Naughter's — Restaurant in Troy

Holy moly the reviews of this place are legit! I had to meet a guy about a thing, and Troy was halfway between us, so we decided to bring our SOs and meet for lunch. As is my MO, I looked around for something funky and local, and stumbled upon Naughter's. The reviews sounded almost too good to be true, and it looked to be in an interesting OLD part of town.

The four of us arrived at about 12:45 on a rainy Saturday, and got lucky. We were seated in about 5 minutes at the only table large enough, the glittery green booth in the front window. It's a small place, about 20 seats, with half or more at the counter.

This place is a Joint, with a capital J, and I mean that in a positive, affectionate sense. It's one of a kind. It's like a speakeasy, no sign and a nondescript entrance. Inside is bright and pleasant, and the staff is friendly. The standard menu has lots of yummy choices, and the specials on the chalkboard are worth a look. This is classic diner food, but it's all prepared perfectly, and obviously with quality ingredients.

Once in a while I'm somewhere and I think "man, I wish Dad was still around, he'd have really enjoyed this." Naughter's is that kind of place. As a kid we ate in lots of tiny out of the way diners and gin joints on our fishing trips, and this brought back those memories. The food at Naughter's is a notch above those old places, though.

Two of us had the corned beef hash with two over easy eggs and sourdough toast, my partner had the special lox eggs benny, and the fourth had a short stack with an egg and bacon on the side. Everyone was very happy with their food. Things were flavorful and perfectly seasoned, not greasy, crispy where they should be crispy, and not crispy where they shouldn't be.

The building has clearly had at least nine lives, and not all of them have been easy. The restroom is up a flight of stairs that's as steep as a ship's ladder, and the treads are worn, sloping, and slippery. At the top is a beam you will have to duck under if you are taller than about 5' 3". If you think going up sounds treacherous, wait until you try coming down. Use both handrails! It's got that very-not-to-code hard-earned character that's hard to find.

If you want a very reasonably priced great tasting diner breakfast or lunch in a unique and friendly atmosphere, drop in...

This place is important.

Important because it's a downtown spot open after hours that is alcohol-free. Important because its staff have nailed the fundamentals of operating an eatery: cleanliness and hospitality. Important because the decor, the architecture, the vibe, are all unique and one-of-a-kind. In this way, Naughter's continues the rich legacy of the Americana Diner, the mom-and-pop, "Joe's Eats", the great good place where all are welcome, and the oddballs gather and commiserate over comfort food done right.

Important: it actually IS done right. Coffee is a piping hot, no frills Arabica roasted right and brewed properly. The fries are served immediately, family-style, something to nibble on while you wait, as it should be since they take literally 110 to 140 seconds or so in a proper fryer. Why not pump them out, potatoes still jacketed for vintage, throwback perfection? Enjoy their crisp golden crunch as your eyes scan cassette tapes, kitschy (but oh so entertaining) prints and knick-knacks, marveling at the glittering green banquette. The food for the eyes is utterly simpatico with the actual fare.

The main event: the chopped steak bursts with acid-soaked crisp greens, chilled yet aggressive, causing you to pucker before plunging into the glorious pool of shaved beef and molten American cheese underneath, held together by a hard roll, toasted in the way only possible on a titanic griddle manned by a short-order veteran genius. This complete palette for the palate, the acid cutting through the golden grease, is the stuff of accomplished culinary talent that undergirds a simple menu belying the sweat, the talent, the audacious chutzpah of skilled chefs making simple food with rock star passion and folk love. If you've seen The Menu, you know what I mean.

The affable young chefs and staff, a sincere but light-hearted brigade, welcome you with a proper greeting, attentive service, and the emotional intelligence to indulge the chatty Cathy's, but leave the drifters to their meal. It is the ideal spot for the haggard graduate student mid-thesis, the Podcaster compiling notes, or the beat cop writing up her logs for the evening. It is Murphy's, it is Nighthawks, it is the Great and Secret Diner.

Hurry before the...

I took my girlfriend to Naughter's for a late breakfast. This restaurant is distinguished by the fact that there is no large sign to pinpoint its location. What you have to do if you don't already know, is fine the blue and white building next to Oregano Thyme. There is a hilariously small sign, no larger than a sheet of paper next to the door.

When we walked in, we were greeted by a waiter who asked us to pick a seat, as it wasn't too busy around 11:30. Naughter's is a quaint, cozy little eatery.

For breakfast, I had the daily special (subject to change) "Eggs Pomodoro." I don't know what I was expecting to eat this morning, but it certainly wasn't this. I've had food that looks good, and tastes great, but lacks structure. This meal however, left nothing to be desired. The sourdough was toasted perfectly, the eggs were buttery smooth, and the sausage was a little spicy with great flavor. Underneath the poached eggs was an absurdly delicious marinara sauce. My girlfriend has the eggs Benedict, which looks like a work of art. She did mention that it was pretty delicious too.

As our meal was getting started, I noticed a gentleman leaving with a hot chocolate to go. I joking whispered loudly to my girlfriend "is that a hot chocolate?!" and our waitress responded in her own whisper with "would you also like a hot chocolate?" I didn't see hot chocolate on the menu, so of course I said yes. I was surprised that we didn't get watery hot chocolate, as I'm all too used to from any restaurant. They clearly used milk, and boy did it make all the difference.

Top notch service, fantastic food, and a cozy atmosphere. I'm upset that my stomach couldn't have two meals, because I wanted the meatloaf sandwich special too. You will be more than satisfied...