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Chelsea's Empire Diner Reopens Tonight Under Chef Amanda Freitag
By
Nell Casey
Published Jan 7, 2014
Modified Jan 7, 2014
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By
Nell Casey
Published Jan 7, 2014
Modified Jan 7, 2014
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Adorable art deco Empire Diner has been sitting vacant on 10th Avenue in Chelsea since the joint flipped its final flapjack back in 2010. But by the power vested in Celebrity Chefs and good old fashioned money, the iconic diner reopens this evening under the direction of Food Network personality and chef Amanda Freitag.
The original was never a Temple to the Greasy Spoon and Freitag has kept that same motif, albeit turning a few diner staples on their head. Between the expected Buttermilk Pancakes ($11) and Patty Melts ($14) are a version of Chili Cheese Fries ($11) made with sweet potatoes, salsa verde, cheddar and lime crema and a French Onion Soup ($9) topped with bagel bread pudding croutons and Gruyere cheese.
Beyond the funky diner fare are main dishes more suited to a white tablecloth establishment than a retro tin can diner. Trout Almondine ($19) in a nutty brown butter sauce and a nod to another iconic NYC dish, the Oyster Pan Roast ($16) with pork belly, poached oyster and potatoes over pumpernickel are just two of them.
We haven't gotten a peek at the interior yet but we're told there's room for 75 inside the train car, so to speak, with room for an additional 80 outdoors. For now, cravings will have to be cured at dinner time, but 24 hour service is expected for Meatpacking refugees soon.
210 Tenth Avenue between 22nd and 23rd, (212) 596-7523; empire-diner.com
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amanda freitag
Chelsea
empire diner
new restaurant and bar radar
Nell Casey
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