Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, September 22, 1995 TAG: 9509220055
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOLORES KOSTELNI SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Six high school students who participated in this year's Roanoke Times Minority Journalism Workshop, visited the diner with me and received hands-on training as my review team. Having been briefed by workshop coordinators on my 10 guidelines for restaurant reviewing, the students arrived with scrutinizing eyes and a questioning palate.
High marks were given to the friendly welcome (and pleasant farewell), and the review group commended our waitress for knowing about every dish on the menu of 100-plus items, providing us with copious amounts of beverages and checking mid-way through the meal to see if we needed anything.
The students silently surveyed the restaurant for cleanliness. The circulating air smelled fresh and clean and was free of food odors. Menus and windows were spotless and seasoning shakers were grime-free. Tables, chairs and glasses garnered A's for cleanliness and the zillions of hanging posters, memorabilia and artifacts won applause for their shiny, dust-free surfaces.
The floor failed, however, because of scattered debris and overall dirty appearance. Two students recommended that management sweep the floor after each table has been used. The restroom received an A for tidiness but F for the large gaps between the doors and the frames of the stalls, a space sufficiently large to eliminate privacy.
In typical diner fashion, our meals were served on the heavy white dishes that are as big as the moon. None of us experienced any exceptional food at Star City Dinner. Our sampling of several dishes included a few that were tasty and filling but also suggested that careful ordering should be the rule.
For the most part, sandwiches looked attractive and gave tremendous satisfaction. The Penny Loafer, a hot sandwich of tender chicken, ham and Swiss cheese ($4.25) on a kaiser roll, was easy to eat and had a good baked flavor that blended all the layers. This chicken cordon bleu spinoff was one of the best sandwiches on the menu.
A huge stacked sandwich, appropriately called the Marilyn Monroe ($3.75), contained layers of thinly sliced turkey breast, cole slaw, tomatoes and melted Monterey Jack cheese on whole wheat bread. It had tremendous flavor and texture, but was a mess to eat out of hand. With each bite, gobs of filling cascaded out the other side.
Uncle Charlie's ($3.75) was a sandwich disappointment. Meat loaf with melted Swiss cheese on rye toast just didn't work, and I barely finished half of it. The sandwich interior looked and tasted as if it had fallen into a campfire. I cut a portion of it into pieces and separated the layers: The concealed side of the toast had been burned and its flavor had conquered the thin slice of meat loaf. Grilled onions and sliced tomato came on the side and did little to redeem this sandwich.
The simplest food is not necessarily the best, and hamburgers seemed to suffer because of misjudgment or lack of know-how in the kitchen. The hamburger special ($2.75) provided a plateful of food, but I could only eat the fries, bun, lettuce and tomato. The incredibly small and chewy, unattractively shaped hamburger arrived with brown puffs of coagulated blood on top.
The Casablanca Mushroom Burger ($3.95) featured a special order of delicious, creamy mashed potatoes (instead of french fries) and a mushroom and Swiss cheese-topped hamburger on a large, soft bun. The young lady who ordered this described the burger as "trouble" because it was small, badly formed and dry.
If I had to pick a real winner it would be the deep-fried chicken finger platter. This combo of especially tender, grease-free chicken and sides of hot french fries and crispy onion straws should put a fried-food lover in heaven. Everything was perfect, particularly the wonderful batter-dipped strips of onion that miraculously crackled and melted as soon as they struck the tongue. A Gibraltar-sized plate of these could make an exciting lunch.
Is anything finer than breakfast in a diner? Most diners built their reputations on serving breakfast for all the hours they are open, and Star City Diner carries on the tradition. If you're hungry, though, you may starve before receiving your order.
For lunch, I ordered a vegetarian omelet ($3.95) plus three buttermilk pancakes ($2.25) in place of two biscuits or toast. I walked around and noted that there were only six other patrons and they had already been served.
Fifteen minutes elapsed before my omelet arrived - accompanied by a nice dish of grits and two wrinkled biscuits. I dug in and discovered a lovely, rolled three-egg omelet. It held within its glossy folds a filling of bright green broccoli bits, sauteed onions, just enough melted Monterey Jack cheese and sliced mushrooms.
Inedible biscuits forced me to ask the waitress for the pancakes. She explained that there had been a mix-up because two persons were waiting on me. Several minutes later, I devoured three huge, fluffy pancakes and pushed my wonderful omelet to the side.
I thoroughly enjoy well-prepared diner food. Meals are fresh and give good dollar value. Diner chefs are masters of short-order cooking, and diner wait persons are models of efficiency. Neither qualities applies to Star City Diner. An obvious lack of effectiveness from both the kitchen and dining room staffs leaves a patron tired, hungrier and dissatisfied.
Spanky Macher, owner of Star City Diner, specializes in restaurant management. He has devoted his business life to the food service industry. He should certainly be able to solve the problems at this newest facility. After all, Star City Diner has a great location and all the necessary equipment, creativity and capacity for a successful operation. These elements must be put together so that the place runs smoothly, the food is prepared and served on a timely basis and hungry people want to return.
STAR CITY DINER
Campbell Avenue at South Jefferson Street.
343-9301
HOURS: Sunday through Thursday: 7:30 a.m.-12:30 a.m., Friday and Saturday: 7 a.m. - 3 a.m.
PRICE RANGE: $3.95-$7.95
BEVERAGES: full range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages
CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED: Mastercard, Visa, American Express; personal checks accepted.
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED? no
NONSMOKING SECTION? yes
HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE? Yes
Dining Out's evaluations of restaurant accessibility to the handicapped are conducted by the Blue Ridge Independent Living Center, a nonprofit organization.
by CNB