With the launch of their new locally sourced menu, the Silver Diner announces a new era for its classic menu. Local generation X'ers grew up going to the Silver Diner. Now, the Silver Diner will now cater to this same generation, who has helped to drive the farm to the table movement, by commiting to only offering fresh locally sourced ingredients and revamping its classic menu for a more healthier and sustainable way of life for diners. Bob Giaimo, Founder, President, and CEO said, "We are excited to create the next generation diner and update what a diner stands for." The new menu also features new sections for those guests with healthy eating in mind including “600 Calorie Entrées” and “Gluten Free” in addition to the classics customers love.
Right here in the Washington, DC metropolitan area the very first Silver Diner opened for business in 1989 in Rockville, MD. For over 20 years, the Silver Diner has been a part of the community, serving home style favorites to local families. Giaimo said, "We pride ourselves on being a community restaurant."
Now after 20 years, the Silver Diner is updating its menu with local, farm fresh ingredients. Giaimo said, "How people are eating today are changing with your generation."
Silver Diner now boasts a food supply that is locally grown and raised, offering hormone free all natural chicken and meats, farm fresh eggs from Martin's Farms in Lancaster, PA, all Natural Milk from Lancaster, PA's Kreider Farms, fresh local produce from Coastal Sunbelt Produce in Savage, MD and even coffee shipped within hours, rather than days. Ype Von Hengst , Co-founder and Executive Chef of Silver Diner restaurants said "If you were a strawberry in a basket for five days, how happy would you be? Now I get fresh strawberries, the next day. They smile at me." He emphasized that due to the close proximity that customers can taste the difference in freshness and flavor.
"With a 48 hour turnaround, local produce is focused on taste, and there is a tremendous difference in flavor,” said James McWhorter, vice president at Coastal Sunbelt Produce. “Typical transit from the west coast means produce won’t be eaten for 6-7 days after its picked, but now we can get produce to the Silver Diner the day after it is comes off the vine. In addition to the great taste, Silver Diner’s efforts are supporting the local economy and helping prevent the community’s farmland from being lost to industry.”
Ron Kreider, president and CEO at Kreider Farms, a 3rd generation family owned and operated farm said, "We grow our own feed, produce and bottle our own milk right here on our own farm and we do not give our cows growth hormone injections. Working in partnership with Silver Diner, we are able to support another local company that upholds our high standards for today’s families. The investment of resources Silver Diner has put into bringing fresh products from the farm straight to their tables makes them unique among family restaurant groups.”
The local sustainable food movement is not just a trend in the DC area; it has become a way of life. Washingtonians support this movement and are moving towards eating healthier, living healthier, and all the while expecting better quality food from local area restaurants. It is a great testament that the Silver Diner, as a large well-established restaurant chain has recognized that going local is not only responsible, but that they also understand the environmental, health and broader economic impact of using local ingredients sourced from local farms. Chef Von Hengst said, "We have a moral obligation to give our diners the best healthiest food possible and we want to people a better product."
Chef Von Hengst said, "Silver Diner is taking the lead in providing locally grown, farm fresh, sustainable food for casual, family-friendly restaurants,” and adds “while some of the area’s high–end, expensive restaurants are beginning to offer customers farm fresh foods it comes at a price -- and a very high one; we are one of the only multi-unit family restaurants to change its food distribution system with such a wide array of local farms, making the same and even better quality foods available and affordable right at your local community diner.” Von Hengst was born in the Netherlands and was formerly Executive Chef for the American Cafes Stouffers Hotels Hilton Hotels and Radisson Hotels and Executive Chef and Corporate Chef for Restaurant Associates at Rockefeller Center in New York City. Von Hengst oversees the menus of about fifteen restaurants in the DC, MD, VA area.
As a food writer and busy mother of two young children, I am thrilled that the Silver Diner has taken this leap and I can feel good about what I am feeding my children and that they are getting healthy foods that are not processed junk, all the while supporting a local business. I hope that Silver Diner will inspire other local DC area restaurants to take the leap into local foods for their customers.
For More Information See the Silver Diner website: http://silverdiner.com/
For Silver Diner locations in MD, VA, and NJ see: http://silverdiner.com/restaurants
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