Americana Diner, East Windsor

Ahh, the diner. A New Jersey staple... breakfast anytime, open late (if not 24 hours), greasy food... what's not to like? Anything you want to eat, just name it and the diner is sure to provide! That being said, the Americana Diner is a bit different.... sure they have a huge menu, they stay open late, and you can get any deep fried delicacy you fancy, but they also have a few things not found in the typical Jersey diner. First off the place is huge... I mean really, really, truly big. They also serve liquor (woo-hoo!), whereas most diners are where you end up AFTER a few libations. Lastly, they fancy themselves to be a bit more upscale in both their atmosphere and their menu.

Matt and I recently ventured to the Americana for breakfast (we've also lunched there, though... try the tuna!). I went for one of their more... well.. 'fancy' entrees, while Matt stuck to a basic egg breakfast. Upon further discussion we also decided to throw in an order of their turkey hash, as neither of us had ever heard of such a dish and we are both huge fans of hash in general. (No Mom, not THAT kind of hash... the food kind).

Our food came out quickly, as food should in a diner (if it ain't fast, it ain't a diner, no matter what it says on the sign). I had ordered the Athenian Feta Crepes and they looked colorful and beautiful! The oh so thin (and oh so tasty) crepe was filled with a really well seasoned mixture of feta, spinach and tomato. There was definitely some garlic used, and I believe a little lemon too, and it all worked VERY nicely. On the side there were some nicely grilled zucchini slices (unnecessary, except, I guess to make the Crepes look less lonely... and yes I ate them anyway) and a cabbage leaf cup of tzatziki sauce for dipping. This, my friends, was SUCH A GOOD IDEA! The creaminess and mildness of the sauce really accentuated the tastes of the Crepe filling well.
Matt got eggs (scrambled) and a side of Taylor ham. Nothing fancy. The eggs were fine. Cooked just to his liking. The ham was nice and brown around the edges, and the hash browns were also enjoyed. His toast was toasty. Let's face it. His breakfast was boring... delicious, but boring. Here's a picture anyway.On to the turkey hash. People, this dish might sound like a good idea. You may say 'Hey! I like corned beef hash, but its so heavy, and it's not how I'd like to start my day. Turkey seems like a great idea for a substitute! What could be bad?' A lot. A lot could be bad. Thank goodness I'm here to warn you. This was the driest, blandest side dish I have ever had. The turkey (which seemed to be from a carved turkey... think Thanksgiving not lunchables) would have been delicious, except they sliced it thin and then cut it into pieces and threw it into the skillet. Turkey is a dry meat to start with so to have large portions pre cut into small pieces, sit out, and then heated through took ALL of the moisture out of it. It actually made me make that noise that dogs make when they eat peanut butter. It turned into a thick paste in my mouth, and there were too few onions and peppers to bring it back. The flavor was boring (it actually just tasted like over cooked turkey and cardboard) and the texture made me sad. There. Enough hash bashing. Try it at your own risk.Overall the food was fine. The atmosphere was lovely. Our waitress was pleasant. The orange juice is expensive ($4.50 for a glass of O.J.? BAH!) Everything else, hunky dory. It was just a poor side dish choice by us (and them, I guess... ick). That's what we get for trying to be KIND OF healthy. See? Stick to greasy meaty corned beef hash. Can't fail.

Americana Diner
http://www.americanadiner.com/
359 Route 130 North
East Windsor, NJ 08520
609 448 4477