It’s date night tonight, so what’s on the menu? Are you a stay at home couple or do you like to go out? Whichever type you are, there is one place I have seen many couples frequent, a diner. Young or old, this place attracts many in love, but why? Popular TV shows, like the teen #1 hit Riverdale, uses a diner as a date night staple. Although many teens watch this show, could it really influence them to make all their dates at a diner? I wanted to find out if when given the option, would couples come here to eat? Also, I always found it interesting how diners were a Northern East Coast staple, while waffle houses and burger joints spread to the other coasts. If couples were given the choice, would they leave behind these retro diners for a waffle house?
Going into this observation, I expected only young couples to come to a diner, but want to go out to a fancier restaurant. I figured couples would only go to the diner because it was the only place around or less expensive. I went to the Orangetown Diner on Friday night, in hopes of finding couples. To my surprise, there were quite a few in booths, each with a smile bouncing off the reflection of the metal napkin holders. I saw a couple in their teens laughing and having the time of their lives spinning on the stools up at the counter. Although they were older, they were still having fun just spinning up there. When I asked them what they were doing, they expressed that the diner has so many little joys people forget about. Therefore, this couple felt like kids when they were enjoying the fun, as kids appreciate these little things that sometimes we forget about.
Later that night, a college couple entered. The girl was so excited to be there, as she took in the smell of pancakes and ice cream that filled the air. I asked the boyfriend, Matthew Quinones, why they come to the diner for their dates? He said, “There are always cute things for us to do, we love coming to this diner for the crazy milkshakes, delicious desserts, and the fun flavored pancakes.” He said that they liked to try different flavors and see which one ordered the better option. I asked him why they chose here, rather than a fancier restaurant or a fast food chain, as I figured maybe the show Riverdale came into play. Right when the words left my mouth the couple immediately shook their heads no, they stated, “We are a young couple so older established people go to fancier restaurants frequently, for us it is more of a special occasion place because most times we want to have fun on our dates and not have to act differently. Also, yes, the diner does look great on Riverdale, but that is not why we are here because in reality that’s just TV.” At the end of the interview, I asked them if they could imagine life without diners, and to my surprise the answer was challenging. Right away Mr. Quinones responded, “Yes”, while his girlfriend, Ashley Toledo, responded the opposite way. Ms. Toledo immediately answered, “Oh no they are my favorite, they help you to feel comfortable in a different place besides your home and have great quality.” After thinking for a second, Mr. Quinones responded, “Actually, now that you mention it, It would be very odd to not have the diner as an option when I am going out to eat.” Although young, this couple blended together many factors to serve up a different perspective about diners.
Right when I was going to call it a night, a surprising couple decided to mix up my research. An older women and her husband walked through the door and were immediately greeted with a hug from the waitress. Right away the waiter behind the long counter shouted, “Hey my favorites, is it date night?”, to which they responded with a smile. The couple were married for over 50 years, and mainly the wife, Linda Cataldi, answered my questions. I asked her if she has come here a lot and she let out a laugh and said, “We love the diner, it was the cat’s meow when we were growing up, and to us it still is.” I asked her why she picked here to eat, as she could go anywhere, and she answered, “Bobby and I like to come here, it reminds us that even though we are older, we can still have fun like the kids we once were.” I concluded with asking her if compared to the Southern waffle houses and West Coast café’s, does she believe a diner is different? Linda immediately screamed, “Oh of course, the quality, variety, and community is very different. Here, this place, they got to know me and my husband and they care.” This couple really intrigued me, as seeing this tradition within them helped me to appreciate the diner. Through the interview, I learned that a diner is calming and filled with tradition. Therefore, it is a place where all ages can enter and not be judged, but instead be bonded by love, and milkshakes of course!
Diner Dash 