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Allen Blythe has been in the diner business pretty much all his life.

"Since I was old enough to reach the dishwasher," Blythe says, laughing.

He grew up in his father's restaurant, Jan's House, which opened in the early 1970s on West Market Street in Greensboro. He worked there until 1994 when he and his wife, Mary, opened their own diner on High Point Road in Greensboro. They called it Jake's.

Seven years later, the Blythes opened Jake's Diner at 4220 W. Wendover Ave. A year later, the Blythes sold the High Point Road location. Allen Blythe says he needed a break from the business. While Mary Blythe ran the Wendover location, Allen Blythe got into real estate.

But Allen Blythe got back into the restaurant business, and now he and his wife have returned to the High Point Road corridor with Jake's Diner (851-0944), 2206 S. Holden Road at the High Point Road intersection.

Jake's is a bona fide diner open 24-7. Breakfast is offered anytime and includes omelets ($3.80 for bologna and cheese to $6.25 for a western), waffles and pancake combinations, breakfast sandwiches and egg combination plates. A breakfast steak special offers a choice of seven steaks ($6.35-$15.75) and includes eggs, grits or hash browns and toast. Or try the Fat Cat Special ($9.85), which includes three eggs, three strips of bacon, two sausage patties, a waffle or short stack, hash browns or grits and toast.

A blue plate special ($6.25) is served from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily and offers a meat and two vegetables, bread and beverage. Options include Beef Tips Over Rice on Monday and Fried Chicken on Sunday.

Other lunch and dinner options include Buttered Steak ($6.75), Grilled Chicken ($7.50), Charbroiled Pork Chops ($6.75) and Chicken Wings ($4.25 for six, $7.95 for 12). Friday is Fish Fry day with fried flounder, fries, slaw and hush puppies for $6.50.

Jake's also offers a selection of grilled burgers and sandwiches, deli-style sandwiches and salads.

Desserts include homemade pies, Hershey's ice cream and Jake's Brownie Supreme.

Jake's on Holden Road offers a drive-through. And a third Jake's is tentatively planned for north Greensboro.

Seasonal menu, hours

The Undercurrent (327 Battleground Ave.) in downtown Greensboro has introduced early summer menus for lunch and dinner, including Chilled Sweet Pea Soup, Organic Greens and Pan Seared Grouper. Visit www.undercurrentrestaurant.com.

Summer hours are 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday for lunch, 5:30 to 9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday for dinner. Call 370-1266 for reservations.

Jerusalem Market delivers

Jerusalem Market (5002-H High Point Road, Greensboro), a small, family-owned shop specializing in Middle Eastern deli foods and Mediterranean pantry staples, has been a popular destination since Saliba Hanhan opened the shop 20 years ago. And until now, the only way to get your fix was to stop by and navigate past the shelves of olive oil, pasta and pickled items to place an order for spinach pie or falafel. Now, the market is offering a delivery service.

"We want to provide our service to our customers," says Easa Hanhan, son of Saliba Hanhan and co-owner of the shop. "One of the biggest concerns our customers have is that I'm out of the way."

So, the market is offering delivery to Greensboro and High Point from 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday.

Easa Hanhan says the market is flexible with delivery.

"We want to have some fun with it," he says.

For $5, Jerusalem Market will bring to your door almost any item the store offers, including deli items, roasted nuts, dried fruits, balsamic vinegars, beans, grains and imported cheeses.

Call 547-0220 or visit www.jerusalemarket.com to peruse the menu and place an order.

Hot dog shack anniversary

Chef Jacks Hot Dog Chili Shack (3750-A Battleground Ave., Greensboro; 617-4075) is celebrating its first anniversary on Saturday.

In addition to live bluegrass banjo, Chef Jacks has some meal deals that include $1.39 hot dogs (any way you like), 99-cent kids dogs (ketchup and mustard only) and $1 off the Cuban, Grecian and barbecue sandwiches and all burgers. And for $2 more, make anything a combination with fries and bottomless drink. Specials are limited to two items per customer.

A barbecue plate featuring South Carolina Barbecue Hash will be offered at a special price.

Barbecue hash?

At the urging of the local Gamecock Club, Chef Jacks has started serving South Carolina Barbecue Hash.

"It has everything but the squeal, my granddaddy always said," Michael Corley says, laughing. Corley is co-owner of Chef Jacks and a native of South Carolina.

"But I make a cleaner version with ground beef, pork sausage, liver pudding and barbecue sauce."

Barbecue Hash is served over rice.

Chef Jacks is adjacent to Exxon Quick Snack at Cotswold and Battleground avenues.

Breakfast and soccer

Bender's Tavern (4517-A W. Market St., Greensboro; 292-0080) will open for breakfast during the World Cup soccer games June 11-12, 14, 16-19, 21-26 and 28. There will be eggs, bacon, sausage, grits, hash browns and breakfast sandwiches.

At 2:30 p.m. Saturday, the Greensboro Dynamo will stop by the pub for a visit. Ten percent of all sales that day will go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Best Dish finalists

Once again, Yancey House Restaurant (99 U.S. 158 West; www.yanceyvillage.com) in Yanceyville has been selected by the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services and Our State magazine as a finalist in the Best Dish in North Carolina Restaurant Competition.

Restaurants that enter the statewide competition, which recognizes efforts to incorporate North Carolina products and ingredients into their meals, must feature and promote a special menu for four consecutive weeks.

Last year, Yancey House took first place for the Casual Dining category.

This year, Yancey House is serving a four-course menu titled "North Carolina's Bounty: From the Mountains to the Coast," featuring trout, black drum and fresh peaches.

Call 694-4225 for reservations.

Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen (1421 Westover Terrace; 370-0707) is also in the running and is offering a special menu through June 22.

Supper's rain plans made

Planning to attend Summer Supper at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Center City Park in Greensboro?

The Friends of Center City Park will hold the benefit meal in the atrium of the Greensboro Cultural Center across the street in case of rain. For more information about the event, visit www.centercitypark.org.

Avenue adds small bites

Avenue Restaurant and Bar (201 N. Elm St., Suite 105, Greensboro; 617-5321) is offering a Bar Bites menu from 5 to 7 p.m. weekdays. Items are $7 and include items such as Pulled Pork Lettuce Wraps, Flash Fried Calamari, Fried Exotic Mushrooms and Truffled Pommes Frites.

Tweet your cravings

Got a craving for P.F. Chang? Share it on Facebook or Twitter and the chain will donate money to the Wounded Warrior Project.

For each craving posted, P.F. Chang's China Bistro will donate $1 (up to $10,000) to Wounded Warrior Project (www.woundedwarriorproject.org), an organization that raises awareness and aid for severely injured service members.

Visit www.pfchan.gs, select the dish you're craving and why, and share on Facebook or Twitter. You'll also get a chance to win a $25 P.F. Chang's gift card each day until July 8 and a chance for the grand prize, a $2,010 gift card.

Meal prep includes salads

Let's Dish (2130-K New Garden Road, Greensboro; 540-0222), a do-it-yourself meal preparation venue, is offering Asian, Italian and Fajita salad toppers. Each has chicken, toppings and dressing to create an entree salad that feeds two for $7.99. Just add lettuce.

For more information, visit www.letsdish.com.

Panera's seasonal items

Panera Bread (www.panerabread.com) is offering some seasonal items that include Strawberry Poppyseed and Chicken Salad; Tomato, Mozzarella & Basil Salad; and Frozen Strawberry Lemonade.

Caribbean cocktails

T.G.F. Friday's is offering eight Caribbean Cocktails for the summer, such as Coco'Mon n'Lime and Ultimate Mango Berry Daiquiri.

T.G.I. Friday's is also offering a Three for $12.99 deal that gets you a starter, an entree and a dessert. To view the menu options, visit www.tgifridays.com.

Contact Carl Wilson at 373-7145 or carl.wilson@news-record.com