|
Kendall's new Starlite Diner offers retro chic with a
new millennium attitude.
The menu features classic burgers side-by-side with
mesclun salad, turkey wraps, blackened tuna and Szechwan dumplings.
The décor is space-age chrome and vinyl, but the music ranges from
classic fifties tunes to the Celine Dion hits of today. An
old-fashioned soda fountain makes traditional malts and hand-dipped
milk shakes, while satellite TVs broadcast sports and special events.
The atmosphere is family-oriented, but there's also a full bar, an
outdoor patio and a dance floor for late-night patrons.
"We want people to walk through the door and
right away have the feeling that, 'Wow! This place is fun!'" said
Juan Pena, the restaurant's general manager. "This is more than
just a diner. When people think of a diner they usually think of a
place where food is served fast and plain, and then you leave. But,
Starlite Diner is unlike anything else. While the atmosphere is
nostalgic, we want to accommodate the tastes of our modern patrons, so
we feature a full menu and a variety of music to listen to."
Located in Kendall's newest shopping center, Starlite
Diner's sleek, chrome bullet-shaped building is adjacent to LA Fitness
and Barnes & Noble. The main entrance is a glass revolving door,
while the décor features shining chrome and the bright red and silver
sparkle-vinyl. There's a traditional sandwich counter and booths to
seat more than 200.
"Starlite Diner is very nostalgic for our
customers who grew up in the fifties and sixties, but it's also very
popular for younger people who like it here because it's cool and
fun," said server Valerie Crawford.
Surprisingly, this "true American diner" got
its start in Moscow. Robert Lorenz, a resident of South Florida, came
up with the idea for the restaurant about five years ago when he was
visiting Russia.
"Back then, there was literally no place in
Moscow where Americans could find American food," said Lorenz.
"We decided that what the town needed was a true American
diner!"
He opened his first restaurant near Red Square in a
park that was owned by a performing arts theatre and the name Starlite
Diner was conceived. It was a huge success and is reported to have had
the highest sales per square foot of any diner in the world.
Since then, Starlite Diners have opened elsewhere in
Moscow, Buenos Aires and Argentina, as well as in Ft. Lauderdale and
Hollywood. The new Kendall restaurant is the company's largest.
"Many of us who are involved in this company have
our roots in South Florida, so we decided to bring our idea back
home," said Lorenz. "Good cooking and friendly service will
always be popular."
A half-dozen chefs are on duty 24 hours a day,
preparing entrees ranging from toasted peanut-butter-and-jelly
sandwiches to blackened mahi mahi, home style turkey and mashed
potatoes, Tex-Mex chili, cheeseburgers, veggie burgers, pot roast,
Porterhouse steak, classic Fettuccini Alfredo, Hawaiian pizza, cheese
fries and baked brie.
There's also a spectacular dessert menu, ranging from
the nine-inch-high Chocolate Sensation cake frosted with chocolate
chips to The Kitchen Sink, a creation that must be seen to be
believed. The diner soon will add a full page of health-conscious
items to its menu to appeal to the survivors of the new LA Fitness
gym.
Starlite Diner is open 24 hours a day and is located
at 8695 SW 124 Avenue. For more information, please call 305-595-4444.
|
