Lunch Report: 410 Diner on Broadway...

Finally! We can mark this one off the list. It has almost become a joke that every time we head out to look for a place to try, I always suggest the 410 Diner, and we end up with either some excuse for not going or we come up with someplace more worthwhile before we get from our side of town to Broadway. Admittedly, one of the issues is the coupon they have in the Entertainment Book. It is only good for after 5, and we are usually just looking for lunch.
But this time, in spite of going down a list of several other places, we made it to the parking lot of the 410 Diner without diverting elsewhere.

The first thing that shocked me when I walked in was that our host asked us if we wanted smoking or non-smoking. I haven't been asked that in a while that I can recall. Then when we requested non-smoking, we were led to a smaller enclosed dining area. For a moment, I thought we had been misunderstood, but sure enough, there were no ashtrays or smokers. But come to think of it, it may have all been a big joke, because I did not see a single smoker, or smell a single cigarette our entire visit. Who knows?
The second thing that shocked me was the bathroom. Just kidding. That was actually outside the window on an adjacent property.
I like the place. Very Arthur Fonzarelli in style, with a little more upscale feel than Lulu's on Main. Lots to look around at, old posters and those newer signs that have little neon highlights. The booths have very tall seat backs so you aren't looking at the head of the guy in the booth in front of you.
While they have an interesting menu, our waitress plopped down a dry eraser board with all the current specials and the huge selection of vegetables. I suspect this place would be very well liked by any of our vegan readers. We had a nice lady with an accent that seemed British, but would occasionally drift into some sort of Slavic sound. Who knows, maybe she is an actress working on a part. Either way, she was very matter of fact, quick and efficient.
My son was with us, and he decided on a Pepper Chicken which was chicken breast, some bell pepper, covered with cheese and Parmesan. For sides, he got broccoli and cabbage. For a minute, I wondered who had abducted our son, but when he only picked at the cabbage, I knew it was him.
My wife went with the Chicken Fried Steak, a solid choice though she was concerned about it having too much gravy. Too much gravy? The Hell you say! She also had mashed potatoes with gravy and some cooked carrots. She really enjoyed the CFS but she felt like the carrots were a bit bland. I tossed a bunch of salt on them and they taste fine to me.
I opted for a seafood platter, substituting oysters for additional shrimp. Yum! I know this is going to sound bold, but the shrimp alone was worth the price of the entire seafood platter. They were simply awesome. The fish did not look as appealing, but actually tasted just fine along with the creamy tarter sauce. The Seafood Platter comes standard with Cloe slaw and curly fries. In hindsight, I could have swapped out the fries for some green beans. I bet they would have been yummy. But look at the size of that curly fry!
To go along with our huge lunch, they brought us out a plate full of cornbread. I don't think it was just out of the oven fresh, but it was good, especially slathered with real butter. I can actually feel myself getting fatter just thinking about it.
In the end, we were all pretty stuffed and pleased with lunch. I think I would have enjoyed sitting in the front of the place, just to enjoy a little more of the atmosphere, but I guess you have to be a smoker to earn that privilege. Even as we left and stopped to chat with some folks up front, I still never did smell a hint of cigarette smoke. Maybe they have a really good ventilation system, or maybe people just don't smoke when the eat anymore.

I am guessing the 410 Diner puts on an awesome breakfast, so we are going to have to add them right back onto the list so I can go in and try out the biscuits and some of the nutritious bacon I'm sure they serve. Have you been; do you know what the deal is with the lack of smokers in the smoking area? Your comments would help us figure it out!