Deluxe Diner Redux

One of the most anticipated additions to the vibrant Newton dining scene is the Deluxe Station Diner. Sister restaurant to the Deluxe Town Diner in Watertown, the Newton Centre location is also owned and operated by Don and Daryl Levy.

The Watertown residents were already well known for their hometown eatery but had been looking to open a second location for quite a while. When they walked by the vacant space at the Newton Center MBTA station in fall of 2009 and saw a “for rent” sign, they knew they had found their spot.

“We were looking for a new, exciting space,” Daryl says.  “We peeked in the window and knew we’d found it. But it was an evolution of about a year.”

Working with designer Mark Fisher, the Levys set out to create a restaurant with “Victoriana whimsy” that would honor the tradition of the building’s original architect, Henry Hobson Richardson.

“We feel very strongly about historic integrity,” Daryl says emphatically. “I think that everyone can appreciate Richardson’s architecture, but it just needed a little TLC!”

But the road to realizing their dream was anything but smooth. Parking variances to cover the additional seating the restaurant would require were needed as were leased spaces for their employees. The building had been vacant since Starbucks -- which had bought out ’s Coffee Connection -- left the location in October of 2008. The complete reinvention of the spot also led to some time-consuming snafus.

“It was a big space and it was an old space,” states Daryl. “We wanted to bring it to life. But that took time and permits and whatnot.”

However, with the new year came good news and the Deluxe Station Diner opened its doors to an eager eating public on January 6, 2011.  While they have yet to have a grand opening celebration, the restaurant has had steady business since day one -- despite the weather this winter.

Daryl is very clear on the secret to their success.

“A diner, diner food, should be available any time,” she says. “And if you want an omelet at night, you want an omelet. Our buttermilk pancakes, which were Best of Boston, are even on the late night menu.”

While Daryl subscribes to her customers’ off-the-clock tastes, Don is more specific in his culinary desires. His favorite dish on the menu is the chicken fried steak with sausage gravy, and he is clearly excited about other upcoming regional specials and gluten-free options that will appear on the menu.

“Gluten-free is big, and we want to give our customers what they want,” says Don. “We’re also going to have a New England boiled dinner for St. Patrick’s Day and a jambalaya on our specials menu.”

Unlike the Watertown location, the Deluxe Station Diner has a full bar with a variety of creative libations to complement the food. But the bar area is also a dining counter, and the Levys enjoy seating “families, singles, pairs…everyone” there whether they’re looking for a full meal or just a drink and a piece of pie.

Daryl laughed in mock horror when I asked if they planned on opening another location in the future. But Don did mention that they were going to apply for a permit to “have some outdoor seating when the weather gets nice again.” 

The two locations will be the Levys' focus for now, and making sure that the Newton diner is a destination that brings pride to the Garden City. 

“It's not ours. It belongs to Newton, the city," Daryl says, "and we aim to please!”