City Cafe Diner, 06-25-04

(as published in The Southern Voice, www.sovo.com)

Nobody leaves hungry

City Cafe Diner
525 10th St. NW
Atlanta, GA
404-724-0407
Other locations downtown, College Park, Stone Mountain and Jonesboro

Extra large portions and earnest attempt at diner food make eatery long on enjoyment, short on pocketbook.

Diner food is like that old college sweatshirt still in the closet — warm and comfortable but not entirely pleasing to the eye.

City Café Diner, with its blue awning, customary smattering of neon and welcoming “Open 24 Hours” sign, gives a retreat from the rigors of fine dining while offering a menu vast enough to please every palate.

Entrée portions are mega-sized and the desserts are mammoth. With a menu containing everything from bacon and eggs to a fried seafood combo, even the most discerning — read “picky” — diners can find favorites.

As if the appreciation for a large menu is paramount — both in item count and actual size — City Café delivers on what it promises: “Nobody Leaves Hungry.” One menu item that immediately catches the eye is Disco Fries ($4.95). After an explanation from the server, I learn that Disco Fries are merely thick-cut french fries, covered in a blanket of brown gravy and a mixture of melted cheddar and mozzarella. It’s a common appetizer given a fantastic name, yet it’s nothing new.

But what does surprise me is the authenticity with which City Café produces its chicken wings ($6.95). Available in a variety of spiciness, the wings are offered with the unexpected option of being “Double Fried” — fried, dipped in sauce then fried again.

Glorious! Fry my wings twice, and you win my vote. Served with large slivers of celery and carrot, these may be some of the finest chicken wings around.

Entrée options range from the expected sirloin with sides ($17.95) and grilled salad ($9.95 with chicken, $10.95 steak/shrimp) to the entirely unexpected moussaka ($9.95) and stir fry dish ($12.95).

The Monte Cristo sandwich ($8.95) is served open faced with a side of black beans. Huge Texas-sized French toast topped with grilled turkey, ham and melted Swiss cheese arrives close to perfect. The toast is warm and crisp and supports the weight and flavors of the turkey, ham and Swiss excellently. The black beans are traditional staples over rice — nothing too fancy.

But this is diner food, and fancy should be saved for dessert. And fancy do I go.

Among the dessert cakes ($5.95) is Millionaire Cake, a mixture of whipped chocolate mousse and cheesecake, and a standard Pecan Pie. But I decide on an elegant, traditional Southern delight — Red Velvet Cake.

The mere size of the Red Velvet portion is intimidating, but I dive right in. Moist cake, topped with butter cream icing and sprinkled with the same red cake crumbs, meets my fork several times. But no matter how I try, this slice of red heaven gets the better of me.

The server asks, as if she is concerned I am one of the starving college students or stately senior citizens that frequent the place, if anything needs to be boxed up. Not wanting to appear gluttonous, I decline and work on finishing just a few more forkfuls of this sweet end to a simple meal.

Awash in neon, imitation flowers and housing a medium sized tank of live sea crabs, the City Café Diner is not fine dining. It’s simple dining and easy on the wallet. A nice early supper joint, the straightforward service and ample tastes offer a pleasing end to any day.