Queens Tribune

212-97 26th Ave., Bayside
(718) 224-4434
www.terracediner.com
CUISINE: Modern Diner
HOURS: 6 a.m.-11 p.m. weekdays, 6 a.m.-1 a.m. weekends
PARKING: Lot
CREDIT CARDS: All major
TAKEOUT: Yes
DELIVERY: Yes

The Terrace Diner, located in the Bay Terrace Shopping Center, serves classic Greek Diner food with gourmet flair. Fresh lemon juice livens the dressing used for the Greek salad. The feta, which comes in everything from three-egg omelets to wraps, is imported from Greece. And the full bar, in a corner next to the traditional soda shop counter, features an inventive take of the cosmopolitan: the neon green ouzo-politan.

The Terrace Diner’s “soft opening” was three months ago. A grand opening is set for September. Business partners Jimmy Papageorgiou and Peter Kaouris own three other restaurants in Manhattan including midtown’s La Parisienne.

The opening of Terrace Diner is a homecoming of sorts for Papageorgiou, who was born in Queens. Still, the St. Johns University grad misses the heavy foot traffic he came to know in Manhattan. This restaurant, he said, maintains the Manhattan-style décor, which includes lemon-ice granite tables and mosaics. The wait staff wears olive green shirts.

The breakfast menu is traditional and served all day. A Mediterranean omelet made with feta, onion and tomato is even more delightful with green peppers. The feta is neither crumbly nor runny, and serves as a satisfying counterpart to the fresh, vibrant vegetables that are neither gummy nor oily.

The omelets are served with a hearty portion of home fries. The grated potatoes and onions are cooked and seasoned to perfection, crispy on top and never dry. And the toast keeps up. The kitchen butters it for you and offers a variety of Smucker’s jams and jellies.

If you’re there for lunch, start off with the Greek Salad. Anchovies and grape leaves are available upon request and the homemade dressing suits the onions, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes and olives to a “T.” Grilled pita triangles serve as croutons. Let your teeth find the grill marks and sink right in.

Burger options are plentiful. Although there’s Buffalo and Garden, try the turkey burger. The soft bun is perhaps reminiscent of McDonalds, but the patty itself is flavorful and tender. For an extra $1.95, you get fries, lettuce and tomato. It’s worth it.

Dinner is always available and you can’t go wrong with Greek specialties such as Pastichio, Paidakia and Mousaka.

Desserts are still in flux as Papageorgiou goes from bakery to bakery trying to find the best that Queens has to offer. The coffee receives frequent compliments and Frappes, a frothy Greek iced coffee beverage, are on the menu as well.