Family diner is rising Star

The blueberry pancakes with a side of bacon are to die for at the Star Diner in East Providence.The Providence Journal / Bob Thayer

Family diner is rising Star

01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, March 19, 2009

By Gail Ciampa

Providence Journal
Journal Food Editor

EAST PROVIDENCE — There just aren’t nearly enough cute diners like the Star around. You must understand how very lucky we are to have the Star with its friendly atmosphere, solid diner food and tableside juke boxes.

Quentin Sanford and Bethany Smith, the brother and sister owners and proprietors, bought the diner back in 2000. Then it was the China Star, affectionately called the “China dinnah” according to Sanford. The diner was originally delivered to the site in 1951 from DeRaffele Manufacturing in New York to become Keenan’s Diner. The Chins, owners of the Mee Hong in Providence, bought it in 1964 and made it a Chinese restaurant.

So Sanford and Smith became only the third owners of the landmark. But the pair already had a family business, the Handy Hill Creamery, an ice cream shop and clam shack on Route 88 in Westport, Mass. They worked there day and night during the summer season, like their parents did before them. But when the weather chilled, up Newport Avenue they went to work on the Star, which was in need of every sort of updating and repair, including remodeling the kitchen and doing state fire-code upgrades. They did most of the work themselves and, well, it took a while — eight years’ worth. They even gave a small addition, called the “Tarry room,” a facelift.

The Star opened just last month, but it feels like they’ve been doing this forever, which of course they have. Already it’s had a starring role in Showtime’s series Brotherhood, which is shot locally. But perhaps more importantly, it has become an affordable, comfortable place to have some eggs and bacon or a nice slab of homemade meatloaf.

The counter seats and booths were busy on a Saturday morning, but still our bottomless cups of coffee and tea remained filled, with smiles. Our food included a perfect omelet with linguica and Swiss cheese ($7.50) complete with excellent spicy home fries and toast (choice of white, wheat, rye or pumpernickel). Blueberry pancakes ($3.50 for a short stack of two large ones that were more than enough for any breakfast) were fluffy and moist and loaded with those antioxidant berries that keep me healthy. A side of bacon ($2.50) was nice and crisp.

We could have sat forever with our hot drinks and all the friendly bustle around, but instead I returned for lunch midweek. It was quieter that day but the food arrived just as fast and hot as at breakfast. The large slice of meatloaf was covered in gravy — not homemade and a little salty — but with some outstanding mashed potatoes as real as they come. The meatloaf tasted of sage and was satisfying in that way diner food always is, with all that comfort in every bite.

An open-faced turkey sandwich offered up lots of real turkey breast on white toasted bread. The stuffing and gravy were ordinary but both dishes came with good helpings of mixed vegetables with corn, carrots, red peppers and green beans. They offer bottomless sodas, too.

Desserts include puddings like tapioca (such a diner stalwart) and pies. I just don’t know who has room for sweets after all the savory dishes.

The diner only serves breakfast on Sundays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. but stays open late Thursday, Friday and Saturday for dinner until 8 p.m. There are daily specials (meatballs on the day of my lunch visit) and a regular menu with fish and chips (served on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday only), clam strip roll, baked ham dinner, liver and onions and a chicken finger plate. Sandwiches include pastrami, open face roast beef, BLT and grilled cheese. Hot dogs and hamburgers are on the menu, as are salads.

This summer the Sanfords will be running the diner as well as their ice cream shop and clam shack. And aren’t we all glad. Bill of fare

A breakfast for two at Star Diner might look like this:

Coffee … $1.50

Tea … $1.50

Linguica omelet … $7.50

Short stack of blueberry pancakes … $3.50

Side of bacon … $2.50

Total … $16.50

Tax … $1.32

Tip … $3.30

Total bill … $21.12

Bill of fare

A lunch for two at Star Diner might look like this:

Iced tea … $2.25

Soda … $2.00

Open-faced turkey sandwich … $6.99

Meatloaf dinner … $6.99

Total … $18.23

Tax … $1.46

Tip … $3.80

Total bill … $23.49

Star Diner, 140 Newport Ave., East Providence, (401) 434-8899, stardiner.wordpress.com. Cash only. Casual. Take-out or dine in. Parking lot. Wheelchair accessible, highchairs. Opens daily for breakfast at 7 a.m.; closes 1 p.m. Sunday; 2 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday; and 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Breakfast $2.95-$7.50; lunch and dinner $4.95-$7.59. No liquor license.