Diamonds Restaurant, 132 Kent Street, The Burg
A Review from 1999.
Diamond's still shines
Times, The (Trenton, NJ) - Friday, January 22, 1999
Author: JOAN BELKNAP, Times Staff Writer
Everyone has favorite restaurants. Diamond's (132 Kent Street)
in Chambersburg is one of mine. I confess that they have gone
really upscale and are between menus right now. They probably
are the priciest in the Burg , but if beautifully prepared
food (from three women in the kitchen), served with care in
a splendid room is important to you when you dine out, then
Diamond's is for you. It doesn't hurt that they have special
recognition from Wine Spectator magazine for their wine list.
''They'' are Tommy and Anthony Zucchetti who took over the
family bar in 1982. Associate Taster Leona did a yeoman's
job tasting, and she (of the small appetite) fell entirely
in love with the food. We started with two perfect drinks:
A perfect Manhattan and a perfect martini (gin, dry vermouth)
. I learned something new: A ''perfect'' Manhattan means part
sweet and part dry Vermouth. My martini was icy cold and
perfectly wonderful. We debated appetizers, among which
Beluga caviar is prominent at a prominent price. The Maryland
crab cake sounded tempting, as did Lobster St. Jacques in a
cream and cognac sauce. INSTEAD, for openers we had a pasta
of the evening _ bowties in a lovely, light pink sauce with
bits of veal. The soup of the day was chicken noodle and the
kitchen makes wonderful soups. The best I've had here is a
mushroom, potato soup that has a clear broth. House salads
were lightly dressed with a honey-mustard dressing _ nice
crisp greens with bits of red onion and cucumbers.The
palate cleanser was lime sorbet, quite refreshing. We could
have had more sorbet for dessert, too. Lee's entree was the
most divine Veal Oscar, $24, consisting of a top-grade
piece of veal with a goodly quantity of fine lump crabmeat
and skinny asparagus topped by a light-as-a-feather
hollandaise. Lee loved it and so did I. I chose a rack
of lamb, $29, that was exquisitely tender, cooked medium
rare as ordered. We ordered two a la carte sides that
would have made the whole trip worthwhile by themselves:
sauted escarole, $5, and risotto _ Italian rice with
Parmesan cheese, porcini and portabella mushrooms, $9. The
escarole had the addition of pieces of imported black
olives, making the dish a trifle salty but delicious
nonetheless. WE ENDED with vanilla ice cream with
lingonberry sauce (lingonberries or ''cowberries'' are
a member of the cranberry family) and a slice of boozy
tiramisu for me. We loved them both.
4 comments:
Way over priced, no wonder why the closed
Diamonds was in business for many many years and left the Burg like over 30 other restaurants did in the years after the late 90s. If price was a factor it was one of many factors. I point this out only to be fair.
I remember being introduced to Diamond's Kent Street Café a million years ago (like the early eighties) when I was dating someone from the 'Burg...walking in there and being enveloped by the smell, the white twinkle lights and Frank Sinatra crooning in the background was an intoxicating experience-one that no amount of money could buy and worth every penny spent to have it. I'm not thirty years old any more but even when I walk into Diamond's Hamilton today that feeling comes back...it was a very special place.
Ricky Schiel
My great Aunt Lucy and Uncle “Zucci” Scacetti owned the original Kent Cafe, at this location, in the 1950’s. My dad’s family is from the Chambersburg area (he grew up at 454 Hamilton Ave). The entrance in the front led to the bar, and you had to walk through the side alley to enter the dining room.
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