Oh the Places We Used to Go: The Diner

I had a meeting downtown in mid-afternoon, and I arranged my schedule so I'd have time to grab a pair of egg rolls at Chopsticks Express. It's a fun and harmless treat. I usually take my egg rolls to the Wall below Old Main, where I sit and eat them outdoors. Since it was 18 degrees F, however, just this one time, I ate inside instead. (See photo in the extras.)

I also spent a few minutes walking around downtown. This is a thing I really have not done much since the 80s, when I was an undergraduate student at Penn State. We used to spend LOTS of time downtown: there were always record stores and video game arcades and fun places to eat.

Some of the places we used to go are gone now. And here is a photo to document one that's still here, at least the shell of it, but is officially on its way out: The Diner, once known as Ye Olde College Diner, home of grilled stickies.

Grilled stickies (you may see one here in the extras) are essentially cinnamon rolls that are then heated up on a grill. Back in the day, you couldn't get stickies served with ice cream on top; you had to order the two things separate. Yes. Purists. Grilled stickies on a plate. Ice cream in a bowl. If you decided to place one atop the other, that was your own personal business!

One of the Diner's coolest annual events used to be its Thanksgiving dinner. Priced at just 50 cents, so everyone could afford it, you could get a tray of the standard Thanksgiving goodies, including turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, and cranberry relish. I remember going there once with my husband and he ate TWO plates full. Big spender!

The Diner was sold last year for $1.5 million. The site will eventually be the home of Hello Bistro, which is affiliated with Eat 'n Park. The former owner of the Diner will continue to make grilled stickies, and they will be sold out of the Corner Room. So a tiny bit of the legend that once was the Diner will continue.

In case this posting has attracted some fans of old diners, let me include links to two other blip-postings that feature classic diners.
Classic American Diner, Breezewood, PA
Capitol Diner, Harrisburg, PA (see the photo in the extras)

I hate to think that diners may be a vanishing breed, but this one is going away for sure, and I'm feeling wistful for days of yore. I wanted a soundtrack song that talks about things that used to be. So  here is Ringo Starr with Photograph.

Every time I see your face
It reminds me of the places we used to go
But all I've got is a photograph
And I realize you're not coming back anymore