Fact File
SwitchYard Media, Inc.
Gary A. Seidman
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Designed and produced by Lang Kirchheimer
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A production of SwitchYard Media, Inc.
Courtesy Becky's Diner
Becky's Diner (Portland, ME)
Every morning at 4 am the lights go on, the coffee starts brewing and the regulars -- fishermen, policemen, lawyers and CEOs -- sidle up to the counter at Becky's Diner to start the day with killer omelets, fresh fruit and tales of land and sea. "It feels like the soul of Portland is here," says Becky Rand, who opened her diner 18 years ago and has turned it into a Portland waterfront institution. "You come in and think you're going to see somebody you know," she says.
Becky, a single mother of six, was waitressing three jobs when she mortgaged her house to buy a dilapidated building a diner that serves everything from standard fare to lobster dinners. Wholesome, homemade chow draws the crowds as much as the homey environment. "My son runs the kitchen and my parents eat here every day," Becky says. "This place put my kids through college."
As for specialties, this is Maine after all, so you can start the day with a lobster and cheese omelet or stop by at lunch for a mouthwatering lobster roll. Everything is made fresh, including homemade mashed potatoes, roast turkey and a wide selection of seafood for dinner.
ADDRESS:
390 Commercial St., Portland, ME 04101
PHONE:
207-773-7070
WEBSITE:
VISITOR INFO:
Chuck Seggelin / Sagewood Studios
Sunny Day Diner (Lincoln, NH)
Before heading out to the nearby slopes at Loon Mountain in New Hampshire's White Mountains, it's a good idea to carb-up at the Sunny Day on Route 3. The little diner -- a 42-seater -- is classic 1950s, built and operated in New Jersey for years before relocating to Lincoln in 1988 where a couple of Culinary Institute of America grads ran the place.
The Sunny changed hands since, but it's still known for its Reubens, eggs Benedict and banana bread french toast. Everything is homemade and whipped up from scratch, including the bread. So if you are as hungry as a bear, this is a good stop.
Speaking of bears, it just so happens that Clark's Trading Post -- "Home of Clark's Trained Bears" for the past 80 years -- is within spitting distance of the Sunny.
ADDRESS:
Route 3, Lincoln, NH 03251
PHONE:
603-745-4833
WEBSITE: Not available
VISITOR INFO:
Keith Walker, keith@highdefinitions.com
Road Island Diner (Oakley, UT)
It's been a long and twisty road for the Road Island Diner, which was built by the Jerry O’Mahony Co. in Elizabeth, NJ and quickly made an appearance at the 1939 New York World's Fair. After the bright lights and big city, this diner spent 14 years serving up Blue Plate specials in Falls River, MA.
In 1953, it hit the road again. This time Tommy Borodemus, a Greek immigrant with a knack for the diner business, bought the art deco masterpiece and moved it to the seaside town of Middletown, RI on Aquidneck Island. For more than 50 years, "Tommy's Deluxe Diner" was lovingly run by four generations of the Borodemus family until it was sold and shipped to Utah in 2007.
Today the Road Island is on the National Registry of Historic Places and is dishing out the reliably tasty comfort food that made it famous. Restored to it's pre-war grandeur, the diner sports shiny chrome, "green Italian Marble countertops, Tiffany glass clerestory windows in a monitor style roof and hand laid quarry tiled flooring."
ADDRESS:
981 West Weber Canyon Rd., Oakley, UT 84055
PHONE:
435-783-DINR
WEBSITE:
VISITOR INFO:
Courtesy South Side Soda Shop
South Side Soda Shop Diner (Goshen, IN)
Charity and Nick Boyd, and their daughters, have been running the Southside in Goshen for 24 years in a building that started as a grocery in 1910 and converted to a soda shop in the 40s.
"We're a family-owned business that's been around for a long time and we try to make the best homemade food around ... it's been wonderful," Charity said.
Nick hails from Philadelphia and has brought a little bit of his hometown to Goshen. Authentic Philly Cheese Steaks and Philly Pizza Steaks are among South Side's specialties, along with homemade pies, award-winning chili and fresh seafood on the weekends. It's not just the locals who flock to the Southside. The diner was featured on The Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.
ADDRESS:
1122 South Main St., Goshen, IN 46526
PHONE:
574-534-3790
WEBSITE:
VISITOR INFO:
Boulevard Diner (Worcester, MA)
For all my adult life I was under the misguided impression that New Jersey was the undisputed champion of great diners. Indeed, the Garden State sports an exquisite selection, from stainless steel palaces to quaint lunch cars.
If you are a connoisseur of the latter, Worcester, MA is your destination and The Boulevard is a must see. The Boulevard dates back to 1936 and is the epitome of that golden age when the Worcester Lunch Car company manufactured small, hand-crafted diners with polished hardwood booths, tiled floors and porcelain exteriors adorned with gothic lettering.
This place gushes character. There are characters who work here; characters who amble in; and then there's that huge menu which hangs overhead -- a character in itself. On that menu you'll find all the standard diner fare plus an exotic array of fried ravioli, American chop suey, pasta fagioli and something called Grapenut custard, which apparently is the brainchild of Aunt Kitty. Oh!, did I forget to mention that The Boulevard has been operated as a family business since the early 60s when Ringo George purchased the place? As you saunter in don't be surprised if you're greeted with a friendly "hey ... how ah ya?
ADDRESS:
155 Shrewsbury St., Worcester, MA
PHONE:
508-791-4535
WEBSITE:
No Website
VISITOR INFO:
Peter Merholz
Mickey's Dining Car (St. Paul, MN)
Mickey's in St. Paul is an art deco style diner that has been sizzling and griddling 24-hours a day for more than 70 years. The diner was manufactured by the Jerry O’Mahoney company in New Jersey (of course) to resemble a railroad dining car of the era and was shipped by flat-bed to Minnesota where it opened in 1939.
Mickey's is a celebrity in its own right, featured in more magazines and TV shows than Brangolina -- well not quite -- but it has appeared in everything from National Geographic to Playboy, and was the set for movies including "The Mighty Ducks."
A cramped little gem, Mickey's is famous for whipping up big meals. "Malts so thick you could eat them with a fork, hamburgers so juicy you can use a spoon, and waitresses so ornery you better know exactly what you want by the time they reach you," The New York Times wrote.
ADDRESS:
36 W. 7th St., St Paul, MN 55116
PHONE:
651-698-0259
WEBSITE:
VISITOR INFO:
Steve Snodgrass
Plato's Diner (College Park, MD)
Down the street from the lively University of Maryland campus, Plato's is a popular late night destination for students pulling all-nighters. During the day, families, working folks and seniors flock to Plato's, where owner Tony Akaras and his head chef -- a culinary institute grad -- whip up everything from scrambled eggs to spanakopita.
This is a traditional Greek diner, but it didn't start that way. In 1963 a Howard Johnson's occupied the space, and then Bob's Big Boy moved in during the 1980s. In 1994, Akaras opened Plato's. He had grown up in a restaurant family and he was intent on starting a diner that would "become part of the fabric of the community." Today, as a result of student buzz, Akaras says he "runs into people all over who say 'eh, Plato's Diner, I know that place.'"
Besides the Maryland crab cakes, meatloaf and moussaka, Plato's bakes its own bread, dinner rolls and pastries. And what's a Greek diner without a strawberry shortcake revolving in one of those glass carousels.
ADDRESS:
7150 Baltimore Ave., College Park, MD 20740
PHONE:
301-779-7070
WEBSITE:
VISITOR INFO:
William Lucas
Jackson Hole Diner (Queens NY)
Don't let the big red and green neon Airline Diner sign atop the place fool you. That was hoisted up there for the benefit of Martin Scorcese's 1990 mob flick "Goodfella's" … and more than a few movie buffs racing down the Grand Central Parkway have taken notice. If you recall, Henry Hill (played by Ray Liotta) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) stole a truck outside the Airline.
The diner is actually the Jackson Hole, with classic 1950s pink-and-white booths, chrome, overhead fans and vintage signage. It's so close to Laguardia Airport that if you grab the right seat you'll have a bird's eye view of planes making their approach.
Hipsters, working stiffs and probably a few prison guards from nearby Riker's Island stop by for a late night burger or a breakfast with a side of "whisky down" -- that's rye toast, for the uninitiated. The chocolate shakes are the real deal too.
ADDRESS:
69-35 Astoria Blvd., Queens, NY
PHONE:
718-204-7070
WEBSITE:
VISITOR INFO:
Norm's Diner (Groton, CT)
"Our meatloaf dinner is a big hit and we serve round-the-clock breakfast, but I gotta say, we make a good burger. Everyone comes around for a burger," Joey tells me. He should know, he's a cook at Norm's.
Norm's is a 24/7 kind of place and is located 5 minutes from the massive Naval Submarine Base in Groton. For about 50 years Norm's has been serving strong coffee and home cooking to submariners as well as boat builders from the nearby Electric Boat Corp.
The diner itself is of the stainless steel variety, built by Silk City Diners of Paterson, NJ.
ADDRESS:
171 Bridge St., Groton, CT 06340
PHONE:
860-445-5026
WEBSITE:
No Website
VISITOR INFO:
Bob Jagendorf
Blue Benn Diner (Bennington, VT)
Over the clatter of dishes and the general commotion that comes with an incredibly popular diner, a waitress told me "the food is awesome … the customers are happy … and it's a really fun atmosphere -- otherwise I wouldn't be here."
The Blue Benn has been operating in Bennington since it was shipped up in the late 1940s. Built by the Paterson Vehicle Co. in New Jersey, the diner is famous for its Indian Pudding -- a combination of molasses, cornmeal and raisins topped with ice cream -- and its Pumpkin Bread Pudding. "This is a word of mouth kind of place. People are told that if they're anywhere near Vermont, they've got to stop at the Blue Benn," the waitress said.
Located in southern Vermont -- prime foliage country -- the Blue Benn gets its share of tourists during autumn. It's also a popular destination for college students -- Bennington, Williams, Southern Vermont are within a half hour radius. But it's the regulars, who drop a quarter in the old juke box, that the Benn can count on week after week, no matter how many times it's written up in Gourmet Magazine or The New York Times.
ADDRESS:
318 North St. (Rte. 7), Bennington, VT
PHONE:
802-442-5140
WEBSITE:
No Website
VISITOR INFO:
Tom's Restaurant (New York, NY)
Last time I was at Tom's, there was a huge portrait of Kramer on the wall and I was tempted to order a big salad like Elaine did in one Seinfeld episode.
"What's in the BIG salad?," George asks. "Big lettuce, big carrots, tomatoes like volleyballs," Jerry replies.
Sadly, that salad is not on the menu … though tuna salad, egg salad and a "Large Green Salad" are. I had a Greek salad, which you can't go wrong ordering in a Greek diner like Tom's. It was excellent … and big.
Located on Broadway and 112th St., Tom's is in the heart of the bustling Columbia University neighborhood and is a warm, familiar refuge on a cold night when you need some good comfort food. For the nine year run of the sitcom, the facade of Tom's played the part of the coffee shop that Jerry and the gang frequented.
ADDRESS:
2880 Broadway, New York, NY 10025
PHONE:
212-864-6137
WEBSITE:
No Website
VISITOR INFO:
Courtesy Park West
Park West Diner (New Jersey)
This is the cathedral of diners -- new, shiny, positively sparkling with attentive service and portions that no mortal should consume on his own. The menu is as hefty as a phone book and the food is excellent.
I've eaten at the Park West dozens of times and there are two things you can absolutely count on: you'll be greeted with free rolls and a pasta salad or something before you even order, and you'll go home with a bulky doggy bag. For a diner this big and busy, the wait staff is warm and efficient.
I'd tell you what's on the menu, but suffice to say, if you can't find something you like, then you must be very, very special. The salad choices alone take up three quarters of a page!
Located on one of the most congested highways in the country, linking Manhattan to the suburbs of New Jersey, the Park West has to be good to compete with the multitude of excellent alternatives in this dominion of diners.
ADDRESS:
1400 US Highway 46, Little Falls, NJ 07424
PHONE:
973-256-2767
WEBSITE:
VISITOR INFO:
Courtesy Rosie's Diner
Rosie's Diner (Rockford, MI)
Rosie’s claims to be the most famous diner in the world. It's hard to argue. After all, this is the place that was featured on television commercials for Bounty paper towels starring actress Nancy Walker as none other than "Rosie the Waitress."
Television stardom didn't end there for Rosie's. It has also made appearances on The Food Network, among others. But it's the generous portions of great home-cooked food at affordable prices that's the attraction. Among Rosie's specialties are Cobblestone French toast -- "thick slices of our sweet cobblestone bread, made from scratch and full of cinnamon, walnuts, apples and brown sugar."
The diner is also famed for its meat loaf, real mashed potatoes with homemade gravy, and its signature slow-roasted beef and noodles. As for history, Rosie's has got that too. The diner was manufactured in 1946 by Paramount Modular Concepts and spent nearly half a century as a New Jersey eatery before it was hauled out to Rockford in 1991 for Act Two.
ADDRESS:
4500 14 Mile Rd., Rockford MI 49341
PHONE:
616-866-3663
WEBSITE:
VISITOR INFO:
Ruhrfisch
Wellsboro Diner (Wellsboro, PA)
Manufactured in 1938 by Sterling Diners of Massachusetts, the Wellsboro is a classic, situated right on Main St., which sometimes means you'll have to wait on line to get in.
It's hard to miss this beauty, which has a green roof, a red awning, and a green and white porcelain exterior. Inside, you can sidle up to the glass counter that doubles as a dessert display -- maybe it's a ploy to get you to eat really fast and order a big slab or cake.
The Wellsboro is pretty classic in its menu as well. You can't go wrong with meatloaf and mashed potatoes, but it's best to leave room for one of the homemade crisps, especially the apple rhubarb with a large scoop of vanilla atop.
ADDRESS:
19 Main St., Wellsboro, PA
PHONE:
570-724-3992
WEBSITE:
No Website
VISITOR INFO:
Courtesy Goody Goody
Goody Goody Diner (St. Louis, MO)
It started as a walk-in, morphed into a drive-in and now is a sit down. The evolution of the Goody Goody began back in 1931, the dark days of The Great Depression, when A&W opened its very first walk-in root beer stand at the location. Seventeen years later, with World War II in the rear-view mirror and the country obsessed with automobiles, the Goody Goody popped into the scene as a drive-in, complete with car hops and window trays.
In 1954, the Connelly family took over the diner and has run the place as a warm and friendly St. Louis institution ever since. Be prepared to shovel down a good deal of wholesome dishes at the Goody Goody. For breakfast, how about biscuits and gravy with grits and scrambled eggs. Or you can try one of their stuffed omelets such as The Pioneer -- hash browns, green peppers, onions, tomatoes and cheddar cheese packed into the omelet and covered with gravy. Another tempting possibility is the Chicken and Waffle Supreme. No matter what you choose, you're guaranteed to walk away satiated.
ADDRESS:
5900 Natural Bridge Ave., St. Louis, MO 63120
PHONE:
314 383 3333
WEBSITE:
VISITOR INFO: