Arlene's on Asbury: Enjoy the Sunshine Outside or In

When you see blue and yellow umbrellas blooming on the sidewalk in front of , you know spring can't be far away. Such was the case in the unseasonably warm weather on Friday.

Julie Spositi of Mantua sat at a table under one of the umbrellas, enjoying her usual.

“Whenever I come to Ocean City, this is where I come,” Spositi said. “The florentine omelet is awesome. They use real spinach.”

At Arlene's, it's all about the regulars–including the 7 a.m. “characters,” as co-owner Arlene Stryker affectionately calls them.

This particular afternoon, it wasn't long before a man wearing suspenders and jeans drove up, parked at the curb, went inside and took his usual table in the middle of the small dining room, same as the day before. And soon, John and Faye Smith of Stone Harbor pedaled up on bikes, locked them out front and headed in for lunch.

It's a routine the couple keeps once or twice a month–bike up Ocean Drive, eat lunch at Arlene's, then go back to Stone Harbor.

“We never lose any weight this way,” joked John Smith. But they do keep in amazing shape—at age 70 last August, he easily could pass for a decade or more younger.

So, you heard it here first: Eating at Arlene's keeps you young.

“We do have a good healthy side,” said Paul Stryker, chef and owner with his wife. “It's all the food you know and love, with the healthy stuff.”

Recent breakfast specials included three crepes with fresh fruit ($6.95) and a short stack of wheat apple pancakes and coffee for $5.95.

The Strykers are sprucing up the homey eatery, repainting the sunny yellow 48-seat dining room and putting up new ceiling fans. Look for a new menu soon, too, Stryker said, which will show gluten-free options, as well as crepes, a frequent special.

The Strykers' sons, Jacob, 8, and Paulie, 11, frequently are in the restaurant. The family lost oldest son Charles Knox at 16 in a car accident in 1988; Paul and Arlene host a yearly scholarship fundraiser in his name. They have raised more than $100,000 for Ocean City High School students attending college.

Paul and Arlene Stryker are looking forward to their eighth summer as owners of the former Callahan's.

“Arlene and myself are always here. We're very consistent in our food,” Paul Stryker said. “We take a lot of pride in all of it. We have a wide array, not just eggs and bacon.”

Of course, omelets are a big seller, ranging in price from $4.95 for cheese to $7.95 for crab, spinach and provolone. And Stryker said the eatery is known for its creamed chipped beef ($6.95), served over toast with home fries. He even goes so far as to say on the menu and special board out front that it's Ocean City's best.

Soups also are a big hit–three homemade varieties are offered daily and customers frequently call ahead to find out what Stryker has in the pot. On St. Patrick's Day, the special was corned beef and cabbage soup; there's always a vegetarian option, as well as something like shrimp and crab bisque.

Paul said he also makes all the salads–including tuna, coleslaw and potato salad. A recent Lenten Friday special was fresh seafood salad in a wheat wrap with coleslaw and chips ($6.95).

When you go, make sure to say “hi” to Harriett Fiore, hostess and cashier for 17 years and through three owners. She can't say enough about the Strykers.

“I've never seen people work harder,” Fiore said. “They are very generous people.”

Truly a recipe for success.

Arlene's on Asbury

WHERE: 624 Asbury Ave.

WHEN: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday

GET IN TOUCH: Call 609-399-3639

OTHER STUFF TO KNOW: All credit cards accepted, ATM on site. Street parking. Take-out, catering.