No, I have not fallen in love. Sorry to disappoint you all. No, we did something much better than that! We went to an original 1950s diner, reminiscent of Greece and Happy Days and the golden years of Elvis Presley.
After our excursion to the zoo, it was felt that we were in need of some good ol' American sustenance because, you wouldn't think it I know, but the zoo really is quite tiring and everyone has to go to an American diner for burgers and milkshakes (and maybe throw said milkshake all over a leather jacket clad, DA combing love rat, Greece style) at least once whilst they're in New York.
We got so into the whole recreating Greece thing that we were tempted to dress up. We just about restrained ourselves...
Ellen's Stardust Diner, on Broadway, had been recommended to us several times as the Diner With A Difference. The difference being that the waiters sing. That's right, whilst you're being served your burger and fries with double chocolate shake, the waiters belt out songs ranging from Disney classics to Rhianna.
They're all good too! Our waitress, who was wearing lace tights and had three sparkly blue star stickers trailing from one eye, sang a very good Beyonce cover and there was even a small amount of opera at one point. A wonderfully camp waiter in very tight trousers informed us that their dream was not to work at Ellen's Stardust Diner and serve us fries, but rather to perform in a Broadway Musical. They also named several past 'Stardusters' who have now achieved the dream and, through ever so slightly gritted teeth, told us how happy they all were for them. Apparently our tips go on singing lessons, so we got to feel that we helped our starry eyed waitress achieve her dream. Yay.
The decor was fantastic too. It was literally as though we had stepped back into the 1950s; old vinyls and classic pin ups decorated the walls, and the red seated booths made us feel as though Danny Zuko and all the Pink Ladies could come sit down beside us at any moment. We were wishing we were in poodle skirts or peddle pushers.
We had been warned that the food wasn't great, but I really enjoyed my veggie burger and iced coffee float, although it probably was a little overpriced, and the puddings and sundaes all sounded amaaaazing so I'd recommend going in the afternoon for a sweet treat to sustain you through a hot afternoon exploring New York. You could probably avoid the queue that way too, although that really wasn't long.
Our favourite part of the evening was actually just as we had paid and were about to leave. I was just standing up as the unmistakable first chords of 'Summer Loving' began. Clearly, we sat back down.
It was again a totally random, crazy evening and, again, summed up the spirit of New York pretty well. I would never sing along with my Broadway standard waiters whilst eating a veggie burger and actually enjoy it and not feel like a total goon anywhere else. Maybe it's because I'm on holiday and you always feel you can do crazy stuff you'd never normally do on holiday. Or maybe it's because I'm in New York and the contagious attitude of the city is rubbing off on me.
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