November 2017-Miss Portland Diner Solo-Portland Maine

I usually leave the blogging to Marty and keep my contributions to providing my "mug" shot along with the other Diner Queens as proof that Mary doesn't eat alone.  I had missed out on the first adventure to the Miss Portland Diner and so, on may way back from visiting friends in Portland, I flew solo into the Diner parking lot.    Consequently, you will have to be satisfied with my account of things and  with this "mug shot".

I agree with Marty that the best way to experience a Diner is at the counter so I headed to the right and up the stairs to sit in the original car.  I am rather boring and ordered scrambled eggs which came with homefries and ham (my personal favorite of the breakfast meat family) and then I shook things up with the addition of a "biscuit".  My waitress, Casey was cute and cheerful and  in asked if I minded pay an extra .25 for the biscuit.  I chuckled as I reminded myself that I was in Maine.

Isn't the Diner clock cool?

My Experience 

 Scrambled eggs are unremarkable and so I didn't photograph them for you.  But, I will say that my breakfast came up promptly and true to what I ordered.  

The kitchen/grille is not visible in the diner's car as it is in many of the establishments we have visited so I sat and watched the staff busily filling orders and running up and down the counter pouring coffee.  I couldn't help but wonder how many steps these folks put in each shift.  Surely more than 10,000!  What was remarkable to me was the staff.   Each server I encountered was cheerful and respectful not only of their customers but of each other.  Often I heard them apologize for being in each other's way and saw how they helped one another out and worked as a team.  Two women in particular, who served me, were friendly and went out of their way to make sure I had what I needed or felt comfortable to ask if I did not.    They were conversationally engaging and polite, not just with me, but with every diner around me and I felt as if giving me a good experience was their personal obligation. 

Cheers to you Kasey and Meghan, you are gems amongst your peers!

I left with a smile on my face, a full belly and a wonderful experience at the Miss Portland Diner.  But I did miss my Diner friends and so I purchased three pieces of Strawberry Rhubarb Pie to take home to them because, well......It's Diner Pie, what could be better!  

July 2017 - Charlies Diner - Spencer MA

It has been a long time but on July 15th we were able to coordinate the original three for visit to Charlie's Diner in Spencer MA.   History of the diner can be seen on the cover of the menu:

Our Experience

Busy place - the parking lot was packed but besides the diner car itself they have added a back dining room to keep up with the traffic.  It was really busy this Saturday morning but we were lucky and got seated right away in one of the booths in the diner car.   Waitresses were very attentive, we had our coffee quickly and our meals ordered.

Again I am always partial to eating in the diner car itself because I love to see the activity behind the counter.  It is not real diner unless you can see the food being cooked.   The car itself had been well preserved and like most diners most of the menu was up on the walls anyway:

We ordered a variety of food including omelets, scrambled eggs, pancakes and of course there corn beef hash.  The food was very good but not spectacular.   Yet we emptied our plates so it had to be pretty good.  Definitely worth going to again especially if in the area.  Trip to Klems.

And yes the picture of the diner queens:

April 2017 - Deluxe Town Diner - Watertown MA

Boston Marathon Weekend and my sister Alice (aka Pepper Pot) is in Boston to run the Marathon. She also being a diner fan suggested we get together Saturday morning at the Deluxe diner.   This was the start to a great day where we spent time enjoying the Marathon Festivities while Alice  completed her sign in process.  Then we went to the Red Sox game with her and husband Frank.  Just a beauty day.

History First

The Deluxe Town Diner is an historic diner at 627 Mount Auburn Street in Watertown, Massachusetts.

This diner was manufactured on site, rather than having been prefabricated and shipped to the site from a specific diner manufacturer. In 1947, George Contos and his father built this diner around their earlier Worcester Lunch Car Company diner. The Worcester diner became the kitchen in the current building. The Town Diner's two-tone porcelain siding and its round glass-block corners combine architectural features of the Worcester and Paramount Diner manufacturers, respectively.^[2]

The diner was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999 as "Town Diner"

Our Experience

This place is busy, they pack them into every available space. Definitely looks and feels like a Worcester diner with most of the cooking being done right at the counter.  

The menu was overwhelming - far too many selections but the waitress was excellent explaining it to us and making recommendations based on our questions.  We enjoyed .......

• Corn Beef hash
• Home Fries 
• Pancakes 
• Eggs over easy
• Egg Sandwiches 
• My muffins 
• Some of the best apple fritters.
• and Darn good coffee.

 

And the Syrup they provide for the pancakes and fritters is real Mass Maple Syrup.  Wow in Watertown.  What a treat.

We all left full and very satisfied - well worth visit and five stars for a return visit.

As always a picture of the diner queens:

And Frank

Feb 10 2017 - Miss Portland Diner On way to Toboggan Championships

Fours years of traveling to Portland for Marissa's soccer games and Maureen and I never made it to Miss Portland Diner.  Too many good restaurants is the only excuse, although a pretty poor one.   Thus when all of us were heading up for the snowboggan championships in Camden Maine on February 10th it only made sense we stopped to visit this Worcester diner car.

History First

There is nothin’ finer than a  Worcester Diner” was the slogan of the Worcester Lunch Car Company (WLCC), which specialized in small, handcrafted diners with porcelain exteriors and hardwood interiors.

Worcester diners were often adorned with marble countertops, hardwood booths, and stainless steel panels shaped into starburst patterns and were well-known for their level of craftsmanship.   Today you would be hard-pressed to find a finer example than the 1949 Miss Portland Diner – WLCC No. 818.

Miss Portland was originally located on Forest Avenue and was moved from there in 1964 – to make room for the new Federal Building – to 49 Marginal Way where she served breakfast and lunch to a mostly local crowd.

Known for her special ambiance, Miss Portland made a cameo appearance in Mel Gibson’s movie Man without a Face in August 1993.   In 2004 the City of Portland accepted the diner car as a donation to ensure her proper restoration.

Miss Portland was purchased in 2007 by Tom Manning, a Portland native who left Maine over 35 years ago for a career in publishing in New York City and who came back to his hometown to preserve this piece of local history.  Tom worked with the City’s historic preservation department to ensure that his vision of a revived Miss Portland met with their approval and her doors opened to welcome the residents and visitors of Bayside in October 2008.

Our Experience

Unfortunately Jill had to switch plans and come later in the day but Jackie, Maureen and I enjoyed our trip to Miss Portland.   We had planned a mid morning breakfast and had a small snack before we left Grafton so by the time we got there we were all pretty hungry.  

Similar to most Worcester Diner Cars,  additional cooking and seating is added to supplement the limited space in the actual diner car.  Miss Portland was no different but fortunately they kept diner car appearance pretty much the same.  No cooking in the car but otherwise it looked pretty much like most Worcester Diner Cars.

Yes another Worcester Car clock - like to see those.

They had quite a menu and specials to offer the day we were there.

Maureen had the breakfast sandwich special with apple sausage, jalapeno, eggs and cheese.  She also had a side of hash which was very good.  Wow a couple in row with good hash.   Jackie had the hash and eggs benedict combo.  And I had the biscuits, sausage and gravy with two over easy eggs.  All our meals were excellent and even though we arrived very hungry we all left stuffed and ready for a nap.

  

On the recommended list and would go again.

And yes as always the diner queens:

Footnote

All three of us left so full that we thought we would be done for awhile.  Unfortunately our next stop was only a half hour away and we all had a miracle recovery - breakfast to beer.

Jan 2017 - Return to Miss Worcester Diner

A year ago when we started our diner tour we started with the Miss Worcester Diner.  Well we made our anniversary visit to her on January 21st 2017.  JP was missing but Gabby was more than willing to fill in.

The Miss Worcester Diner or Worcester Lunch Car # 812 is a historic diner at 302 Southbridge Street in Worcester, Massachusetts. It was built in 1948 by Worcester Lunch Car Company and is located across the street from the company's (now defunct) Worcester factory. While independently owned and operated, it was used by the Lunch Car Company as a "showroom" diner, and a testbed for new features.

Like last year our experience here was very good.   Food and service were  excellent and the diner atmosphere is right on.

we were all sticking to our new year diet resolutions - I had Gravy and Biscuits with a couple of eggs on top.  Mo had there hash, eggs and home fries.   Gabby had some hash and pancakes.

Till next month

Dec 31 2016 - New Years Eve Day at South Street Diner Boston

New Years Eve day 2017 and the diner queens and I make plans to head into First Night activities in Boston.   If we are going in there, it only makes sense to stop at one of the Worcester diner cars in Boston for a late breakfast.  Arrived at the South Street Diner around ten am and still had to wait to get in.  The wait was worth it,  good breakfast, good atmosphere and being the holidays it was celebratory day.

History First

South Street Diner (formerly the Blue Diner) was built in 1947 by the Worcester Dining Company to serve local factory workers. Over the years, the Diner has become a local landmark, a constant in Boston's after-hours scene and a final evening destination for local residents, students and visitors. When the clubs close, the Diner is the place to grab something to eat, hang out with friends, celebrity watch, and keep the party going. No visit to Boston is complete without a stop to the South Street Diner.

Over the years, the Diner has been named a Best of Boston by Boston Magazine and called "The PLACE for college students to start their Spring Break Tour" by Rolling Stone Magazine. The Diner has also been featured in numerous feature films, including: Hiding Out with John Cryer; Second Sight with John Laroquette; House Guest with Steve Martin; and The Blue Diner for PBS.

Our Experience
It was New Years Eve day so we opted for their special drinks of the day to go with our breakfast coffee.

Mo and I enjoyed there Bloody Mary and Jill the Mimosa - they were all very good and the bloody mary definitely had a kick to it.  Both from a spice and alcohol standpoint.  Very very good.

I had an Omelet with olives, mushrooms, spinach and jalapeno,  toast and home fries.  Mo had their breakfast burrito and Jill the Lobster Omelet special.   All of them were very good and we barely were able to finish them.   The portions were more the adequate.  Good food at a decent price.

The place was hoppin, but the wait staff was great and they had a great I don't I give a shit Boston attitude.   Order what you want, I will tell you what I can do for you and based on our experience it most likely will be pretty good.   Blue Collar, tourist, and local destination for a non discriminating clientele.  Diner food and service as it is suppose to be and yes you could tell it was definitely a Worcester Diner car, aged well, improved in some areas but still a diner car.

  

We will go again and it is on our recommended list.

Can't forget the diner queens 

       

December 17 2016 - Blue Moon Diner - Gardner MA

Mo and I were heading out to check the camp in Ashfield and decided to stop for our monthly diner visit at the Blue Moon Diner in Gardner MA.   We had plans to go into Boston for our diner visit on Saturday with JP but the snow on Saturday postponed our plans.  Knowing we were not going to be able to catch up with Jill in December we decided we might as well hit the Blue Moon.  It was worth the stop.

First the History
The history is on the menu so instead of typing it why not post the picture:

As stated in the write up - our visit was an enjoyable trip to an establishment that has done a good job preserving the original diner car feel.  Even with the additional seating in the rear it still feels like a historic diner and seems to operate that way.   Another nice touch to the menu was the diner ten commandments:

Our Experience
Mo and I chose to sit at the counter for our breakfast and we were able to watch Jamie (obvious conclusion) manage the grill, the wait staff and overall activities in the diner.   She spoke and things happened with a smile.  Yes a small, tight knit operation with apparently happy customers and employees.

Ok I don't change much, I ordered a bran muffin, eggs over easy and a sausage patty.   Mo ordered an Omelet, home fries and their corn beef hash.   Both of our meals were exceptional,  muffins were definitely made there and Mo had a choice of their homemade hash or otherwise.  Yes she choose their homemade hash and it was probably one of the best ones we have had since starting our adventures.

Love the cast iron frying pan with constantly boiling water for those who want poached eggs - eggs benedict.   I don't think it was a Lodge - maybe a Wagner or Griswold.

Commandment VII thou shalt sit at the counter.

Okay the biggest distraction - lose the Blue Moon Beer sign and put the Worcester diner clock (to the left) prominently in its place.  Blue Moon is pretty much a foo foo beer and although the name is the same it doesn't belong in a fifties diner.  Just an opinion.  

Contrary to that criticism,  photos like this in the bathroom belong in a late fifties - early sixties diner. Goodbye Norma Jean Though I never knew you at all You had the grace to hold yourself While those around you crawled. 

And always the solo Diner Queen this month.