Jefferson Diner Offers New Thanksgiving Specials

The Jefferson Diner is among several busineses in town that will be open on Thanksgiving, and is offering many specials for families who wish to come for their holiday meal.

The restaurant, which will open at 6 a.m. and have the last seating at 4 p.m., is offering new items in addition to their turkey dinner already on the menu.

There will be 10 entrees on the special menu, ranging from everything from veal, to crusted scallops, tortilla crusted tilapia, and butternut squash ravioli.

Two chef's suggestions priced at $21.99 each include the seafood casserole, which includes a mix of seafood items, and the whole wheat parpadalle, which includes cajun chrimp in tomato sauce over pasta.

Two appetizers of chili skins and teriyaki wings will also be offered at $8.99 a piece.

Owner Nick Seretis said that there will also be homemade cranberry, gravy, and other Thanksgiving sides offered.

Seretis, who also owns the J-Towne Tavern next door, said both businesses will remain open. The Tavern will have its last seating at 7 p.m.

He said both businesses lost power during Hurricane Sandy, which was the first time in 28 years that the diner lost power, after surviving Irene and the October snowstorm last year.

Seretis said the diner reopened the Thursday night after Sandy once they got power back. 

He said customers were waiting outside right before it opened, and compared the rush to a New York City marathon after a ribbon is cut.

"People were very grateful, they were happy," he said, "they were scared, worried because they never saw anything like this. They were just happy to get in here and have heat and have a hot meal."

He said that on each day the diner was closed, the restaurant lost about triple the amount of business they would normally do. He estimates that each day in that week would have had as many customers as they do for Mother's Day.

Seretis said that although they lost business at the beginning of the week, it evened out over the weekend when they saw a steady stream of customers.

"The weekend we opened up we ended up finishing like a normal week," he said.

Seretis said he is currently looking to add in a generator that would power both restaurants so he doesn't have to face another week like Sandy again.

Check out our list of open businesses on Thanksgiving to see other restaurants and stores that will be open on the holiday.