Sign Bar is a Dazzling Homage to Old Austin
Photo by Chad Wadsworth
From Austin Monthly: If you find yourself waxing poetic about the good ol’ days of Austin—whether you envision the cosmic cowboy–approved 1970s or slacker-friendly ’90s—this new bar is sure to appease your nostalgia. Opening tonight, Sign Bar highlights dozens of signs from beloved local businesses, from Dart Bowl and Catfish Parlor to Spider House and Genie Car Wash.
A collaboration between industry veterans Matt Luckie and Max Moreland, the bar is home to more than 75 indoor and outdoor signs in a space that was formerly an automobile service station.
Love, Sex, and Death at the Waverly Diner
The exterior of the Waverly Diner. Photo by Robert Sietsema
From NY Eater: At 7 a.m., a server takes the first order — hot open turkey sandwich, extra gravy, mozzarella sticks, with a side of Boston cream pie — shortly after the doors open. For the next 16 hours, as it has for the last forty-some years, New York City comes to the Waverly Diner.
The day includes a morning visit from first-timers in a window booth. They’re followed by a group of contractors in a hurry. Across from them, a young daughter sits across from her father, downing a packet of pancake syrup while waiting for her Rice Krispies. A patron heads to the wood countertop in the back to chat with a manager.
Since 1979, the neon sign has burned on the corner of Sixth Avenue and Waverly Place, calling to New Yorkers in search of breakfast, early dinners, afterparty comedowns, and late mornings-after.
Inside an Upstate Diner Humming With Regulars
Outside Red Line Diner at night. Photo by Mike Diago
From NY Eater: At night, just off Interstate 84 in Fishkill, NY, the neon sign glows at Red Line Diner, and its chrome glimmers with each passing set of headlights. Beautiful diners like these are common in the Northeast — this isn’t even the only one at that exit. They lure hungry or lonely passersby with a slim chance at what diners used to promise: decent coffee, tasty comfort food, late-night buzz, and warm conversation. When they aren’t good, you sit at a dead counter, watch the coffee drip into the pot, and imagine you’re in a better time, but this place, named for redlining a car engine at top speed, is not a mirage: The best time to be there is now.
On a recent Thursday night, inside the 250-seater, music from Boz Scaggs, Mark Ronson, Rihanna, and the Isley Brothers gave rhythm to the chatter. The waiting area was packed. Beside an empty seat at the counter, a man wearing gold chains, dog tags, a ponytail, and a handlebar mustache poured blue cheese dressing over his wedge salad. Co-owner Nick Vanakiotis chuckled from behind the counter.
Can’t get enough of NJ’s diners? Check out this Paterson Museum exhibit
From northjersey.com: The Paterson Museum is serving up a new exhibit meant to cut to the heart and soul of North Jerseyans: “Order’s Up! Paterson and the Rise of the New Jersey Diner.”
The exhibit will focus on how Paterson contributed to the state’s diner industry and is based on Clifton author Michael Gabriele’s books: “Stories From New Jersey Diners” and “The History of Diners in New Jersey.” The exhibit looks at some of the most storied diners.
Gabriele estimates New Jersey has more than 500 diners, slightly fewer than the Garden State’s post-World War II heyday, yet more than any other state or country.
Indian restaurants popping up along trucking routes
From NewsNation: Truck stops are being reimagined across the country, as a record number of Indian restaurants have been popping up along the biggest U.S. trucking routes.
For many truck drivers, there aren’t a lot of options on the road beyond fast food. However, the increase in Indian restaurants is fueling the trucking community and helping them get where they need to go.
In western Oklahoma, along the famous Route 66, hundreds of drivers flock to Truck Stop 40 at Exit 26.
“This place is right in the middle of the United States and this place is famous for our homemade Indian food,” restaurant owner Amar Singh said.