Blue Benn: a Vermont Diner

I love diners, like a lot of us do. A lot of my rules for other restaurants are suspended for diners.  They are a different animal altogether. I've been going to the Blue Benn diner for over 30 years now, even though I have never lived in Bennington. It's a great place to meet and talk and linger over brunch, and the food is such classic diner food that you just have to go with the flow. Over the past few years I've even actually eaten from other parts of the menu than the breakfast section - which is available all day. The decor and ambiance are un-remodeled authentic diner, complete with regulars at the formica counter who flirt with the wait staff, squeaky wooden benches and the well-placed steel art deco panels.

One of the fun parts of ordering is trying to see all the specials, which are pasted like colorful flags behind the counter - several dozens of them. There are white boards with hand-written desserts of the day up in there too.

There are a couple odd omelette combinations that I probably would not have again, but on the whole one is going to get a fabulous diner breakfast at the Blue Benn. I've had them again and again over the years, and a good breakfast like that with a good friend is a nourishing experience indeed.

The sandwiches, salads, soups and dinner specials are all classic diner fare, with hot open faced meat sandwiches slathered in gravy, chicken fried steak, burgers, club sandwiches and most anything you'd find on a typical diner menu.  The specials from the wall go into other areas of ethnic cuisine, but given my love of diner classics, I can't tell you much about this aspect of the place.  Go and try - the prices are also nice inexpensive diner prices.

The desserts are also quite lovely, given the category: "diner desserts".  They're not necessarily innovative, like  the type of thing with sugar sculptures on top.  They are decadent, sweet, and lots of times have berries and other seasonal fruits involved.  On my most recent visit I sampled this coconut custard pie and was delighted by the cool custard with a golden coconut crust on top - definitely not coconut cream and I enjoyed it immensely.

The Blue Benn has a mature service staff who will take good care of you and who do not suffer fools and jerks gladly. Give them the respect they deserve and you will have very good service with a friendly attitude and smile.

Those in the know hit the diner early on weekend mornings - otherwise there can be quite a wait.  But if you know what is in store the wait is worth it.

LorreBob sez:  Go and have the classic diner experience with your friends and leave full and happy.

Dine on Nine: Chelsea Royal Diner

This is my opening serve for a series of reviews I will be calling Dine on Nine.  Route 9 goes all across the south of Vermont and is lined with several communities between Bennington and Brattleboro.  People from all walks of life end up on this little stretch of highway, and there are not just fun diners, drive ins and dives, but fine dining establishments offering up classic as well as innovative fare.  Some may be a few hundred yards off the highway, up a little lane, and those may end up providing the best meal you or I have ever had.

Determined to become knowledgable regarding most of all food in southern Vermont, I want to review it all.

Having stopped at the Chelsea Royal Diner now and then for around 20 years, I think it's a good beginner for the series. It's along rt. 9 just west of Brattleboro, at the base of the hill that descends from Marlboro. The  building is based on a vintage 1938 Worcester Diner.

[from their website]

These days the diner sources quite a bit of their menu locally, and some even as locally as their own garden. I have to admit that I have a bias toward this sort of thing. They also do their own smoking and they enjoy making their own hard ice cream. They also prefer grass fed beef.

The menus have many of the classic diner dishes, lists of half dozen or so daily specials and a special for each day of the week. And their prices are moderate. They have a Mexican menu a couple nights each week as well.

My most recent lunch was a sandwich of pulled pork BBQ that was smoked in house, with cole slaw and baked beans.  The pork was perfectly tender and plentiful on a buttered and grilled bun, but a bit more heavily sauced than I prefer. A very minor complaint, and a matter of taste.  The cole slaw had flavor - even GOOD flavor, which is more than I can say for 85% of diners. The beans were a nice constituent of this classic trio. For a ten dollar platter it was a very good lunch. Having tasted my way through the menu for all these years I'm not recollecting a meal I didn't like.

I haven't had many of their desserts, and I noticed that there were 13 on the desserts chalk board as I was enjoying my pulled pork. For some reason my vision has always been diverted from the ice cream, and it may have something to do with the ample portions of the dishes. Once the season comes around in the spring I'm sure I'll be working my way to the Royal Madness - several dozen flavors that range from Aztec Mocha to Toasted Coconut.

Service hasn't always been as snappy as I like it, but it has always been very friendly and helpful.

LorreBob sez: check it out.