If you’ve got a piece of science fiction memorabilia hanging out in your basement, there’s a little diner in New Albany that’d be glad to add it to its collection.
Lady Tron’s, situated in an original Valentine portable steel diner from the 1950s, is a must-visit for those with a love of soup, sandwiches + retro outer space vibes.
Owner Summer Sieg established Lady Tron’s about six years ago, though it used to be a local staple called Little Chef. Summer said her lifelong love of science fiction began when she was a kid and her dad always wanted to watch “Star Trek,” after church on Sundays.
When you step into the restaurant it’s a regular episode of “The Jetsons,” as you’re greeted by a cosmic spray painted ceiling, recognizable pop culture characters — like Yoda and E.T. — and the scents of daily specials. When we visited, it was a caprese grilled cheese + a vegan curry soup.
New on the menu is its housemade micro batches of ice cream in two flavors. The Scully, a lemon and blueberry mascarpone flavor and the Buttery Explosion — which tastes so much like butter itself, one bite transported us back to the movie theater for the opening night of “Ghostbusters.” It also comes with a crunchy caramel popcorn brittle on top.
Summer said several of the items decorating her shop were given to her by Lady Tron’s regulars and if you’ve got a cool collectible, she’ll take it off your hands. It’s like a reverse sci-fi garage sale + soup — we’ll call that a win-win.
Lady Tron’s is open at 147 E. Market St. in New Albany, IN from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, except for Wednesdays and Sundays. Follow Lady Tron’s Facebook page to keep up with the menu + any last-minute changes to its hours.
