out your diet.
Also we tried the Greek Salad, below.
Of course we are hugely into Mediterranean cuisine, particularly Greek, and this selection of romaine hearts, cucumbers, cherry tomato, olives and feta were perfectly traditional for the Greek cuisine and are further enhanced by lemon dressing.
The salads are just what we were looking for.
They even had grape leaves (Dolmades) in the salad which at some other places are a lost art but not here!
All appetizers are not created equally.
Some are just superior.
To that end you absolutely must meet the Chicken Bites. Surprisingly lightly breaded and boasting a fabulous kick and unique sauces of jalapeno and garlic chipotle, these winners are joined by honest-to-goodness real jalapeno lending greater authenticity to the dish. They would be great game food and we'd like to eat them during the next Holy War when Boston College slaughters Notre Dame (see Regis's book.)
The menu is extensive in general and we have many sandwich ambitions here.
We started with the Chicken Quesadilla which is just what we expected. Tasty, cheesy and done just right, it is something you should try too. It would be even better with guac.
However, the real star of the whole show in this whole review is the Reuben Sandwich.
Peachy has been eating Corned Beef her whole life because she is obviously Irish American and considers herself an expert in this realm. We have not had a better Corned Beef Reuben since The Carnegie Deli closed and this should be on your bucket list. George tells us they make their own Corned Beef and you can tell in every bite. It is of course with swiss, sauerkraut and 1000 island dressing and in perfect proportion to one another. You need to make your Corned Beef dreams come true and eat it. We are extremely upset it magically disappeared once in close proximity to Peachy but maybe she will have to go back.
If you want to indulge your inner bacon monster go for the Pasta Spinaka, served with bacon, spinach and fresh herbs expertly tossed in a white wine garlic sauce topped with bread crumbs. We count over a dozen entree options and this is only one of many. Peachy thinks Cabernet goes with everything. This dish is well-balanced, fragrant, fresh, inviting and light therefore perfect for summer.
Peachy is a seafood enthusiast and to that end she chose the Shrimp Scampi, one of her favorite dishes in general, shown above; and the Grilled Filet of Salmon, shown below.
These pictures alone tell you this is so much more than a greasy spoon; in fact, we have a panelist who especially is enthused about Broccolini and we don't ever remember seeing Broccolini at a diner before.
The Charred Broccoli above was entirely competitive with the Broccolini below and you don't need us to tell you how important vegetables are in your life. We would put even more garlic in this.
It's charred to perfection and this generous portion is served with succulent little shrimps and rice pilaf. We like how both of these dishes use George's winning trifecta of dill, parsley and chives.
Put your pinkie out for this salmon. We don't remember seeing a fish so competitive at a diner ever. It's clearly the king of the mountain in this entree with its pizazz, style and freshness.
Times Square Diner is Terrific Takeout and we look forward to seeing continued excellence from this team. We also look forward to seeing a website from them someday!
