Nothing to report diner wise, but time has me wondering what is going to happen to Quintessence in Albany. It was bought by the Albany Medical Center, which seemingly intend to raze the block and put their own development in the block of New Scotland, like they have been doing to the rest of the area.
Speaking of diners needing a second life. The Phoenicia got a third life! The diner started in 1962 as the Carle Place Diner down on Long Island, and in the early 1980s, the owners bought a new diner, and this one headed up to Phoenicia. The diner quietly did business on NY Rt 28 until a five foot snowfall collapsed the roof in the kitchen. Mike Cioffi came along and gave the diner a new chance and has been met with what seems like only good words and good reviews. He has updated the interior, but Glenn Wells says it was very tastefully done.
Here is the aforementioned Quintessence. The diner started out as the third Morris Diner in Albany, NY and soon was bought by the Nedicks Company of NYC. After becoming the UN Diner and regaining its popularity, the diner became known as Quintessence, a blend of diner food and more hip trendy food. They became best known for their spinach noodles and chicken wrapped around a spear of scallion and carrot, served with a garlic sauce. The Fodero sat vacant for many years due to the failure of a separate business owned by the owner until it was rechristened quintessence again only a few years ago. The diner's interior got an update, but business never came back like it did in the past. So many of the former customers had moved to the suburbs and did not care to come to Albany all that often to eat.
Another no photo for the third diner, and we'll stay in New York state. The Naples Diner in Naples New York is no more, the building is now something else other than a restaurant, and when I ate there, only history and a photo on the wall told me this was an authentic diner at one time. A Ward and Dickinson, most likely used, came to town in 1936(going strictly off memory). Every few years, in the paper, the diner would receive a fresh coat of paint and some remodeling on the inside. By the time I got to the diner around 2002ish, there was a horseshoe counter and absolutely nothing to tell you there was once a Ward & Dickinson on this location.
The Miss Worcester Diner, in Worcester, Massachusetts sits right across the street from the factory where it was built. The diner screams Worcester in nearly every way, and does so with really good food. On a recent trip, I was finally able to eat at the Miss Woo after all these years and was not disappointed. The grilled banana bread was superb. The current owner has done a great job satisfying the breakfast, lunch and weekend crowd. The Miss woo is just another reason why any diner fan needs to spend a few days in the Worcester area sometime.
Another Fodero diner today, the Bowmanstown Diner. This one has been covered over quite a bit on the outside and has been attached to a Silk City. (Should this count as two diners on my list?) Fortunately, on the inside, the Fodero is at its best, completely un-remodeled. The food is a mix of diner staples and Pennsylvania dutch choices. Even more interesting is that the diner is open 24/7, with the diner being in the heart of the mountains north of Allentown. I have not been inside of the Silk City, and I can not remember if it is used for storage or for extra seating. I have only eaten here twice, and both times it has been busy, so no interior photos yet.
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