Silver Lining Diner Opens In Southampton

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — Great news for hungry crowds hankering for a nosh: The Silver Lining Diner has officially opened in Southampton at the site of the former iconic Princess Diner.

The Silver Lining Diner brings together the vision of five partners including Executive Chef Eric Miller, formerly of Bay Kitchen Bar in East Hampton, Operations & Events Director Marc Miller, financier Richard Silver, marketing and branding guru MT Carney, and world-renowned interior architecture and design firm Jeffrey Beers International, a release said.

"Guests can enjoy an all day menu consisting of locally, sourced seasonal fare and cocktails in a diner setting that’s elevated, yet approachable for all," the release said.

Since about 1957, the diner on Montauk Highway in Southampton stood as a fixture on the familiar landscape.

The name Silver Lining Diner, is a reference to the “Sunshine Highway”, the original name of Montauk Highway, or Route 27, because of its positioning in relationship to the sun rising in the East, the release said.

“A diner has always been more than a restaurant; it’s a barometer where a seat at the counter or in a booth has offered a front row view of American life,” Carney said. “There is nothing elitist about a diner; it’s a welcoming egalitarian place. We hope to recreate that experience at Silver Lining Diner, making it a staple for the community who live in the Hamptons and those who visit throughout the year.”

The 250-seat restaurant has been divided into a number of intimate spaces with a variety of seating options including booths, coffee counter and bar seating, square and round tables, banquettes, a communal table and an outdoor patio; the coffee section of the bar in the main dining room is shaped as a horseshoe, which is intended to induce communication and closeness among diners, the release said.

"Beers’ design honors the classic American diner ethos without feeling retro or vintage. Utilizing a crisp, light, and happy color palate of sunshine yellow, warm whites, stainless steel, and light hued woods, the various spaces feel simultaneously contemporary, light and optimistic," the release said.

Chef Miller, meanwhile "applies a high level of sophistication, technique and artistry to his breakfast, lunch and dinner menus while maintaining an approachability with something for everyone at every price point," the release said.

Utilizing his decades-long relationships with farmers, foragers, producers, and fishermen on the North Fork and East End, Chef Miller said he sources ingredients locally and organically whenever possible.

“Our menu celebrates the abundance of seasonal ingredients that are locally available,” Miller said. “We hope to offer something for everyone and anyone, for every occasion.”

Breakfast, served from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., includes an emphasis on farm-fresh organic eggs, milk and flour, and a menu offering the full gamut of diner classics including a variety of eggs cooked “your way,” three-egg omelets, Benedicts, buttermilk pancakes, egg sandwiches, waffles and sides including maple-glazed Nueskes bacon. An on-premise bakery bakes muffins, cinnamon rolls and custom yeasted breakfast cakes fresh every morning. The “Silver Morning Continental Breakfast,” a basket of pastries for the table, is served with seasonal homemade jam and Maldon salted butter.

Lunch, served from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., includes homemade soups such a chicken vegetable noodle, and New England clam chowder, entrée salads — lobster salad, salmon Cobb, chef’s salad— cold and hot sandwiches, including freshly shucked Maine lobster roll, a triple decker turkey and avocado club, a monte cristo, and crab BLT, local fish “from the fryer, Detroit-style square pan pizzas, and half-pound burgers using Snake River Farms sustainable and natural Wagyu beef.

Dinner, in addition to many of the items available at lunch, includes offerings such as a raw bar serving local oysters and clams, a variety of entrees including pastas, local seafood, local roasted free-range chicken, Snake River bone-in prime sirloin steak, and Long Island crescent duck. Rotating weeknight specials will include the “Hampton Clam Bake,” a 1 1/4 lb. lobster, Amagansett steamers, mussels, tomatoes, corn-on-the-cob, all steamed in a bag, and opened at table.

Desserts include pies, cakes, and cheesecakes, served individually and presented on Fenton cake stands. Frozen custards are hand-spun daily with the option of added toppings; triple thick milk shakes are made with organic ice cream and milk. In addition, any shake or float can be offered “naughty” such as the caramel shake spiked with amaretto.

Silver Lining Diner offers just-squeezed juices, signature smoothies, Toby’s Estate coffee and In Pursuit of Tea. A selection of craft beers are served by the can, bottle and on draft. An international wine list focuses on by-the-glass drinkability, with a reserve list available.

Adam Miller, a veteran of craft cocktail bars in New York City, developed a menu of 12 signature house cocktails with a unique point of distinction: every drink on the menu is offered in "spirited" and "spirit-free" formats.

Partnered companies Food & Co. and Hampton Clambake, overseen by Miller, operate out of the Silver Lining Diner kitchen and offer catering all summer for those looking to enjoy beach parties, at-home entertaining, weddings and private events.

There will be a late night menu with 15 to 20 signature items available from 11 p.m. to late.

Silver Lining Diner is located at Located at 32 Montauk Highway and is open seven days a week, from 7 a.m. till late. For a peek at the menu, click here. For additional information, call (631) 901-1800, clickhereand follow on Instagram at @SilverLiningHamptons.