New England Diners: 20 Classics

Richard Gutman, curator of the Culinary Arts Museum at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI, chose these 20 New England diners in addition to his list of Best 5 New England Diners in the May/June 2008 issue of Yankee.

Scan his list and, if you don’t see your favorite, add it in at the “Comment” section below. Great dining all around!

New England Diners | Maine

Palace Diner 18 Franklin St. Biddeford, ME 04005 no phone 1927 Pollard Diner Owner: Kyle Quinn One of two surviving diners built by the Pollard Company of Lowell, MA, this little palace has seating for 15 at stools only. New owner Kyle Quinn said in a Boston Globe interview that his menu remains pretty close to what they served in the 1920s: “Diners have always been about large portions and short prices.” Moody’s Diner Route 1 Waldoboro, ME 04572 207 832-7785 1927; built on site Owner: Mrs. Nancy Moody Genther This family institution started as a roadside lunch stand more than 80 years ago, and its success has required 16 additions to expand it. If you stay in Moody’s cabins up the hill, you can have breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the diner.

New England Diners | Rhode Island

Liberty Elm Diner – Closed 777 Elmwood Ave. Providence, RI 02907 1947 Worcester Lunch Car Owner: Carol DeFeciani The Liberty Elm features fresh foods from local farms, Fair Trade coffee, and wireless, to boot. On Sundays there’s live music in the diner’s addition. The “real” food includes real Vermont maple syrup and nitrate-free, antibiotic-free, hormone-free meats. Seaplane Diner 307 Allens Ave. Providence, RI 02905 401 941-9547 c. 1952 Jerry O’Mahony Diner Owner: David Penta Near Narragansett Bay, where there used to be a seaplane dock, this stainless-steel beauty is filled with Providence police, construction workers rebuilding I-95, and locals from all the nearby universities. The calamari with hot peppers (Fridays only) is not to be missed.

New England Diners | Vermont

The Farmer’s Diner – Closed Timber Village, Rte. 4 Quechee, VT 05059 802-295-4600 1947 Worcester Lunch Car Owner: Tod Murphy farmersdiner.com Owner/chef Tod Murphy is a pioneer in the sustainable food movement, serving fresh, organic and local as much as possible. The coffee urns are filled with Fair Trade brew. For once the diner business has a leader, not a follower. Chelsea Royal Diner 487 Marlboro Road West Brattleboro, VT 05301 802 254-8399 1939 Worcester Lunch Car Owners: Todd & Amy Darrah chelsearoyaldiner.com The original barrel-roofed Royal Diner is now part of a larger restaurant, but even without the counter, the ambiance remains, like icing on the cake of its renowned desserts. Their “high-end home-style cuisine” includes Mexican food Tuesday through Saturday nights. During ice-cream season, don’t miss their homemade offerings. Blue Benn Diner 318 North St. Bennington, VT 05201 802 442 5140 1948 Silk City Diner Owners: Sonny & Marylou Monroe; daughter Lisa Monroe LaFlamme The Monroes have serve traditional and innovative diner fare at the Blue Benn since 1974, with vegetarian fare alongside Tex-Mex, daily specials and a wide variety of classic dishes. (They make their own doughnuts.) With only 40 seats, be prepared to wait.

New England Diners | New Hampshire

Daddypop’s Tumble Inn Diner 1 Main St. Claremont, NH 03743 603 542-0074 1941 Worcester Lunch Car Owners: Debbie & Paul Carter A beautiful, one-of-a-kind Worcester Diner with striking ceramic mosaic tile and porcelain enamel. Scrapple, kielbasa, and baked beans join the excellent home fries as accompaniments to the breakfast fare. Heaping portions — in the diner style. Red Arrow Diner 61 Lowell St. Manchester, NH 03101 603 626-1118 1922; built on site Owner: Carol L. Sheehan redarrow.com One of the few 24-hour diners in New England, it has also been smoke-free for 10 years. Hash-brown specials with ham, cheese, and onions make a meal out of a side dish. And leave room for the pie. Peterborough Diner 10 Depot St. Peterborough, NH 03458 603 924-6202 1950 Worcester Lunch Car Owner: Patrick Healey and Eric Finley The beautiful forest-green enamel exterior of this diner perfectly fits its Monadnock Region setting. New owners have rejuvenated the diner, earning the praise of a regular who eats there “at least 10 times a week.” Patrick Healey and Eric Finley are keeping a great place going strong.

New England Diners | Massachusetts

Rosebud Diner 381 Summer St. Somerville, MA 617 666-6015 1941 Worcester Lunch Car Owner: Bill Nichols A beautiful streamliner restored in 1995 with its traditional diner backbar replaced with an alcohol bar. When you get your eggs Benedict, you can get your bloody Mary, too, and that’s a rarity in a New England diner. Casey’s Diner 36 South Ave. Natick, MA 01760 508 655-3761 1922 Worcester Lunch Car Owner: Patrick Casey Oldest and smallest diner (10 stools) still operating. Patrick is the fourth-generation Casey dishing out the renowned hot dogs behind the all-wood counter. Order yours “all-around” and they’ll think you’re a regular. Charlie’s Diner 5 Meadow Rd. Spencer, MA 01562 508 885-4033 1948 Worcester Lunch Car Owner: Steve Turner Once a Worcester landmark, this family business moved a half-hour west into Spencer, but they brought their good food, wit, and fast service with them. Everything is great here. Shawmut Diner – Closed 943 Shawmut Ave. New Bedford, MA 02746 1954 Jerry O’Mahony Diner Owner: Phil & Celeste Paleologos Phil Paleologos is one of the great diner raconteurs, and his customers benefit greatly from his glibness and cuinsine. The linguica (Portugese sausage) is tops. The Shawmut Indian neon sign is a classic. Nest Diner – Closed 81 Fairhaven Rd. Mattapoisett, MA 02739 Betsy’s Diner 457 Main St. Falmouth, MA 02541 508 540-0060 1957 Mountain View Diner Owner: David Chandler If you’ve got time to spare while waiting for the Martha’s Vineyard ferry, do yourself a favor and stop at Betsy’s for some fried clams or baked scrod. This lively place is always hopping.

New England Diners | Connecticut

Collin’s Diner Route 44, Railroad Square Canaan, CT 06018 203 824-7040 1942 Jerry O’Mahony Diner Owners: Aida & Mike Hamzy The Lebanese Hamzy family has owned Collin’s since 1969, and as a result the fare includes hummus, tabouleh, and stuffed grape leaves, along with more predictable daily specials. But the building itself makes a trip worthwhile — a completely intact World War II-era diner. O’Rourke’s Diner 728 Main St. Middletown, CT 06457 203 346-6101 1946 Mountain View Diner Owner: Brian O’Rourke Possibly the only diner ever given a feature article in Gourmet magazine — the food is that good — O’Rourke’s recently reopened after it was decimated by fire in 2006. The Middletown locals, including the Wesleyan University community, pitched in to raise the funds to rebuild this landmark eatery. Olympia Diner 3413 Berlin Turnpike Newington, CT 06111 203 666-9948 1955 Jerry O’Mahony Diner Owner: Tasos Gavrilis The Olympia is a gigantic gleaming stainless-steel wonder, surmounted by an incredible neon sign. If they were to reproduce a diner in Las Vegas, this would be the one. Classic food offerings of the Greek diner variety on an expansive menu. Breakfast anytime. Tandoor 1226 Chapel St New Haven, CT 06511 (203) 776-6620 1955 Mountain View Diner This classic Mountain View Diner, located near Yale, is a rarity: It serves delicious, creative, and traditional Indian food. No breakfast here. When you want a break from meatloaf and mashed, try the chicken tikka masala.   What are your favorite New England diners?