Table Talk: Dilly Diner opens Tuesday morning in Blue Dome District
http://www.tulsaworld.com/blogs/scene/restaurants/table-talk-dilly-diner-opens-tuesday-morning-in-blue-dome/article_9780140c-10a1-5e55-bd70-e0a1f59f7335.htmlDilly Diner, a new concept transitioned from the former Dilly Deli, opens Tuesday morning at 402 E. Second St. in the Blue Dome District.
“Breakfast is going to be available all day, and virtually everything is going to be prepared in-house,” said Trevor Tack, corporate executive chef for the McNellie’s Group, which owns Dilly Diner.
“It will be a locally sourced, progressive menu.
“We are going to bake all of our breads, pastries, pies and cakes. We’ll smoke our meats and make our fries and chips. We also have slightly reworked some of the most popular items from Dilly Deli.”
Among the dinner entrees will be a grilled ribeye steak and a pork chop with Chinese-style barbecue sauce and cilantro slaw.
“The pork chop is one of my favorite new items, and we are doing a really good hamburger,” Tack said.
Other highlights will be gourmet doughnuts and house-made soft-serve ice cream.
“The Dilly Deli has been a great business for us, but we think downtown is evolving, and as such that concept needs to mature a little with the neighborhood,” owner Elliot Nelson said when he announced the changeover in April.
Dilly Deli has been serving breakfast items, salads, soups and gourmet sandwiches featuring locally made breads, locally roasted coffee and all-natural meats since it opened in March 2009.
“However, we think there’s a need for a more complete weekday breakfast offering with the new residential sites and offices being built in the area,” Nelson said.
“In the same vein, we think a diner-style dinner will do well, too.
“And, we think a late-night food option, especially Friday and Saturday, will be a nice service to provide the hundreds of service industry employees who are ending their shifts downtown and need a good place to have a sit-down meal.”
Jill Vandaveer is manager of Dilly Diner and the neighboring Dust Bowl Lounge & Lanes.
Dilly Deli and the Dust Bowl are part of the McNellie’s Group of restaurants that also includes McNellie’s Pub, McNellie’s South City, Yokozuna, El Guapo’s Cantina, Fassler Hall and The Tavern.
“This has become such a prime part of downtown, and with Dilly Deli it went dark at 4 p.m.,” Tack said. “Dilly Diner will give us a late-night presence, as well as breakfast and brunch.”
Hours will be 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Lunch begins at 11 a.m. each day and dinner at 5 p.m.