This glorious sign was photographed by Andy in Duanesburg, NY
Today’s topic is diners! Everyone has a different idea of the quintessential diner, depending on where you’re from. For me, I think back to childhood on Long Island, which has tons of diners: neon lights, big tall menus with at least six pages, circular tables with booth seating that my siblings and I would fight over, and huge plates of yummy, fried food.
Did anyone else feel super special when you got to sit at the counter? 🙂
I love the old style of these seats at Moody’s Diner in Waldeboro, ME
These counter seats at Peter’s Luncheonette in Patchogue, NY were so comfy!
Now that I live up in the Hudson Valley, I’ve made a point to find where to get the best things “from home”: wherever I am, really, I need to know where to find the best pizza (sadly, I’ve given up on garlic knots- LI/NYC is best for those), the best bagels, and the best diners.
There are some standard neon diners here, such as the Eveready, in Hyde Park, NY. This is the place to go for milkshakes and big satisfying breakfasts. Behold:
Whipped cream and strawberries- is there a better culinary combination?
Andy surely took this picture when I was halfway done eating the French toast…
Across the river, in Red Hook, is an adorable place, aptly named the Historic Village Diner. It’s sort of the opposite of the Eveready in that the neon is minimal– and it’s quaint. When you look at the Eveready, you certainly don’t think historic, you think glitzy. And that’s okay! It’s their schtick and it works. But the Historic Village Diner is cozy and country and they, too, have a killer breakfast:
A spinach and jack cheese omelet with hash browns and whole wheat toast. I think the phrase ‘more bang for your buck’ must have originated here in Red Hook
Here in Kingston, we have several diner options, both in Midtown and Uptown, as well as in neighboring Ulster. Our favorite remains the same as when we first moved here last summer: the Broadway Lights Diner (I know, the website’s not fantastic, but the food makes up for it, okay?). Rare to find up here in the boonies: they’re open 24 hours! Next time I have a craving for cheese fries at 3 AM, I know where to go 🙂
Not the best photo I could have gotten, but this Spanish Omelette is just the right amount of spicy and definitely hits the spot when you need a good hearty meal
Looks innocent enough, no? Inside this breakfast burrito are slices of jalapeño pepper- tasty but OMGSOHOT kind of hot.
And for a non-breakfast shot, here’s a small Greek salad I got for lunch:
This is when I was FINISHED. You can’t even see the bottom of the plate! Hands down, the largest small salad I’ve ever eaten (or tried to eat, anyway).
Do you have a favorite diner? What’s your favorite thing to order at a diner? Do you have a neighborhood place you can go to and order “the usual”?
Just for fun, here’s Andy and I in a well-placed diner mirror last spring:
Yeah, mirrors on the ceiling are pretty cool
That’s it for now, kids! Thanks for stopping by! I look forward to reading your diner comments and stories below 🙂
- Crazy how many cookbooks devoted to diner recipes there are!
- Roadside Online: Locate diners and other roadside Americana all on one site
- Comprehensive list of Diner Lingo, i,e. “chicks on a raft” = eggs on toast 🙂
One of my favorite diners was The Village Diner in Huntington village…remember that one? They had great breakfasts and it was two floors overlooking Main Street. How did that place ever go out of business?? Nowhere else has diners like Long Island, that’s for sure.
Yes, I thought about mentioning that one! I remember always ordering a toasted blueberry muffin and a cereal like Frosted Flakes, haha. It did seem like it was always busy, so I’m not sure why it closed, either.
I think Long Island and New Jersey are kinda lumped together food-culture-wise- similar diners, both have awesome pizza and bagels 🙂
How about Tim’s Diner in Northport, but more in your childhood past, Thomas’ Ham a nd Eggery in Carle Place! Remember the eggs served in a skillet resting on a wooden trivet? Tom’s muffins there are some of my favorites when eating muffins we haven’t baked ourselves! A newly discovered cool one is on the North Fork, the Cutchogue Diner, vintage and delicious! So glad you have continued to expand your enjoyment of quality, tasty diner foods. Of course, breakfast loving is an inherited trait in our family!
Definitely Thomas’! And actually, I almost included Tim’s Shipwreck- was even editing some photos from there- but the way the post went, they just didn’t make it in.
Have you been back to Thomas’ lately? Is it still good?