I’ve been collecting newspaper and magazine articles about diners for a very long time. Sometimes I’m amazed that I’ve had this passion for them for so long.  I recently found a box of clippings in my basement with write-ups about classic diners from places as varied as Maine, Texas, and Oklahoma.  For the life of me I can’t recall even seeing some of them before, which made me laugh.

From the box I pulled out a copy of Yankee Magazine’s May 2001 issue.  The cover story read “The Best New England Diner Pageant: We Judge The Finest”.  It’s not just that I don’t remember reading this article: I don’t remember ever reading a Yankee Magazine in my entire life.  The first diner profiled in the article was O’Rourke’s in Middletown, CT.  It won the honor of being dubbed “Miss Classic Beauty” diner. 

So Jack, Deena, Winston and I were heading south for a weekend in C T and I decided that this was a good enough reason to take a half hour detour to visit O’Rourke’s. Researching it on a couple of diner blogs I learned that in 2006 it had suffered a terrible fire.  The place was completely gutted and the restaurant closed.  Sadly, the owners had no fire insurance.  It looked as if another beloved diner was about to disappear.  And then something magical happened: a group of local businessmen who loved O’Rourke’s recognized how important the diner was to their town.  They got a group together and raised over $200,000 to rebuild it.  And now, like a phoenix, O’Rourke’s has arisen from the ashes to live again. 

When I read all of this O’Rourke’s had only been re-opened for about 2 weeks.  Jack and I needed to get there right away. 

So on a Friday afternoon we set a southern course for Middletown.  The mix on the Ipod was good.  Lots of classic British Invasion tunes.  Jack was rocking in his car seat to The Hollies, Marian Faithful, The Dave Clark Five, and The Animals.  Winston slept in the front seat.  By the time we got there the rain was pouring down in sheets, but the bright neon reflecting off of the chrome walls of O’Rourke’s beckoned us in.  Walking in, we were greeted with the message céad míle fáiltein the tile by the door.  A gentleman at a nearby table saw us looking at it and told us “It means a 100,000 welcomes”.   Now how often does a restaurant offer you that? 

The work that was done to restore this place is breathtaking.  Someone clearly took great pains to make sure that the structure retained the look of a real, working diner.  Nothing looks retro.  I’d love to know where they found such exquisite authentic diner chrome. The tile work is elegantly laid out in simple black and white patterns.  Yet somehow, while keeping true to the classic diner esthetics, O’Rourke’s is one of the nicest, most upscale diners we’ve ever been in.  The counters are done in majestic, jet black marble.  The choice of contrasting black and white for the inside décor gives it an art deco-sort of feel. The wide open kitchen for Chef Brian’s and his crew makes it feel more like Spago than a greasy spoon.

As always, Jack made friends with our waitress immediately.  He made eyes at Crystal, she smiled at him.  He waved each time she passed the table, and she made sure to say hi to him.  Quickly the rest of the staff was stopping by the table to get to know him.  He, of course, loved every minute of the attention.  

So let’s talk about the menu.  We were not really prepared for what Brian and his team had to offer.  We were prepared for the typical diner fair: comfort foods and a long list of omelets.  This is clearly a diner for true “foodies”.  Deena had a grilled chicken sandwich marinated in a honey-dijon sauce with sweet potato fries.  I had a sirloin burger with smoked gouda cheese, smothered in a horseradish sauce and bacon.  It came with a side of steamed asparagus.  Even the soft drinks on the menu were gourmet – a local bottler called Foxon Park.  We had a delicious sampling of crème soda, lemon-lime seltzer and a diet cola.  They all reminded me of the sodas made at the fabled Simpson Springs bottling plant in Easton, MA.   

Jack always seems up for trying something new.  As you can see in the photos, we showed Jack how to dip his French fries in ketchup.  The look of pure pleasure on his face tells the whole story.  He also tried some of my asparagus, which he loved.  He actually ate four whole pieces.  Sadly, his diaper the next morning smelled disgusting, so we’re going to keep him away from the green sticks for a while.

Keeping with tradition, after we finished our meal Jack and I explored the diner.  He made faces at the reflection of himself in the chrome on the walls.  We touched the different surfaces.  He stood on one of the stools while I spun him around.  We walked around, introducing ourselves to the other patrons.   At the table next to us sat a couple with their son.  We got to talking, and we told them about our love for diners and the website.  The husband introduced himself as Larry Marino.  With great pride his wife Jane explained that Larry had led the group of local businessmen who had saved O’Rourke’s.  We showered him in congratulations and thank you’s for saving such a great diner.  

Larry shared with us that he had recently helped save another dilapidated diner.  It had been moved to Providence, RI, where it was being rehabbed.  Once it was back in working condition his sons were going to run it.  We exchanged contact information, and he promised that we would hear from him when it reopened.   We couldn’t believe our good fortune at having the chance to meet Larry and his family.

O'Rourke's Diner
344 Main Street
Middletown, CT
860-346-6101