The Sugar n’ Spice diner on Reading Road is the original location for this iconic eatery, founded on the principle that good food in generous portions would draw a crowd. That was in part the philosophy of Mort Keller when he opened his diner in 1941. Since then, that philosophy has served the diner well. So well, in fact, that now there are three locations of Sugar n’ Spice, all remaining true to the Keller philosophy that marked the original location. Dining Out stopped at the newest location, in Blue Ash’s Summit Park, to gain a sense of what’s popular among diners in that neck of the woods.
A stack of wispy thin pancakes
“Breakfasts, oh yeah. Definitely. We offer sandwiches as well, but it’s more breakfasts that people come in for,” said Jennifer Arnold, assistant GM. Most popular among the breakfast crowd? “Our omelets for sure, they are a big item, I’d say. Also, the pancakes.” Those pancakes are the wispy thin variety that have been a mainstay of Sugar n’ Spice since the day Mort Keller opened his original door 83 years ago.
So, the Blue Ash location is following in the footsteps of the two other Sugar n’ Spice locations. “At the Reading Road location and the downtown location, 92 percent of what we sell is breakfast; nobody orders lunch — nobody,” said owner Adam Mayerson in an interview prior to the opening of the Summit Park location. The “nobody” part is hyperbole, of course, but when a diner is known for its breakfast meals, people tend to show up inclined to order breakfast.
With the Summit Park location on the doorstep of a sizeable Blue Ash commercial business district, lunch items — sandwiches — may be a bit more popular than at the other Sugar n’ Spice diners on Reading Road and in the OTR area. Regardless, breakfasts rule the day even where you’d think the lunch hour crowd from surrounding businesses would be substantial. Dining Out was there at the tail end of the lunch hour (a bit before 2 on that afternoon) and at every table where diners sat, breakfast meals were being enjoyed.
Sugar n’ Spice’s new location signage inside at counter service area
We asked one couple at a table for two about their choice, and they reinforced what Mayerson learned from his 92-percent study. “My husband and I come here once or twice a week for lunch. We’re retired, and we live in Amberly, so this is perfect for us — not far to drive. But we always get breakfast of some sort. He likes the omelets the best (a nod of the head from the gentleman), and I like them too. But I had the pancakes today. And I love the challah French toast here — like my mother’s. And the waffles, too. Sometimes, I just get eggs and hash browns with the pancakes. But I don’t think we’ve ever gotten a sandwich, like a burger or something. It’s always breakfast even if it is one o’clock in the afternoon. We just love it! And it’s what they are known for, too.”
A Bob’s special omelet
So, omelets. My go-to omelets are: the Greek, with spinach, onions, tomatoes, black olives, and feta and mozzarella cheeses; and the Bob’s special. You will not find the Bob’s special listed, since it is my own ingredient choices from the build-your-own-omelet section. Bet you’ll like this one if you enjoy a veggie omelet with cheese. So, my version is a double helping of mushrooms, along with spinach, onion, tomato, green pepper, and cheddar cheese. Also, I ask for a bit of hot sauce to be mixed into the egg, which adds a hint of tang to a great omelet. Whichever omelet you choose it will be fluffy and large — so bring your appetite!
Eggs sunny-side up, with hash browns and English muffins
As for that diner’s wispy-thin pancakes, those are made from a decades-old recipe. Sugar n’ Spice has been serving the same pancake style since its founding. Having eaten them on several occasions, I can vouch for the light and delicate texture of the cakes, always the same, always delicious. Along with the house-made syrup to pour over those pancakes, and a little whipped butter to top them, you have yourself a real treat for breakfast, even if it happens to be lunch time.
See you at Sugar n’ Spice in Summit Park!
