My favorite diner as a kid was Peg’s Diner in North Woodstock, NH.  My family would eat there before we would head out for skiing on Loon Mountain.  There were two reasons that our family loved Peg’s – 1) they made the world’s greatest home fries.  Instead of cubing the potatoes, they cut them in wafer-thin slices with copious amounts of onions.  My dad and I believe that the cook at Peg’s also followed Ray Kroc’s idea for McDonald’s French fries and soaked the potatoes in sugar water before cooking them.  They were absolutely delicious. 2) We loved Peg’s because Peg and her staff loved my sister.  Rachel was a finicky eater at the time, and hated breakfast food.  After taking the time to go through the entire menu with her one morning, Peg asked her if she wanted a simple turkey sandwich.  Rachel’s eye lit up, and for years that’s what she ate on Saturday and Sunday mornings.  Peg made her feel really welcome, and never gave her a hard time about each such an unconventional breakfast.

When I learned that there was actually another Peg’s diner in this world, and that it was within 10 miles of our house, I got really excited.  I told Jack, Max and Deena that this is where I wanted to go for my birthday.  So we made the drive to Whitinsville, Massachusetts.  Have you ever heard of Whitinsville, MA?  We certainly hadn’t.  But with our trusty GPS (nickname “Robi”) we packed up the car and headed west.  And then there was Peg’s.

I love diners that hide their inner beauty.  We actually drove past Peg’s, only to realize that we had missed it.  The outside is a basic white, wooden-sided building in the middle of a cute downtown.  Peg’s looks sadly so out of place, so forgotten.  The banks and stores that have sprouted around it almost like an untended forest that has grown around an abandoned home.  But if you are in Whitinsville you should take the time to go inside.

Jack and I have been to some truly old diners, but this might be the oldest.  It’s an original Worcester Dining Car, built in 1936.  The wooden, screened door looks original.  The booths are wooden, too.  The tile is a beautifully stark black and white from floor to ceiling.  The counter has simple chrome stools with beautiful brass foot rests.  No kitschy icons on the walls.  No famous patrons’ autographs.  This is probably what it looked like when it rolled off of the assembly line. 

You can tell a lot about a diner by its soup, and its patrons.  If the soup is from a can you should probably get back in your car.  Peg’s had two homemade soups that day.  Jack and I shared a coup of chicken and vegetable with fresh dumplings.  Whoa.  It was gone in a flash.  I got a tuna melt and Deena got a chicken sandwich.  Jack pulled out a word from his growing vocabulary and asked for a hot dog.  Peg grilled the bun. We ordered a plate of fresh onion rings for the family. 

For his part, Max hung out and looked cute.  This was Max’ first time at a diner for a family adventure.  We were so proud of him.  He made eyes at the waitress, and seemed to be very happy with all of the attention.  Good first outing, Max!

After we gobbled up our meals Jack and I explored the diner.  We met Peg, the owner, and her staff.  We also met a couple of the regulars sitting at the counter.  We explained how we visit diners, and Peg seemed a little suspicious.  She told me that most little kids don’t like diners anymore.  A very nice lady told Jack that she hoped he would be able to visit every diner in America before they disappeared.  For his part, Jack stood on one of the stools and let me spin him around.  As his smile got bigger and bigger Peg said to me “you know, he seems to be really happy here.  I think you’re right – this kid loves diners”. 

What bums me out about Peg’s is that it is no longer open on Sundays.  Business continues to dwindle.  They stopped serving dinners years ago.  Now it’s just breakfast and lunch. I strongly recommend if you are in the area that you support this wonderful establishment.  Jack, Max and I will be back soon.

Peg's Diner
87 Church St
Whitinsville, MA 01588
(508) 234-0170