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CTMQ > Food & Drink > Classic Diners & True Taverns

Classic Diners & True Taverns*

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Classic Diners & True Taverns*

Classic Diners and True Taverns in Connecticut These lists below are both difficult to maintain - and difficult to "complete." Diners and taverns are slowly disappearing for various reasons. And that was before the COVID-19 pandemic decimated both types of establishments around the country. I can't define what a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Classic Diners & True Taverns, Food & Drink Tagged With: Classic Diners, taverns

Lakeside Diner

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Lakeside Diner

Lake With a Side of Home Fries Lakeside Diner, Stamford April 2022 Lakeside Diner appears on the Roadfood Eat Before You Die List for its donuts. Recency bias is a very real thing that we all suffer from. Try as I might to fight it, it's impossible to completely disengage from its clutches. If you're not … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Classic Diners & True Taverns, Food & Drink, New Post Tagged With: Classic Diners, doughnuts, Fairfield County, Roadfood's Eat Before You Die, Stamford

Towne Tavern

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Towne Tavern

Townee Bar Towne Tavern, Torrington February 2022 I'm bummed out. When I first put together my list of "true taverns" of Connecticut, there were maybe a dozen lone survivors. The tavern license was unique and wonderfully limiting. It allowed establishments to only serve lower alcohol beer and wine. No liquor, not … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Classic Diners & True Taverns, Food & Drink, New Post Tagged With: Litchfield County, taverns, Torrington

Twin Colony Diner

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Twin Colony Diner

Brave New World Twin Colony Diner, Torrington February 2022 Something just occurred to me. A lot of diners have the word "Colony" in their names. And I may just be obtuse, but I don't know why. There was White Colony Diner in Waterbury. The Blue Colony is going strong in Newtown. Colony Diner is slinging hash in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Classic Diners & True Taverns, Food & Drink, New Post Tagged With: Classic Diners, Litchfield County, restaurants, Torrington

White’s Diner

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White’s Diner

White's Diner Bridgeport January 2020 I'm pretty bummed out that White's Diner doesn't have a website. In fact, I just spent an eternity trying find something about this joint's history. After those three minutes, I found this: White's is a Bridgeport institution, in existence since 1935. I want to guess … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Classic Diners & True Taverns, Food & Drink, New Post Tagged With: Bridgeport, Calvin, Classic Diners, Fairfield County, restaurants

Makris Diner

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Makris Diner

Makris Diner Wethersfield December 2019 As I pulled into the parking lot along the busy Berlin Turnpike, Calvin said, “didn’t we just go here?” Chuckling, I replied, “Sorta. But that was a different diner on the same road that serves the same food.” Calvin knows by now that I bring him to repetitive … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Classic Diners & True Taverns, Food & Drink, New Post Tagged With: Calvin, Classic Diners, Hartford County, restaurants, Wethersfield

Olympia Diner

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Olympia Diner

Olympia Diner Newington October 2019 When I first put together my list of "Classic Diners" on this website, the list consisted only of actual classic diners. For some reason, I've expanded that original idea to include a bunch of decidedly non-classic dinners in the years since. It sort of bothers me, but I've … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Classic Diners & True Taverns, Food & Drink, New Post, Superlatives Tagged With: Classic Diners, Dubious Claims, Hartford County, Largests Longests Mosts Smallests and Tallests, Newington, restaurants

Triple-A Diner

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Triple-A Diner

Where’s the Fonz? (AAAAaaaaaaa) AAA Diner, East Hartford May 2019 Yeah, I know. This diner sort of stretches the definition of “Classic Diner.” Except that there really is no definition of what makes a diner “classic.” The authors of Classic Diners of Connecticut are clear to say that a diner is “classic” if you … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Classic Diners & True Taverns, Food & Drink, New Post Tagged With: Classic Diners, East Hartford, Hartford County, restaurants

Book Review: Classic Diners of Connecticut

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Book Review: Classic Diners of Connecticut

Diners, Dives, and Drive-By's Classic Diners of Connecticut Garrison Leykam, 2013 Let's face it, diner culture is dying. Some have probably engraved the headstone already. It is for that reason that I decided to list and visit Connecticut's "classic" diners several years ago. My list has grown and shrunk over the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Books, Movies, People, & Stories, Classic Diners & True Taverns, Everything Else, Food & Drink, New Post Tagged With: Classic Diners, Connecticut Books, Connecticut Travel Guides & Cookbooks

Dutch Tavern

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Dutch Tavern

I’m in Dutch Now Dutch Tavern, New London May 2018 Finally. I’ve finally begun my journey to take a seat and have a beer at all of Connecticut’s few remaining true, classic taverns. What’s that? There are a billion bars all over the state? What differentiates these 8 or 9 particular places? Glad you … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Classic Diners & True Taverns, Food & Drink, New Post Tagged With: New London, New London County, taverns

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