UPDATE: Since the long-awaited opening of Ellen’s Stardust Diner—home to the world-famous singing waitstaff, The Stardusters—on November 16, NiteLife Exchange writer and reviewer, Michael Barbieri adds new details and updates us on the successes of the past month:
Several weeks after completing this article, I returned to Ellen’s Stardust Diner to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Once again, as things had been before the city’s lockdown, there was a line of people waiting to get in—a welcome sight! Our group, which included a young woman who was visiting New York for the first time, was seated at one of the larger tables.
Our server, Brian, was sweet, cute and incredibly accommodating. He was also tremendously talented! Not only did he perform “The Lonely Goatherd” from The Sound of Music entirely in falsetto, but he followed that up with the song “Belle” from Beauty and the Beast… voicing every single character! He also noticed a young lady in the audience recording him on her phone, so he casually “borrowed” her phone, flipped the picture and sang several verses right into the camera! It was a true show stopping moment!
Another server, Patrick, had the audience in stitches as he sang Barry Manilow’s “Mandy” to a woman in the crowd. Things got even sillier and crazier as Patrick dragged her date away from the table, in his chair, so he could sing directly to her! Then, as he continued to sing “Oh, Mandy, well you came and you gave without taking,” he began pelting her with the straws he carried in his apron. Finally, in one grand moment, nearly the entire group of Stardusters joined forces and performed 
“One Day More,” from Les Miserables, surrounding the audience, immersing them in the show! The number ended with servers running through the aisles waving a French flag and a Rainbow flag, culminating in a blast of confetti from the confetti cannons! Just amazing! And yes, only in New York!!
New York is BACK!! NYC has slowly but surely come back to life! Tourists are returning, Broadway shows have begun regular performances again – albeit with Covid precautions, and one of the city’s big tourist attractions has finally reopened… Ellen’s Stardust Diner is back!!
Ellen’s Stardust Diner is a retro 50s style diner featuring amazingly talented, Broadway caliber singing servers known as the Stardusters. Ellen’s attempted a reopening on Halloween of 2020, but unfortunately, there was a second wave of Covid cases, so the city pulled the plug on indoor dining and the diner had to close once again. Now, thankfully, with the advent of the Covid vaccine and subsequent safety protocols, restaurants have returned as well. On Sunday, November 14th, Ellen’s hosted a VIP reopening and I was invited!
Everyone needed to show proof of vaccination in order to attend, but that was no problem for anyone that night, so the place was packed. The Stardusters, whom are terrific to begin with, were in exceptional form! As soon as I sat down, Jadelyn, a lovely young lady, favored us with “I Could’ve Danced All Night,” which ended with a stunning coloratura high note! My own handsome, talented server, James, soon followed with his crystal clear rendition of “Out There
,” from Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Morgan gave us Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ‘bout a Thing,’ Liz belted out “Tomorrow,” from Annie, Ann showed off her pipes with “I Love You, I Do,” from the film of Dreamgirls, and Paul demonstrated his strong falsetto range with the Temptations’ “My Girl!”
During a break in the fabulous entertainment, Ellen Hart Sturm, the owner of this iconic diner, spoke to the crowd, welcoming us and thanking us for our loyalty and patronage—a nicely heartfelt speech. Scott Barbarino, the Artistic Director of Ellen’s, then sang one of his best-known retro hits, Dean Martin’s “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head?” In a particularly sweet moment, Scott sang the line ‘I hugged her and she hugged back,’ at which point, he gave Ellen a little hug… and of course, she hugged him back.
The singing continued. We sang along with a fun Abba medley, we heard Barry Manilow’s “Mandy,” Billy Joel’s “Movin’ Out” and “Part of Your World,” from The Little Mermaid. The Stardusters were everywhere that night. Josh (aka Chachi) perched himself up in the balcony and gave us Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing,” and James returned with “Music of the Night,” from The Phantom of the Opera. For this number, he began on the lower dining level and finished by serenading us from above! Liz, Morgan and Ann joined forces to deliver a stunning version of Heart’s hit, “Alone,” which featured incredible high notes and tight harmonies and Liz and Paul duetted on Lady Gaga’s Oscar winning “Shallow.” Fairly late in the evening, James got up to sing once more and performed a gorgeous “Bring Him Home,” from Les Miserables. Here, he went from an amazing tenor belt to a beautiful falsetto at the end.
Now, Ellen’s is known internationally for their singing servers, but I was there to review the food as well. I tried a variety of offerings from various sections of the menu, so as to give readers a little idea of what to expect.
I started with the Mozzarella Triangles—bites of the mild cheese, coated in seasoned bread crumbs, deep fried and served with a marinara dipping sauce. The cheese triangles themselves were crispy and tasty, but unfortunately, the marinara needed a touch of salt and a hit of oregano to give it a little “oomph.” I moved on to the Spinach Salad—delicious, fresh spinach tossed with biting red onion, sweet 
dried cranberries and earthy, crunchy toasted walnuts, dressed in a beautifully acidic sherry vinaigrette and topped with dollops of fried goat cheese. When I got a bit of every ingredient in one forkful, it made for a perfect bite! From the Blue Plates section, I sampled the Shrimp Scampi—sautéed shrimp in a garlic and white wine sauce, served over spaghetti. The shrimp were nicely cooked and the pasta was done to a perfect al dente consistency. This garlicky dish also had a touch of spice to add just the right amount of heat. Excellent!
I wanted to try one of Ellen’s Classic Sandwiches, so I ordered the Beyond Burrito. Made with crumbled and seasoned Beyond Meat (the meatless beef substitute), shredded cheese, rice and beans, all wrapped in a flour tortilla and served with a mild salsa, this was one of my favorite selections of the evening! There was a nice smokiness to the Beyond Meat and the sandwich itself had the texture that one expects from a proper burrito, making it a good vegetarian alternative. The next selection was quite possibly the best dish I sampled all night—the Short Rib Grilled Cheese Sandwich. This was Ellen’s classic grilled cheese with a nice helping of braised short rib of beef and a bit of peppery arugula tucked inside. Wow! The short rib was unbelievably tender and flavorful and there was a tanginess to the sandwich that made it irresistible and very, very craveable! I’ll definitely be ordering that again!
Being a diner, Ellen’s is also known for its burgers, of course. I decided to try the Walter Cronkite Burger, made with Kobe beef and served with lettuce, tomato and pickles. The burger arrived looking a little dry and overdone, but the appearance was deceiving. From the first bite, it was melt-in-your-mouth tender, juicy and beefy. It tasted the way I remember great burgers tasting when I was a kid. Finally, I just had to try dessert, so I ordered their Carrot Cake. Lightly spiced and layered with a malted cream cheese icing, the cake was good – not great, not really a standout, but still a good, reliable way to end the meal.
A few days after the party, I found myself walking down Broadway with a friend and we passed the diner. As it had been pre-pandemic, there was a line of tourists stretching down the sidewalk, waiting eagerly to get into Ellen’s. And seeing a crowd of happy people inside the restaurant did my heart good! If you’ve never been to Ellen’s, go! Go for the singers! Go for the food! Go because it’s truly an only-in-New-York experience! Yes, Ellen’s Stardust Diner is definitely back and I know I’ll be back again soon!
Here’s the original article on the opening:
The curtain rises again today, Tuesday, November 16, at Ellen’s Stardust Diner—home to the world-famous singing waitstaff, The Stardusters—after a long pandemic layoff. The show finally goes on in the heart of the theater district, for prime food, drinks and live performance. Ellen’s is considered a launching pad for entertainers, as former staff members have been known to star in almost every Broadway and off-Broadway musical, including Jersey Boys, the Lion King, Wicked and Godspell.
Ellen’s Stardust Diner has been a staple in the Broadway community for over 35 years. The three-story 1950s themed restaurant brings in fans from all over the world. Its retro and nostalgic memorabilia include the “Miss Subways” gallery, leather seats, and walls filled with pictures of celebrities from that era.
Stardust is named for Ellen Hart Sturm, a New Yorker who was crowned Miss Subways in 1959, and who previously ran Ellen’s Cafe with her husband Irving Sturm. Their success led them to open Ellen’s Stardust Diner as the first 1950s themed restaurant in the Big Apple.
“I am thrilled that we can finally reopen,” said Ellen. “There is no place like home!”
The Iridium Jazz Club, the sister property to Stardust, located in the cellar level under the diner, is also poised to open in the coming weeks. The Iridium was home to Les Paul every Monday night, beginning in 1996, up until his passing in 2009. Paul McCartney, Billy Gibbons, Slash, Lou Pallo and many more music icons have played on The Iridium’s stage.
Ellen’s Stardust Diner and The Iridium will employ more than 200 people including singing waitstaff, bussers, dishwashers, chefs and more. Both locations temporarily closed their doors due to complications from the pandemic and will now operate under new management by Lessing’s Hospitality Group. Lessing’s is responsible for oversight and day-to-day operations of the property.
“Ellen’s Stardust Diner is the most iconic restaurant in New York City,” says Michael Lessing, President of Lessing’s Hospitality Group. “To be able to raise the curtain on this legend is like living a dream.”
Ellens Stardust Diner and The Iridium are located at 1650 Broadway (at 51st St.), New York, NY 10019 ellensstardustdiner.com
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