Welcome to Junior's! Remembering Brooklyn With Recipes and Memories from Its Favorite Restaurant

Baking quite possibly the best cheesecakes in the universe, Junior's Restaurant is a legend in its own right. Located in downtown Brooklyn, this home away from home has been wooing New Yorkers since it first opened its doors on Election Day, 1950. Three generations of the Rosen family have served up not only cheesecakes, but also a wealth of other diner delicacies, from Brisket Melt to out-of-this-world ice-cream sodas. Written by the sons of founder Harry Rosen, Welcome to Junior's combines slices of Brooklyn's history and culture with fascinating stories, and, thankfully for us, more than 100 recipes, including 7 for cheesecake. Of course, the real cheesecake recipes are a closely guarded secret, but the Rosens share a similar blueprint with us that ensures "you'll soon be experiencing the taste of ecstasy." There are no soggy graham-cracker bases here--just a lovely layer of light sponge-cake, which can be prepared in the home kitchen in five simple steps. Then, a bounty of cheesecake toppings are yours, including fresh blueberries, juicy pineapple, decadent chocolate swirl, and even pumpkin. Lest we forget what else Junior's has to offer, the Rosens share recipes for, among others, Baked Meat Loaf with Mushroom Sauce, French Fried Onion Rings, even Matzoh Ball Soup.

Junior's is much more than a diner; it is an experience, an urban retreat where good old-fashioned service still exists, where fantastic food is a guarantee, and where regulars and newcomers are all welcome. If you can't make it there in person, let Welcome to Junior's transport you there with words. --Naomi Gesinger