Let’s play a word association game.  I’ll say a word and you say the first thing that comes to your mind.

The word is… diner.

Did you think along the lines of: greasy spoon, burgers, late (very late) night cuisine, great food for hangovers, bad for you, cellulite….? Am I close?

Many American diners fall into the category of a greasy spoon. In fact, I bet if you compare the menus at most of them, you’ll find rather similar fare. Burgers, shakes, fries, fried chicken, Salisbury steak, meatloaf and some kind of ultimate lumberjack breakfast with half a dozen fried eggs and three kinds of breakfast meat.

Thankfully for us (and our waistlines) times are changing for one American diner. Silver Diner, found in Maryland, Virginia and New Jersey is making a change for the better. Partners, Robert Giaimo and Ype (pronounced, Ee-pah) Von Hengst, are “updating what a diner stands for” by providing local, farm fresh ingredients at their nostalgic neighborhood diners.  Chef Ype even went so far as to say that he feels Silver Diner has a “moral obligation to give good food.” Lucky for me, I was on the receiving end of a tasting menu the local diner held a couple weeks ago.  There was no puddle of grease left behind on the plate that easily earned me a spot in the Clean Plate Club and there were plenty of waist friendly salads full of flavor and freshness.

Some of the locally grown and raised food that Silver Diner is proud to offer includes milk, eggs, chicken and organic coffee.  Instead of bringing food in from far and wide, Silver Diner is able to locally source their supply from farms such as Kreider Farms in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It goes without saying that the difference in the freshness of the food coming from such close proximity is noticeable.

Not only is the Silver Diner committed to making the change to fresh and local ingredients, but they’re also focusing on healthier alternatives such as those found on their under 600 Calorie Entrees. Some of the tasty options available include Smothered BBQ Meatloaf and Vegetarian Stir Fry. Additionally, from May of this year through June of next year, Silver Diner is partnering with Action for Healthy Kids and Virginia Food System Council to help raise money for better school lunch options and more physical activity programs. In fact, they will donate 1% of their loyalty card annual sales towards these programs, ideally bringing in as much as $150,000.

Local foods. Healthy options. Hormone free meats. Even Gluten free pasta! And they’re fighting childhood obesity? This is my kind of diner.

If you’re lucky enough to live in one of the three states that are home to a Silver Diner, I recommend trying their All American Sliders or any one of their salads, such as the Summer Citrus Salad. If you’re in the mood for breakfast, order a cup of Greenberry coffee and the Banana Granola Pancakes. Not into the home fries and biscuits that accompany many of their breakfasts? No worries, you can get a side of fresh strawberries instead.

Robert and Ype emphatically stated that they are looking to be the “diner for the next generation.” I think they’re certainly off to a good start. Check out their website, to see if there is one near you and get ready to erase the idea of a greasy spoon diner from your mind.