RoadsideOnline

Contrary to what some may think, I don't relish bestowing Lou-Roc awards, but it never fails to amaze (and depress) me how little people appreciate the good works of others. Diners, left alone, work as near-perfect food-service structures loaded with built-in charm, needing of no further enhancements. None. Any attempts to embellish eventually begets a boatload of regret. And if the perpetrator never comes to experience that regret, then I feel safe in saying that they never belonged in the restaurant business in the first place.

The new family behind the Miss Adams Diner in Adams, Massachusetts. Left to right: Ric Belair, Don Hardaker, Samantha Hollland, Leanna Tellidira, Rikki Belair, and Philomene Belair.

Recently I moved to a small town in upstate New York. I'm chagrined to note that acclaimed author Richard Russo (Empire Falls, Mohawk, Nobody's Fool) has already taken all the good pseudo-names for this part of the world, so I will protect my new neighbors' anonymity as best I can, by calling this town Moderate Falls. So far, it is a pleasant place to live, with attractive scenery, a smattering of shops, and friendly townspeople. But it is not without its dramas and flaws...and colorful characters...My current favorite is the Hot Dog Guy.

Before I tell you about the Hot Dog Guy, I must start by setting the scene. In Moderate Falls, we have a Main Street a few blocks long (he has a mobile cart and tries to stay in the shade). During the urban-renewal frenzy that swept the state and indeed many parts of the nation in the 60s, one side of this street was razed for "improvements." Those improvements, now getting on in years, include a sprawling one-story "mall" anchored by a moderate-size grocery store, attended by various smaller businesses, and a few vacancies and, predictably, surrounded by a sea of bland parking lot. Clearly nothing has been done to upgrade this substantial piece of our downtown in many a long year, and it looks both dated and cruddy, frankly. Across the street and up and down the way we have a moderately attractive, classic Main Street, with unassuming storefronts fronted by a sidewalk under a sheltering roof supported by columns—a classic small-town look. Some fresh paint on these once-handsome columns and older wooden buildings and their trim, some Windex applied with what my grandma called "elbow grease" on the streetside windows, perhaps even some colorful awnings or inviting on-street seating...would be, I think, doable and nice. We don't aspire to be gentrified, upscale Saratoga Springs, but the potential is here for Prettier, More Prosperous Falls.

My last post I wrote about some things you don’t see anymore, most of these because of the advent of technology. You know, all that stuff that is supposed to make out lives easier, like cell phones, computers, ATM’s, that stuff. But I am not sure if it really has or if it has just made life more stressful.

Here is an example. I was having trouble with my house phone. Not quite sure what was up, I had been having a lot of static, and then it finally just died. So, I get on my cell phone and I called the phone company. I get a computer.

“If you are calling to report a problem press 1”
Beep 1 - yes.

These students were barely out of diapers when Roadside Magazine first featured Syracuse's great food and other attractions. Nice to see the better aspects of our culture appreciated by younger generations.

Syracuse diners inspire a multi-media project

Don Cazentre / The Post-Standard

Seth Gitner, left, assistant professor at Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, and Newhouse student Nathan Mattise, of Scranton, Pa., worked on an online multi-media project to tell the story of Syracuse-area diners. They are shown at JJ's Miss Syracuse Diner in downtown Syracuse.

Everyone seems to have a favorite diner, where they feel at home. But try to explain that love, and you might end up saying something like: "Words can't do it justice."

That's where www.syracusediners.com may help.

It's a multimedia guide to Syracuse-area diners, and diner culture in general. It tells the story in more than words: It uses pictures, computer graphics, videos, a searchable database and more.

Find out more by clicking here...