The atmosphere of a small town, where neighbors have known each other for generations and everyone greets you with a smile, is one of the many charming traits of upstate New York, and no eatery fosters that small-town feel more than a local diner. Supplying locals and tourists alike with affordable comfort food in a homey environment keeps the diner business booming in the Catskills.
“For me, that diner and that counter space specifically, I feel like people end up forming bonds who would have never talked otherwise,” Courtney Malsatzki, director of operations at the Phoenicia Diner, said.
Originating from the idea of a Rhode Island entrepreneur’s sandwich and coffee shop, run out of a converted horse-drawn wagon in the 1870s, diners have deep roots in the Northeast. The concept of a small, portable restaurant to sell cheap food to working men expanded to the rest of the country during the Great Depression and evolved into the diner culture prevalent across the U.S. today.
Serving quality, affordable food is still a priority of Sundaes Restaurant and Tasty Freeze in Grand Gorge. The diner dates back to the 1960s and has maintained its vintage diner aesthetic, with its checkered tile and chrome accents.
Current owner Andy Mumbulo, who took over the restaurant in 2020, takes pride in serving homemade comfort foods like hot sandwiches, soups and pies. The real star, however, is a diner classic.
“We have the best burgers in the Catskills,” Mumbulo said.
With its extensive menu options, the diner has become a popular social hangout. Summer evenings have the large covered patio filled with customers enjoying their many ice cream options, with 18 hard ice cream flavors and 36 soft serve flavors. In the winter, patrons move indoors to the booths and tables to enjoy homemade soup and seasonal dinners.
While locals fill the booths of Sundaes, local flavors occupy the Phoenicia Diner in Phoenicia. The diner highlights the flavors of the Catskills by sourcing ingredients from local artisans, crafting unique tastes exclusive to the region.
The diner was founded in 1962 in Long Island and moved to the Catskills in the 80s, Malsatzki said. She explained that most vintage diners, like the Phoenicia Diner, are prefabricated and driven to their location.
The diner was sold to current owner Mike Cioffi in 2012, a Brooklynite who spends most weekends at his summer home in Margaretville.
Diners are usually known for having a consistent menu from diner to diner — burger, milkshake and fries anyone? — but Phoenicia Diner is not your usual diner. The menu not only features diner classics with a modern and local twist — like their bagels topped with locally-sourced trout — but the menu changes with the season to provide customers with the freshest local products year round.
One diner patron who was getting breakfast with her family, said she usually enjoys the predictability of diners, but liked that Phoenicia offered more unique options.
“To me, when I think about a diner I think about the patty melt and the bacon and eggs, so it was interesting to find out that they had so many unusual options,” Sandy Plain from Oklahoma said.
Plain came to the diner while visiting family, but had to return the next day to try their famous buttermilk pancakes. The plate of five fluffy pancakes is topped with fresh berries and local maple syrup.
Using as many local products as possible is a priority for the diner, Malsatzki said, explaining that supporting the community was one of Cioffi’s main motivations for taking over the diner.
“He’s not a restaurant person,” Malsatzki said. “He did not come from a food background. He very much is an active member of the community.”
Cioffi is on the board of the Phoenicia Playhouse and the board of directors of Margaretville Hospital.
Local collaborations include Catsmo Artisan Smokehouse, Union Grove Distillery, Del’s Creamery, Catskills Distillery, and Fruition Chocolate Works among others. “We really take the time to showcase products from other businesses that we feel are worth showcasing,” Malsatzki said. “We try to give everybody a good meal not just a greasy spoon.”
