Is there anything so truly American as the diner?
Unfortunately, probably. I mean, I don’t consider myself particularly wordly, but it always amazes me when I meet kids from the ‘burbs whose idea of a diner is something like Perkins. No offense to them, but calling Perkins a diner is like calling the All of the features, but none of the soul.
No, I’m talking about a real diner. One with the right combination of character and grit. One where you can walk in for the first time and instantly feel at home. One where the quality of the food is always good enough but never too good, and where the experience alone is worth sticking around and hanging out late into the night.
When I think diner, the State Diner in Ithaca immediately comes to mind. What could be better than sitting around till 2am with friends, hanging out, chatting it up? Truth be told, I’ve never even been there during the day. But when you go there, you just feel the right vibe. Unpretentious, but full of life. Life that goes on there, without glamour, every hour of the day and night.
So tonight after dancing several of us went out to the State to hang out. We ended up sitting there for hours, just talking, telling stories and jokes, having a good time. Nothing fancy, just a group of people shooting the breeze in the local diner. And when it comes down to it, what could possibly be better than that?
It’s too bad that these moments are so rare.
Posted on December 9th, 2004 by Lee
Filed under: Uncategorized
But you’re secretly jealous of me ’cause I got to go home and do loads of homework instead! Yup, I thought so. I’ll try to be more generous with it from now on.
Stop trying to pass your journal entries off on me. Like I would know what I’m doing anyway.
Being from south Jersey, diners hold a special place in my heart.
One particular diner, right near my house, the Freeway, was the after-dance spot of choice during my junior and senior years of high school *sighs* Good times. 