I wanted this to be a jolly post. I lately came across an article about diners in National Geographic Traveller ‘Classic USA 2024’ special edition. Diners, typical American diners, have always somehow appealed to me even though I have never actually been to one. Perhaps it’s the nice diner images in the films, or their free spirit and jolly decoration or just the feeling of joy due to their common red seats or dim lights… I don’t know… (Photo above: Arlington Diner in North Arlington, New Jersey, US, by Mark Parren Taylor )
I also remember a painting by the American artist Edward Hopper which once adored my bedroom when I was a young girl – a painting that portrays three people in an all-night diner sitting at the counter opposite a server as viewed from the diner’s glass window….
The painting titled “Nighthawks” by Edward Hopper in 1942 (Photo: arctic.edu)
(Three people in the diner seem lost in thought and disengaged from each other. Hopper had said “unconsciously, probably, I was painting the loneliness of a large city” – which is still a valid theme. Hopper is said to be inspired by a diner in Greenwich Avenue in New York where he lived. The painting is located at “The Art Institute of Chicago” (arctic.edu))
White Mana Diner (left) – since 1946 and Colonial Diner (right) both in the state of New Jersey, US (Jimmy Gremanis, whose family owns Colonial Diner since 1980s says: “As a teenager, the thing I wanted the most was to cook on the hotplate — and it’s still my happy place.”) (Photos and info: Mark Parren Taylor via nationalgeographic.com)
I had once lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for about five months, yet I didn’t come across a diner then. Maybe diner like cafes but not a classic diner. The article I have read says New Jersey is the “spiritual home of the American diner with almost 600 known for their retro settings, comfort food and calorific recipes – US icons owned by families that pass their aprons many of which are open around the clock” (nationalgeographic.com). The article names four of them: ‘White Mana Diner‘ and ‘Miss America Diner‘ in Jersey City, ‘Bendix Diner‘ in Hasbrouck Heights and ‘Colonial Diner‘ in Lyndhurst.
Miss America Diner in Jersey City named by a German immigrant, one of its owners. Dating from 1942, it welcomes all-comers including a former city mayor / Mario Costa, current owner of White Mana Diner – a Portuguese immigrant who was once the kid who swept the floor and made the fries and started at the White Mana Diner in 1972 (Photos and info: Mark Parren Taylor via nationalgeographic.com)
Bendix Diner – a neon-lit steel fixture in Hasbrouck Heights from the mid-1980s which had appeared in films such as ‘Boys on the Side‘ starring Whoopi Goldberg – known for its ‘triple decker’ sandwiches. (Photo: mrlocalhistory.org)
Colonial Diner is known for its fluffy pancakes and waffles with juicy strawberries and crispy bacon along with classics such as the Reuben sandwich with pastrami, tangy sauerkraut and melted cheese / White Mana’s signature burger with chopped onions, Swiss cheese and pickles (Photos: nationalgeographic.com)
Ruby’s Diner in California, US (rubys.com)
I met with a childhood friend living in San Diego with his American husband and children this summer, who said to me that “breakfast for dinner” concept only applies to diners in US for not everywhere serves breakfast in the evening. She told me about some diners which I would like to mention here: Denny’s (a historical diner with pictures from the 20s on its walls serving food such as steak and hamburgers), Ruby’s (a diner with red seats where fried onions, shrimp or fish style dishes are served by miniskirted waitresses), IHOP(International House of Pancakes) (serving pancakes, crepes and omelette style dishes),and Corvette’s (an interesting San Diego special diner playing 50s music with arcade games and balloons where miniskirted waitresses throw straws – with a queue in front).
Denny’s Diner at Lake Delton, Wisconsin, US – a classic diner famous for its Cinnamon Rolls baked fresh every morning (dennysdiner.com) (Photo: Facebook of Deny’s Diner) (I like cinnamon rolls which are perfect accompaniments of coffee.)
Two dishes served at Denny’s (Photos: dennysdiner.com)
Waitresses at Corvette’s – a popular diner preferred for birthday celebrations and other events (Photos: sandiegorestaurants.com / blog.sandiego.org)
Donuts
Donuts … Sweet jolly holes that take me back to my childhood… Donuts were a common pleasure for my dad and me. I once remember him taking me to a donut store late in the evening, at my request, to buy some and enjoy them at home…
An article in Travel+Leisure (September 2023 issue) mentions about the 2020 documentary ‘The Donut King‘ displaying how the Cambodian immigrant community played a role in the development of southern California’s doughnut (donut) shops.
Photos: Travel+Leisure, September 2023 issue via magzter.com (left) / Randy’s Donuts, LA (randysdonut.com)
In the article, Los Angeles is named a great doughnut town and five spots are mentioned: DK’S DONUTS & BAKERY(famous for its croissant-doughnut hybrid), RANDY’S DONUTS (with classics like cinnamon crumb cake, glazed, and jelly filled), HOLEY GRAIL DONUTS (flavors like saffron snickerdoodle or banana brûlée change each week but all varieties are made from taro – a Hawaiian plant), TREJO’S COFFEE & DONUTS (run by actor Danny Trejo), CALIFORNIA DONUTS ( Its rosie, topped with rose-water-infused icing and dried petals, is suggested.)
The Butterfly Taro from DK’s Donuts (Photo: yelp.com) / Rosies from California Donuts (California Donuts’ Facebook)
Holey Grail, which has several locations in Hawaii, had begun as a “Sunday Ritual” serving hand-fried taro donuts from a tiny red burger trailer in Hanalei, Kauai. (holeygraildonuts.com) / Holey Grail Donuts in Santa Monica, LA (Photo: happycow.net)
DK’s Donuts varieties (Photo: blog.grubhub.com) (How jolly varieties! It seems that there are tones of donut flavors I haven’t tasted yet!)
Bagels
Bagels… My favorite savory staples (esp. bagel sandwiches with cream cheese and other supplements) which I think are perfect for breakfast accompanied with coffee. I had always thought they were of US origin, yet I have read in an article that bagels are rooted in the Jewish bakeries of 13th century Poland… The article mentions five of the UK’s best places to eat them: “Best Boy Bagels, Sheffield“, “Beigel Bake, Brick Lane, London“, “Bross Bagels, Edinburgh“, “The Bagel Project, Nottingham” and “The Bagel Guys, London” (National Geographic Traveller, Spring 2024 issue).
Photo: Bagels from Ess-a-Bagel Bakery, NYC (timeout.com)
However, since New York is synonymous with bagels and New York City is known to have the best bagels in US, I would like the share here the link of “The 18 best bagels in New York City” (click for the link for the listed bagel shops) article in Timeout (timeout.com, July 2023)
Finally, I will mention a bagel place we discovered at our trip to the Netherlands this summer (the glimpse of which I had caught during our canal tour in Amsterdam), which we liked a lot and visited twice for breakfast : “Bagels Village” in Amsterdam.
‘Bagels Village’, Amsterdam (Stromarkt 2, Amsterdam) – a cafe with great fresh bagels and bagel sandwiches as well as different breakfast / lunch options, pancakes and nice desserts like home-made apple pie. (bagelsvillage.nl)
Breakfast at ‘Bagels Village’, Amsterdam, with my husband, our daughter and son, June 2024 (Photos shot by my mobile-phone)
We really enjoyed our bagel sandwiches for breakfast at this cute place, accompanied by a good Americano for me and my husband, with a nice view of the canal and excellent personnel offering a warm service.
I wish you jolly pleasant things – be it a donut, a bagel or warm moments at a classic American diner …
Note: I would be very glad if you contribute to this post sharing your favorite classic American diners, donut or bagel shops at the comment section below.
