I have traveled far and wide along the roadside of America (and Canada) seeking out all things diner. I don't know exactly what the fascination is for me, but it has a lot to do with the people, the delicious mixture of architectural styles, and of course, the cheap food. Last year, for example, I took a three month side-road odyssey from Boston to Austin, (Henry's to Threadgill's) and hit 113 diners along the way. No, I didn't sup in all of them, but I did stop for photos and conversation.
I've always been a diner fan and in fact, the day I met my wife Elaine, we went to an all-night diner and talked 'til just after dawn. We talked so much that though we sat there for 7 hours, we each only had one cup of coffee. (A friend of romance is a patient waitress.) I got to know Elaine so well that night that I asked her to marry me two weeks later. Without hesitation, she said yes.
In 1992, Elaine was diagnosed with lung cancer (at age 25) and we both immediately retired from the filmmaking business. Though she was often ill, we spent many of her healthier moments going on diner tours. For us, it was not the destination that mattered, but what we discovered about people and our world along the way. That spirit helped make her hard times a little easier.
Our trips were mammoth, including at one time a tour that went from Boston, through Maine, into Canada, New York, Rhode Island and Connecticut. We hit 62 diners in 5 days. Often though, because she was confined to a wheelchair, Elaine was not able to go into the diners, since so few are wheelchair accessible. This is changing, however, and many diner owners are discovering the benefits of accessiblity.
Before Elaine died in April of 1994, we had begun a diner cookbook, which I am still working on. This past winter, following rumors and hearsay, I discovered an old unknown stainless-steel Fodero on a sheep farm in central Massachusetts. After talking to the owner, I purchased the diner for a great price and am now slowly restoring it. It dropped in my lap just around Christmas...finding it's exact location from someone at a diner only about 500 feet from where Elaine and I first met. No, I don't want to work at the diner. Too much work! But I can now say I once owned a diner! My photographic collection contains photos of close to 500diners, having visited all of them (at least for a quick photo). Believeit or not, it is still just a hobby. I spend almost all of my time doing other things (right now I'm directing a film about a Holocaust survivor)...but every once in a while, I need to hit the road.
I'm glad I found your page and look forward to contributing reviews and visiting on occasion.
Happy Dinering,
Paul Coyne