Johnny's Roadside Diner, Hadley, Massachusetts

Izzy's Diner and Pizza, Adams, Massachusetts

I absolutely love diners. They're the ultimate in iconic Americana—inviting and shiny, and so familiar too! There's never any pretense or snobbery.
On a recent Sunday drive we stopped at Izzy's Diner and Pizza for a bite to eat. The Easter special was a ham dinner, with your choice of potato and vegetable, followed by a slice of chocolate or vanilla cake with a scoop of ice-cream for $9.99.
The meal was tasty and hit the spot, but I especially enjoyed the chocolate cake with strawberry ice-cream for dessert.

 

53 Park St, Adams, MA 01220
413-743-0445

Shady Glen, Turners Falls, Massachusetts

I recently saw a fabulous exhibition of Edward Hopper's paintings at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art in Brunswick, Maine. Although the paintings were primarily of Maine landscapes I was reminded of his iconic painting "Nighthawks" this evening when we had supper at Shady Glen. I found these great archived interviews on the NPR website.
7 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA 01376
Tel: 413-863-9636

Maine Pies

This was our first four berry pie in the old-fashioned "Moody's" diner  in Waldoboro. I forget the exact combination of berries, but it was delicious. It was almost jewel like, with this amazing ruby red juice oozing out from under the pastry. It was served warm with a nice scoop of vanilla ice-cream. 
Our second pie sampling was a super fresh blueberry pie from Giant Stairs Seafood Grille. This pie was busting with fruit and had just come out of the oven a few hours before.

Four berry pie, Moody's Diner, Waldoboro, Maine 04572 (207) 832-7785

Maine blueberry pie, Giant Stairs Seafood Grille, 2118 Harpswell Island Road, Bailey Island, Maine 04004  (207) 833-5000

Miss Bellows Falls Diner, Bellows Falls, Vermont

Definitely check out Miss Bellows Falls Diner next time you're driving through southern Vermont. It's a quirky little diner nestled into a hillside. They offer traditional diner fare in a friendly atmosphere. They close promptly at 2:00 p.m., so don't dilly dally!

Miss Bellows Falls Diner, 900 Rockingham Street, Bellows Falls, VT.

Southgate Family Restaurant, Bath, Maine

I love the little town of Bath in Maine, and fortunately for me I get to visit about twice a year! There are some wonderful shops, including Renys and April 56—I never know what I'm going to find. This year I found a gorgeous door mat made from reclaimed fishing rope. Maine lobstermen are turning in their floating lines for sinking lines, so selling off the old rope is offsetting the cost for all the time and effort it takes to do that. As you can imagine these mats are very durable, waterproof and very colorful! 
My favorite place to eat in Bath is the Southgate Restaurant, opposite Bath Iron Works, a major shipyard which was founded in 1884. Southgate Family Restaurant is very clean and bright, and hugely popular with the locals. The atmosphere is very buzzy and friendly with a lovely whiff of coffee in the air. The portions are generous, and they make delicious chowders and home-made fruit pies.

Southgate Family Restaurant,

510 Washington St, Bath, ME 04530-1819

(207) 442-8185

The Square Diner, Tribeca, New York City

The Square Diner is a cosy old-fashioned diner in the heart of Tribeca. It’s a perfect spot to escape from the bustle. The staff is friendly, and the food is delicious with generous portions and amazingly low prices for New York City! It was a warm day when we stopped for breakfast, so we sat outside which was a real treat. This is a real jewel!

It so happened that we were in town on the anniversary of 9/11, so after breakfast we walked the ten blocks or so to Ground Zero. There were thousands of visitors milling about. There was a definite heaviness in the air. When we visited St. Paul’s, a little church right next to Ground Zero, the emotions of that day just flooded right back. The emergency workers used the church as a resource center and as a place to rest. The exhibits and photos of people who perished brought tears to my eyes.

Square Diner

33 Leonard Street (at Leonard and Varick)

Tribeca, NY 10013

(212) 925-7188

Cup & Saucer Luncheonette, Chinatown, New York City

The Manhattan Bridge is close by.

I was so happy when I went online and found the Cup & Saucer Luncheonette, located on Canal Street, which was about a two minute walk from our hotel. The seating is very limited but this only added to the cosy atmosphere, and the place was spotless. The breakfast was served quickly and came with an orange juice and a toasted New York bagel. The owner was very warm and friendly and extremely organized in a small work space. Everyone who worked there seemed to take great pride in wearing the white chef uniforms with matching hats. This is a real jewel in the hub-bub of Chinatown. It's as though time stopped still here.....definitely stop by when you're in the neighborhood.

89 Canal Street (between Eldridge Street and Allen Street)

New York, NY 10002

(212) 925-3298

Yankee Clipper, Beacon, New York

The Yankee Clipper Diner in Beacon is one of those beautiful shiny diners that just sparkles. The atmosphere was quite sedate, civilized and unrushed—which is a rarity in a diner. This one's a real treasure! It was a perfect place to stop for breakfast before getting the train into Grand Central Station for a weekend in New York City. I found out recently that the Yankee Clipper Diner was the scene for "Nobody's Fool" (1994) which starred Paul Newman. I'd better put that on my list to rent from Netflix!
397 Main Street Beacon, NY 12508 (845) 440-0021.

TJ's Lunch Counter, Wells River, Vermont

We were heading to P & H Truck Stop in Wells River, Vermont, for breakfast en route to the White Mountains, when we happened to stop at a flea market just off the highway. As were chatting to some of the vendors the subject of breakfast came up, and TJ's Lunch Counter was voted their first choice for breakfast, so we went with the flow and checked out TJ's instead. What a superb find! TJ's shares a space with the town's pharmacy—the diner is on the left side, and the pharmacy/general store is on the right. The atmosphere was welcoming, and the food was fresh and tasty. Everyone knew each other.
I felt Norman Rockwell might have stopped in on his travels—it reminded me of his 1958 Saturday Evening Post cover "The Runaway," which was set in Joe's Diner, Lee, Massachusetts. 

This Wells River Breakfast was delicious, and a great deal for $5.69, which includes coffee!

Wells River Pharmacy and TJ's Lunch Counter, 41 Main Street, Wells River, Vermont

(802) 757-2244 or toll-free (888) 316-2244

New York City

Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery

137 East Houston Street New York, NY 10002 

This was the most delicious spinach knish I've ever tasted! It was full-flavoured, a little crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. If they were a little cheaper to ship I'd arrange a weekly delivery.

Katz's' Deli
205 East Houston Street, New York, NY 10002
Katz's Deli was absolutely mobbed at lunch time. The layout was very confusing and it wasn't quite clear what you were supposed to do. You could either wander down the counter and order your own lunch; or you could grab a table and wait to be served. They were very generous with the pickles, but unfortunately we soon found out that they don't have white fish salad on the menu!
It seems that Katz's may still be getting lots of publicity from the famous scene in "When Harry Met Sally". This interview with Jerry Stiller though is a much more personal appreciation of delis and of growing up in New York:

Union Square Farmers' Market

Broadway at 17th St (Bordered by 17th Street, Union Square West, 14th Street and Union Square East) New York, NY 10011 

We just fell into this farmers' market strolling around—what an amazing resource in the middle of the city. I don't think I've seen so much wonderful fresh produce before! Lots of fresh cheeses, home-made jams, yogurts and fresh fruits and vegetables. A pure feast for the senses...

Whately Diner (Fillin' Station), Whately, Massachusetts

This is a super diner, open 24 hours a day, with some great daily specials. Everything just sparkles here, and I love the deco light fixtures. Definitely worth a trip, and fortunately for me it's just round the corner. Can't go wrong with that!

Whately Diner

372 State Rd. (Routes 5 &10)

Whately, MA

413-665-3696

Exit 24 off I-91

Easter Sunday

173 Pearson Blvd, Gardner, Massachusetts

Gabby's was a fabulous find on our drive to the seaside yesterday! A wonderful warm friendly atmosphere—how can you go wrong?

Eggs Florentine—with fresh spinach and mushrooms!

Corned beef hash with rye toast. Perfect!

We'll have to try this one next time we're in town!

Supreme Roast Beef, 218 Main Street, Gloucester, Massachusetts

Soaking up some sea air. Perfect.