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)

Vic's Waffle House

This past weekend my associate Liam Sullivan and I paid a visit to Vic's Waffle House, located in Tewksbury, MA.

Liam and I getting ready to dig in.

Being a regular at Vic's there were no surprises from this visit... Just as awesome as always. I'm just going to cut to the chase here, Vic's is the epitome of a great breakfast establishment. 

ATMOSPHERE

Vic's has that classic diner style that makes you feel at home no matter where you are from. It is what I would call a "Universal-local diner". Oh you're visiting from Alaska? I bet if I were to blind fold you and take you to Vic's, you would guess you're only a short dog-sled ride down the road from your igloo. 

One feature that makes Vic's unique in their layout is their "waiting hall." This hallway is where customers wait to be seated, and this is something you will almost always have to experience when eating here, because it is always buzzing. On the bright side, you meet many different people while waiting. You can chat about what food you plan on getting, or just you're average boring small talk about the weather. (Fun Fact: The idea of The Breakfast Blog was formed in this very hallway.) The wait is usually 15 minutes but I once saw this tunnel packed with at least 1000 customers, like that episode of Spongebob with the Anchovies. Like that episode, the staff at Vic's tries to get you your food as fast as possible to cure your hunger quickly. Overall I would give their atmosphere 4/5 stars.

"Anchovies" from Spongebob

Liam opens the door to the waiting hall, prior to our meal.

A look at the bar where many sit to enjoy a quick cup of coffee or indulge in a full meal… here, the choice is yours. 

Another look at the bar, featuring one of my well-trusted associates, Dan Murphy (man with shaved head), enjoying his meal.

A look at the booths and tables where you can opt to sit if you are looking to take your time to sit down, enjoy breakfast, and make small talk with other customers.

SERVICE

Now service in a busy diner like Vic's is of the utmost importance… any amateur breakfast enthusiast knows this. Without a staff that can make food quickly and efficiently (not to mention with a smile), your business will plummet faster than that thing you and your buddies threw in the river at that bachelor party that you all agreed to not talk about anymore.

Here at Vic's, I witnessed all hands on deck. However, one particular employee that stood out in my eyes went by the name of Tyler. Tyler here was all over the place, taking orders left and right, while at the same time helping newer workers get their tickets right, and even pumping a little freshly squeezed orange juice on the side (Don't you worry, I'll get to the orange juice later). He makes you feel like you've known each other for a while, and that you're just visiting a friend at work by using colorful words and phrases like, "Oh fuck" and, "Shit." He may even comment, "Holy shit that's a lot of food" if that's what he thinks… because that is what he thinks. Personally, I like that in a waiter. Someone who's going to tell it like it is. It's refreshing to not have to be completely polite and mannerly with someone in a food setting. It should be a casual exchange. Tyler here wouldn't fabricate his thoughts for the Pope if he had walked through the door leading into Vic's, and i respect the hell out of that.

Tyler hard at work taking orders from customers (Tyler was not aware that his photo was being taken).

However, his type of service is frowned upon by some customers

as well. My friend, Dan Murphy, who had unexpectedly accompanied Liam and I on our breakfast quest, (We didn't know he was going to get breakfast at Vic's that day, and ran into him dining with someone of the female persuasion) was one of those customers. He found Tyler's behavior a little abrasive and aggressive. This is understandable especially if you are more of a fan of the classic waiter/waitress protocol. Despite these few bad reviews our consensus of Tyler is two thumbs up, because he's a spark plug when it comes to the old woman he is serving. Pleasing the elderly is one of the greatest skills a waiter can have.

Liam and I watching Vic hard at work on the stove

THE MYSTERIOUS ROOM OF THE UNKNOWN

Everything at Vic's struck me as normal except for this weird room with an exit sign above it. It started to give me anxiety thinking as to what could be going on back there. The clear plastic flaps as a door scream serial killer to me. Although these flaps are clear and reveal a small part of the room, their presence tells me there's a lot more going on back there that meets the eye. Here's some possibilities and food for thought when visiting...

• There always seems to be a man sitting in the single chair in front of the door. Coincidence? Hell no. He's a guard for sure. He's hiding something.

• There's so much space back there that could be utilized as more seating for customers, but they choose not to do simple renovations to make it that way. WHY NOT VIC? ARE YOU MURDERING PEOPLE BACK THERE THAT WRONGED YOU ON YOUR WAY TO THE TOP OF THE BREAKFAST PYRAMID??? I firmly believe that the answer to this question is yes.

• One person that could be utilizing this room may be Vic's wife. Who knows, maybe she takes the keys, opens up shop, and hosts book club in there on Wednesday nights. They'd probably be reading Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants or something along those lines. Common book club books. She may also host yoga classes back there, she seems like the type of lady that has dabbled in that sort of stuff.

• Maybe it is for extra dishes, cups, silverware, etc

• There is also a strong possibility that Vic holds the technology to enter the Matrix back there. I don't know why, but it just seems like the perfect set-up for it. I would not be shocked at all if one day I was enjoying a waffle and see Neo and Trinity walk in, displaying inappropriate amounts of PDA, and order some coffee.

• Liam says it could lead to another realm of time, like Narnia. This is stupid. Narnia's a fictional movie.

I won't harp on the subject any longer, but all I'm saying is whenever I go to Vic's I tell the waitress to sit me at a booth or at the bar where my back is turned to this room, because i don't want any part of what's going on back there.

A man enjoys a cup of freshly squeezed orange juice in front of  the unexplained "back room" of Vic's

Neo and Trinity display love for one another in the movie "The Matrix: Reloaded". Their relationship was full of lust and passion throughout the trilogy of movies.

FOOD

Now down to the most important part of breakfast… the food. Without a good meal no one is going to care how good anything else is. If you're food is good enough, some savages will even eat it off of a dirty plate. Food is above all else… so lets dive in to what Vic's had to offer…

For my meal I went with what I consider to be Vic's Mona Lisa… The Elvis Waffle. On top of this I got their freshly squeezed orange juice and a side of 8 scrambled eggs. Words cannot describe the joy this meal brought me, but this is a blog, so I'll do my best.

To begin, the orange juice was some of the best I have ever had. I am no exaggerating when I say that I could feel the vitamin C coursing through my veins as the juice tantalized my taste buds. When they say freshly squeezed they mean it. I sat and watched as they created this perfect nectar that they call orange juice right in front of me. After drinking a cup of their orange juice I felt much healthier.

Now to the eggs. Most people see eggs as a side dish and relatively unimportant. If you feel this way then I instruct you to stop reading this blog because you are a disgrace to the breakfast enthusiast community and I don't want people like you reading my recommendations.  Anyways, my 8 eggs were whipped up quickly and efficiently. I would strongly advise to order scrambled eggs because it allows for more creativity when eating (you can mix it with your waffles and other foods, because it is more solid than an egg cooked over-easy) and they just taste better in my opinion. Vic's didn't do anything interesting with their eggs. No cheese, no salt cooked in… just a straight up, old-fashioned egg. Although I was a little disappointed that they did nothing to make their eggs their own, they still were cooked masterfully and you have to respect someone who still serves egg without the bells and whistles.

Finally, the Elvis Waffle. This waffle is nothing short of god speaking to us through food. The idea behind it threw me off at first but I had to step out of my comfort zone. Strong recommendations from Dan Murphy pushed me to try it as well and I was not disappointed. This waffle has bacon bits cooked into the batter, along with peanut butter and honey spread across the top. To Finish this work of art, bananas and strips of bacon are placed a top this delicate masterpiece. The first bite was hands down the best. At first, the taste of peanut butter floods your mouth making you think, "Oh no, they over did it." Quickly however your anxiety is eased by the honey and bacon bits swirling around in your mouth. The bacon, peanut butter, and honey all mixing, breaking down, and reforming over and over again will flood your body with endorphins. It is impossible not to smile while eating this waffle. Some people have a more sensitive pallet and think these three variables of food will leave you with a dry tasting waffle, but have no fear the bananas are here. The bananas rehydrate your mouth with a fruity taste while at the same time fusing with all other elements of this waffle. The higher surface area as a result of the ridges in the waffle allow maximum flavor to be packed into this meal. I assure you, if you start your day with an Elvis waffle, nothing can bring you down.

My meal, consisting of an Elvis Waffle, eight scrambled eggs, and orange juice.

Liam got an omelet and toast with a side of steak tips. I watched as he splattered hot sauce all over his omelet and A1 barbecue sauce on his steak tips. He also got water as a drink. He said it tasted pretty good.

Liam's meal

Both Liam and I left Vic's more than happy and satisfied that day with our meals. The only real problem I saw with them is that the price was a little steep for my liking. I ended up paying nearly 20$ for my meal. Some may say, "Well Aidan, don't get a ridiculous amount of eggs next time" in which I will answer, "Shut up, I like eggs." The prices weren't outrageous, but they sure weren't meant for anyone who orders off of the dollar menu at Wendy's.

Vic's Menu… filled with many delicious options

Vic's Waffle House: Strongly Recommended