Diner on Main: I don't like sports.

The Diner on Main is an odd one. Located in the heart of what the City of Alhambra Chamber of Commerce calls "the historic Main Street Entertainment district," it is gigantic and overflowing with neon. It has an impressive pedigree as a diner, being an actual Armet and Davis designed "googie" building (it was formerly called Sandi's Restaurant). Once inside, however, you get smacked in the face with the fact that the Diner on Main might actually be aspiring to be a sports bar.

Dinerpal Paul and I went in for dinner a few weeks ago. For some reason, although there were plenty of tables available in the main dining area, we were shuffled into a "lounge" area underneath a blaring flat screen TV playing a basketball game. Bud Light pendants hung all around us, which really distracted from the 50's style architecture and fixtures.



We were the only two diners in this section so we were doted on by our waiter slash bartender. He was all up in our business but only to the point of mild annoyance. He really pushed the happy hour specials on us and seemed a little disappointed when we ordered coffee and soda.

It was hard to get a sense of the rest of the restaurant from our alcohol serving corner. I ventured out to get a glimpse and saw a pretty traditional diner set up. A large, long counter face the kitchen and several booths line the walls. The walls were decorated with only a moderate amount of kitsch and several black and white photo prints of classic--probably long extinct-- diners. I valued this connection to the past. In our lounge we were graced by the presence of college dorm art Marilyn Monroe.



The menu at Diner on Main is pretty decent. It's not extensive, but it covers everything you would reasonably want to order. The frou-frou factor was pretty light. I think I made our waiter's day when I ordered the dinner special, the chicken pot pie. Paul ordered the Philly French Dip.



My dinner came with side salad which was actually pretty good. I didn't expect that. The chicken pot pie was interesting. The crust was basically a giant floating biscuit on top of a hearty bowl of chicken and vegetable soup. I liked it, although the cheese on top was unnecessary and could be skipped. Included with the meal was a small plate of foccacia bread, I assumed for dipping; it also didn't add that much, but was a nice surprise.



Paul really like his Philly French Dip. It was exactly what you thought it would be, a Philly cheese steak with a bowl of au jus for dipping. It was a thick sandwich, which made it a little difficult to dip in the juice without stuff falling out. It came with coleslaw that was slightly rubbery but nice and tart. I'm pretty sure they used apple cider vinegar.

We both had room for dessert and I made our bartender slash waiter's day even better when I ordered the dessert special, the boysenberry and apple cobbler. Paul ordered a vanilla shake.



The cobbler was really good. They serve two kinds of pie at Diner on Main: apple and boysenberry. The apple is served with a warm cinnamon sauce and the boysenberry is best a la mode (according to them). The cobbler is basically these two items smashed together in a bowl.



Vanilla shake was a vanilla shake. It was good.

Diner on Main is part of the Pasadena based restaurant conglomerate that also owns Wild Thyme and Shakers (which will probably get reviewed sooner or later). I can really appreciate what they are trying to do decor-wise and that they need to do it, but the Diner on Main overwhelms you. There's so much neon (the blue hue to all the pictures will give you an idea of what it's like) and the reflection of the lights offf the large plate windows can easily disorient you. The jukebox can go from playing Wanda Jackson to Bon Jovi--and not classic Bon Jovi, MODERN Bon Jovi--and it makes you want to die. You miss out on some of the great atmosphere it would have had back in the Sandi's Restaurant days. Or that it might have in the morning when they aren't competing with the other restaurants located all around them. It unfortunately reminded me a lot of Ritchie's Diner.

Paul and I ended up going back to Diner on Main just a few days ago. We tried their breakfast (ham and eggs and Portuguese sausage and eggs) and found our reactions to be pretty similar to our dinner. It was good, but not great.

I will probably find myself in Diner on Main again. It's located in our new neighborhood and sometimes we might not want to drive the 1.2 miles to Twoheys. Ultimately, I'm glad it's there because of the history and the need for something more real than the Johnny Rockets a block away. I swear to g-d though, if I see them advertise a "Watch the Super Bowl here" campaign, I'm going lose that goodwill in a heartbeat.

Food: Good.
Service: Fine. (Desperate if you get stuck in the empty lounge)
Price: $7-$10 most things. Up to $14 for entrees.
Pie: Apple and Boysenberry

Diner on Main
201 West Main Street
Alhambra, CA 91801

BC Cafe- Kick Back Jack Attack!

I pulled into the parking lot as the sun was just starting to rise. The timer which controlled the lights in the parking lot had already called it a night and shut off. The parking lot was dark and incredibly creepy. I parked and waited a moment to see if the rain would let up and if some other lights would come on to make the trip from the parking lot around to the front of the restaurant less "murdery." Neither occurred.

Out in the exotic far East of Los Angeles there is a place called the BC Cafe.



Diner? Kind of. It's in the Family Restaurant category. Dinery food just with more space to serve it in.



The place was nearly empty as they had just opened and again I find the crane machine. Like the Hungry Fox, like Dolores', a game of chance is found. I sat at the counter and picked up its sizable menu.

BC Cafe features interesting combinations (someday I'll try the Crispy Shrimp Skillet or the Pot Roast Frittata) and a surprising "Southern Comfort" food section. They are also well-known for their ridiculously huge portions. I heard about something called the Plantation Breakfast but it was nowhere to be found on the menu. I had also been recommended to/warned about their stuffed pancakes and decided to go that route. I also foolishly ordered a side of scrambled eggs.

The menu bragged about their "Giant Buritolle" but when I tried to order one- not really having any idea what it was- I was told they didn't have any and to try a muffin instead. I could see the muffins in a glass display case from where I was, I passed. Even though I saw a delivery truck from "Puritan Bakery" parked out back, the muffins looked exactly like Costco muffins.

BC Cafe has something that not enough restaurants have nowadays; a whimsical cartoon mascot. It's basically down to the Big Boy and BC Cafe's Kick Back Jack. He's a little bit Bugs a little bit Spuds (Mackenzie).



My Strawberry Preserves and Cream Cheese Stuffed Pancakes arrived and I dug right in. It was delicious. Incredibly rich and heavy of course. I made it through the first one and felt like I had just swallowed a 20 pound weight. I soldiered on and ate my eggs and pounded down another pancake.



After that I was done. That sole-surviving pancake was left untouched on the plate. It's true. The portion and flavor is huge!

I soon waddled out of the restaurant and into the morning light.

Not that many weeks later I found myself at the other BC Cafe location. It was now, however, called-



They went for it. "Boom! Let's put the mascot right up there in the name!"



This location was far more Hotel Lobby than the other. Construction was still going on when Antoinette and I went inside. There was no counter to be seen. Just columns and plywood and newly purchased pastel furnishings. And lots of fake plants as well. The walls were classily painted with scenes of Kick Back Jack, the rascally rabbit, doing various sports. Soccer.

Deep sea fishing... which he is apparently new at since he is way underwater and that snorkel isn't doing a damn thing but let in lung crushing water. Way to go Kick Back Jackass!

The menu is basically the same. It is dense and it is impossible to make a snap decision. The menu also features local advertising. The take-out menu even has coupons.



It should be noted that they do not serve apple pie at KBJ or BC Cafe. They do have a ton of different shake flavors and a Basketta Cobbler which is described as a cross between a donut and a scone topped with a choice of various compotes.



The coffee was surprisingly good. Not great though.

We got the Stuffed French Toast (stuffed with boysenberry) and the #1 Country Breakfast, basically biscuits and gravy, an egg and hash browns.



It was all heavy and delicious.



And way too much of it.

Food- Good, with giant portions.
Service- Good.
Price- $7-15
Pie- No.

BC CAFE
701 S Indian Hill Blvd.
Claremont CA 91711

Kick Back Jacks
10123 Foothill Blvd.
Rancho Cucamonga CA 91730

Note the hours- 6am to 3pm every day.

On the Road: Olympia's Black Bear Diner.

Okay, I know I said I'd return to Los Angeles to do a quick review of another Dinerwood home base place, but I'm having some issues with pictures right now. Therefore, we shall continue on our Northwest adventure for a just a bit longer.


I went to college in Olympia, Washington. I lived there for four years and for several years afterward, I made nearly weekly return trips there to perform with my improv troupe.



The location that is now the Black Bear Diner used to be a Coco's. A Coco's I had never once visited. I don't think I had ever actually eaten at a Coco's until I went to Japan. Yes, Japan, but that's a story for another time....



If you've never been to a Black Bear Diner, you are really missing out. It's a chain of diners in the greater Northwest that is not run like a chain. The first one I ate at was, I believe, in Bend, Oregon. The menu stated that each Black Bear Diner prepares things a little differently so don't go expecting the same thing at another Black Bear somewhere else.















Black Bear Diners are going for a rustic atmosphere. In fact, if it weren't for the fact they call themselves a "Diner," I might dismiss it for just the surface elements. It's nice. It's cozy. It feels like home...you know, if you lived in a restaurant.




















Part of this homey-ness is that the menu is presented to you like a newspaper. The place mat gives you the history of the chain and its establishment in 1969.

On this day, I was treated to just how unchain-like a Black Bear Diner can be. The heater was broken in the restaurant and it was getting quite a bit chilly in there. I heard someone order a fresh squeezed orange juice and be informed that the juicer was broken and they only had regular juice. When it came my time to order, I was debating between the Beary Crunch French Toast or the Praline Pecan Sauce French Toast. I asked my waitress which one was better. She replied "We don't have any pecans so you have to get the crunchy." Yes, she said I "HAD" to. I wasn't going to argue. She clearly knew her stuff.

"What makes it crunchy?" Don't get ahead of yourself, Turbo. Let me first add that these are three slices of sourdough bread, battered and then rolled in crushed cornflakes. My god! This was delicious. It's probably one of my favorite things that I'd had on this entire trip.

Food: Great.

Price: 6-11

Service: Friendly.

Pie: Technically no, but look at all this cobbler!

PS- the menu does suffer from a little too much "bear" cuteness, like my Beary Crunchy French Toast or the Beary Nice to Meet You Eggs Benedict (okay I made that one up).

955 Black Lake Blvd SW

Olympia, WA 98502

(360) 352-1219

On the Road: Spokane's Diners Pt.1 and 2- Frank's Diner and Pioneer Pies

I lived in Spokane, Washington, for only 6 years. Those were middle school and high school years, though--years that really shape you as person. I graduated from Joel E. Ferris High School in 1997. I've been back periodically over the years, but this trip was for a thing that some people dread: The 10 Year Reunion.

But this this isn't a blog about that. This is not a blog about disappointment and failure. It's about those diners and greasy spoons we so love. During the Spokane leg of my vacation, I was able to hit three full-fledged diners as well as two other places worth mentioning. Without further ado...

Pt. 1 Frank's Diner

If you're from Spokane and you go out to breakfast at least once a month, you have intimate knowledge of Frank's Diner or its crosstown brother, Knights Diner. They were once both real, working railroad cars. This means they are often cramped and have limited seating. Unless you get real lucky, like Jon and I did on our trip there. You can expect a ten to fifteen minute wait, but it is always worth the wait. Unfortunately for Knights Diner, they are closed on Monday's and I didn't get to eat there on this trip; therefore, this is where it will exit the review.

Frank's Diner has been been voted the "Best Breakfast in Spokane" for ten years now. Spokane might have a lot of problems, but knowing where to get its first meal of the day is not one of them.

"Frank's serves 15,000 eggs and 2 1/2 tons of hash browns a month...one meal at a time," boasts a sign in the interior. I know I lack elegance when I say, "That's a hell of a lot."

I ordered the coffee while Jon ordered the hot chocolate. I hate to say the coffee tasted a bit burnt and required actual sugar, not my beloved Splenda or the pink or blue stuff, to make it palatable enough for me to get through a cup. Jon's hot chocolate was something truly special to behold.

Jon said "the chocolate chips added to the bon vivantof the drink."

...Jon is not a writer. I'm barely one, but anyway...

I got into a habit on this trip of ordering things with a person's name in the them. Remember how every place with "Joe" in the name had a "Joe's Special?" Well, there sure are a lot of "Frank's _______" on this menu. So you know what I got? The "Joe's Special:" 3 eggs scrambled, spinach, ground beef with grated Parmesan cheese, served with hash browns and a bread. It sounded delicious with just a little bit of the unusual. I was pleasantly surprised at how well everything went together.

Jon, not being that big on breakfast breakfast, surprised me with a pretty hardcore meal of smothered hash browns and two crispy sausage links. Jon and I both agreed that the hash browns were fantastic. Very unique to me, they were slices of potato, almost like thin cut french fries. They were not greasy at all but definitely had that fried taste you hope for with a good plate of hash browns. Jon did think there was a bit too much gravy. You might want to order it-- not on the side really--just on half the plate and mix it all together yourself.

You can't beat a Frank's breakfast. If you are traveling through town it is a must for any diner lover. If you live in Spokane, eat there at least once or twice a month. Dinerwood commands it!

Food: Delicious

Service: Craig the counter guy was friendly and knowledgeable. Some of the waitresses can get a bit snippy because of the need for quick turnover.

Price: 6-10

Pie: No, pie. Only cobbler.

1516 W. 2nd Ave

Spokane, WA 99204

509.747.8798

PART 2. Pioneer Pies

Pioneer Pies is still a mainstay in some parts of the country. Old timey, folksy decor and delicious pies made it a favorite for families and pie lovers everywhere. Or in my case, a mysterious wonderland: my family never went to Pioneer Pies for some reason. Sadly, the Pioneer Pies in Spokane shuttered it's pie-sills and the building became a casino, much like every closed down building around here nowadays. For Spokanites, the legend gets to live on as part of Conley's Place restaurant in the Spokane Valley. Conley's Place is an odd Irish-y restaurant with a lot of lattice work. I don't know what the connection between the two restaurants is but, Conley's Place serves Pioneer Pies' pies. It even has a Pioneer Pies sign on the building. And since the picture of the Conley's Place sign turned out even worse than this, all you get is the Pioneer Pies part of the sign.

Jon, his girlfriend Stephanie, my friend Bill's wife Lynn (Bill will be appearing later in the blog)and I, all went out for dinner. Well, originally it was to go roller skating, but SOMEBODY isn't so good at listening to phone recordings and got the hours of operation of the roller rink wrong. I won't review the food at Conley's because it's not a diner or a greasy spoon. I will however review the delicious piece of pie I had.

Meet the Almond Joy. With Halloween all up on it I have had the pleasure of rediscovering the...dare I say it? The JOY of the Almond Joy candy bar. This pie strives to recreate that candy combo in pie form. Here's the slice; bottom layer of chocolate cream, then a thin layer of slice almonds, then a layer of coconut cream, another layer of almonds, then whipped cream with a few chocolate chips on top. Now, it didn't taste just like he candy bar, which I didn't really expect it to, but it invoked the essence. The tasty, tasty essence.

Food: Tasty

Service: The restaurant was closing early because we were the only diners, but they didn't rush us or even mention it until we were out the door.

Price: Pie 3-4

Pie:...well, yeah.

12618 E Sprague Ave

Spokane, WA

Tel: (509) 924-5411