Miss Albany Diner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Miss Albany Diner
(formerly Lil's Diner) |
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Miss Albany Diner in April 2010
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | 893 Broadway, Albany, New York |
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| Built | 1941 |
| Architect | Paterson Vehicle Company (Paterson, New Jersey) |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| NRHP reference No. | 00001278 |
| Added to NRHP | November 6, 2000 |
The Miss Albany Diner is a famous old diner in Albany, New York. It was built way back in 1941. You can find it on Broadway, which is one of the oldest streets in Albany.
This diner was once called Lil's Diner. It became even more famous when it was used in the 1987 movie Ironweed. Big stars like Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep were in that movie! Because of its history and unique style, the diner was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in the year 2000.
History of the Miss Albany Diner
The spot where the diner stands has always been a place for food. In 1929, there was a small lunch cart there. It served hot meals to workers nearby. Later, a diner that was built in a factory (called "prefabricated") took its place.
The building you see today was put up in 1941. It was first named Lil's Diner. This diner is a "Silk City Diner" model. These diners were made by the Paterson Vehicle Company in Paterson, New Jersey. This company was one of the best diner builders at the time.
The building looks like an old railroad car. It also has cool design elements from the Art Deco style. This was a popular design style from the 1920s to the 1940s. Inside, the diner has cherry wood and shiny porcelain steel. The floor has a cool pattern of tiles. It's one of the few diners from before World War II that still looks almost exactly like it did when it was new. A famous artist named Ralph Goings even painted the inside of the diner in 1993. His painting is called Miss Albany Diner.
Over the years, the diner had a few different names. It was called Elaine's, the Firehouse Diner, and the Street Car Diner. Its current name, Miss Albany Diner, was also used by a chain of popular diners in Albany in the 1920s.
When the movie Ironweed was being made in 1986, the diner was chosen as a main filming spot. It was fixed up to look its best for the movie. That's when it got the name "Miss Albany Diner."
In 1988, after the movie was filmed, Cliff Brown and his wife Jane bought the diner. Cliff Brown was an insurance salesman who used to live in Albany. He decided to keep the name "Miss Albany Diner" that was used in the movie.
Thanks to Cliff Brown, the building was officially listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on November 6, 2000. This means it's a very important historic place! In 2002, it also won an award for its preservation from the Historic Albany Foundation.
By late 2009, Cliff Brown was 82 years old and wanted to retire. The diner was put up for sale. Even after Cliff Brown passed away, his wife Jane kept running it for a while.
In February 2012, Matthew Baumgartner bought the diner. He runs a company that owns other restaurants in Albany. He said the diner's building would stay, but it would not be a diner anymore. Jane Brown and her son kept the rights to the "Miss Albany Diner" name and its special recipes. The Miss Albany Diner served its very last meal as a diner on February 10, 2012.
Today, the old diner building is home to Tanpopo Ramen and Sake Bar.
Special Dishes at the Diner
When it was open, the Miss Albany Diner was a popular spot for breakfast, lunch, and coffee. You could only pay with cash there! It was open from Tuesday to Sunday until 2:15 pm. You could eat inside or get your food to go.
The diner was famous for its special dishes. These were created by Bill Brown, the owners' son, who was a chef there for many years. Some of their unique dishes included:
- Georgian Eggs: Eggs cooked any way you like, served over sweet potatoes and scallions, with a tasty peanut sauce on top.
- Mad Eggs: A toasted English muffin with eggs, scallions, and a yummy curry sauce.
- Calamity Jane: An omelette filled with tomatoes, onions, peppers, swiss cheese, sausage, and a dash of Tabasco sauce for a little kick.
- Mad Irish Toast: Two thick slices of French toast made from challah bread. It was filled with pecans and cream cheese, and covered in a sauce made with Irish whiskey and butterscotch.
The Mad Irish Toast was so good that the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper named it one of the "Best Bites of 2002"!
Images for kids
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Miss Albany Diner in April 2010
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Tanpopo Ramen and Sake Bar in 2021
