Day: September 19, 2024

The historic Kellogg’s Diner is back with new owners, a new menu, and plenty of nods to its more than 100-year history in Williamsburg. 

Nearly a year after it closed for renovations, the eatery will open its doors again on Sept. 20 under the leadership of restaurateur Louis Skibar, designer Nico Arze, and chef Jackie Carnesi. 

While the exterior looks the same as it always has – with shiny silver paneling and bright neon signage — much has changed inside. The new menu features plenty of diner classics, but with a twist inspired by Carnesi’s home in Texas.

All-day breakfast has been reimagined with dishes like the Rajas Omelette with poblano peppers and green chili crema; Guajillo Braised Short Rib Hash with sweet potato, chipotle sauce, and cilantro; and deep-fried Texas Toast coated in cornflakes and topped with syrup, whipped cream cheese, and seasonal jam made in-house. 

The extensive menu also features items like Chipotle Honey Wings, Tex-Mex Enchiladas, and a host of sides like onion rings, grits, biscuits, and more.

New to Kellogg’s are cocktails crafted by bar director Chris Amirault, including a Cosmopolitan with cherry blossom sake and grenadine and a s’mores-inspired Old Fashioned with bourbon, oolong tea, cinnamon cordial, and a toasted marshmallow.

With the new menu comes new design: Arze, together with designer Matthew Maddy — who has designed Brooklyn eateries including Public Records and Celestine — modernized the nearly 100-year-old interior with warm lighting and plenty of mirrors and stainless steel.

The diner’s classic hallmarks are still there, though — the counter lined with stools and the booths where actor Adam Driver remarked on his “Good soup” in a highly-memed episode of “Girls.”

After Sept. 20, Kellogg’s Diner will be open daily from 5-10 p.m., but is slated to extend to 24/7 hours in the near future. According to Eater, Arze is currently building out a private events space, a backyard, and a rooftop deck that will eventually have its own menu and name. 

The Metropolitan Avenue diner went up for sale last spring after former owner Irene Siderakis filed for bankruptcy. Siderakis, who took over the diner after her husband Chris passed away, told Brooklyn Paper in 2020 that the COVID-19 pandemic had dealt a significant blow to the business, and that she didn’t think they would be able to recover. 

Siderakis first filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in an effort to keep the diner afloat, but eventually filed for Chapter 11. The diner sold at auction last summer, and Skibar announced his plans to overhaul it a few months later.