It was the breakfast food, the best diner food ever

Home fries and eggs over and toast

But let’s be clear

It was the only place within thirty miles that served breakfast all night long to college kids and rail men in overalls and other nocturnal dwellers

it was the last gasp of the heavy railroad industry right there forty years beyond its glory days in the 1930’s in the basement of the railroad station carved of great stone depression, decades of gruff shoes and soot had worn the ground floor that opened onto the tracks

ambiance like that

with a large waitress in house dress and apron, a kindly mom-type who took no guff

politeness was required or she’d roust ya