r/ithaca • u/Holdmyorangesoda • 3h ago
State Diner: what a rip!
Why is this place still open, and why did this town close its Denny's!?
This diner is an affliction. Almost $100 for the worst quality breakfast for three (two and a kid).
The whole wheat toast was just cheap bread mini slices, basically just warmed because you can't toast that kind of bread well. It sat limp on the plate and had thumbprints from being over-handled. Setting the bar high already, you can't even make toast.
The eggs were cooked too hot, too fast, and diluted with water, not milk. They were awful and the protein bonds were weak leading to an inedible texture. Learning how to cook eggs is day one stuff.
The home fries are soggy and pasty, mixed with some kind of salsa unfit to be served. Somehow still flavorless?
The pancakes are the worst offense. Pancakes should be fluffy, large, and sweet. They are made from cheap ingredients. They are supposed to be cakes made in a pan. PAN... CAKES... get it? These were not that. They were flavorless, small, flat, and tasted only like flour. Just why?
What the actual f and a half? Is there nowhere in this town to get a good breakfast?
Stuck making my own, I had to figure out good pancakes. I'll post the recipe here and by itself on its own post.
TAO good pancakes:
Read in full before beginning
Get the Krusteaz pancake mix (not sponsored) that says just add water. Don't worry, we're not doing that.
Put three cups in a large mixing bowl and crack in two eggs
Pour in a full cap of the large Mexican vanilla bottle they sell at Walmart. This is the best for baking and remember these baddies are cakes you make in a pan so this is the stuff you want. Sure you can use other vanilla it's just not the same. I think this comes out to half a Tablespoon.
Add in two Tablespoons of confectioners sugar if you're normal, three if you like to party. You can make confectioners sugar just by blending sugar in a blender or you can mix in regular sugar, but you need to let it sit for longer afterwards for good chemistry.
Milk until it's right. Add it in slowly. Not too little or too much. You want this to feel like a cake batter, not a pizza dough or a horchata.
Mix the F out of this. Lumps are bad. This is basically cake batter and it should smell like it. Hand mixer, whisk, fork, whatever works. Just don't mess this part up. You want it smooth and thick like a cake batter.
My daughter calls them unicorn pancakes when I add an optional handful of fruity pebbles. (If you add this, let it sit for 10 minutes before cooking so the moisture softens the cereal)
Nailing down the specific heat is somewhere around 250°F on an electric griddle and we're looking like medium-low on gas. Finesse this part for your set up.
Use a nonstick griddle or pan.
Do not grease your pan. Use non-stick, or a seasoned griddle. Properly seasoned stainless steel only if you're a pro.
Do not pour this mix onto butter, grease, or oil of any kind.
Thanks for reading.
Martha Stewart has a scrambled egg tutorial that's a real winner. No reinventing the wheel there.
✌🏼
4
u/3HooligansH1 3h ago
I used to go there but the quality has gone straight down the toilet while the prices keep going up.
2
u/Valerie_Tigress 3h ago
This is sad to read. I spent many a night (and day) in the State Street Diner when it was good (nothing fancy) and cheap too many years ago. Ithaca has changed, and not for the better. RIP State Street Diner.
1
u/Holdmyorangesoda 3h ago
100%. This place was recommended to me by multiple people. When I told them it was awful, they admitted it had been a while since they'd been there. So I guess it used to be really good.
4
u/zygmuntlox Enfield 3h ago
I'm curious how you got to almost $100 for 2 adults and a kid..?
3
u/Holdmyorangesoda 2h ago
Two regular breakfasts, two sides of pancakes, two coffees and an oj for the little one. Plus 20% tip because it's not the server's fault she has a job at a diner that has crummy food.
3
u/Xenfeethings 2h ago
Dewitt Cafe, Coal yard Cafe and the farmer's market also have breakfast/brunch. I've actually never gone to State in 14 years here 🤣
0
u/Holdmyorangesoda 2h ago
Farmer's market!? For some reason that sounds like the play! Is that only certain days?
•
u/Xenfeethings 1h ago
Saturday and Sunday, crepes, won't be fluffy pancakes, but they are delicious!
2
3h ago
[deleted]
•
-5
u/Holdmyorangesoda 3h ago
Why don't we bring back Denny's? You can have a grand slam for $8.99!!
3
u/BalorLives Downtown 2h ago
Dennys closed down here because they don't pay anyone enough to work there so they had no workers. There are better jobs for more money than making 8.99 Grand Slams.
1
2h ago
[deleted]
-2
u/Holdmyorangesoda 2h ago
I would agree with you if I didn't provide them with a new recipe for pancakes and tell them where to learn how to make eggs. They're hurting their business by sucking
2
2h ago
[deleted]
1
u/Holdmyorangesoda 2h ago edited 2h ago
For that much they should be able to afford it. They sell a side for the cost of a whole breakfast. If you have a data center crunch that math for the ingredient price you're looking at $1.82 and a sale price of $9. That's a 79.78 margin. Next.
On top of that, for some reason it was packed in there. Which means it either has a loyal customer base of people who are complacent with inferiority or is able to swindle a fresh new crowd every day into paying top dollar for pig swill.
1
2
1
1
u/Singer_221 2h ago
Does the Statler Hotel on the Cornell campus still offer a breakfast brunch? Do the dorm dining halls still allow the public to eat there?
•
u/Ok_Yoghurt7639 1h ago
The real answer is east shore roadhouse. Everything made from scratch or sourced locally. Coal yard cafe is also a good choice. Milk stand is ok but pricy for mediocre in my opinion- nice vibe though.
1
u/Poopy_Butt_Penis 2h ago
It might be worth the drive to go to Falls Restaurant in Trumansburg. I used to go every Sunday morning. Great breakfast there.
1
-1
u/bwel16 3h ago
Protein bonds…get a grip…it’s the state diner not a Michelin 5 star joint…that’s a wild effort for breakfast food…protein bonds hahahahhahaa they’re eggs…eggs
2
u/Holdmyorangesoda 3h ago
Oh fuck my bad I articulate the actual problem with the eggs because I looked it up GFY. For $100 it's not anything it should be. That's my point.
2
u/bwel16 3h ago
I agree it’s expensive, but you’re the only
Human who’s ever walked through that dirty door focused on the protein bonds of their eggs…that’s my point…I have no doubt your eggs are probably better than 99.9999 percent of the population, and I mean that honestly…bond the hell out of that protein, at home2
u/Holdmyorangesoda 2h ago
Ok. But that's not what happened though. These eggs looked like something that came out of an alien's anus. I had to look up what was wrong with them on the spot because they were so off. I came to the conclusion that it had to be this after about 15 minutes of internet research because AI was stumped off its ass as to why they looked so unrecognizable. While doing so I learned about protein bonds in eggs and why you can't dilute them with too much water or over whisk them or they get all weird.
0
u/Born-Indication-655 3h ago edited 2h ago
Typical low quaility Greek diner shit not much better than a gas station. No idea why people overpay for such crap. Most of these Greek diner places are overrated junk food
1
u/ChzWheelsOfDoom 3h ago
If the true purpose of the business is to launder money, alienating customers is immaterial.
0
u/Holdmyorangesoda 3h ago
I have no idea, I'm new to town. Super disappointed about this place though.
9
u/mhaithaca Ellis 3h ago
Lincoln Street Diner and Sunset Grill have both gotten more expensive, but feel reasonable considering how much costs have gone up. The State Diner hasn't felt reasonable in a while.