The Aussie boy who grew up in the golden era of American TV and cooked around the world, sets out in search of a winning diner recipe.
Something I’ve always wanted to do, is eat in a genuine American Diner.
Specifically, to eat a slice of pie served to me by a beehive-topped, apron-adorned waitress with a pencil slipped behind her ear – in a genuine American Diner.
I clearly grew up watching too much American TV, sure, but a boy has to have dreams. Right?
Well, a number of years back I managed to (almost) fulfill that dream, through two road trips over the space of four years, with two buddies, and a whole lot of diners.
But how exactly do we define the capital A, capital D, American Diner?
I guess, in my mind, I had this image of Tiny Naylor’s (above).
Tiny Naylor’s was a restaurant chain in Southern California started in 1949 by William Wallace “Tiny” Naylor and later run by his son Biff Naylor. (How good a name is Biff!).
This one was on the corner of Sunset and La Brea, Los Angeles, where it stood from 1949 until it went out of business in 1980, with the delightful ‘Googie architecture‘ futurist building demolished. You’ll find a dull grey building in its place now, looking like it might’ve once been a Blockbuster.
The current reality for American Diners is far from Tiny Naylor’s, of course. We needn’t despair, though, because there’s still a whole lot out there – you just have to seek ’em out. Thankfully, we found plenty on our journeys.
Some were well past their use-by date, however, like Tony’s Diner in San Bernardino, California…
We didn’t stop here, as It had serious Mafia Clubhouse vibes – and this particular branch didn’t look like they were doing all that well, financially.
Others were clearly mere replicas of what I suppose we like to imagine a Diner to be. Like, for instance, Mr D’z in Kingman, Arizona (above).
Completely contrived, if great for tourists, but they did a pretty good banana sundae.
No pie though, and that was becoming a theme. Why don’t these Diners sell a slice of pie? Respect my dream, people!
Still, things were beginning to look up: Norma’s!
Breakfast at Norma’s Diner in Joplin, Missouri is a goddamn American institution, so you can bet your fanny we had brekky there – and a damn fine breakfast it was.
No pie, though. Well, maybe Norma did have pie, but not on the breakfast menu. Forgivable, maybe?
Mike sez: I looked ol’ Norma up. 15 photos on TripAdvisor; no evidence of pie. 😞
🥧 And then suddenly… PIE!
In the small tucked away hamlet of Atlanta, Illinois (no not that Atlanta, the other Atlanta) in a small hole in the wall called the Palm Grill Cafe.
They had pie. A counter full of it, with a serious side of genuine original American Diner style.
The Palm Grill opened in 1934, and I believe has looked pretty much the same ever since. A 1934 newspaper ad for the diner read “Dancing Every Night. Special Chicken and Steak Dinners. We Specialize in Club Parties.” Love it.
And oh boy, the pie was good! But sadly not good enough to attract more pie lovin’ folk, and she closed up shop permanently in 2020. Another Covid casualty, alas.
Editor’s note: the Route 66 Association of Illinois says it is currently owned by the Atlanta Library District “and leased out”. That’s somethin’!
So the Diner dream lives on, and there are so so many more yet to be visited by this pie-lovin’ idiot.
In fact, it would be remiss of me not to throw in these two honorable mentions:
↑ Logan from The Ariston Cafe in Litchfield, Illinois, served up a mean cake platter.
Look at the size of those honeys! America does not skimp.
↑ And finally the ever awesome Mel’s Drive In on Mission St, San Francisco, where I was served a most excellent breakfast for 4 days running.
Note: You do not actually drive into this particular Mel’s Drive In. Foot traffic only! Better luck at their other locations, maybe?
Mike sez: oh man, their merch page is awesome. So many cool hats!
BONUS VIDEO!
I guess this all leads me to the prompt that reminded me of my quest for a slice of pie in an American Diner – this new video by the irrepressible Beau Miles titled “Travelling America With One Rule: Eat Only At Diners“.
Beau and his buddy on a road trip, looking for diners and finding all the varieties, sure I did it first Beau and you never ate any pie, but you filmed yours, so there’s that.
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