During my early years in West Orange, New Jersey, our family often ate at some of the area's various beaneries. They weren't all that good or bad, they were simply all I knew. Most of the old places have long since closed or disappeared altogether. It was most saddening, for instance, to discover the Claremont Diner and the White Castle in Verona had made way for an automotive dealership. There is, however, an extant relic from my childhood at Tory Corner, just a few blocks up Main Street from Thomas Edison National Historical Park. The West Orange Pancake House and Diner, mirabile dictu, continues to serve decent victuals, and now does so round-the-clock, seven days a week.
I knew this 1950s-era stainless steel edifice as the Tory Corner Diner, the initials of which remain inlaid on the floor of its vestibule. Aside from the name and a few cosmetic updates, little else appears to have changed over the years. Looking at this place evokes childhood memories of black-and-white television sets, named telephone exchanges (ours was REdwood), drugstores with soda fountains, and life before the Essex Freeway (I-280). After a warm, enthusiastic welcome from owner Paul Mihalitsianos and his son, Gerry, what could be finer than eating in this diner again after so many years?
While it seems that diners typically offer extensive menus, this one's is so vast as to make it difficult to make a selection. Its 15 pages offer everything from appetizers to "fantastic finishes." Though several items entreated, I felt as though I'd discover something even more appealing the moment I placed my order.
West Orange Special
Listed under Sandwiches Paul's Way, my West Orange Special ($11.95)—sliced London broil on garlic bread with lettuce and tomato—was a standout. The broiled meat was seasoned with a heavy hand, which, under most circumstances could have ruined it. But the cook understood the fat content and age of the cut with masterly precision. As a result, the spices were on target for maximizing this steak’s succulence and flavor. I’ve been served beef in very fine restaurants that was analyzed and prepared with far less skill than it was here. The accompanying thickly cut onion rings were quite all right, but the reconstituted french fried potatoes failed to measure up to the taste and quality of their plate partners.
Harold's New York-style Deli Sandwich
Harold's New York-style corned beef sandwich ($12.95), my Comestaccomplice's selection, was advertised as the best available. (Namesake Harold Jaffe once operated the aforementioned Claremont Diner as well as New York's Carnegie Deli.) Extremely lean and flavorful, the corned beef was piled high between two slices of rye bread and served on a platter that was as almost as big as the menu itself. While it was very tasty indeed, the corned beef was also somewhat dry—perhaps owing to its leanness. Fortunately, the accompanying coleslaw and half-sours, both excellent, added welcome moisture between meaty mouthfuls. The garlic bread was yet another very tasty side.
Comfort food somehow seems even more comforting when consumed in a familiar environment. Though I don't return to West Orange often, it's reassuring to know I can still revisit a "living" childhood memory here.
West Orange Pancake House and Diner
270 Main Street (between Prospect Pl & Kling St) West Orange, N.J. 07052-5617 (map)
Special thanks to Michelle Colombaris Berger for sharing the following memories from the days her family owned the Tory Corner Diner: (Please click on any image to enlarge it.)
"My dad used to tell a story about a family trip we made to Canada in the 60's. When we got there and checked into the motel there was a book of matches from our diner sitting in the ashtray in the motel room!!!!"
"The two men are my dad, Nicholas Colombaris and an unknown. The pic is dated May 1962, the year that West Orange celebrated its centennial. There was a parade and many men grew beards and marched as the Brothers of the Bush (or Brush)."
"Nicholas Colombaris, my dad, sitting in his favorite booth. This was right inside the front door on the Main Street side of the building."
It could take an out-of-towner two passes down New Haven's Crown Street to find the improbably situated Louis' Lunch: smack in the middle of a parking lot, rather than among the restaurant cohort lining the opposite side of the street. The ancient, gnome-scaled brick edifice's location is, however, a testament to the burger joint's devoted following. City redevelopment plans had called for razing this diminutive landmark (a former tannery) to make way for a high-rise building. But in 1975, following years of wrangling between the owner and the city, public outcry saved the venerable luncheonette at the last moment. Dodging the wrecking ball by a matter of hours, the home of the hamburger was deracinated from its foundation at 202 George Street and moved to its present location—its fourth—about a block away.
It would be difficult to find a story more steeped in tradition than that of the Lassen family and the birth of the hamburger as we know it. The legend begins in 1895 with a lunch wagon on Meadow Street—near Union Station—from which Louis Lassen served steak sandwiches to factory workers. Not wanting to waste the trimmings, he ground and broiled the leftover meat. Initially, he served it as a patty, on a platter, together with a slice of onion and home fries. One day, however, a customer rushed in and requested a fast meal to go. Lassen responded by sandwiching one of his broiled patties between two slices of white bread, and with that, according to local lore, served the first hamburger. While this may be an interesting origins story, there must be another reason that Louis' Lunch, now in its fourth generation of family operation, is still in business after more than a century.
Indeed. Why didn't the denizens of the Elm City allow this family-run establishment to go the way of so many others during urban renewal? The answer is found between those two thin slices of white toast: a generous, top-quality ground beef patty, cooked in much the same way it was over a hundred years ago. Add onion and tomato ("the works"), cheese spread, or any combination thereof, if you must. But ultimately, it's all about the beef. Louis' Lunch takes this premise to an extreme by offering no other accompaniments or condiments (with the exception of salt and pepper packets, upon request). Please don't even think of asking for ketchup. The Lassens believe that such additions are unnecessary, and serve only to cover up mistakes. The enduring ban on condiments also honors the legacy of the founder. The point is, if they are going through the trouble of cutting and grinding their own fresh meat daily, you should taste the beef! (To those unfamiliar with Louis' credo, various signage offers a guide to their dogmatic service protocol.)
Returning to how deeply in tradition the food is steeped, Jeff Lassen rightly points out that his hamburgers owe part of their flavor to the original 1898 apparatus in which they're cooked. The gas-powered stoves from Bridge, Beach & Company afford a healthful side benefit, so to speak, by broiling the patties vertically to reduce excess grease. Over the years, the grills initiated by Jeff's great grandfather have been seasoned with the essence of burgers prepared for Charles Lindbergh, Artie Shaw, Bing Crosby, Rudy Vallee, and countless others. That's a quality for which there is no shortcut; it can only be earned with time.
The toaster tells a similar tale, nearly as old: it has been preparing the "bun"—two slices of Pepperidge Farm white bread—since 1929. As we waited for our burgers, we watched these antiques in action, marveling at how they continue to operate flawlessly after all these years—a testament to superior workmanship and caring ownership.
The verdict: the hamburger is good, honest food. Its flavor is fresh, clean, and lean. With onion and tomato options, Louis was astute in serving his mission—the additions complement the beef without masking anything. We found that a touch of salt was necessary to bring out all the succulence this fine burger has to offer. In an age of industrial fast food, this is (reasonably) fast food that tastes like real food. Simple, satisfying.
For the lunch crowd, the menu consists of exactly two choices: a hamburger or cheeseburger for $5. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, however, the menu often expands to include a hot dog and a steak sandwich.
If the bread is not enough, you can augment your carbs with potato salad, a wide selection of good-quality chips, and one or two homemade pie offerings. In addition, Louis' Lunch offers an impressive assortment of soft drinks, many of which are local and off-beat. But you will never, ever, enjoy a Coke here, because, as Jeff says, "we can carry a grudge." Jeff's grandfather Ervin Lassen (Louis' son) severed relations with Coca Cola during the Great Depression. Purportedly, an unscrupulous distributor decided that Louis' share of the soft drink could fetch a higher price on the black market. The Pepsi salesman, on the other hand, was eager to deal legitimately—his product was welcomed in and remains on the menu some 70 years later.
Nostalgia is one thing, but Louis' Lunch is sensitive to the current climate as well. Mindful of the economy, Jeff has held his prices down since 2006. Within the past year, he's even enlarged the burger by nearly an ounce as a way of giving his customers a little extra during tough times. (Though he doesn't specifically measure the patties, Jeff approximates the weight of each to be about six ounces.)
Fourth generation: Jeff Lassen, C.S.K. ("Crown Street King")
Decent people, decent food. That's a recipe worth saving.
Louis' Lunch
261-263 Crown Street (between College & High Sts) New Haven, CT 06511-6611 (map)
As we face an uncertain economic future, many of us are dining out less or, perhaps, not at all. Most of us haven't the temerity to take part in a $440,000 California retreat during a financial crisis. Instead, we might take refuge in comfort foods and surroundings that evoke memories of a simpler time.
When I seek a reliable collation seasoned with a dash of nostalgia—whether in New York or out of town—a Johnny Rockets is a welcome sight. Although this retro-diner chain was launched in Los Angeles in 1986, my initiation came several years later during a business trip to Atlanta. The first Manhattan branch opened in the West Village some ten years ago. It affords a good, convenient luncheon spot near NYU. Another Manhattan location was since added on the East Side.
Johnny Rockets' décor is nearly identical throughout the chain. The tables,
chairs, tabletop jukeboxes, signs, posters, and other trappings are reminiscent
of a '50s malt shop. The coeval habiliments of the staff round out the
motif. Some may consider this sort of theme to be clichéd, but to those of us who remember when, it represents a vestige of happy days long ago.
The food quality is fairly consistent as one might expect from a menu dominated by burgers, sandwiches, fries, shakes, and malts. The Tuna Salad Sandwich is my favorite and seldom disappoints. Unlike many others I've tried, this one doesn't drown the white albacore in a sea of mayonnaise. Normally, a sandwich and a cup of tea satisfy my midday appetite. At Johnny Rockets, however, I try to save room for a slice of their delicious apple pie. Made fresh daily, it's not overly sweet and has a delightfully flaky crust. Although it's available with cheddar cheese or à la mode, I prefer it plain. Yum!
While the menus of the two Manhattan Johnny Rockets list the same items, the midtown version comes with uptown prices. For instance, in the Village, my tuna sandwich and apple pie cost $5.60 and $1.50, respectively; each costs 40 cents more uptown. In fact, everything (except the jukebox) is more expensive at the East Side location. Nevertheless, the pricier Johnny Rockets is busier than its downtown cousin.
Johnny Rockets
West Village:
42 East 8th Street (SW corner Greene St), Manhattan
(212) 253-8175
By train: R,W to 8th Street By bus: M2, M3, M5 to University Place
East Side:
930 Third Avenue (SW corner 56th St), Manhattan
(212) 813-0003
By train: E,V to Lexington Av/53 St (exit at Third Av) By bus: M31, M57, M98, M101, M102, M103
If you like your ice cream drinks shaken, not stirred, head over to one of Ira Freehof's Comfort Diners to help celebrate their twelfth annual August Milkshake Madness. A different flavor is featured every day this month, including such tantalizing choices as Peach Strawberry, Dulce de Leche, Mango Madness, Lemon Chiffon, and Key Lime. Presley fans can rattle and roll with an Elvis Shake (vanilla ice cream, banana, and peanut butter, all shook up) on August 16, the anniversary of The King's death in 1977.
Comfort Diner
Midtown East:
214 East 45th Street (near Third Av), Manhattan
(212) 867-4555
By train: 4,5,6,7,S to 42nd St-Grand Central By bus: M101,M102,M103, M98 (uptown), M15 (downtown), M27, M50 (crosstown)
Flatiron District:
25 West 23rd Street (near Fifth Av & Broadway), Manhattan
(212) 741-1010
By train: N,R,W (BMT),F,V (IND),6 (IRT), PATH to 23rd Street By bus: M2, M3, M5, M6, M7, M23
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