Silver Diner: Chef Ype's 'Fresh and Local' Vision

In small towns and cities across the country during the 1950s and ‘60s, the classic American diner conjured up images of shiny chrome, greasy spoon fare served up by waitresses with beehive hairdos and popular singers lighting up the jukebox. The diner also served as a late-night stop for truckers and a popular hangout for teens.

The essence and timeless appeal have certainly been preserved in the modern iteration — the Silver Diner’s 16 locations in Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia — but with Executive Chef and Founder Ype Von Hengst in the kitchen, the greasy spoon image is a thing of the past.

A quiet, yet determined revolution is taking place up and down the East Coast, and fresh and local produce, meats, breads and dairy products are at the center of a menu roll-out that’s committed to healthy, hearty and fresh food.

“This local and fresh food movement — it’s taking hold,” Von Hengst said in a crisp Dutch accent. “People want healthier food — something here to stay.”

A year ago the re-branding of Silver Diner — “We Buy Fresh & Local” — resulted in 35 items being dropped from the menu, Von Hengst said, adding that the chain introduced lower carb options and began making a concerted effort to offer value meals, blue plate specials and heart-healthy options.

Pancakes, a diner staple, are made with all natural, unbleached flour; 600-calorie and gluten-free entrees are featured; milk and eggs come from Lancaster County, PA; and locally roasted coffee and craft beer and wine from Virginia are just some of the offerings Von Hengst ushered in on the heels of calorie counts on the menu and the practice of using zero trans fat oils.

In early May, , was the beneficiary of the chain’s latest menu roll-out, a partnership with local farms that support sustainable agriculture.

“We wanted to take it a notch further — restaurants out here have gotten much more specialized,” Von Hengst said. “Let’s bring back the old-time diner in a new and fresh package.”

The latest approach includes nitrate-free bacon and sausage from Maryland, hormone- and antibiotic-free chicken tenders, organic tortillas from Virginia, goat cheese from Firefly Farms in Maryland, and 100 percent Black Angus beef from Creekstone Farms.

Nathan Stambaugh, director of sales and marketing at Kansas-based Creekstone Farms, said that the cooperative of 100 farms raises its cows under two key criteria: animal humanity and hormone- and antibiotic-free.

“Every step of the way — from birth to processing — we ensure our animals are handled compassionately and humanely. In fact, our processing plant was designed with animal welfare in mind by Dr. Temple Grandin,” he said. “It takes longer and creates more work to raise cattle using these guidelines, but we think it's the right thing to do.”

Stambaugh, who worked at Gunpowder Bison for two years with owners Trey and Angela Lewis, said Black Angus are a breed of cattle naturally made for flavor. The fat or marbling gives it great flavor. Bison, on the other hand, has less fat and cooks a lot faster than beef, Angela Lewis said. The Silver Diner has added bison as well to its lineup for a twist on the All-American burger.

“Bison does not taste gamey — in fact it tastes a lot like beef, but tends to have a fuller, sweeter flavor,” Lewis said.

Lester Martin, co-owner of Martin’s Quality Eggs, has supplied eggs from more than 20 Mennonite and Amish farms in Lancaster County to the Silver Diner for three years. Martin works with his father, two brothers, three uncles and nine nephews, who are the third generation to work in the Mennonite-owned family business that was started in 1963.

Martin praised the farmers, noting their quality produce, and shared that Chef Ype says Silver Diner customers like the quality.

“We enjoy it up here. A lot of egg companies have huge complexes. [We] pick up eggs at the farms, wash and process — happens very quickly.”

Von Hengst, who knew at the age of five that he was going to be a chef, said he still wants to continue to provide great milkshakes and great burgers, and that the new menu reflects a journey towards healthier eating, even for kids.

And though the image of a diner is both a curse and a blessing, he said, Von Hengst is resolute in his belief that the Silver Diner continues to offer hospitality as well as nourishment.

“We need to be a beacon in the night.”