By Michael Barbieri***On October 1st, 2020, Manhattan was given the green light to reopen restaurants for indoor dining, following the coronavirus pandemic shutdown of restaurants and live entertainment venues earlier in the year. Standing on the corner of 51st St and Broadway, Ellen’s Stardust Diner, a favorite with tourists and locals alike, finally welcomed diners back into their colorful world of Broadway-caliber belters, 50s era nostalgia and classic diner fare.
I had been to Ellen’s many times in the past, usually when I’d bring out-of-town friends to see the place and experience the energy and talent of this unique NYC eatery. On any given night, there would be a line of anxious tourists snaking down 51st Street, waiting to get in. The dining area itself would be packed with a boisterous crowd, snapping selfies with the singing staff, shooting videos on their cell phones and generally causing a commotion while chowing down on burgers, salads, hot-diggity-dogs and brownie mudslide sundaes. The place was always loud and crazy—servers belting Broadway show tunes and classic pop songs, playing Broadway Roulette with customers and triggering occasional showers of confetti from the confetti cannons mounted above the dining floor, making the crowd roar with appreciation! I’ve always had a great time at Ellen’s!
And so, wanting to support them on their Grand Reopening, I made a dinner reservation for October 1st and arrived accompanied by my friend Danny. Of course, things are very different in the age of Covid and I was very impressed by their new health and safety protocols. The restaurant could only seat 25% of their normal capacity, so for now there was no long line of hungry patrons along the street—entry was only possible via reservations on Yelp! A hand sanitizer station stood at the ready just inside the entrance, friendly masked hostess Julia checked all diners’ temperatures at her podium and there were plexiglas dividers between dining areas. For everyone’s safety, the famous singing servers, known as the Stardusters, wore masks and face shields, as did the bussing staff. Diners were only allowed in with masks, which they were free to remove whilst at their tables, but if anyone needed to leave their table—say for a trip to the rest room or to take pictures of the performers—the masks had to be donned once again.
Ellen’s iconic menu has changed a bit too. Pre-pandemic, the menu was several pages long, and included breakfast, lunch and dinner offerings. Now, there’s only one double-sided page and while the selections are fewer, there’s still quite a bit from which to choose: appetizers, burgers, Blue Plate Specials like the Mamma Mia Meatloaf, omelets, salads, pastas and more. And for the time being condiments, including ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise, are served in single-serve packets. Very smart! Having undergone weight loss surgery recently, I had to be very careful with what I ordered, and our server, Sonny, was extremely helpful. I was trying to decide between the Beyond Beef Burger and the Love Me Tenders. Sonny described the plant-based burger to me, right down to the texture, flavor and medium/medium rare doneness of the burger patty itself. Having eaten Beyond Beef many times at home, I decided on the faux burger, while Danny went with the chicken tenders. I’m happy to report that the food hasn’t suffered a bit since the lockdown; we both enjoyed our meals very much. We even ordered a couple of their yummy desserts to take with us; although I simply brought mine home for my husband.
The performing has changed a bit too, but not by much. The Stardusters wore masks and face shields, even while singing, which did muffle their sound a bit, but not enough to take away from their numbers. They still roamed the floor, but now stayed socially distanced from customers. Servers Amanda Brasher and Zach Carter gave us a fun “Suddenly Seymour,” from Little Shop of Horrors, and our own server, Sonny Black, performed a smooth, jazzy “What You Won’t Do For Love,” by Bobby Caldwell. On a subsequent visit, I also heard Dono Cunningham sing Kander and Ebb’s “Theme from New York, New York,” with the audience singing along, while Preston Hammond belted out a gospel-tinged “Proud,” by Heather Small. And while the room wasn’t packed with a roaring crowd, the diners that were there absolutely loved the amazing entertainment offered!
So…Ellen’s Stardust Diner is happily open again for indoor dining, with a side order of great singing! Their Artistic Director, Scott Barbarino, has done an awesome job of keeping the food and the live entertainment flowing, so whether you’re a New Yorker who’s tired of being cooped up these last few months, or a visitor who’s hungry to experience great Broadway and pop hits performed live, just strap on a mask and come on down for a safe, responsible, socially distanced visit to Ellen’s Stardust Diner!
Editor’s Note: Scott Barbarino is an entrepreneur who’s not only the Artistic Director of Ellen’s Stardust Diner, but is also the publisher of NiteLife Exchange, creator of Piano Bar Live! and a cabaret industry consultant, among other projects and services.
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