Ed's Diner - Chapelfield // Food Review
A special note has to go to the brilliant staff, who seem to be swept up with the American Dream as much as the diner itself.
THE GEN: 1950s America. You know, it was all bomber jackets, ankle socks, patent shoes and the tacit expectation of losing your virginity in the back of a Cadillac. It sprang into life in full technicolour, and embodied a rose-tinted vision of post-war ambition. The American Dream had a soundtrack – Chuck Berry, Elvis, The Crystals, but it also had an associated menu, and it’s the full compliment of the entire lifestyle that Ed’s Diner tried to imbue as it opened its first set of doors in London in 1987. A Happy Days, movie-montage, 26 years later and they’ve rolled out their latest restaurant at the top of Intu Chapelfield – or should we just say, the mall…
ATMOSPHERE: With the table light slung low, red leather booths embracing each dining party and a jukebox selector on each table, one escalator ride up to Chapelfield’s top level and you were transported into mid-20th century America. That’s some escalator. A few times I was reminded that I’d ascended a moving staircase, not snuck inside the Delorean, as I caught glimpses of the shopping centre below. I was so easily sucked in by the ambience that I was fully swept up into the idea that I was on a diner date with my sweetheart.
DRINKS: Chocolate Milkshake // Oreo Milkshake When Vincent Vega asks Mrs Mia Wallis if she’d just ordered a five dollar shake in Pulp Fiction, there’s not a single one of us alive who’ve seen the film that don’t wish we were tasting it. Imagine how special we felt sipping at a near-7 dollar shake at Ed’s! At over £4 a pop, the Ed’s Diner shakes are pricey, but they deserve a section to themselves, as their pillowy, creamy sweetness acts as a meal in its own right. Served in huge silver tankards, they helped compound that 50s feeling, and were a heady indulgence. I’ve got to go back to make my way through the menu – peanut butter next time.
THE MAIN EVENT: BIG BUBBA’S BACON ‘N CHEESE BURGER // DELUXE PULLED PORK DOG I’m tempted, as per the theme of the day, to call this course second base. And boy, we got straight to it. Both main meals could be tried solo, or as an Ed’s Plate, which piled on fries of your choice, onion rings and coleslaw. Purely for the purposes of reporting back to you, we went big – such selfless souls we are. With shiny bun and fresh ingredients, including UK beef, the burger was good. Not earth shattering, or life-affirming, but this was the 50s – people dared to dream, but still had some way to go. The fries disappointingly reminded me we were in Britain again; fat and pale, they would have been better sliced as American skinnies, as you’d usually expect. The pulled pork dawg was smoky, if a little on the mean on the pork side, but tasty nonetheless. With sweet potatoes being my choice for that one, they were a more exotic twist on the original potato staple.
PUD: BROWNIE POINTS The milkshakes could – and probably should, by the nature I waddled out in – have served as starter and pud, but we were persuaded by the convincing staff that the brownie just HAD to be attempted. It’s just what you’d want from that kind of desert. A no frills hot brownie, thick and gooey – the kind that makes your mouth go ‘clack.’ Served with Hershey’s chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream, it was the sweet morsel that tipped me over the gluttonous edge.
VALUE: Sure the shakes were pricey, but they really were the star of the show. I reckon if you’re a fresh-faced young thing, trying to impress a date enough for them to take your personal best sporting achievement to third base, or even a home run, just a shake and a burger – without the added Ed’s Plate accompaniments – would do the trick. Having said that, you can still get a full plate for under £10, so there’s something for all dining out budgets.
OVERALL: Sitting across from my sweetheart, playfully stealing gulps of each other's shakes, I really enjoyed being given an authentic diner experience. It’s not going to snatch at the heels of any Good Food Guides any time soon, but it’s not always what it’s about. Sometimes experience can fill your belly just as much. A special note has to go to the brilliant staff – *thanks for recommending the shakes, Annie – who seem to be swept up with the American Dream as much as the diner itself.
