Doing Dishes: Dining at the Diners - Mike's

short order

     noun

a dish or serving of food that is quickly 

prepared upon request at a lunch counter

Mike's Diner, at the intersection of Old East State and Carmen Road in Schenectady, is hands-down my favorite diner in the Capital Region. I'm small and ruthless. Mike's, on the other hand, is small in the coziest way possible. The staff are all friendly and attentive, kitchen service is quick, and the homemade food is really delicious, including fabulous baked goods that I can quickly dispatch.  (:

Cute building on the corner

Old fashioned in a wonderful sort of way

Breakfast is always a winner, especially after a night of fighting zombies.  I love the Florentine Super Omelette ($9.50), and the Buckwheat Pancakes with Blueberries ($8.95), though the Eggs Benedict ($9.25) is sort of like eggs in yellow gravy - skip that. Anyway there are lots of choices, including Belgian waffles (the "Dolly Parton" has two scoops of vanilla ice cream - should I laugh at that???), so you're sure to find something you like. Order off the lunch menu too, if you like, loaded with sandwiches, burgers, salads and wraps. Nothing fancy, but reliably good. 

Eggwich with fresh sliced tomatoes and a side of fruit

Peanut and Zena doing the diner

Last weekend Peanut enjoyed an Eggwich with Cheese ($3.50), asking for a tomato slice (no upcharge - nice!) - egg over easy, on a toasted English Muffin, Uhmerican cheese - all perfectly prepared. She asked for a bowl of fresh fruit - they had some choices though you could only order one kind (weird) - the cantaloupe was nice and ripe and sweet ($4.50) - a taste of summer. 

Like at so many of the other diners in the area, I ordered a Chicken Gyro ($9.50) - asking for extra tzatziki on the side (agin' no upcharge!) - lots of tender nicely marinated white meat chicken, lettuce and tomato, with just a hint of red onion in there (I would have liked more). I was told my fries would be coming - I think the oil wasn't quite hot, as I was probably the first of the day to order off the lunch menu - I appreciated that they waited until the temp was just right - these fries were hot, crispy and delicious. Not the best Gyro in the city, but I was content.

Great fries - you will have to fight the forces of evil trying to snitch off your plate

The gyro came first - it fell apart in my hands, but I have a way of doing that

Sometimes there's a line at the door (the smallish parking lot is a good indicator of how busy they are) but it's worth the wait. Once seated you will never feel rushed, and I like that.  Open 7 days a week, 700 a.m. to 300 p.m., FYI. 

Love, Zena Goddess of Fire

PS: Grab a Nut Horn on your way out the door. The cinnamon ones pack a lot of tasty in a little package.

short fire goddess

adjective

a short dish that is quickly 

dispatched to fight the forces of evil