Business of the Week Townhouse Diner, North White Plains
What was once the North Castle Diner on Route 22 in North White Plains has been transformed into a bustling new eatery called the Townhouse Diner.
Proprietors Irene and Gus Koutros opened in August with a completely different-looking restaurant that is bright, tastefully decorated and a great neighborhood place to eat.
For the couple, this newest venture is an exciting one and an opportunity for them to provide a convenient service to customers living or working locally or those passing by on well-traveled Route 22.
The long hours associated with running a diner is something Koutros and her husband are accustomed to. They both operated several diners in Brooklyn and Queens before moving to Westchester, but it is a business they love.
Gus Koutros came to the United States from Greece when he was 14, working his way up from dishwasher and busboy to successful entrepreneur. The couple met while Irene was working as a cashier in one of his Brooklyn diners.
“I guess you could say we have a good worth ethic,” said Irene, also a native of Greece.
Koutros said the property was the “ultimate opportunity” for them to invest, given the fact that they could buy the land as opposed to leasing.
“We put a lot of ourselves into this project, a lot of personal feeling, if you will,” said Koutros, referring to the brightly colored booths and the comfortable stools at the counter, among other features.
Like many Greek diners, there’s much to offer. The traditional Irish breakfast consisting of Irish bacon, sausage and black and white pudding is a popular item on the breakfast menu, in addition to omelets, pancakes, waffles, French toast, bagels and an assortment of baked goods delivered daily.
The lunch menu contains fresh salads with names like the Popeye (cucumber, red onion, walnuts and fresh tomatoes over fresh spinach), Malibu Dreaming (organic baby arugula, fresh strawberries, goat cheese, apple sticks and shaved almonds in a honey vinaigrette) and the Mama Mia (fresh Buffalo mozzarella and sweet tomato). All come with a healthy dose of fresh greens, fruit and nuts, as well as feta and goat cheese.
In addition to the customary grilled chicken wrap, the Townhouse Diner makes other, more offbeat offerings. There’s the Fishermen’s Wrap, a combination of fried filet of sole with lettuce, tomato and tartar sauce, or the Bada Bing Wrap, which consists of grilled chicken, salami, mozzarella, lettuce and tomato.
Italian dinner favorites like chicken parmigiana, penne alla vodka, fettuccine Alfredo and pasta primavera are sure to please. The diner also offers a number of veal plates and Italian chicken specialties.
No Greek diner would be complete without a host of Greek offerings. The Townhouse Diner offers the Athenian Platter, a beef and souvlaki combination served with rice pilaf, pita bread and Greek salad, as well as a chicken gyro, two-piece pork souvlaki and “Greek-style” penne platters.
Since the grand opening at the end of the summer, Koutros said she is noticing more repeat customers, many of them friendly locals who are eager to make the diner a favorite stop.
Koutros said she equates the familiarity she had formed with customers in her Brooklyn and Queens diners to the camaraderie that is developing at the Townhouse Diner.
“It feels a lot like Cheers,” she said, “where everybody knows your name.”
The Townhouse Diner is located at 720 N. Broadway. It is open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to midnight. To see the diner’s menu, visit www.townhousedinerwhiteplains.com.
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