For Butter or Worse: The New Paoli Diner

The New Paoli Diner opened Friday in the same location as the old Dany's Paoli Diner.  Before Dany's it was home to The Paoli Diner.  The restaurant does have a new sign out front, and a new owner who told Patch they also have a new chef and a new menu.

The restaurant was closed for most of last week in preparation of the opening of the New Paoli Diner on Friday.  The new owner encouraged TE Patch's Editor to come back on Friday to check out what was new. Here's what we found:

*A hand written paper sign on the front door advertised a free glass of wine with an entree from 6-10 p.m.

*Once inside, fully sporting a Patch baseball cap, Patch polo shirt and a big tag around the neck that says "Patch" on one side and "Press" on the other  (In other words I did not go as an undercover reviewer.  I am not a food critic, I am a reporter).  I was seated at a booth by the owner who, despite an interview with me one week earlier, showed no sign of recognizing me as anything but a first-time customer.

*After a six-minute wait for any greeting from a waiter a man who did not introduce himself or even say 'hi', made his first contact with me with a simple "do you know what you want?"

* I ordered the baked lasagna and a glass of water.  The baked lasagna entree comes with the salad bar (that's also new at the New Paoli Diner) so I was invited to help myself to the salad bar while the entree was being prepared.

*The salad bar featured many empty or nearly empty bowls of basic vegetables and also some cold salads (potato and pasta).  The full size brightly colored plastic dinner plates which are used for the salad bar were stacked up on top of the sneeze guard.  Croutons and (slice your own) bread were placed to the left of the salad bar, along with the butter packets.  See pictures for a better description.

*There was plenty of time to eat the salad. It was 30 minutes from the time I ordered and the time the heaping plate of lasagna arrived.  During that time I was able to take photos of not only the salad bar, but the bus boy who came and chatted in the aisle with the people across the aisle from me.  He was actually the most communicative staff member I saw all evening.  He also came complete with with his cart loaded with dirty dishes and discarded food.  It appeared from what he told the customers sitting around me that he had worked at the restaurant in its previous incarnation.

*As I opened the butter to put on the bread (I had just sliced with my own hands, like every other customer) it appeared to also have been in the diner under the previous owner. I'll let the photos of the butter speak for themselves.  What you may not be able to see in the photo is that it was frozen on the side that had been face down in the holding tray at the salad bar. That is what I observed in three packets that I opened.

*When the entree did arrive, I asked my server if I could order the complimentary glass of wine advertised on the front door.  I was told they only had Zinfandel.  I said that would be fine (hey it's free).

*Ten minutes later my wine was delivered without comment by a waiter who, in all fairness, had said "sorry for the wait" when he brought the entree to my table. What struck me about the way the wine was delivered was the way the glass was held by the waiter. He used the 'claw-around-the-top-edge' grip.  Upon seeing this, the man with a wife and two children across the aisle caught my eye, shook his head and wondered allowed: "This place must be jinxed."

*While waiting for the check, I took a trip to the restroom, passing the dessert case. See photos below. 

*The check had not arrived when I returned from the restroom.  After about five minutes the owner/hostess was making her rounds and greeting diners.  She asked if I need anything and I said I needed my check and a box.  The lasagna portion was huge and I had a lot of leftovers.

*When the waiter brought my check I learned his name because it was on the check. (Really- does it matter?) The check had "Dany's Diner" printed in big letters across the top. 

*The total came to just under $11, which I paid.  (For only the second time in my adult life that I can recall I did not leave a tip).

*After waiting another few minutes for a box I decided to abandoned the leftovers and made my way to the cash register.  When the owner/hostess/cashier asked how my dinner was I said "frankly, not great." She asked what could have been better.  I said for starters I had been hoping for a box for the leftovers.  She explained that she had been busy checking out other customers and offered to get me the box.  After I told her it was not that important she insisted and brought a box... and my plate of lasagna... to me right there at the cash register station. That allowed me to scrape the lasagna off the plate and into the box right there.  With no place to rest the plate, I walked it back to the table, turned, walked back down the aisle (which needed sweeping) before walking over the black industrial mat (that needed vacuuming) and out through the fingerprint-smeared front door. 

In all fairness, it was opening night. But the owner had invited me to come check it out on opening night.  

Have you tried The New Paoli Diner yet?  

Tell us what you think in the comments section at the bottom of this article.