Serving edible Americana 'til late in Belltown

An American classic like the diner can't really be improved upon, unless you were to cast Paul Reiser for every single role. Seriously improving on Belltown's diner options somehow without the use of Pauly R., The Lucky Diner, open today.

Opened by a serious resto vet (with some help from his girlfriend), this contemporary take on the classic American diner's offering up comfy comestibles in a granite-floored eat-space wrapped around a room-dominating lunch counter, and boasts a smattering of retro touches, including brushed-steel chairs/bar stools and lady-servers decked in mid-century-ish uniforms stitched by a designer from local burlesque troupe The Atomic Bombshells. The LD's lunch/dinner menu is rife with subs (the rancho-sauce'd turkey/ pepper jack/ bacon/ avocado Love Bird), and hot sandwiches (a grilled bologna & cheese w/ caramelized onions); plus entrees like Beer Can Chicken w/ two sides & a secret "brew juice", plus dinner plates like the slow-braised pork/ grilled pineapple/ sticky rice/ mac salad/ cola BBQ sauce Flyin' Hawaiian, whose preferred mode of transportation is obviously the Plane, Boss! The Plane! AM options range from house specialties like the egg/ chorizo/ black bean/ pico de gallo Breakfast Burrito, to a stack of blueberry flapjacks, to omelets including the Big Buddha w/ sausage, ham, bacon, veggies & cheese, a combination of ingredients that'll make your Middle Way-yyyy bigger.

Other offerings include beer (Rainier, Mirror Pond), any of which can be made bloody; classic desserts like apple pie and floats w/ Henry Weinhard's sodas or Mexican Coca-Cola; plus veggie options for diners who, like the original, could do with out (Kevin) Bacon.