A Directory of Diners

by Mario Monti

Purpose of the book ... This book is an aid to travelers and anyone in search of a good meal at reasonable cost, with friendly service, in a comfortable setting. The book is also for people who are intersted in the history of DINERS. The DINERS are listed alphabetically by state and city. There is also a section devoted to DINERS in the rest of the world. The listings include DINER name, address, phone number, owner's name, the name of its manufacturer, and the year of manufacture, when known. On-site-built and store-front DINERS are listed as HM (Home Made). Where possible, the DINER'S history is detailed, identifying past names, previous locations, and former owners. Many DINERS are movable, are bought and sold, and sometimes moved to a different location. It is strongly suggested that you call ahead to make sure the DINER is still there. Good eating awaits you For comments, changes, additions, deletions = e-mail

264 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2000

Reviews

[Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A monumental work when it came out in 2000. It is still a great book for people who are interested in the history of diners.
But the purpose of the book

This book is an aid to travelers and anyone in search of a good meal at reasonable cost, with friendly service, in a comfortable setting. The book is also for people who are interested in the history of DINERS.

could not entirely stand up over time. Not all of the diners are still there and open (although more than you might expect, considering the mortality rate of restaurants). A few had already closed before the book was even published. And a few entries were duplicates (an open diner also listed as closed under a different name).

Unfortunately, the combination of a "good meal at reasonable cost, with friendly service, in a comfortable setting" may have existed only in the compiler's imagination in the first place. Some of the diners we visited didn't offer all four.