By Rod Bacon
Aficionados of the classic chrome-sided diners that offer comfort foods at almost all hours of the day and night know that Silk City Diners are the gold standard of such establishments.
Founded by Everett Abbott Cooper in Patterson, New Jersey, the company produced approximately 1,500 diners between 1926 and 1966. Each was tagged with the year and order in which it was built; for example, 5607 would be the seventh diner manufactured in 1956.
In 1950, Phillip Patenaude purchased one and had it shipped to Lake George, where it stood at the intersection of Routes 9 and 9L until a highway configuration in the 1960s forced it to move to its present location. Originally named the Point Diner, Patenaude rechristened it the Prospect Mountain Diner after the move.
In 1968, Patenaude sold the diner to Arthur Leonhard, who built an adjoining dining room called the Rickshaw that served authentic Chinese food until 1991. The Rickshaw was then renamed the Lighthouse Cafe and Lounge. During his career he also owned Lucille’s restaurant in the village as well as Topside on the second floor of the same building.
Pat Humphrey, the current owner, worked with Leonhard, her significant other, at all the restaurants he owned. When he passed away in 2013 she inherited the Prospect Mountain Diner.
In 2007, a fire started in the air conditioning units in the addition and the smoke damage resulted in the entire structure being torn down. By this time, of course, Silk City Diners was no longer manufacturing the classic structures but Humphrey wanted to continue the legacy built up over the previous decades. She traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, and contracted with Dinermite Diners to construct a replacement for the one that burned.
While the present diner gives off the same nostalgic vibe as the original, it is a bit smaller and has fewer chrome highlights on the inside.
When the deck is open during the summer months it can accommodate 74 patrons.
Some things have remained the same since the beginning, however. Stephen Allen, the chef/kitchen manager, has been with the diner since he was 16 years old. His father, Edward, was the chef for years and Stephen acquired his culinary skills from him. When Edward passed away, Stephen stepped into the role. In addition to cooking, he manages the kitchen staff and is responsible for hiring and ordering supplies.
Currently, there are 15 people on staff, many of whom have been there for years. Humphrey noted that she is always looking for qualified people to join her team in the kitchen.
“We will train them to a certain extent, and sometimes that’s worked out for us and sometimes it hasn’t” she said.
Something that has remained consistent over the years is the menu. While there have been some requests for vegan or vegetarian offerings, they are not frequent enough to justify adding them to the menu, according to Humphrey.
“Diner patrons like the consistency of the comfort foods available here,” she said.
Humphrey believes in supporting other area businesses. In addition to purchasing supplies from US Foods, Sysco, and Performance Food Group, her roster of suppliers is rounded out by Jacob & Toney’s, Chris Coffee, Candy Mountain Maple Syrup, Thomas Poultry, and Lox of Bagels.
Since the Prospect Mountain Diner has been operating successfully for so may years, Humphrey doesn’t do much formal marketing. There is a website and she advertises on local tourist maps and in the Lake George Mirror.
“Positive word-of-mouth is the best advertising, and we get lots of that,” she said.
Currently, the Prospect Mountain Diner is open Monday, Thursday and Friday, 7 a.m.-2 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
To learn more about the diner and peruse their menu visit prospectmountaindiner.com.