Readers Vote Prestige Diner's Coffee Best in New Providence

When you open up a bag of the Arabica Coffee at , the aroma fills the air and sends your taste buds craving a fresh cup o’ joe. Perhaps the unique custom blend is why residents voted for the neighborhood favorite as having the best coffee in New Providence.

, Prestige Diner received 583 in total. came in a close second with 478 votes, while , and were also in the running.

Jimmy and Harry Vardas are brothers who inherited Prestige from their Uncle Tom, who originally opened the diner doors in 1967. The brothers say, “It feels great” to have won this week’s Readers’ Choice contest.

“It’s very rewarding and we need to say thank you to everybody who has voted for us and drinks the coffee we serve,” Jimmy said.

So what makes Prestige Diner's coffee so special? The brothers say it's because they customized their own Brazilian and Colombian blend from Arabica Coffee & Tea, based in Garfield, NJ, which is roasted on the Arabica premises.

“We tried quite a few coffees before we decided on this one. We work very closely with a small roaster who does custom blends,” Jimmy said. “[The blend is delivered] twice a week and we do grind it right before we brew it. It does make a big difference; it’s as fresh as it gets.”

The sweet, full body of the Brazilian beans, combined with the bright acidity and heavy body of the Colombian beans, does make for a bold, aromatic concoction for diner goers. But the fun doesn't stop there, as the duo regularly serves up fresh specialty and seasonal flavors.

“Right now, we have Hazelnut. A few months ago, we had Pumpkin. We had Nutmeg over the holidays, [and then] French Vanilla,” Jimmy said. “[Arabica] actually roasts the beans with the flavor. It’s not like [they] pump some syrup and are done with it. It’s as good as it gets.”

Throughout the week, and shared why they love coffee from the diner as well as Tables for 2 Panini Cafe and The Grammarie. One commenter, Fred Cowburn, said what makes Prestige's coffee so satisfying is “the blend and the super-filtered water.”

Cowburn is right, as the Vardas brothers said they spent a lot of money for a top-of-the-line water filter.

“It’s totally separate and makes sure the water is as pure as possible,” Jimmy said. “We serve so much coffee that we make sure it’s fresh all the time.”

While the brothers say they dish out nearly 600 cups of coffee each day, with free refills, Prestige also offers a wonderful selection of enticing herbal teas, organic and flavored, which also come from Arabica Coffee & Tea.

And let’s not forget about the menu at the diner, which is heavy with selections and offers up hundreds of options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Coffee cups are always kept filled, the dessert case is never empty, and new selections can always be found on the specials board.

The diner also receives daily deliveries of fresh ingredients, and tries to use local produce and organic ingredients as much as possible when preparing meals.

Since Prestige opened in 1967, the diner has also undergone numerous changes, especially throughout the last few years with its recent renovation and expansion project. But the heart of the establishment has remained the same — a place for community members to go for a scrumptious meal and a steaming cup of coffee, where everyone knows your name.

Check New Providence Patch this Monday for our next Readers’ Choice contest.