VLT Sandwich on multi grain toast (Pictured with a cup of soup) At first glance, even to our daily customers, the menu at Lake Effect Diner may not seem any different. Look a bit closer though, and you will notice a few new menu items have made their way in.
Part of the excitement and fun of being in the food business is experimenting with new recipes, ideas, and flavors; either coming up with something completely new or even an innovative twist on an old favorite. These culinary creations, if deemed tasty enough, may snag a place on our Weekly Specials Menu. Menu Specials give us an opportunity to offer something new and make our customer’s visit a bit more varied. Sometimes though, there are occasions when a new item is so well received and in such high demand that it merits becoming a permanent menu item.
Recently at the Lake Effect Diner it was decided that it was time to decide which Weekly Special Items should become permanent players on our menu according to customer response and satisfaction.
So let’s start with the New Vegan options:
Being a diner, Lake Effect takes soul satisfying comfort food very seriously, but let’s be honest, most traditional diner menu options are not vegan friendly. So we wondered: How would a few plant-based options at The Diner be received? We started with putting our Veggs Benedict on as a Weekend Special: Dairy-free Hollandaise, tofu scramble, house-made apple wood smoked seitan bacon, and grilled tomato over our toasted baguette. The response was overwhelmingly positive. Each weekend, this dish would sell out, making this item a no brainer to add to the permanent menu. Taking into consideration the demand for vegan options, we are also proud to introduce the VLT Sandwich: Our own apple wood smoked seitan bacon with lettuce, tomato, and house-made Vegenaise on your choice of toasted bread. Seitan Bacon is also now available as a side to any meal.
Under our updated menu’s Breakfast listing, you may notice a new-clearly non-vegetarian- item: Chipped Beef On Toast. This is a little throw back comfort meal from days gone by: House cured dried beef shavings and peas (don’t hate on the peas people!) on golden griddled slices of house-made baguette, topped with creamy white Béchamel sauce.
Thirsty? Lets talk beverages-hot and cold. A few months ago we invested in a kick-ass cappuccino machine in order to up the ante on our coffee game. Well, we are happy to report- it’s here to stay and officially part of our actual menu. We now can offer our customers the option of not only our own Lake Effect Regular and Decaf Coffee, but also Espresso, Cappuccino, and Lattes are an option.
In our on going effort to use as many local products as possible, we are now proud servers of Johnnie Ryan Soda, both fountain and bottled. This brand of pop is made in Niagara Falls New York, and uses natural ingredients (which we are huge fans of!).
For our patrons 21 and over we are now offering Coney Island Hard Root Beer. Made in Brooklyn, NY it’s not quite a “local” find- but believe us, good things come out of Brooklyn. With hints of vanilla, licorice, and birch, this root beer will be having you dream of summer days on the Lake.
Finally, on the sweeter side, Lake Effect would like to introduce the Chocolate Pretzel Torte: Pretzel crusted chocolate ganache pie. The perfect combination of a sweet and salty treat for dessert.
So if you haven’t been by in a while, or even if you are a daily visitor, stop on into Lake Effect Diner and check it all out!
