Babylon's Whiskey Down Diner to open this September
Outside the second outpost of Whiskey Down Diner, which opens later this month in Babylon. Credit: Alyson Kanaras/Whiskey Down Diner
Babylon, get ready: The second outpost of the beloved Whiskey Down Diner, which opened in Farmingdale in 2019, is just about ready for prime time. While we got a sneak peek at the restaurant site over the summer; it’s come a long way since. Co-owner Alyson Kanaras and her brother John are gearing up for the opening of their new restaurant later this month. A date has not been announced.
The Farmingdale eatery was popular with diners from the jump, but the Babylon space is in Alyson Kanaras’ hometown, which makes the expansion "even more exciting. Farmingdale is my baby, but this is where I live," she told Newsday earlier this year.
Floor tiles with the Whiskey Down Diner logo will greet diners. Credit: Morgan Campbell
Babylon mimics the diner-with-a-twist concept that cemented Farmingdale’s success, and the menu remains unchanged. Whether you’re craving oversized omelets, fluffy buttermilk pancakes or avocado toast for breakfast, loaded burgers, creative sandwiches like the turkey pretzel melt or a salmon BLT for lunch or dinner, alongside an order disco fries topped with mozzarella and gravy, or smothered with chicken fingers and vodka sauce, be sure to save room for dessert, another Whiskey Down strong point.
We also strongly suggest the Bloody Marys. Seasonal specials, which feature prominently in Farmingdale, will come online once the daily flow of the Babylon location is set. The state-of-the-art kitchen is massive, and will be overseen by chef Patty Conway; the bar will be managed by Gabriella Patti.
For those who lamented the wait in Farmingdale, Babylon doubles seating capacity to 100 and will feature an al fresco patio facing East Main Street that will seat up to 50 additional diners. If it rains, there’s even a weatherproof retractable awning. After a complete renovation of the former Ristorante Gemelli, diners at the new Whiskey Down will enter through a large foyer that fronts a brand-new logo laid in mosaic tile.
Beyond a host stand fronts a merch display, with the main room anchored by a large bar with 22 seats for counter dining, as well as grab-and-go specialty coffee. Typical diner booths line the back half the restaurant.
Owner Alyson Kanaras at the Whiskey Down Diner in Babylon. Credit: Morgan Campbell
A panel of windows illuminates the space, and its high ceiling will be enhanced by — what else — a disco ball, a perfect detail for the spirit of Whiskey Down. "My dad told me not to put in the disco ball," Kanaras laughed, as she mentioned her father, Peter, the family’s restaurant veteran and owner of The Olympic Diner in Deer Park. Alas, the shimmering ball remains.
Whiskey Down Diner, Babylon Village, 175 E. Main St., Babylon; whiskeydowndiner.com
A global freelancer who has checked her suitcase to raise her young daughter on her native Long Island, Marie Elena will always make time for good mezcal, even better tacos and killer conversation. Preferably, in a corner bar seat. She can be found on Instagram at @mariesworldeats.
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