Edgemere Diner

You want velouté sauce with that?

by Margaret LeRoux

Edgemere Diner 51 Hartford Turnpike (Rte, 20) Shrewsbury (508) 752-7054 Hours Tues-Thurs. 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Fri. 6 a.m.-2 p.m. 5-8 p.m. Sat.-Sun: 7 a.m.-12:30 p.m. BYOB Fri. nights Cash only Handicap accessible

If I said, "diner," what food comes to mind? Meat loaf, hash browns, eggs over easy? How about spinach and chicken "cake" with a delicate mushroom cream sauce, or grilled chicken breast with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and velouté sauce? I'm not joking. Drop in at the Edgemere Diner on a Friday night and you'll find a menu with some trendy, upscale restaurant fare, though the prices are definitely diner-scale.

For the past two and half years, the 1940s-era Edgemere has been owned by chef Stefan Chios, formerly of the Struck Café. Chios grew up in restaurants owned by his father (most locally notable, the Brookfield House) and got his training at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). During the week he's usually behind the grill at the Edgemere, flipping burgers, and frying eggs. But on weekends, he showcases his culinary training with food that's fun and fanciful.

On Saturday and Sunday mornings, you can order gourmet omelets with fillings like brie, spinach, ham, and white asparagus. Or ricotta-cheese and rhubarb pancakes. One weekend blue plate special was two poached eggs on grilled focaccia topped with Marchand de vin, a ham, mushroom, scallion, and wine sauce. There are also fried eggs and hash browns on the weekend menu, but you can substitute grits for potatoes for an extra 50 cents.

A few months ago, Chios expanded his repertoire with dinner on Friday nights from 5 to 8 p.m. A friend and I stopped in early one recent Friday and were able to snag one of only two booths that weren't occupied. This was a friendly crowd; several people stopped to chat with Chios as he bustled between kitchen and counter. Meanwhile, a young waitress, one of the most charming we've encountered, ably handled the serving.

The Edgemere, an authentic Fodero dining car, has been parked for decades along Route 20 just over the Shrewsbury town line. The cozy diner has only eight booths and a counter that seats about a dozen. It's still the 1940s inside, both in color scheme (a burgundy-and-yellow tiled floor) and décor -- mahogany woodwork, overstuffed booths, and well-worn countertops. The diner was down on its luck when Chios bought it, and he's spent considerable effort cleaning the place up while retaining its authentic look and feel. We especially liked the wooden console radio at one end of the diner and the original Fodero wall clock.

The waitress brought us the menu of the evening featuring three specials: linguine and scallops ($9.95), grilled chicken ($7.95), and beef kabob ($8.95). Their no-nonsense names are a tribute to the diner's era, but the clever ingredients reflect Chios' culinary skills.

Linguine and scallops, my choice, more closely resembled a French cassoulet, with tender navy beans, thinly sliced lukcanico (a Greek sausage), fresh tomato, and garlic in addition to fresh sweet scallops. What an interesting combination -- the slightly spicy sausage and the mild scallops. The pieces of lukcanico didn't in any way overpower the scallops; they actually enhanced their flavor. And I liked the texture added by the beans. It was such a generous portion, I barely made a dent in it even sharing samples with my friend. Re-heated at home a couple of days later, it was just as good.

Likewise, my companion's selection, beef kabob, was not your typical skewer of meat, tomatoes, and peppers. Chios used a balsamic marinade for the meat and an unusual assortment of veggies: Brussels sprouts, roasted purple potatoes, onions, peppers, and plum tomatoes. The marinade gave them a deep dark color and added zip to their taste. Granted, not everyone would be wild about Brussels sprouts; fortunately my friend is.

The kebab was served with a generous portion of the house salad -- a mixture of greens, cucumber, tomato, and olives in a creamy Italian dressing livened with mustard. I'd ordered a side salad and received a smaller version for only $1.

I have to single out the dinner rolls for special praise. They're home-made; each one has an individually braided, crusty top and the insides are just chewy enough. Our waitress noted that most Friday-night regulars ask for replenishments.

Not everything on Friday night's menu is fancy. You can get fried haddock and chips or baked haddock and rice, both $5.95; a quarter-pound hot dog and fries ($3), or a hamburger and fries ($2.75).

Dessert the night we dined, pumpkin ginger torte, was one of the few not made on the premise, but it was outstanding. A buttery graham-cracker crust held a creamy pumpkin filling with a cheesecake-like texture with a whipped cream topping.

Our total bill including tax but not tip was just under $28.

With most of the booths filled with couples, Friday-night dinner at the Edgemere is not the diner experience you'd expect. (You can ratchet up the level of sophistication by bringing your own bottle; otherwise you're limited to soft drinks.) To see what it's like during the day, I returned later in the week for lunch.

The place was packed. During the day you order off the wall: meatloaf and mashed potatoes ($4.50) roast turkey dinner ($5.25), beef stew ($3.95/$5.25).

I had a pastrami-cheese roll-up ($4.50) with a generous amount of lean grilled pastrami, and a bowl of homemade cream-of-tomato soup ($2,50). No wimpy, pale orange broth was this; Chios's tomato soup is hearty and a little spicy. With another of the home-made rolls to dip in it, I was a happy luncher.

Whether it's down-to-earth daytime fare or creative cooking that you crave, the Edgemere Diner fills the bill.

Margaret LeRoux can be reached at feedmefeedback@hotmail.com.