The Everyday Joe

Iron strengthens Iron in Poughkeepsie - Daily Planet, 1202 Route 55, Lagrangeville, NY

Just north of Poughkeepsie is a diner that was featured on the Food Network and Travel Channel.  They also have a location in Brewster, NY.  In fact, the entire Hudson Valley is filled with former culinary school students opening little restaurants and diners with their own take on dining. That makes keeping interest in your food a bit more daunting around there, especially if you are in the diner business.  

The Daily Planet American Diner in Lagrangeville - a suburb of Poughkeepsie, if such a thing exists - has risen to the challenge and has a menu filled with healthy, interesting, and tasty combinations that, in my opinion, exceed the offerings of it's more famous competitors in the region.

Classic Country Diner: Full Bellies, 241 Main St., Bennington VT

The last meal before heading home, the wife and I stopped in Bennington to check out the Bennington Battle Memorial (an ancestor of mine is the featured hero of that Revolutionary war battle), and decided to try a little place just outside of the main intersection of Routes 7 and 9.

Full Bellies is a very basic diner, with a menu that has some very Vermont offerings (Spicy Black Bean Burger, anyone?), but is otherwise seems inspired by my grandmother's specialties.  

Old favorites with a twist: Fireworks Restaurant, 73 Main St., Brattleboro, VT

If you ever want to know why people consider Vermont to be a far left, hippy filled, 'progressive' haven, then you should come to Brattleboro.  The wife and I spent Labor Day hiking in the area, and had the opportunity to try a wide variety of local restaurants.

The reviews were not all good, and of all the meals, only two really stood out enough for recommendation - with Fireworks as a great place to start.

Bear and Grill - 385 Boston Post Road, Orange, CT

Found a good one!  The Bear and Grill in Orange, Ct, was a last minute decision - it was late, raining, and the mother lives nearby, so we decided to stop for dinner. 

What we found was surprisingly good for what may be a regional chain (I've never seen one before, but will keep an eye out).  I had an herb roasted chicken and mashed potatoes, the wife went with an awesome prime rib (thick, rare, and juicy, with a nice crust), the stepdad had salmon, and the mother unit went with ribeye.  

None of us walked away hungry, and all plates were empty.

Buff's Pub, 317 Washington St., Newton, MA

Across from the Crown Plaza and some office buildings, there isn't anything that special about Buff's.  But the food is good, and instead of going through the madness of the MASS-Pike, it's worth it to shoot over and grab a quick bite.

The locals seem to like it - it was packed from 5.30 until I left, and everyone seemed to know each other - and the food is good, but there are two things about the place that almost made me pass on a review:  they only take cash, and the attitude is kind of cold.

The service was fast though, so if you don't care to have anyone really give two hoots that you are alive, Buff's will fill the bill.  And remember to stop at the ATM next door before they present a bill to you.

Cindy's Diner & Restaurant, 46 Hartford Ave, Scituate, RI

Scituate is the only real town on SR-6, and if you find yourself facing a green light when you get close, you probably wouldn't even notice Cindy's.  But turn away from the McDs across the street and turn in for a good quick meal.

Price was very reasonable, and the place was filled with locals, always a good sign.   I had the Linquica (a Portuguese sausage) omelette and homefries, some great coffee, and got back on the road satisfied.  I'll probably stop in again next time I'm working my way to or from MA.  

Yia-Yia's Diner, 6124 Buffalo Ave. Niagara Falls, NY

They don't have a card, takeout menu, or an atmosphere  that says 'come in and enjoy a great meal here!'

They do have a chicken souvlaki breakfast that's really good, great service, and a big yellow sign that would be perfectly suited to advertising bingo, a sale at your local sporting supply store in upper MI, or used cars.

The service was good and the staff friendly enough to a stranger wandering in, something that I was certain didn't happen very often around there.  Oh, and they were cheap.  Really cheap.  Budget eaters need to find Yia-Yia's.

Floridian Diner Restaurant - 2301 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY

Yes, it's more breakfast.  Floridian did something I love, and my belts hate - gave me a mountain of food for a very low price.

Omelette was very, very good (heavy on the cheddar and sausage, big pile of potatoes, and fast service.  Like most NY diners, the want you fed, watered, and gone as fast as possible.

Priscilla's - 264 N. Broadway, Salem, NH

Ok, so I eat a lot of breakfast on the road.  It is the most important meal of the day, and a good breakfast can easily get you through lunch, which is a good thing on a busy day.

Priscilla's fits the bill nicely.  Hitting all the high points - good food, service, and coffee - they also managed to offer something different than the average diner.

Al's Village Diner - 508 W. Manlius St., East Syracuse, NY

We only stopped by for a quick breakfast, and walked out wondering if we had enough work to do in the area to come back for lunch.  From a perfect omelette, a local specialty called the 'Fretta', to some great coffee, Al's crew fit the bill for a perfect breakfast on the road.

In case you are wondering how selective we are in what we put up here, let me just say for the record that after trying Al's, I visited three other places for breakfast that same week.