Another NJ Diner Closes Down

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From NJ101.5: If New Jersey is truly the Diner Capital of the World then are we experiencing insurrection? Are we losing our lifelong love of breakfast anytime and happy waitress specials? Or is it other forces responsible for such a downturn in New Jersey diners’ fortunes?

Another legacy diner has closed down, and it’s far from the first. NJ.com is reporting the Empire Diner in Parsippany, formerly known as the Par-Troy Diner, has closed its doors.

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10 Best North Jersey Diners

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Arlington Diner – North Arlington, New Jersey

From New Jersey Digest: New Jersey is the diner capital of the world. You can add that to the list of things we are the best at, along with bagels and pizza. You can hardly drive more than 10 minutes anywhere within the state without seeing a classic Jersey diner. Bright lights, a ton of stainless steel and a neon sign that reads “Open 24 hours” (though that tends to be a lie these days). Diners are a place to go when you don’t know what you want. Breakfast food, Greek specialties, full dinners, burgers—you name it, and a NJ diner usually has you covered.

In North Jersey, the concentration of diners increases tenfold. Every other block is seemingly fitted with its own diner and they all have their regulars for good reason. We compiled a list of some of the most iconic spots to make it easier for you. These are 10 of the best diners in North Jersey.

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Headless lumberjack in Greensburg gets makeover

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From WTAE: The headless lumberjack on Route 819 in Greensburg has had many iterations.

“I remember when I was a little kid driving by, originally, it had tires, because it was a tire shop,” said Raphael Pantalone, who helped repair the statue. “Then they went to a Pittsburgh Steeler — and if I’m not mistaken, I think it was Jack Lambert. They even blacked out his teeth.”

“(At) one point in time, it was the Greensburg Salem golden lion, brown and gold — and then all of a sudden, mysteriously, the head was gone,” he said.

For years, passersby could only guess what happened to it.

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Can AI Replace Humans? We Went to the Fast-Food Drive-Through to Find Out

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At a Hardee’s on Maryland’s Kent Island, AI now takes the brunt of drive-through orders. PHOTO: KENNY WASSUS/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

From The Wall Street Journal: Chatbots are taking over drive-through ordering systems. To stop them from spitting in your burger, follow these simple rules:

  1. Speak naturally. This isn’t Siri circa 2011. Your normal cadence will do. 
  2. Stick to the menu. Your bacon-wrapped truffle foie gras burger order isn’t funny.
  3. Chill out. Nothing pisses off a bot more than the blast of a car horn. 

Great! Now you’re ready for the AI revolution—and not just the one happening at a restaurant near you.

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Putting the ‘air’ in Air BnB

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The Airplane Filling Station on Clinton Highway

From KnoxTNToday: One of Clinton Highway’s most notable landmarks is the old Airplane Filling Station just past the Walmart heading north just before Rhealand Lane. Also, known as the Powell Airplane, the structure has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2004.

The 53-foot-long structure was built in 1931 by the brothers Elmer and Henry Nickle with the help of architect Wayne L. Smith in what’s called the mimetic style: made to look like something. In this case, it was supposed to be a reasonable facsimile of The Spirit of St. Louis, the plane that carried Charles Lindbergh across the Atlantic.

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