The Nickel Diner Opens on Main Street

By Ed Fuentes
Published: Wednesday, August 27, 2008, at 10:53PM

Ed Fuentes [Flickr]

Monica May and Kristen Trattner are greeted by artist and downtown resident Miguel Osuna. The new downtown diner was designed with residents in mind, and a few have invested in the new business.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Well-wishers and stakeholders welcomed the Nickel Diner to Downtown today, and the steady breakfast and lunch crowd made the pace just right for today’s soft opening.

Nestled on a block of Main Street that is still softening its rough edges, the Nickel Diner is a throwback to the days when small diners dotted downtown and served no-nonsense food in comfortable booths, the sound and smell of the grill a few feet away.

The menu and decor show off the work and research that co-owners Monica May and Kristen Trattner took on, plus their understanding of the whole neighborhood. Along with pastries, homemade yogurt, fancy pancakes, vegan dishes, piled-on burgers, and designer salads, the menu has à la carte choices for those with a limited budget, but who still want a pleasant dining experience.

The inside is also an experience. The old menu sign discovered under wall paneling is already iconic, but the extra details remind you a gritty and busy Downtown. The newly installed air conditioning ducts are painted soft yellow with light brown patina, appearing like smoke left behind from decades of dishes served up for the hungry masses.

The entrees can be reviewed as things settle in, and there will be a lot of coverage of Downtown's newest diner. Look for the accolades, and if they appear in print, I recommend you take your newspaper to the Nickel Diner and have the 2 Eggs Any Style, or the Sloppy Joes.

The Nickel Diner/ 524 S. Main St / Open Tuesday - Sunday / 7:30am to 3:30pm / For a few more days: Cash Only

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Ed Fuentes

Co-owner Monica May worked the kitchen and served up this "Lowrider Burger". The grill is visible through the front window adding a traditional diner ambiance.

Ed Fuentes

Pastry Chef Sharlene Fong studied at NY's Institute of Culinary Education. Her kitchen experience includes time with restaurateurs Thomas Keller and Danny Meyers. While the window reads Breakfast Lunch and Dinner, dinner hours will be set later this year.

Ed Fuentes

Fresh donuts sit in the window and will tempt you from just walking past the Nickel Diner.

Ed Fuentes

The uncovered sign of a older downtown is now restored and part of the decor.

Comments

bromike666 writes:

Next to Ralphs this is the best thing to happen to downtown. I'll be there Sunday and I pray that the food is good. We gave up on Pete's years ago because their food was crap. Since then we've been wishing for a breakfast joint that could eliminate the drive to Sunset Junction.

# on Aug.28.2008 AT 06:31 AM

Karin Liljegren writes:

CAn't wait to try it - but why can't anyone stay open for dinner!!! How can we convince people to stay open???

# on Aug.28.2008 AT 09:12 AM

karin Liljegren writes:

oh and sundays - there is nowhere to eat on sundays! Cooking is the last thing I want to do on Sunday Fun day!

# on Aug.28.2008 AT 09:13 AM

Eric Richardson writes:

Karin: The Nickel plans to stay open for dinner and late-night soon, but is just getting its feet under it with breakfast and lunch.

# on Aug.28.2008 AT 09:14 AM

Veronica M writes:

bromike666 - Only open Monday - Saturday. Don't try to go on Sunday :(

# on Aug.28.2008 AT 09:16 AM

monica may writes:

Hey kids Ed misprinted - WE ARE OPEN SUNDAYS at 7:30 am. Close at 3:30pm. See you then.

# on Aug.28.2008 AT 10:11 AM

Christian Martinez writes:

Totally delicious! Great value and happy people doing what they do best, cooking great meals. Congratulations on your new venture!

Christian Martinez, Publisher

# on Aug.28.2008 AT 10:19 AM

Ed Fuentes writes:

Monica: Thanks for the correction on days and hours. Fixed on post.

# on Aug.28.2008 AT 10:28 AM

celia writes:

i went to the invitation-only preview last week and blogged about it, then i went back yesterday to sample the lunch menu and sharlene's tres leches cake - delicious. i plan on methodically going through the entire menu because everything i've had so far has been fantastic.

if anyone is going to the obama loft party tonight in the canadian building, i'm bringing some of sharlene's "cher cupcakes" to share.

# on Aug.28.2008 AT 10:30 AM

Bartleight writes:

Congratulations Monica and Kristen! See you later for lunch.

# on Aug.28.2008 AT 11:14 AM

Dennis writes:

YEAH!!! Congratulations Monica and Kristen!!! Banquette is one of my favorite local places to hang out, so I am really looking forward to the Nickel - and it's even closer to my loft!!! HOW COOL!

# on Aug.28.2008 AT 01:02 PM

Haven writes:

Excellent diner food. Went this morning and had an egg scramble. They give you homemade salsa and jam, both of which are great. Good option for take out too - look forward to the later hours.

# on Aug.28.2008 AT 02:12 PM

Bartleight writes:

I just returned from a fabulous lunch at The Nickel. Wow! And the pastries are amazing. My favorite is the double stuffed giant oreo cookie. Yum.

# on Aug.28.2008 AT 02:12 PM

Juichi writes:

It's great to have more food in the area. I'm looking forward to checking this place out. I'll be more excited for the late hours when they set in, depending on how late the hours are. We already have a couple of bars, we just need some close places for food afterwards.

bromike666- Angelique Cafe is also open and every time I've gone there I've had excellent food(although the service could be better). Pete's has awesome cheese fries. Everything else they have has been good, but nothing great. They should probably re-vamp their menu a bit.

# on Aug.28.2008 AT 06:11 PM

bromike666 writes:

Juichi - I want breakfast and a no nonsense diner to eat it in. I've walked by the Angelique many a time and find it to be very uncomfortable looking. The tables are packed together, there's no room to stretch your legs.

Give me a booth, no dogs and some tasty food!

# on Aug.29.2008 AT 02:24 PM

Vive La France writes:

Angelique is a French-ish cafe....and this is the way we do things in France, the tables are close together.

Perhaps you are more better suited to the wide open spaces of say -- McDonalds?

# on Aug.31.2008 AT 04:34 AM

Dennis Smith writes:

Can you say "McRoyale avec fromage et le biere"? Maybe the availability of beer at all French McDonald's makes the close quarters seating a little more bearable.

However, to satisfy les gendarmes de cuisine, the food at McDonald's in France carries a label warning parents not to feed their children this kind of food more than three times a week.

# on Aug.31.2008 AT 09:40 AM

Li writes:

Had breakfast here twice in one weekend. Super friendly staff and very welcoming of my kid. The scramble with goat cheese, spinach and bacon is amazing, as is the sourdough bread and the homemade salsa. I will definitely be coming here again.

# on Aug.31.2008 AT 08:17 PM

Pet Project writes:

Kevin and I had breakfast there on Saturday and all we could talk about on the walk home was how freakin' good the food is and at a fair price! None of this price-gouging fru-fru food but good, solid diner food! I had two eggs, poached with potatos and chicken sausage and Kevin had the Hangover Breakfast. Kristen brought us some delicious donut samples to try (who would have thought bacon on a donut would be delicious??) and she showed us the dessert tray. They really lucked out in getting Ms. Fong to work the pastries! Monica was behind the counter, "slinging hash" and the wait staff were friendly and helpful. I can't wait to go back to try the lunch menu!!

# on Sep.01.2008 AT 12:06 PM

bromike666 writes:

Vive La France - go surrender something already.

Had breakfast at the Nickel and it was excellent. Tasty food, great vegan for my gf and no obnoxious French people. A perfect addition to downtown, see ya next weekend.

# on Sep.01.2008 AT 08:01 PM

Juichi writes:

bromike666- There are booths upstairs in Angelique Cafe. I love the atmosphere of Angelique Cafe. It's very quaint and probably one of my favorite settings for downtown eating.

I checked out The Nickle Diner on Saturday. The place was pretty busy. It looked like the staff still needed a little time to get used to the place, but they were still very nice. The interior is cool and a little retro looking. The food was interesting. Good, but not what I expected. I will definitely be back for second opinion.

# on Sep.02.2008 AT 01:06 PM

Seana Hansen writes:

Just went to Nickel for lunch today. I had the BLTA (the A stands for avocado). It was fantastic. I love this place. It will be my new weekend lunch spot.

# on Sep.06.2008 AT 01:32 PM

Kash writes:

This place is FANTASTIC! Great food, service, atmosphere, the whole package. I'll be there alot and would suggest that everyone make a stop in at the Nickle soon.

# on Sep.11.2008 AT 10:24 AM

gioconda writes:

The food at the Nickel Diner is fantastic! Great decor, fun rockabilly music, wonderful staff, big windows in a sunny, cheerful room. I love the place.

I'm vegetarian & ordered the grilled vegetable sandwich w/coleslaw. Red peppers, onions, eggplant & zucchini sauteed and layered high on thick, warm rye bread was impossible to stop eating after the first bite. The cole slaw was the best I've had in a restaurant anywhere.

I drank housemade spicy V8 and perfectly brewed coffee. For dessert I had vegan coconut tapioca pudding with strawberries. I am rarely capable of overeating, but I simply could not put my spoon down! The food is amazing! Just go and pig out! Worth every penny. Did I say the prices are beyond reasonable? It's great!

# on Sep.15.2008 AT 04:15 AM

Troy writes:

I just had an amazing breakfast at the Nickel Diner. Two eggs poached ham, sourdough toast and hashbrowns. Eggs cooked a nice medium, their special blueberry jam was incredible, so was their in house salsa on the eggs. The ham tasted great - no grissle. Service fabulous. I'll be back and highly recommend it.

# on Sep.28.2008 AT 10:16 AM

Tom Collins writes:

Looks like the Nickle Diner is getting some press in the blogosphere over at LASnark http://www.lasnark.com/2009/01/29/bacon-covered-donuts-at-nickel-diner/2692/

# on Jan.29.2009 AT 02:26 PM

niel hammond writes:

just wanted to let you know I had a great lunch friday and you have a great bunch working at you're establishment

# on Mar.09.2009 AT 09:08 AM