With its warm, blush-colored walls and three cozy booths complimenting the counter seating, The Red Rose Diner offers a classic diner feel with a little twist.

Hint: You can order a serving of grape leaves with your cheese omelet. 

Middle Eastern food is a specialty of Hana Mouchantaf, who owns the quaint diner, nestled in central downtown Syracuse on 206 S. Warren St. She moved to the United States from Lebanon and wanted to create a menu for the Red Rose that would reflect her origins. 

Boasting a mix of Middle Eastern dishes, typical diner breakfast fare and several American options, the Red Rose menu offers diverse choices. Falafel, French toast, spanakopita, egg sandwiches or grilled cheese with veggies: Red Rose has something to satisfy every craving.  

Mouchantaf explained that if someone wants to order an item that isn’t listed strictly on the menu, she is always happy to make accommodations. 

‘Whatever you like, we’ll put it together,’ she said.

Hungry for something more out-of-the-ordinary than breakfast food, my dining partner and I decided to order and share the chicken and feta sandwich ($6.45) and the chicken shawarma ($6.50). Neither one of us knew what shawarma was, but we didn’t have to wait long to find out.

Wrapped tightly in thick pita bread, both sandwiches came with a bag of chips and a dill pickle. Upon my first bite of the chicken and feta sandwich, I rejoiced at the juiciness of the chicken and the plentiful amount of cheese. Although there was no special sauce or spice to liven up the sandwich, I appreciated its well-crafted simplicity.  The chicken shawarma offered a bolder flavor. Thick marinated chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, hummus and tahini sauce practically burst out of the slightly crisped pita. Mouchantaf’s Lebanese roots came through loud and clear with each delicious, seasoned bite. 

Just as we were finishing our last bites and starting to seriously fill up, Mouchantaf insisted we try two kinds of her homemade baklava, one made with chopped pistachios and the other with almonds. Resistance was futile, and let’s be honest, who can resist dessert?

I took my first bite without high expectations. Every time I’ve sampled the sugary pastry in the past, I’ve been overwhelmed by its honeyed sweetness. While the pistachio baklava is well-suited for those with a rampant sweet tooth, the almond baklava took me by surprise. Crisp, lightly honeyed and very nutty, it paired perfectly with the last sips of coffee left in our cups. 

While sitting at our booth, chatting between bites, other patrons read the paper at the bar or tucked into Red Rose’s robust dishes. I was overtaken by the comfort of the classic diner feel, even after I had just consumed a meal I previously wouldn’t have even known how to pronounce. 

Well worth the bus trip, bike ride or autumnal jaunt necessary to get downtown, The Red Rose Diner has a hominess and unique ethnic spin that sets it apart from the ordinary diner.

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Published on September 7, 2011 at 12:00 pm