Entering Berlin’s Starlight Diner engenders an assault on the senses. Standing in the doorway, sheltered from a windy autumnal Sunday, I was overcome with the scent of brewing coffee, the busy murmur of chatting customers, and the clang and simmer of cooking omelets and eggplant parmesan in the restaurant’s open kitchen. A support beam covered with photos in painted frames stood directly in my path, topped with the label “Memories.” Nearby, a robust-looking woman in a blue t-shirt with high-contrast highlights in her hair worked the cash register. Curious, my dining companion inquired about the pictures.
“They’re pictures of regulars that passed on,” the woman replied.
The strength of the restaurant’s community is evident not only in these memorials, but also in an entire wall covered with pictures of (entirely alive) regulars smiling over coffee or scrambled eggs. This community is especially remarkable because, unlike many diners, the Starlight is a new addition to its 83 Mill St. location.
The two waitresses I spoke to during my visit told me that the boxy, non-descript building had spent time as both a Friendly’s and a farm supply shop and had stood empty for “quite awhile” before co-owners Linda and Elias fixed it up two years ago, adding the capital-letter neon sign that proclaims “DINER” on the roof. This unconventional genesis makes the Starlight a member of a new generation of diners that are not filling a spot long-held in their respective communities. Instead, these new upstarts are at once carrying on and renewing a higher diner ideal, an old ritual of community-established Americana in modern practice. These “new” diners have freedoms that their more traditional brethren do not, a fact that makes them fundamentally controversial.
Luckily, the Starlight’s experiments in New Dinerism fall largely within the bounds of the more successful. There is a significantly bar-like feel to the front of the spacious dining room, which features a wide-screen TV that plays ESPN, a hardwood diner/bar hybrid counter, an extensive beer and wine list, and appetizers such as potato skins and mozzarella sticks. The menu, too, is extensive, including Italian-inspired dinners, wraps, pitas, salad platters, shish kebabs, and twists on traditionals such as kielbasa omelets and apple cinnamon pancakes. This kind of fusion means that the Starlight can act as a chameleon, playing whatever part its customers want.
There are, however, still those who want the diner’s role to be just that—a diner—and the Starlight is well-outfitted for the traditional, as well. The waitress who served me cited classic Belgian waffles as the best item on the menu.
“They use real waffle mix, not something frozen. So delicious!” she said, a devilish grin on her face.
One of her co-workers disagreed. “It has to be the corned beef hash,” she told me. “It’s homemade.”
Although none of the people in my party sampled these dishes, our own adventures in the Starlight’s fare were equally excellent. I opted for my standard omelet with mushrooms, peppers, and cheese, which was a bit runny but enormous. Someone else had the unique “country omelet,” stuffed with bacon, sausage, cheese, and potatoes and served with home fries (“Potatoes inside and out,” our waitress explained helpfully.) It, too, was pronounced “quite tasty.”
The Starlight’s main clientele falls on the traditional side, as well. As my waitress said, leaning in conspiratorially, “Most of our regulars are… well, old.” She pulled back, laughing. “Really, a lot of them are older. They spend forever crowding the middle of the aisle, talking and hugging.”
Don’t let the older demographic deter you—the influx of elderly only adds to the restaurant’s charm. With its combination of new-diner innovation and a commitment to traditional diner kinship, the fledgling Starlight Diner has created a unique experience richly rooted in community.
As my waitress commented, “I live in this town. People know my kids. I wait on my kids’ teachers, my co-workers. Everyone knows each other…that’s my favorite part of working here.”
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Lowdown:
Located at 83 Mill St., Berlin.
20 minutes down Routes 3 and 372.
Phone for directions: (860)828-3922
Open Sunday-Thursday 6 a.m.-3 p.m., Friday and Saturday 6 a.m.-8 p.m.
Essential menu items:
Eggs benedict – $6.95
Cheese omelet – $4.95
French toast/pancakes – $3.75
Hamburger – $2.95
Veggie burger – $3.95
Ice cream soda – $1.25
Belgian waffles with strawberries and whipped cream – 5.95
Also try in the area:
T-Bowl Duckpin Lanes, 56 Costello Rd., Newington – Put on your bowling shoes and score a strike.
Stryker’s Café, 841 Wilbur Cross Highway, Berlin – Stop by, shoot some pool, have a drink if you’re of age and some coffee if you aren’t.
New Britain Youth Museum, 191 Farmington Ave., Berlin – Act like a kid again for an afternoon. Enjoy the barnyard, colonial house replica, and more.
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