Micronesia is an archipelago of tiny islands. Microtel is a hotel full of bargain-size rooms. And Micro Diner is a tiny place to get lunch, dinner or breakfast during many hours on Mount Washington.
Although it shares altitude with Grandview Avenue’s splendid restaurant row, Micro Diner is located on much more down-to-earth Shiloh Street among the banks, dry cleaners and bars that cater to the neighborhood’s residents. It’s bright and cheerful, with yolk-yellow walls and, true to its proclamation as a diner, a counter facing the grills and griddles at the establishment’s heart. A few tables provide the rest of the seating.
But the size of the space is the only diminutive thing about Micro Diner — except, significantly, for the prices: Nothing is over $10. True to diner tradition, portions are ample and the menu covers all the classic diner categories: eggs, pancakes, French toast, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, burgers, soups, salads and entrees from old-school standards like liver and onions to contemporary standbys like grilled tilapia.
Our kids love to eat breakfast for dinner and split an order of French toast. Six triangles of toasted, egg-dipped white bread — which the French themselves call pain perdu, or lost bread — looked promising, pale areas mingling with toasty brown ones. But what was really lost was crispness, even at the edges of the crusts.
Moving from sweet to savory, we ordered an appetizer of fried zucchini. Thick matchsticks of zucchini — apparently fresh, not frozen, judging by their intact dark green skins — made a more substantial presentation than the more usual slices or wedges. Unfortunately, the coating, which was flecked with herbs and bread crumbs, was a bit too heavy in both texture and taste for the tender squash. A marinara dipping sauce was oddly pale and chunky, more like a mild salsa than anything you’d find with pasta.
The same breading, and consequent issues, recurred on a fried chicken-breast sandwich. Actually, the issue with the sandwich was more fundamental. The full-size breast of a whole chicken — two halves — not only dwarfed its rather large sesame-seed bun, but it was also far too thick at one end to cook through before the thin end had become overdone. In the best bites we could taste what could have been: moist white meat seasoned by the crisp coating, herbs stepping forth to add flavor. But forget biting through cleanly with your teeth; the overcooked tips exceeded even the abilities of a fork and knife.
Truthfully, everything that came out of the fryer was overdone. The fries were dark brown, and while quite a few of them had that great, caramelized potato flavor with crunchy and fluffy parts, most simply tasted like overcooked potatoes, requiring plenty of ketchup — or gravy — to tone down the effect.
Ah, the gravy. When Jason received mashed potatoes topped with homemade chicken gravy, he was nearly ready to forgive all previous transgressions. Flecked with shreds of chicken, the thick, but not pasty, gravy didn’t just surpass typical diner fare; it would credit a roast chicken at any but the finest of restaurants. It was savory and flavorful, upgrading the slightly lumpy mashed potatoes and salvaging the deep brown fries, all without drawing too much attention to itself or wearying the palate.
Which made the chicken pot pie all the more disappointing. Inexplicably, the sauce in the pie wasn’t that same gravy — at least, not recognizably — but blander, with a hard-to-explain, less-than-smooth texture. There were plenty of vegetables, something of a treat at a diner, where non-potato plant matter is usually scarce. But the blend of carrots, broccoli and lots of corn was peculiar, and the proportions suggested leftovers rather than careful selection. The crust was flaky enough and crisp at the edges, but inadequate to promote this flawed pie to favor.
Angelique eats burgers only a few times a year, and Micro Diner’s “Spicy Bleu and Bacon” burger enticed her to make this one of those times. She’s a fool for spicy, tangy buffalo sauce, and the promise of that, mingled with bleu cheese and bacon, was what reeled her in. So it was perplexing when, at first, her burger was delivered with American cheese and a half-hearted offer to take that off, if she wanted. Yes, please. When the burger was returned, the processed cheese had been scraped away, but also missing was any detectable buffalo sauce. Still, the beef patty was better than we’d expect at most restaurants that don’t specialize in burgers, and the bleu cheese dressing was good and chunky.
At Micro Diner, we found glimmers of greatness among preparations that, with a little more care, could secure this restaurant’s reputation as tiny, but mighty.
This article appears in Dec 11-17, 2013.
My name is Heather Nally, I am the owner of the Micro Diner. I would like to apologize for the lack of effort on my cooks part to not over cook and get the order correct. What is really sad is that is the first not so good article on us! That cook is no longer here! We will not stand for someone not caring or taking pride in there profession! We will take what we think needs changed and change it! Here at Micro Diner we always strive to take care of our customers! We have changed the crust to our pot pies and added a top crust to them! I will promise you this has much more flavor! No, we do not make portions bigger with left overs! All of our entrees are hardy and the plate is full! That is what you expect from diners! You will not leave hungry. We do remember the customers who came in from this article. They did take what they did not eat home. So it must have not been bad enough to throw away. Also our zucchini fries are not homemade and not the same breading as the breaded chicken breast which are breaded in house. Again Thank you for sharing your experience! It is with these kinds of comments that makes us even better! Because we already do care! From our experience thus far, we already are tiny, mighty and blessed!! Please give us a try yourself!
Heather you say that cook is no longer there and that just is not true! and you mention the food must not have been “bad enough to throw away” is crazy to say,, when we go out to eat we trust that we will get quality food and service and that just was not the case here. I believe that all your previous reviews were staged and that you knew you were being critiqued so you were on your best behavior and this time you got caught doing what you always do. your comment just screams at me that you do not take criticism well. Well my dear you better develop a knack for it!
Absolutely you should expect good food and service! That is why he is gone! Come in Saturday and see if he is there! He worked 5 hrs a week! You just so happened to be in on a Saturday he worked. He is gone because I have warned him before about over cooking food! My other two cooks would never put a product out like that. Very unfair for you to say that we stage reviews. Did we stage munch from the post gazette or channel 2 news story on us? Don’t think so! We were not aware of you critiquing us! We were not aware of this article until the photographer called to take pictures, which was after the visit! My server recalled the visit because of the mistakes! She also recalled the kids tearing up sugar packets all over the floor! No big deal kids will be kids but for you to say we were aware is a bold lie! Don’t you think I would have been there if I was aware? Actually we did take the criticism to take action on what needed changed! Not sure why you are being nasty about my comment? We are sorry for your experience!
WOW! You really can not stand criticism! Then you stoop so low as to complain about sugar packets on the floor from the children, well my dear if there was not a gust of cold air that blew in when the door would open perhaps the packets would have not blown to the floor. You got caught (finally) giving poor food and service and you can not handle it. Oddly enough if you read the article it is not written from a negative place, but these comments have greatly impacted my opinion of the micro diner and not in a favorable way.
Thank you!! You have already had your chance to not like us on urban Spoon with your lie comments! (umtomiguess) Labriola Sausage comes in from Strip Distric fresh! I was talking to you about my comments not the guest!(umtomiguess) Now if you feel the need to keep on with your hate! I will not play into your hand. You didn’t like us a year ago and still feel some type of way? WOW!!!! Must be personal! Funny thing is I didn’t say it was bad! Not so good and thanked them for the help to make changes! We are not nasty like some!
No wonder people sign their reviews anonymous! Every and all businesses have good and bad days so you were reviewed on a not so good day. It happens. move on and know that tomorrow is another day. Instead of doing anykind of damage control you are alienating a lot of folks with your arrogant rants! I live on mount washington and i have eaten at your place as well as the other eateries and i have had good experiences and i have had bad experiences. You have gone from blaming the cook to the critique to the kids for sugar wrappers but nowhere in this did you accept responsibility for not having the confidence in your employees to do the job properly when you are not there. Owning a business is 24/7 and it requires all of your attention to succeed and somewhere you need to learn to be humble. Enough said on this subject..Good Luck to you
Your right! I fell short out of emotions! My apologies! My first comment was intended for us to take responsibility! It just amazes me how someone can say lies and hurtful things and claim it’s contructive criticisms! I can handle the truth! I believe everything they experienced. It is a 27/7 job! Maybe that’s why it gets taken to heart with nasty comments! I will practice more humility and thank you for your honesty anonymous comment!