New Jersey Diners

On the way over to the talk on the history of New Jersey Diners, my history pal, Barb Solem, said "How many people do you think will come?"  My answer was "Four plus us, six."  I thought that because it was a cold and rainy day and I didn't think many people would bother to come out for the book talk.

Boy was I wrong!  More than 60 people showed up and we had a really good time!  Michael C. Gabriele is my favorite kind of speaker.  He is so comfortable with his topic from having written the book, that he speaks conversationally and he doesn't mind interacting with his audience.  People like to add things, and ask things but many lecturers don't allow it.  It distracts them from delivering their message.  Michael Gabriele, however, speaks as though he is in it with us and he is perfectly comfortable digressing and diverting and returning to his thread.

Some facts I learned are that there are more than 600 diners in New Jersey and two of the reasons for the proliferation of these eating establishments are that they were manufactured here in New Jersey, and we have such as terrific highway system.  A Third reason is the population density - lots of people, lots of cars, lots of roadways and lots of diners.

I was delighted when Michael Gabriele mentioned one of my favorite diners, the Salem Oak Diner, in Salem, across the street from the Salem Oak.  I have only eaten there once, but I love the look of it.

Mr. Gabriele told us the O'Mahoney company was one of the manufacturers of the diners which were carried on flatbed trucks and put down, modular units.  They were NOT descended from railroad dining cars, as I had thought all these years - two separate categories of eating establishments.

Two local diners had donated food to be shared after the talk but we had already eaten lunch out and being vegetarians, we were both full, and unlikely to find vegetarian friendly food, so we left.  But we had enjoyed the talk immensely and we had the bonus pleasure of running into some friends from the Outdoor Club of South Jersey, and from various Historical Society Groups to which we are members, such as the Batsto Citizens.

The cold, gray, rainy day turned out to be warm, fun and interesting!  By the way, I have been a lifelong diner fan and have two other diner books besides Mr. Gabrielle's The History of Diners In New Jersey.  They are:  Diners, People and Places by Gerd Kittel, and American Diner, Richard Gutman.  Also, somewhere in my postcard collection is a postcard from the Salem Oak Diner, and now I want to visit the great little diner in Bridgeton on the Bridge over the Maurice River - the old diner not the new one!