BS: A Guide to Diners

Subject: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: RangerSteve
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 01:56 PM

After reading the "MacDonald's or Burger King" thread, I thought about diners, and decided we need a guide to the best ones. I don't remember the names of a lot of the diners I've been to, but here are some of my favorites. Feel free to add to the list.

Arlene and Tom's - Port Jervis, NY. The burgers are hand-made, not pre-fab patties, and the fries didn't wilt after a few minutes, but stayed crispy.

Red Lion Diner - Routes 70 and 206, Red Lion, NJ - Chicken Tenders, five really big ones, good fries. Snapping Turtle soup was good, too.

Gap Diner - Gap, PA - also had good snapper soup.

Mt. Bethel Diner, Route 611, Mt. Bethel, PA - really good burgers, and fries that didn't wilt. (This is an obsession with me).

Readington DIner - Route 22, Readington, NJ - all the food is good, but skip the iced tea - it's made from a mix.

Spinning Wheel Diner - Rte 22, Readington, NJ - also great food, especially the shrimp poor-boy - battered, fried shrimp, lettuce, tomato on an Italian roll. Best messy sandwich around.

Cornerstone - Harrison Ave, Frenchtown, NJ - the pancakes are the best I've ever had, with excellent home-made strawberry syrup. For lunch, the crab cake sandwich is great.

Putney Diner - Route 5, Putney, VT - try the tomato - cheddar cheese - basil soup if it's on the menu. Follow it with the Green Mt. Special - Meat loaf, cheddar and cranberry sauce on rye bread.

Americana Diner - Route 46, Belvidere, NJ - Biscuits with sausage gravy for breakfast, followed by your favorite heart-burn remedy. Unfortunately, they closed down and re-opened as the Belevedere Diner, I don't know how much of the original menu was retained. Too bad, since biscuits and sausage gravy are hard to come by up north.

Ellenville Diner - Ellenville, NY - it's been years since I've been there, but it's a classic American diner with all the standard classic ambience. Or, rather, it was. I don't know if they've gone and remodeled it, the way so many diners have been recently.

Canyon Creek Grill - Route 12, Kingwood, NJ - Really good burger with great fried onions on it.

Vincenttown Diner - Route 206, Vincenttown, NJ - all around great food.

Forked River Diner - Route 9, Forked River, NJ - great classic diner, untouched from the '30s.

Branchburg Diner - Route 22, Brnnchburg, NJ - great food, original, untouched interior from the 40's, unfortunately, this is an obiturary, as the owner went crazy and chased the staff out one day and locked the doors. I think it's for sale now.

OK, it's summer and time to travel, so what are your favorites diners? This is an important public service.



Steve

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: number 6
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 02:56 PM

Comeau's Seafood diner located on Highway 1 in Pennfield, New Brunswick (Canada). Incredible seafood ... especially the shrimp. I suggest you conclude your meal with a slice of their cherry cheescake, it's unbeleivable.

If you stop in there on a Sunday afternoon don't be surprised to see many old guys enjoying their meals with a Tilley hat on their heads ... they're harmless (until ya tell them to take their hats off) ... Comeau's is a favourite place for locals to stop off on their Sunday drives.

sIx

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: pdq
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 03:09 PM

Diners are part of America's folk art...

                                 American Diner Museum

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: jimmyt
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 03:21 PM

RangerSteve has started quite an interesting thread and seems to be very knowledgable about one of America's best kept secrets, the Diner

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: Amos
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 03:43 PM

I am delighted to hear the Putney Diner is still doing business!! I used to hang out there in the early 60's.... about 1200 years ago.


A

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: catspaw49
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 04:05 PM

Great Thread!!!

Most of us who love Diners also love burgers and last summer The Sundance Channel ran a documentary called HAMBURGER AMERICA. Check the site and watch the trailer!!

It was a really great film all about these little family run diners who all think they have the greatest burgers in the world. I watched it with a friend and we were both ready to take off on a road trip. In Memphis there's a place using the original grease (too complicated to explain simply), the Guber Burger in Missouri serving peanut butter on theirs........How about the Billy Goat in Chicago where Belushi and Ackroyd stole the "Cheeburger-cheeburger" diner sketch. One place has steamed burger and swiss combos, another features "Butter Burgers".............The whole thing is a cholesterol nightmare but who cares? It truly is a piece of American history on a bun....or bread in the place that claims to have been the first!

They all had some things in common. All were VERY selective of the quality, grind, and freshness of the beef. All but one were family type operations. None gave a damn about getting any bigger or franchising. Most could no seat more than 25 or so. All of them beleive they have the best burger in America and all are proud of their business. Watch the trailer, it's great! Sorry though as there seems to be no view dates in the immediate future.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 04:46 PM

There was an evening more than a decade ago when my son was a baby and my husband was out of town that I watched one of the PBS specials put together by Rick Sebak: A Diner Show (he also did ice cream, hot dogs, unusual buildings and roadside attractions, and more). It made me really hungry (a common response to his shows, apparently -- clicky). It was about 11:30 pm and I though, "If the baby wakes up, we're going out for midnight eggs and toast!" I couldn't think where, though, Denny's isn't really the same.

Tucson doesn't have the same all-night equivalents -- the best ones are the independently-owned breakfast and lunch only places. I miss the diners of my youth back east.

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: mrdux
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 04:51 PM

fields, a tiny outpost in the far southeastern corner of oregon just above the nevada border on the paved portion of state road 205, at the foot of the steens mountain, at the edge of the desert, has a combinmtion general store, gas station and cafe -- maybe called the fields cafe, or maybe not, but it's the only one within thirty miles or so, so you can't miss it -- that makes a truly world-class burger with grilled onions. their real milk shakes and rhubarb pie are pretty remarkable, too. only problem is that it's a bit hard to get to, unless you happen to be in the neighborhood.

michael

ps -- i agree: great thread.

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: Cool Beans
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 05:10 PM

The Blue Benn, in Bennington, Vermont.
Moody's Diner, Waldoboro, Maine.
Miss Florence Diner, Florence, Massachusetts (technically part of Northampton). Locals call it Miss Flo's.

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: Rapparee
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 07:52 PM

Lord, you Easterners!!

How about Oliver's, right here in Pocatello, Idaho? Or Lou-n-Me's, Pocatello and Island Park? Or Butterburr's, here in Poky? Or The Pilot House, down off US 30 here?

Or Pete's Boat House, which used to be in LaGrange, Missouri? Served only beer, catfish, and slaw, but WHAT a menu!

Or the Oregon Trail Restaurant, off I-15 at the Ft. Hall exit. TERRIFIC Indian tacos, and they'll serve you a buffalo burger if you'd like. (It's run by the Shoshone-Bannock nation.)

And there's the Supper Club over in Driggs. And that place in Swan Valley that's famous, not for hamburgers, but for square ice cream.

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 09:42 PM

Jerry's Drive-In in Pensacola, Florida, isn't really a drive-in at all. It's also sometimes called Jerry's Barbecue, though there's no barbecue on the menu. But it's not a good idea to just call it "Jerry's" because there's a Jerry's Cajun Cafe' a few miles away and lack of specificity has caused more than one person to show up at the wrong place for a lunch date. There is, however, a real guy named Jerry and, though he sold the restaurant a few years back, he still lives on the second floor and can usually be found in the place most evenings. Rumor has it that free meals for life and all the draft beer he can drink were stipulations of the sales contract.

Jerry's is not a good place to go if you have cardiovascular issues, hearing difficulties, or Formica allergies. The food is fried, the customers are noisy, and the ambience is "flea market chic". The walls are plastered with posters, bumper stickers and novelty signs which provide interesting reading while waiting for one's order to arrive. Jerry's hamburgers, cheeseburgers, shakes and malts are locally famous, as is the fried mullet. (The Pensacola area is one of the few places in the US where mullet don't migrate far enough upstream to make them muddy-tasting.) Jerry's is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner six days a week. The kitchen is closed on Sundays, but the beer taps open at noon and the television sets are tuned to whatever sport is in season.

By the way, if you order a pitcher of beer at Jerry's it will come in a recycled half-gallon Tropicana orange juice jar, not a real pitcher. Just don't tell whoever serves it to you that it looks more like a jug of piss than a pitcher of beer. They've heard it before.

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: Rapparee
Date: 04 Jun 06 - 10:09 PM

Well, maybe this is the place to mention Bouillion and Soup.

It's an eatry down in Eastern Old Town, on Center, about three blocks from the underpass. The furniture, silverware, glassware, and plates all came from garage sales. The building itself used to be a drugstore and the soda fountain is still in place, along with a stool with a "Don't Sit Here" sign on it.

The place makes bread and soup. Sometimes a sandwich, but usually just bread and soup. Hungarian mushroom soup. Lemon chicken. Etouffe. Clam chowder. Sausage lentil. Tomato pesto. All made fresh every day, with the day's soups on a classroom-sized blackboard. Likewise all the breads -- foccacia, herbed oatmeal, etc. -- are made fresh every day. The place also sells great cookies.

But it's not the sort of place you'd normally go in. That being the case, and because the food is outstanding, I recommend it.

(Tom, the owner, is opening another place across the street. This one will be a high-end steakhouse with an excellent wine list. Tom is a very versitile cook.)

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: Rapparee
Date: 05 Jun 06 - 01:45 PM

The Blue Moon Bar and Grill, Lava Hot Springs, Idaho.

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: number 6
Date: 05 Jun 06 - 04:46 PM

Funny, or I should say sad ... the McDonalds, Burger King thread gets more posts this one regarding good old, mom and pop diners ... goes to show you what it's all about these days.

sIx

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: RangerSteve
Date: 05 Jun 06 - 05:38 PM

Moody's Diner - I passed it on my last trip up to Maine, but it was mobbed and I wasn't hungry enough to wait to get in. I did, however, buy a Moody's Diner cookbook later that day, and going by the book, I can recommend the diner without actually eating there.

Yeah, Amos, the Putney Diner is still there, just barely. The whole building seems to be leaning to one side, like it may collapse at any moment. It kind of adds to the ambience.

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: M.Ted
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 12:11 AM

I've always been fond of the Melrose Diner, which is reputed to be the most successful diner of all time, off of Broad Street, in South Philly--the food was, and I suppose, still is always great---wonderful "own made" pies, open 24 hours, and often crowded at 2am--the waitresses wore pins with the number of years they'd worked there--with one or two mafia hits in the parking lot--

A personal favorite of mine was the American Diner at Chestnut and 42nd which, in it's time, was the West Philly neighborhood hangout--everybody moved down to Silk City,which was very hip, but not really quite the same--

Bob's Diner, on Ridge Avenue in Roxborough had the best grilled porkchops ever, with applesauce and real mashed potatoes--Bob's also had the best cole slaw in the world--it was also the cheapest diner in Philly, and, since it was surrounded by a cemetery, also probably the gloomiest.

Zinn's Diner, out in Denver,PA, with it's " Amos, the Giant Amish Man" statue which you could see from the PA turnpike, had great Dutch Country food--I loved the roast pork and saurkraut, but everything was good(Chicken Pot Pie was another fave of mine), and dinners came with salad , three vegatables and dessert--It is no longer a Dutch diner--so the food is probably very different--

The Akron Diner may still be down rte 272, though, with it's Seven Sweet and Seven Sour sides, including Rhubarb Sauce and Chow Chow--I never had the notorious Pig Stomach, though it was supposed to be quite good--I might have ordered it if they called it something else;-)

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 08:53 AM

"Pig Stomach" - Pork Bellies?

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: Rapparee
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 09:15 AM

Herrederos. Best Mexican food in town. And you can get lunch from their bus in the CAL Ranch store parking lot 'most every day, too.

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: GUEST,Desdemona
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 11:02 AM

I live in Massachusetts, where many classic "lunch-car"-style diners were manufactured, and there are still quite a few around: the perfect place to take the kids for breakfast at any time of day, and CHEAP!

The diner museum in Providence, RI looks great; it doesn't seem to be open yet, but I'm looking forward to visiting it!

~D

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: Scoville
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 11:38 AM

1) Downingtown Diner (Downingtown, Pennsylvania): the food is fine, but the real draw is that it's the diner used in the film The Blob.

2) Puffabelly's (Spring, Texas) has great hamburgers, and is the kind of place where you eat peanuts as a starter and throw the shells on the floor. In fact, if you don't throw your shells on the floor, the waitress will often do it for you. Seriously.

3) Hammon's [sp?] (Glen Rose, Texas) is a barbecue joint, not a diner, but worth mentioning. I don't like barbecue sauce, but I like their barbecue sauce.

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 12:19 PM

"butterburgers"? You talking 'bout Culver's in Austin? Their thing is that they put butter on half of the bun. Boy, you 'muricans, *sigh*, we been buttering buns up here in Canada forever!

Joking aside, they do make pretty good burgs.

Hot buttered BUNS ferever!
(Actually, that could be a whole other thread, on a whole other subject, in a whole other universe. Okay, I'll go quietly . . .)
:-)

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: M.Ted
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 03:10 PM

The Downingtown Diner in the original version of "The Blob" was torn down in the 60's--the diner that is there now is "new"--

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 03:29 PM

White Manna in Hackensack, NJ. Not exactly a dinner, but great burgers. The building was moved from the grounds of the 1939 Worlds Fair and continues to serve customers today.

Matthews Colonial Diner, Bergenfield, NJ. My hometown favorite. I can still remember late-night pizza burgers or swiss omlettes with Elton John singing "Benny & The Jets" from the jukebox at the table.

Any NJ diner for pork roll. Get is served on a hard roll with ketchup. Finest kind.

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 03:44 PM

White Manna link 1

White Manna link 2

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: TheBigPinkLad
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 04:41 PM

Wow Ron ... the cooking of those White Manna burgers (i.e. soaking up the juices in the bun after one turn) ensures that you'd get e-coli even if the meat is heated beyond the safe zone! If e-coli were present in the first place, that is ... ;o)

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 04:58 PM

ahh... you can't let a little thing like e-coli stop you from a great diner experience!!

In all honesty, I have not heard of anyone coming down with e-coli from White Manna or any other diner.

Life is about taking chances!!!

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: Big Mick
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 05:13 PM

Cracks me up to see these South Jersey and Philly Diners. I have eaten in a lot of them which has made me a bigger Mick. I am now avoiding them and taking the weight back off .... hahahahaha. I will say this, if you go away hungry in these places, it is your fault.

Here are a couple that are pretty darn good.

Marlton Diner - Marlton, NJ
Berlin Diner - Berlin, NJ

Near the Marlton Diner is Olga's which is something of a landmark. I think it is overated as diners go, and relying more on reputation than merit.

One that I really like is The Silver Diner,in Cherry Hill. Kitschy as hell, great food and very large portions.

I could go on and on.

All the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 08:06 PM

"the kind of place where you eat peanuts as a starter and throw the shells on the floor. In fact, if you don't throw your shells on the floor, the waitress will often do it for you."

They used to do that in the Texas Star Steakhouses here in Aus for the Boot-scooters, but fortunately for Public Safety (and because of the soaring Public Liability Insurance Rates) that has now been made 'Verboten'.


Traditional Aussie burgers always had toasted (both sides on the grill plate) buttered on both internal flat faces, buns.

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: M.Ted
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 08:41 PM

Those are all good ones, Big Mick. One thing that I noticed is that those three that you listed, in particular, typically serve platters of food that are half again the size that you'd expect--and, you may have noticed, the South Jersey diner trick of keeping the place as cold as ice in the summer, so that you order and eat more like you would at a colder time of the year.

That part of Jersey was, in the fairly recent past, noted for suspicious fires in restaurants, --when I worked in Pennsauken, it was not uncommon to have your lunch plans foiled because the place had burned down during the night--

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: Big Mick
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 08:52 PM

That's true, M.Ted. I took a buddy who is also a large man to the Marlton Diner. For just under $40.00 (including the 20% tip I left) we had a full meal including soup, drinks and dessert. We both ended up boxing food.

If you were working in Pennsauken, you must have eaten at the Penn Queen Diner on 130, no?

Mick

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 10:39 PM

I just looked it up to be sure it's still there. I hope it is still as good: Zeke's Drive-In in Goldbar, Washington. On the way up to Stevens Pass, in a big red caboose. Fabulous hamburgers and shakes. Real hand-shaped meat burgers and real fruit in the shakes. Mmmmmm!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: M.Ted
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 10:53 PM

Yep. I used to eat there a lot--lunch mostly--hadn't even thought of it til you mentioned it.

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: RangerSteve
Date: 07 Jun 06 - 02:57 PM

MTed - thanks for reminding me of Zinn's. I'm grateful that I was able to eat there when it was a Dutch diner. There's still Esther's, somewhere off I-78 but I'm not sure of the exact location. There are signs on the interstate advertising it. Good PA-Dutch food and lots of it.

Big Mick - thanks for the tips. I'll have to try the ones you mentioned. I know I stopped at Olga's once, but I don't remember what the food was like, it was years ago. It's a cool looking place, though.

Let me add Sneddon's on Bridge St. in Lambertville, NJ - for the simple fact that breakfast isn't dominated by an over-dose of hash=browns. You can actually finish one of their breakfasts.

Also recommended - The Amwell Diner - Route 31 in Amwell NJ. Good Burgers.

The New Hope Diner - Route 202 in New Hope PA, I recommend the chicken cheese steak. The fries are also good. I'm indifferent about their breakfasts, however.

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: GUEST,Dani
Date: 07 Jun 06 - 04:58 PM

I grew UP eating at the PQD. Is it still there?

When we had our restaurant here in NC, we put on our menu a Patty Melt, modelled after that culinary dream from diners of NJ. When we perfected it, you should have seen the looks on people's faces when they ate them ; ) Better than... well, no, maybe not, but it's been so long since I had either one, so I'm not really sure.

Dani

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 07 Jun 06 - 05:06 PM

mmm... paddy melt!

It always amazes me to discover that there are regional favorites that are practically unkown in other parts of the country.

Try ordering an egg cream outside of the NY area!

I remember a few years ago an "ice coffee" seemed to be exotic. Now it is served all over.

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: Big Mick
Date: 07 Jun 06 - 06:34 PM

Ranger Steve, if you do that anytime soon please PM me and I will meet you there.

Dani, that's your fault ****snerk****

Mick

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: M.Ted
Date: 07 Jun 06 - 08:45 PM

Y'uns can eat burgers, if you want, but a real diner always has full meals--diner-style, with sides and salad, and desserts--

You should be able to eat breakfast, lunch, and supper there, the coffee should be good--you should be able to get "real" food(not cute food), and plenty of it, and the service should be fast. There should be a counter, newspapers to read, and a jukebox. Also, ideally, the diner should not be self-conscious, which is to say, it shouldn't be a 50's theme park attraction--it should have lots of glass and stainless steel--and, in the best of all possible worlds, the waitress should say, "What can I getcha, hon?"

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 07 Jun 06 - 10:06 PM

Patty Melt?

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: LilyFestre
Date: 08 Jun 06 - 12:19 PM

I've been to many diners but the Blue Benn Diner in Bennington, Vermont is my all time favorite! If you go there for breakfast, I highly recommend any of their muffins, grilled. YUM!

Lots of info and a picture of the Blue Benn Diner can be found here:
Blue Benn Diner, Bennington, Vermont


Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: dwditty
Date: 08 Jun 06 - 01:16 PM

Spaw referred to the documentary Hamburger America in his post above. I am fortunate to live here in Connecticut where 2 of the 7 establishments featured are located. One is Louie's Lunch (New Haven) - purportedly the place where the hamburger was invented...these are cooked vertically,, served on toast, and if you ask for ketchup (or catsup) you are asked to leave. The other is Ted's World Famous (Meriden) where they steam equal amounts of hamburger and cheddar cheese and serve it up on a fresh roll. Ted's should taste awful, but just the thought of this delectable meal tempts everytime I go within 10 miles of the place (twice a day) - Roadfood.com rates Ted's at 100 miles - meaning you should be willing to drive 100 miles out of your way to get one.

dw

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: dwditty
Date: 08 Jun 06 - 01:18 PM

Oh, as far as diners go: The Miss Florence in Florence, MA is great - Adam and Eve on a raft and of course a Rappaho (Indian Pudding). Yum.

dw

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: M.Ted
Date: 08 Jun 06 - 03:13 PM

Diners tend to be the only places left that you can find regional foods--the Indian pudding that dwditty mentions above for instance--and there really are regional foods, and sometimes even neighborhood foods that people still eat. A lot of times, without even knowing that it is a strictly local thing--

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: KateG
Date: 08 Jun 06 - 03:16 PM

RangerSteve

Thanks for all the hints. I often drive the back roads between Sussex Co., NJ and Trenton to meet with various historical/preservation agencies. Crabcakes in Frenchtown sounds like a winner!

Kate

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: RangerSteve
Date: 08 Jun 06 - 04:41 PM

Kate - you've probably passed by my former place of work, Bulls Island and the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park. I'm retired now. The crabcake sandswiches I mentioned are excellent, and they have the best pancakes around, too.

M Ted - you're right about the themes. There used to be a perfectly good diner on Route 22 in Bridgewater, NJ that closed down and was eventually torn down and replaced by a big glitzy stainless steel and neon diner, that is a work of art, but inside is all '50's themed. I grew up in the 50's and I still feel uncomfortable there. Besides, the place is so sterile looking, as if they clean it thoroughly every 5 minutes. There's also one that I failed to mention earlier - the Metro Diner, Routes 202 & 31, between Lambertville and Flemington on the northbound side - it's diner'shaped on the inside, but decorated with art-glass lighting and French wine posters. There's also a grand piano, although I've never been there on piano night. The lighting is subdued, and the food, while still Diner Food, is also vaguely gourmet. If it weren't for the patrons, mostly local farmers, I'd feel out of place there. The potato pancakes I had one morning were reminiscent of basement mold. Otherwise the food is fine. You forgot another important feature - the cake display. The cakes should be real works of art, usually with a slice missing to show the insides, but never actually served. Has anyone ever eaten a diner cake or pie? I've only seen it happen once, with some friends I was with, and I only ordered dessert because they did. I had a piece of carrot cake that came from carrot cake heaven. But normally. they never get ordered. There's also a mystery pastry, possibly a central NJ thing, called an elephant's ear. It's a big cooky-like thing, about the size of an elephant's ear that looks like a large piece of shelf fungus that you find growing on trees. They're usually sold at the cash register, although I've only seen one persen over buy one. Anyone ever had one? What are they like?

Another important feature - cole slaw and a pickle should come with every sandwich.

Finally, why are almost all diners owned by Greeks? I don't have a problem with that, I'm just curious.

Steve

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: M.Ted
Date: 08 Jun 06 - 06:39 PM

RangerSteve,

I know those places! The old diner in Bridgewater was a regular before or after-gig stop when we were up in that area--and the Metro is more or less a landmark--

You are absolutely right about the cake display--it is essential--at the Greek diners particularly, the cakes are HUGE, and there is always a jumbo lemon meringue pie with about four inches of meringue--this hugeness tends to be accompanied by a peculiar, styrofoam texture and an ambiguous sweetness that borders on flavorless--the reason for it is that the frostings and such are often made extra-large with cosmetic tricks, such as powdered egg whites--the Elephant ears are crisp and sweet--they are often purchased by unwitting parents who give them to their kids in the car, where they immediately break into volumes of sticky crumbs.

I wondered about the Greek thing, as well--I asked someone I knew who was Greek and whose family owned a diner--the official answer is that diners could be opened quickly, and, because of the high traffic, would begin making money immediately--in practical terms, my impression is that a number of early Greek immigrants in New York and Philedelphia went into the diner business, and then helped later immigrants do the same thing--as I understand it, extended families
would work menial jobs(often in diners), save, and pool their funds to open their own--

I know that, years back, the "Greek Diner" was kind of a New York City institution, and that it is now more or less a thing of the past--I suspect they moved out to build bigger and better diners in the hinterlands--All you need is a busy traffic circle, and you're in business--

Why is a traffic circle important? Because when people who are looking for a place to eat miss the enterance, they just keep going around the circle--

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: Big Mick
Date: 08 Jun 06 - 06:53 PM

They were so easy to set up. These things came in on a truck complete with chairs, silver, plates.

What is the name of the diner on the circle at 130 and 206 near Bordentown, NJ? It has a very tall set of steps leading up to it. Great cheesebread.

Mick

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: GUEST,Dani
Date: 08 Jun 06 - 07:08 PM

THE CAKE DISPLAY!! How could I forget?!

Mick, is it Mastori's?

And, here goes:

1 hand made really good beef patty, roughly rectangular, about 1/3#
2 pieces of fabulous rye bread, lots of seeds
plenty of butter
a small onion
sliced swiss cheese

You need a flat-top or really well-seasoned cast-iron pan.

Halve and then slice up the onions, then saute 'til soft and caramel colored. This is the VERY MOST important step.

Set aside the onions.

Salt and pepper and brown the burger to medium.
Do not sear.

Use the same pan to cook the melt:

Butter the bread, then beginning butter-side down assemble the melt on the grill or pan: bread, some onions, cheese, the burger, a little more cheese, some more onions, then bread with butter-side out. Put a steak weight on top, or fake it with a pan filled with something very heavy. Cook until bread is brown and crispy and greasy. Flip it over and do the same. It should get pressed.

When the cheese is all oozy gooey, cut diagonally and put on a plate with a damn good pickle, potato chips and serve with icy cold beer.

Amen.

Dani

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: Big Mick
Date: 08 Jun 06 - 07:17 PM

Yep. A for Dani. Mastori's has the best damn cheesebread around. And great portions, too.

That damn Patty Melt recipe is making me want to head out the door to the Berlin Diner.

Looks great, Dani.

Mick

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 08 Jun 06 - 07:17 PM

Mickey's Diner in downtown St. Paul, MN, is a landmark. It used to be across the street from the Greyhound depot, until they moved the depot. According to local folklore, it's where Tom Waits hangs out when he comes to town. It fits.

Someone once made a nice painting of Mickey's Diner, but I can't find it online. I found these instead:

Diner, 10 a.m. by Ralph Goings.

Skee's Diner by John Baeder.

Mickey's Diner by Mike Welton – but that's not the one I remember.

Subject: RE: BS: A Guide to Diners
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 08 Jun 06 - 07:42 PM

Dani - I do a similar thing using a 'foccacia grill' - 2 hot plaltes hinged - been used in resturants to cook 'toasted sandwiches' in Australia for ages...