#InauguralReview #OrionDiner by #AstrinosVoumvourakis Since 2012 #395SecondAvenue at #23rdStreet Open 24 Hours
Say yes please to the French Dip sandwich with Au Jus
It's not who you know, it's WHOM YOU KNOW and you can never know enough great diners, especially when they are open 24/7. In 1981, Astrinos Voumvourakis came to New York from Crete, Greece, inspired by his uncles who came here first. In 2012, he opened Orion Diner along with two partners, and in August 2020 he became the sole owner. Orion Diner is a classic with a homemade style and we're told they also excel in specials, but this is our first time ever visiting so we stuck to the extensive menu. The name was inspired by news of satellites in space in 2012 and there's 109 seats to welcome you at Orion Diner. First we tried the classic salad which comes with entrees, above. It was fresh and exactly what we were looking for, and they listened and put the dressing on the side. You're also welcomed with a bread basket.
Next, Spinach Pie announced it's total deliciousness. Orion Diner struck us as excellent in comfort food. Spinach, leeks, scallions and dill combine in good proportion to light up your appetite and it's accompanied by fresh Greek salad with balsamic vinaigrette, also put on the side according to Ms. Pretty Picky's instructions.
One of the most impressive items was the Chicken Quesadillas, which can be found in the "Sizzling Quesadillas" section of the menu. They totally hit the spot and the Chicken is marinated in rosemary first, lending a fragrant note that sets Orion apart. The roasted peppers included were particularly impressive, and a southern blend of Cheddar and Jack Cheese, and caramelized onions also joined the chicken. Sour cream, salsa and guacamole teamed up to make this a winner, and it is excellent game food if you are looking for something great to eat during the Daytona 500 in particular.
There are a ton of salad choices, which we love. Above, the Second Avenue Super Salad stars excellent fresh herbal grilled chicken, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, shredded carrots, and roasted peppers over mesclun greens. Below, Popeye's Spinach Salad boasts fresh spinach and artichokes with mozzarella, peppers and crisp bacon and it might have been our favorite salad. Honey mustard vinaigrette sang backup.
Gramercy Chopped Salad is exactly what you would expect and it is certainly well-chopped. Grilled chicken, romaine lettuce, radishes, cucumbers, artichokes, red onions, and whole black olives rejoiced under feta and balsamic. Of course if you want your salad dressed in all cases they do that, and if you read our other 29,000 posts you know Peachy likes to apply salad dressing herself, particularly if she has never been there before.
Specialty Sandwiches looks like a menu section with a lot of talent! We began with the French Dip and Swiss, which is exactly what we were looking for. Grilled Roast Beef with of course Swiss is served up on a Hero with the essential Au Jus sauce, called natural juice on the menu. It really hits the spot on a cold winter day and it's made on a panini press beautifully.
Note this is a super convenient location on second ave at 23rd and we also liked that Orion Diner is well-lit. We like to see our food, always.
Italian Dishes are served with soup or salad, and we chose salad to come with our Chicken Parm which spaghetti sings backup to. It's competitive with other diner Chicken Parms and we were quite happy with its flavor and deliciousness factor of the chicken itself. The sauce was also laudable. We love that they are detail-oriented and put extra cheese on the side because we know that everything is better with even more parm which "snowed" gorgeously on our chicken.
Finally, for our fish option, we chose the Stuffed Filet of Sole with Crabmeat! It was a terrific change of pace from what we see at a lot of regular places and it was broiled just right. Further enhanced with broccoli and spinach, the fish is a healthy choice in the dead of winter that will brighten your day.
Orion Diner impressed us on our first visit and we look forward to seeing what they do next!
Orion Diner
