Nan's Café

What seemed like it was way back in 1970' somethin, I journeyed to Nan's Cafe, located in North Reading, MA with a rather large group of associates. This group included Breakfast Blog veterans Nicholas "Nicky" Labranche, and Liam Sullivan. Also accompanying me were some new faces including Michelle Bettencourt, Alexa Mcguire, Kaelin Page, Alex Panagiotakos, and Brooke Sturtevant.

Michelle, Nicky, Alexa, Kaelin, Alex, Liam, Brooke, and myself preparing for an intense breakfast session.

I had received many good reviews about Nan's Cafe… almost too many. Something was up. It seemed whoever I asked where to go to breakfast, they gave me a long narrative as to why I should visit Nan's. It was being shoved down my throat. So, I decided to put Nan's to the test and see if this truly was a great breakfast establishment, or just a fad that was being hyped up by a bunch teenage girls, like, "froyo."

(For anyone who says Froyo isn't a fad, let me hit you with some knowledge. (I would like to apologize for my colorful language in advance.)

Instead of buying all of their buildings, and starting their company from the ground up, making a lasting impression on the public like ice-cream once did, Froyo leased all of their chain-spots for only two years. They knew it wouldn't last, so they didn't fully commit to their business idea. And what do you know, just as the owners had predicted, Froyo sales have plummeted in recent months. Why? Because it was a FAD. Have you noticed Froyo locations around your house disappearing left and right, while the classic ice cream stands we know and love have stood tall and strong. Yeah me too. Fuck you Froyo... you fad.)

Outside look at Nan's Cafe.

ATMOSPHERE

Nan's was different from most diner's. Very small and unnoticeable from the outside, but don't let the size fool you, this diner packs a punch. The interior design really empowers you and makes you feel good. This wasn't just a vibe that I picked up from the place either. There are literally motivational quotes and pictures all over the walls. Honestly, walking into Nan's I wasn't feeling so hot. I had a stomach ache, a head ache, I felt bloated, and I thought to myself, "How am I going to make it through this meal without throwing up all over everyone's faces." When I sat down and asked for a water, (which I never do because water's boring, but anything else at the time may not have agreed with my digestive system) I looked up. I was then reminded by the walls of Nan's that I need to, "Be Amazing" and that I, "Glitter, Sparkle, and Shine." My spirits were lifted instantaneously. I needed to stuff my face full of food.. not just for myself, but for you.. the readers. I needed to be amazing, and as god as my witness, I left it all out on the field.

Aside from the positive reinforcement, there wasn't much of a theme here. There were some pictures of antique cars on the walls, a, "Where the Wild Things Are" picture, a painting of nan's, and carpet. All in all it was all over the place. Very random, but good random in my opinion. I respect that the owner of Nan's just decorates the place with whatever the hell they want. She answers to nobody. Overall I give the atmosphere two thumbs up.

Front room of Nan's

Front room of Nan's with Nicky

Pictures of classic cars inside Nan's

Panoramic view of Nan's.

Mural of Nan's Cafe inside of Nan's Cafe. A little inception going on here. Also,  Liam and Nicky's faces.

"Where The Wild Things Are" picture

Motivation plastered on the walls of Nan's with part of Brooke's face.

More motivation and part of Alexa's face

SERVICE

The service at Nan's was pristine. I'm going to leave this section short because words can't justify how involved the owner/waitress' were with their customers. They made you feel like a close family friend, paying a visit too their house for a little brunch, and to catch up on the scuttlebutt of the neighborhood.

As a testament to how friendly they were, the owner took a selfie with me. That's right, a selfie. Dare you to find another place where that'll happen.

On top of their friendliness, they knew the menu front to back and what was in each meal. They made sure you made the right decision on what to eat. Overall, service was awesome.

Selfie I took with the owner of Nan's

LIAM

Liam McQueen Sullivan. Liam has been one of my closest acquaintances since the 7th grade. Overall just a great human. If their is one thing I know about Liam, he is different. He really just marches to the beat of his own drummer. This is what makes him special, and why he is a regular here at the Breakfast Blog. I took this opportunity to talk about Liam because he really showed what he was all about during this particular visit. 

To start, throughout the meal Liam mysteriously would leave the table over and over again to take calls outside. When asked what they were about he would reply with, "Nothing." or just not answer at all. I loved how he kept everyone at the table on their toes. For me, this was normal Liam behavior in his natural habitat so I paid no attention to it.. but for everyone else, this was one of their first Liam encounters. Some were worried, some were just bothered by who/what he was talking to. It amazed me that he could play with the emotions of almost everyone at the table with such a simple action. And, as the late Billy Mays from Oxyclean once said, "But wait, There's more."

When paying for the food, Liam pulls out a few $2 bills and slaps them on the table like an absolute baller. He didn't care about the rarity/luck of having a $2 bill, he just cared about what they could buy him. He didn't give a shit. Might as well have given him a couple of 1's grandma Sullivan! Because Liam's cashing this shit in no matter what. (Grandparents are usually the ones to give out $2 bills as a gift. Not sure if this is how Liam got them, but they had to come from somewhere, so just roll with me here.)

[]D[][]\/[][]D (pimp)

Liam's $2 bills

FOOD

Now for the food. The food here was spectacular. Not sure if I used this quote from How I Met Your Mother before, but this meal was nothing short of god speaking to us, through food.

We'll start off with the most popular meal at our table. The Scrambler. The scrambler was the special of the day so most of us thought we should give it a try. All around… great reviews. It consisted of scrambled eggs (My favorite form of egg. If you did't know that by now then get out of my face.), tomatoes, and SPINACH. That's right, spinach. With eggs. Absolute insanity. In this chaos of a plate however, there was harmony. All of these wild flavors sloshing around in my mouth somehow found piece, creating what was a Mona Lisa of egg dishes.

Next was my own dish that I got along with the scrambler ( I have a large appetite) called, The Banana Nut French Toast. It tasted just as good as it sounded. Simply just french toast, covered in banana Nuts, banana, powdered sugar, and caramel. Truly magnificent. The first bite was just as good as the last. Along with this, it was big enough to satisfy my hunger.

Next I'll talk about the food I didn't have the pleasure of tasting. Liam got chocolate chip pancakes, and Nicky got an oreo pancake. My first impression of their meals was that they wouldn't leave hungry. The pancakes were massive. Being 2 inches thick with a circumference that took up the whole plate, they were enormous. Nicky said said that the size wasn't just there to make up for lack of taste either, and that they were delicious. I would have asked Liam what his opinion was, but he was busy taking calls, and talking about how if a girl ever punched him, he would pull a knife on her. ( He didn't specify whether he'd actually stab his female attacker as well or if it was just a scare tactic to stop the hypothetical altercation.)

Kaelin got a regular breakfast sandwich… or so we thought. When it came out my jaw dropped. The sandwich was enormous just like the pancakes. Large servings seemed to be a reoccurring theme here at Nan's. It's as if all of the food had been going to the gym with future Syracuse football star, Shy Cullen, or something. It was astounding.

Lastly, I want to talk about a must have at Nan's. To me, this is what made this place great. The blueberry pancake ice-cream. It was a serving of ice cream with blueberry pancake mixed in. Although the title is simple and self-explanatory, the taste was not. I let out a long grunt of pleasure after the first bite, and then continued to moan and weep tears of joy as I continued to eat it. Absolutely spectacular. The only downside to this dish is I ran out. I could've eaten it for eternity.

On top of the taste of all the food, it was well presented as well. All of the dishes were presented in a way that seemed like they should be on the food network. This isn't a necessity to good food, but it's a nice thing to have. Overall, the food gets an A++.

Nan's Menu

Banana Nut French Toast

The Scrambler

Alex showcasing The Scrambler, with Kaelin and Brooke gossiping in the background.

Liam sizing up his pancakes.

Kaelin smiling with her breakfast sandwich. So big that George Bush may mistake it for a WMD.

Alexa going in on her Blueberry Pancake Ice-cream

Nicky and I posing for a picture before our high school graduation with future Syracuse football player, Shy Cullen.

Overall the experience at Nan's was great. A little far from home for me to be a regular, but again, just great. On top of this, the pricing was spectacular. We ordered our small feast for around $8-$10 dollars each, which is an absolute steal in the breakfast world.

Nan's Cafe: Strongly Recommended 

The Owl Diner

This past week I took a trip to The Owl Diner in Lowell, MA with my acquaintances Alexis Sprowl and Kenneth Trott, who are regulars at this particular Diner.

Kenneth, Alexis, and I getting ready to plow some food into our mouths.

The Owl Diner is a renowned place around this city. If you're from Lowell, you've been to The Owl. The only recollections I have had from this place are the one visit I had when I was around 9 years old. I think I had pancakes. The other memory I have had from this diner was just driving by. One day as I was headed to a former female acquaintance's house, I witnessed a man being scraped off of the pavement In the parking lot of the diner. I assumed he had overdosed on some sort of drug. Maybe heroin. But hey, who am I to speculate? I'm just a guy who enjoys breakfast. Anyways, it was a new day, and another opportunity for The Owl to stimulate my taste buds. Needless to say, they're food made me "hoot." (In a good way)

I was also excited that Kenneth and Alexis let me accompany them on one of their breakfast rituals. Every half day of high school they go to the Owl together. They never miss a date. Many of history's most famous relationships cannot compare to this one. Bonnie and Clyde, Sonny and Cher, Chris Brown and Rihanna, Bill and Monica, Brady and Gisele, my dog Roxy and I, all pale in comparison to this blockbuster of a friendship between Kenneth and Alexis. They say opposites attract, and this dynamic duo truly personifies that claim. Just look at them... completely different in every way. Let me stress they are just very close friends, nothing more.

Anyways, lets dig in.

(I would also like to apologize for some of the poor quality pictures in advance. I got wrapped up in the experience. I'm only human.)

Picture of The Owl Diner sign from the parking lot. They now accept credit cards.

ATMOSPHERE

My visit to The Owl was on a Wednesday, so I couldn't really get a feel for how many people normally go there or how long the wait is. From what I understand from my sources, it's usually pretty crowded on the weekends. You can also infer this from the fact that they have 2 parking lots and a rather large waiting room where you can buy Owl Diner merchandise.

From the outside, this diner looks pretty cool. It has the classic broken-down-trolley style. I've always wondered how they actually got a broken down trolley, and moved it to the middle of the city. Was the trolley already abandoned there on the side of the street? Did a bunch of homeless men by the group name of Dirty Mike and The Boys commandeer it for their own personal use, performing what they call a, "soup kitchen" only to be kicked out by local law enforcement because what they were doing inside of the trolley, "wasn't legal" and, "unsanitary?" Did the police then decided to hand it over to the four sisters (legendary owners) who then thought, "This is the perfect place to serve breakfast food." Thus the legend was born!... Maybe it was just put there and they built around it as a cool theme. Either way I liked it. The trolley car gets style points.

Inside, The Owl had a slight 50's theme. It wasn't as in your face as The Dream Diner, but you could tell what they were going for. Overall, I liked the atmosphere.

Panoramic view of the inside of The Owl with my guests, Alexis and Kenneth.

The bar at The Owl, illuminated by the light of the heavenly father

A blurry picture of the juke box and Kenneth at The Owl

Outside look at The Owl

The door that greets you as you enter The Owl

The Owl wastes no space in their diner to advertise local businesses

SERVICE

Now, our waitress was pretty average in every way. She took our order, brought it out, and brought us the check. She flirted with me a little, but just about every waitress does that. Can't blame them either.

Anyways, one aspect of the service at these diners that I have failed to shed a little limelight on are the cooks. They slave away at the stove to gives us the breakfast deliciousness we crave, on a daily basis. While their job is arguably the most important, for some reason most breakfast establishments choose to hide their efforts and had work behind the walls of the kitchen. They're the guys shoveling coal into the furnace to keep the Titanic chugging along. That may not have been best metaphor, because the Titanic did hit an iceberg, and sink to the bottom of the Atlantic, killing roughly 1500 people, but in the end, that was Captain Edward Smith's fault, not the crew members.

Below are two of the Owl's star pupils, Justin and E-Money (His real name is Elijah, but he prefers to be called "E-Money"). I have the pleasure of attending school with these two young studs, which is where this picture was taken. They are the back bone of The Owl. They'll flip your pancakes and omelets like its nobody's business. They'll flip 'em real good.

Overall, the service was good.

Justin and E-Money

KENNETH'S DIET

As you may have noticed if you are one of my regular reader's, I like to find something odd about each diner and dedicate a section to it. The Owl did not have anything odd however so I focused on something that I have been noticing for a while now, outside of breakfast. Kenneth's diet.

Kenneth has become an associate of mine through these past few years of high school. He is a laid back individual, and just goes with the flow. He's very jolly and friendly and you can always count on him for a good laugh. Overall, just a great kid, and one of my top associates. One of Kenneth's major flaws, however, is his diet. Being in his presence for the past 4 years, I have witnessed what Kenneth chooses to put in his body on a daily basis, and honestly, it's a miracle that he's still alive.

Kenneth's future is bound to be filled with diet-induced health problems. Death is imminent. This isn't me being mean and bullying him either, he completely agrees with me.

Kenneth hasn't had a bottle of water since freshman year. He said he tried to drink it, but he was so disgusted after the first sip, he dumped the rest out and swore off water for the rest of his life. He now strictly drinks Gatorade and coke. I thought a human needed a certain amount of water to sustain life, but i guess these laws of nature don't apply to him.

He doesn't eat vegetables, he says they're gross. He really doesn't eat any food with any sort of nutritional value. It amazes me. This small breakfast threesome we went on is one of the healthiest things I have ever seen him eat (eggs Benedict). Kenneth's body maintaining homeostasis is nothing short of divine intervention. He'd probably last longer hanging out with Dirty Mike and the Boys rather than keeping up this diet.

Kenneth's main source of liquid nutrition

Kenneth

FOOD

Now, what you've been craving all along, the food.

To start off, as you'll see in the pictures below, The Owl's food does not look very appetizing upon first glance. They don't dress it up at all. It ended up tasting great so I don't know if this tactic is on purpose to offer the customer a sweet surprise, or if they just don't really give a shit. A lot of people believe dressing up food is just wasted time, and stupid. Other's think it is key to having a good meal. I personally like when it'd dressed up. It makes me feel pampered. However it's not really a big deal or a necessity in my book, just something I noticed.

Alexis strongly recommended the Bridge St. omelet to me, so I took her word for it, and ordered one along with her. I also got a chocolate chip pancake on the side, with a few glasses of chocolate milk. (Breakfast tip: Always try to sneak in hints of chocolate into your meal. It tastes great and offers a burst of energy to put you in a good mood to finish the rest of your meal.)

The pancake was awesome. At first glance I wasn't sure about it but that first bite completely spun my head around on the matter. It wasn't to soft, but not burnt either. Just perfect. I thoroughly enjoyed the crispiness around the edges and how it softened up slightly as you pass through the mantel and inner core of the pancake. The chocolate chips melted in your mouth upon contact. Magnificent pancake in my book.

Next up, The Bridge St. Omelet. I usually don't mess with omelets but you only get one life, and I'm going to live mine to the fullest. I was rewarded for stepping out of my comfort zone. The peppers, sausage, and cheese within the omelet swirl around in your mouth, breaking apart and reforming in a cycle of greatness. Not to mention the home fries they serve on the side are probably the greatest I've ever had. They are cooked to the perfect level of crispiness, along with just enough salt. Truly great in every way.

Alexis about to take a chomp out of her toast, served along with the Bridge St. omelet.

Close up of the Bridge St. Omelet.

The modest looking chocolate chip pancake. As Teddy Roosevelt once said, this pancake, "Speaks softly and carry's a big stick."

Close up of Kenneth's eggs benedict.

Kenneth getting in the zone as he demolishes his eggs benedict. Notice he ordered coke as a drink.

Kenneth differed from Alexis and I and ordered the egg's benedict. I didn't even want to look at his meal. The Dream Diner's egg's benedict was enough for me. I think I may be suffering from PTSD. 

Kenneth also ordered this with a coke. Although not the healthiest of choices, had to respect him. Getting a soda for breakfast is a power move that not many would have the balls to pull off to say the least. He said he enjoyed his meal and because I am a little biased towards egg's benedict, I'm taking his word for it.

The food at The Owl was truly what made this place a great diner. Great tasting, and left you feeling satisfied.

Picture of the omelet section on The Owl's menu.  They have a vast selection of various omelets for great prices.

Overall the Owl was a great experience. Everything seemed average with a side of some great food. I thought my review was done, until our waitress handed us the check. I was flabbergasted.

The prices smack you in the face and remind you that this is a great establishment. I got a full omelet meal, chocolate milk, and a rather larger chocolate chip pancake for roughly 9 or 10 dollars. I will be surprised if I find a diner with better pricing than The Owl. If you're balling on a budget, this is the place to be.

The Owl Diner: Great place to become a regular at

The Dream Diner

This past week Liam, our fellow guest associate Nicholas Labranche (who will be referred to as "Nicky" the rest of this blog), and myself visited the Dream Diner, located in Tyngsboro, MA.

Liam, Nicky, and I getting ready to shove our faces into some breakfast food.

This was my first time at The Dream Diner, and I had heard mixed reviews from friends and colleagues, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Playing "Love Me Like You Do" by Ellie Goulding while singing along on the car ride to the diner was just what I needed to build up my appetite. Needless to say… I was jazzed up. Upon my visit however, I learned the name of this diner was deceiving and ultimately a sham. Sitting down in my booth I found that I was not in a dream, but in fact, a nightmare.

ATMOSPHERE

Stepping into the Dream Diner is like stepping into a time machine. A blast to the past. I was greeted by  the tunes of Diana Ross & The Supremes', "Stop In the Name of Love." A great song that will put you in a great mood. When walking in, you are instantly sent into the late 50's era. For a brief moment I thought John Travolta was going to hop up on a table and start preforming "Summer Nights." Not saying I would have loved it… but I certainly wouldn't have been opposed to it. Travolta can sing, and if you're into that bad boy sort of thing, look out because Grease Lightning is coming for you. Anyways, that's the kind of trance you get put into at the Dream Diner.

Another aspect that screamed 50's to me was the absurd amount of Betty Boop memorabilia located throughout the diner. Right when you walk in the door.. BAM!!! Betty Boop statues all up in your personal space. If that's not enough to suffice your Betty Boop needs (which it should be, because if you actually have any Betty Boop needs, you should be consulting a psychologist) then have no fear, more Betty Boop on the walls and on napkin holders inside. It's border line obnoxious and creepy, but to be fair, it is a 50's diner so that's what you signed up for I guess. However, it was too much for my liking.

Walking in I was worried what the wait would be like. The parking lot was packed with cars and all I wanted to do was eat. I was pleasantly surprised when we were seated immediately without a wait.

All in all, the atmosphere gets an "okay" from me. I am on board for a cool 50's theme and enjoyed it, but Betty Boop being shoved down my throat is something I am not fond of.

Yet another piece of Betty Boop memorabilia hanging on the wall
inside the diner.

Betty Boop statue waiting for you in the window of the door to say hello as you walk in, and to say farewell as you exit...

Two more Betty Boop statues in the waiting room as you walk into The Dream Diner...

John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John starred in the famous movie Grease.

Diana Ross and The Supremes who created the hit song Stop In The Name of Love.

Panoramic view of the inside of The Dream Diner.

SERVICE

The service at The Dream Diner made you feel welcome. It seems as though they only hired old woman as waitresses who may have been waitresses in the 50's as well, but I liked it. For some reason, I feel like older woman do a better job at taking your order. I have no evidence to support this statement except for the warm feeling I got in the pit of my stomach when our waitress, Francine, read off our rather large order back perfectly, and with a genuine smile. Either way, I guess that was the manager's intent behind hiring his staff because their were no young foals to be found in this heard of horses.

Our waitress Francine hard at work. (Francine was not aware this picture was being taken.)

On top of their dining skills, the waitresses fully commit to the 50's theme of the diner. Their authentic 50's diner waitress uniforms made me ponder whether or not they actually knew they were living in 2015, or if they were just senile and the manager decided to use it to his advantage. Either way, you've got to respect the commitment. When you have a whole staff that is committed to one common goal, good things happen. That's how championships are won. That is why the service shined and is a sparkle of hope in the darkness of The Dream Diner.

JERK

This is off of the food topic, but rude people shouldn't partake in breakfast. It's a positive meal. Stay Away.

Now, you can ask anyone who knows me, I'm a polite guy. I say, "please" and, "thank you." I hold doors open for people. I recycle. Along with that, I usually get along well with other people who I don't really know. When I try to be polite, and someone decides to act rude towards me for no reason, I get frustrated. The customer in the picture below saw me taking the panorama shot of the diner (seen earlier in this blog) and gave me kind of a funny look. I thought, "Maybe I should have asked permission, some people don't like having their picture taken." So I lowered my phone and apologized, in which he responded, "Yeah that's pretty rude, ask next time, alright? Thanks." I was beside myself. His words did not bother me as much as his tone. The cockiness and sassiness hidden behind his words really rubbed me the wrong way.

This one-eye-opened freak (you'll see in the picture below) had the audacity to be rude after I apologized without being provoked by an, "Excuse me." or a passive aggressive cough. Sure I may have been wrong for snapping photos without asking, but c'mon I'm trying to run a blog here. Get off your high horse buddy. Taking your grandma from the nursing home out to breakfast because you're alone in life isn't a very good look. Go ahead and lie to yourself that more women are coming your way and that this is just a "cold-streak." With that weird thing you're doing with one eye completely opened and the other closed, you're dying alone pal.

Who knows, maybe you were having a bad day. Still not an excuse to be rude to strangers. Also not an excuse to not finish your scrambled eggs. I saw. How dare you leave that plate with food left on it. Don't try to ruin my breakfast with your unhappiness… jerk.

Jerk eating food on the right, with, who I assume to be his grandmother, on the left.

Jerk doing his weird one-eye-open, one-eye-closed thing. 

Anyways I did not act rash. I just turned away and proceeded to take more pictures after his rude response.

FOOD

Now the moment all of you breakfast maniacs have been waiting for... the food. I can't stress enough that this is hands down the most important category. Enjoying the food in your mouth or thinking its disgusting can change the perception of everything around you.

I had no idea what to get, so I asked the waitress to bring me their best meal. I was brought a grilled cinnamon bun as an appetizer. Usually breakfast is served all at once and not in courses, so I respected the format and their attempt at trying to shake things up.

The first bite was great. I thought I was in love. The second... still pretty good. The third... ehh it was alright. It felt like a piece of gum you've been chewing too long by the end of eating it. Stale and tasteless. I tried reviving it with a little syrup but it was too late. 10:38... I called it. All in all, it was pretty good, nothing to brag about though.

The grilled cinnamon bun, served as an appetizer at The Dream Diner. Not bad.

Next that came across my plate was their famous Egg's Benedict. Normally I'm a scrambled eggs kind of guy, so this was a little out of my comfort zone, but hey, adapt or die.

I don't know if it was the form of the egg that was throwing me off or what, but this dish made me feel a little queasy. I could feel the egg slide down my throat and sit in my stomach, and not in a good way. Hours later I sat on my porcelain throne, regretting my existence because of those eggs.

The ham was cut pretty thick, which I thought was odd, but ended up being pretty good. It was full of flavor. The strong taste almost made me utter an, "oink." However the taste was so strong, it overpowered the rest of the meal, and I would advise for it to be served separately. The home fries on the side were average. All in all... not good.

Liam got the same meal as me and finished it in under half my time. I didn't know whether to be disgusted or impressed. A little more disgusted now that I think of it, but hats off to him I guess. He agreed with me by saying, "I agree Aidan… it wasn't very good."

Eggs Benedict. The Dream Diner claims this is their best dish.

Liam after inhaling his meal in record time, checks over the desert/alcoholic beverage menu. Very odd that a breakfast diner would serve alcohol… Power move to say the least

Nicky ordered chocolate chip pancakes. He let me have a few bites to get my input. They were kind of stale. Nothing special. The chocolate chips didn't add any flavor either. They may have actually been from the 50's. Overall, just a below average pancake if you ask me.

The Dream Diner's chocolate chip pancakes.

Nicky digging into his pancakes. He eats the most out of my list of acquaintances, despite his slender figure.

Now in this nightmare of a meal there was a dim light at the end of the tunnel. A hero. Not the hero I deserved but the hero I needed. The chocolate milk. Francine handed it to me and I drank 3 cups. I couldn't help myself it was so delicious. Freshly poured with an abundance of chocolate syrup waiting at the bottom. Magnificent is a word that comes to mind when drinking it. Have you ever sucked greatness through a straw? Because at the dream diner… you will.

Liam just got water again. He said it tasted a little weird.

Chocolate Milk

CONCLUSION
Overall, my experience at The Dream Diner was not one that I really enjoyed. The atmosphere was alright, and although the service was good, most food establishments pride themselves on good service, so there's nothing special there. The food is something I would rather not have ever again in this lifetime, although the prices weren't very high.

Outside view of The Dream Diner.

Dream Diner's Large Menu, which includes alcoholic beverages.

The Dream Diner's road-side sign shows off
that they are gluten-free customer friendly.

The Dream Diner: Ehh, last resort if all surrounding diners are closed

"I recycle." (Tivey 69)