The Darling’s Diner Story: The Cheesecake was Born

The thing that makes a local restaurant so special is their story. Darling's Diner and Famous Cheesecakes, located at N. 2nd and Germantown Avenue, at the Piazza in Northern Liberties is a great restaurant and has a great story. Ryan and Kara in the photograph (below) are an illustration in a simple snapshot of how Darling's serves up a delicious meal and a delightful atmosphere every day. The decor is a mash-up of Silk City meets Stephen Starr. But atmosphere and good food do not create themselves. So, we decided to find out what the story was behind all of Darling's good stuff, especially the cheesecake.

Harry Arnold admits he was born to be in the restaurant business. Thinking back at all of the years he had spent in the food service industry as a busboy, a server, a bartender, and reminiscing about pushing around his fair share of dessert carts, Harry happily admitted, "I really can't imagine myself doing anything else!"  Harry is the co-owner of Darling's Diner and Famous Cheesecakes. As we sat chatting in his diner over a piece of his insanely world-rocking chocolate mousse, Harry's confessions continued. "I had never cooked a thing in my life, but then one day I decided I wanted to try my hand at it."

The very first dish Harry ever tried to cook was cheesecake. By the fourth try, his chef friends knew he was on to something. "They really liked it!" As a waiter, in the back kitchens of Chickie and Pete's in South Philly, a restaurant that banned all desserts, he was turning his coworkers onto his secret cheesecake concoction. They loved his delicious recipes. Harry's friends and anyone who had the good fortune to taste one of his cakes wanted more. The more people tasted, the more they got hooked on his perfectly created recipes. Harry began to realize that he too was hooked. "I was addicted to the feeling I got when people said they loved my cooking." And so it was, Harry's career was born.

Breakfast at Darling's...retro grub for the modern set

Many people encouraged Harry to open a restaurant but his brother John was the man, the "pillar", who really stepped up to the plate as a business partner and investor. The two men opened a tiny 6 seat cafe with a chalkboard menu at 20th and Pine Streets in Philadelphia and within the first year of business they received the Best of Philly Award for desserts. A year later they opened a second store behind the Franklin Institute just off the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on 21st Street.

Business was cooking for a couple of years, though it was not always a sweet ride for Harry and John. Their big plans to move to a third location went sour when the stock market crashed and burned. John was devastated and Harry was in shock. But you know what they say, when one oven door closes, another opens and pretty soon they were planning the menus and hiring the staff for Darling's new location at the Piazza in Northern Liberties.

If you have not been to Darling's Diner yet, STOP what you are doing RIGHT NOW and go there! We mean it! What are you waiting for? We will see you there soon!

Darling's Diner at the Piazza is located at 1033 N. 2nd Street in Northern Liberties. For more info, visit their website at www.darlingsdiner.com

Have you met Darling's chocolate cheesecake?