Diners

[oldhippie]

When going skiing, eating is always a part of the equation. A great breakfast and a good end of day meal are a BIG part of the day for me. Us motorcycle guys have a rule; ride 40 miles before breakfast.

So on my motorcycle forums we always have a thread or two going on diners, and other eating establishments. I am a big fan of diners. Nothing too fancy for me. No McDonalds or BurgerKings for me! Yuck! Me, I love good old diners, with good American food, breakfast, lunch and sometimes dinner.. but always under a sawbuck. The cooks out back always got big tatooes and the waitresses can take my flirting and dish it out just as well.

Vermont is "my state" when it comes to motorcycles. God made Vermont roads for 2 things; riding my motorcycle in the spring, summer and fall and getting to the mountains in winter. Rt 100 is Gods gift to motorcyclist and skiers. So let's all Enjoy it!

A good diner is defined in 3 key categories:

1. Good food
2. Good motorcycle parking on a "primo" road, like Rt 100 or Rt 30
3. Pretty waitresses. (I always need to have a relationship with my waitresses and I actually have a T-shirt that I have them all autograph.)

So I'll start with one of my favorite Vermont Diners.

Dot's Diner - Wilmington Vt. Interesection Rt 100 & Rt 9

Dot's is a great place, it's on the western side of the Rt 100/9 intersection in the center of the lovely little town of Wilmington Vt. Parking is somewhat minimal, there is a bit of parking out back, but it is enough only for a few cars. Your best bet, is to park on the street just before the intersection, or just past Dot's.

The interior of Dot's is great. When you walk in, there is counter service on the right, tables on the left and a great big stone fireplace in the back. Sometimes the fireplace is going in the winter. (clean restrooms in the rear as well.)

The food is excellent. Breakfast is big and hearty! The coffee is strong. If you are looking for a good breakfast, have the Western Omellete and take an extra Lipator pill for your cholesterol. If you are having lunch, you can't beat the Chili at Dot's. The turkey dinner is like Thanksgiving! Or if you just want a light snack, try coffee and a grilled cinammon bun. hmmm... delicious! One great thing about Dot's is the pie. You can always be sure to be able to get great PIE and like many of us guys out here, we all know "it's all about the PIE!" Try the chocolate cream at Dot's, it's great!

Laura and Ruth are my favorite waitresses, they know I'm harmless if I'm on my meds. (kidding... really) But, actually they are all good. The place is always busy on weekend mornings, so you might want to avoid the 8:00AM to 10:00AM Saturday and Sunday mornings if you are in a hurry to get out on the slopes. On weekedays, stop in anytime and there is always a table or booth. I'd be surprised if many of you haven't already been to Dot's.

Close ski areas are of course Mt. Snow and Haystack, but it's a great stop on the way to Stratton as well.

I'll use this thread to post about many more diners and restaurants too. If we all share our favorite finds we'll enhance all of our "skiing" experience. Obviously, the skiing experience is all about more than just going down the hill.. at least for me.

My next review will be the 4Aces Diner in Lebanon NH right on the Rt 91 and WhiteRiver junction line.

 

[skijay]

Dot's is awesome. Have you tried Chelsea's Royal Diner also on Rt 9 in B'boro?
It's exit 2 off of I91 on the way to Wilmington, VT.

For MA right off the highway (I91), I like Blue Bonnet in Noho. I get off at exit 19, go straight through the lights until you pass Subaru and come to the intersection w/ Rt 5 . DANA VW is on your upper right. Take a left at this light and it is about 1/8 mile down on the right at the most.

If I am going by Umass on Rt 9, Hadley, I loved the Sit Down Diner. It is now closed but will reopen as the Hadley Diner soon.

There is also one at Exit 24 (Yankee Candle). Take a left off of the of ramp. It is a trucker stop. Had soup there once and that was it.

There was a place called the Corner Cupboard in Greenfield, MA which was like a fountain shop / lunchonette place. It closed down last year and is now some type of coffee shop. The Cupboard had Red Flannel hash, my favorite hard to find type of hash. If anybody can find a diner that serves it , let me know!

 

[oldhippie]

Have you tried Chelsea's Royal Diner also on Rt 9 in B'boro?
It's exit 2 off of I91 on the way to Wilmington, VT.

I have, and it is very good. I don't stop there often because it is a gravel and dusty parking area that would get my pretty motorcycle all dusty. (Can't have that!) But I have been there and the food is great! Incidently, the Rt 9 from Brattleboro to Wilmington is one great stretch of road. The restaurant across from Hogback lookout is very good too. I skied at Hogback years ago.


For MA right off the highway (I91), I like Blue Bonnet in Noho. I get off at exit 19, go straight through the lights until you pass Subaru and come to the intersection w/ Rt 5 . DANA VW is on your upper right. Take a left at this light and it is about 1/8 mile down on the right at the most.

What is Noho??

If I am going by Umass on Rt 9, Hadley, I loved the Sit Down Diner. It is now closed but will reopen as the Hadley Diner soon.

I'll have to give this place a try. Thanks!!

8)

 

[skijay]

NoHo is Northampton, MA.

The Skyline, I know that one well! Griddle Cakes or waffles is what they are known for. From last April:

 

[oldhippie]

>>> NoHo is Northampton, MA. <<<

Oh! Okay. I never heard it called that.

Thats the Skyline. decent place.. but I prefer Dot's which is another 10 minutes up the road.

 

[ASC]

What kind of bike is that?

 

[oldhippie]

My bike

It's a 1998 Honda Valkyrie, you can click on my website to learn more about them. Nice big 6 cylinder Honda, lots of power, lots of comfort, lots of reliability. http://users.net1plus.com/srl/

 

[nightingale]

I like the "Miss Wakefield" diner in Wakefield, NH on Route 16

 

[thetrailboss]

I like the "Miss Wakefield" diner in Wakefield, NH on Route 16

You must be really bored if you are digging up threads from almost three years ago...

 

[maplevalleymaster]

Dot's

I love Dot's with all my heart. There are two locations, one in Wilmington, and one in West Dover.

 

[maplevalleymaster]

NoHo is Northampton, MA.

The Skyline, I know that one well! Griddle Cakes or waffles is what they are known for. From last April:

This is a great one too. Great view also.

 

[smootharc]

The diner pics are great....but

could we please see the Waitress pics ???!!! Jeepers !

 

[tekweezle]

Dot;s in Willmington is great.

anyone like Cracker Barrel? they have 3 or 4 restaurants along 1-95 in CT and MA. The food is cheap and the portions are huge.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

I am way into diners here are a few of my favorites.

Miss Lyndonville, Lyndonville, Vt
Wayside, Berlin/Montpelier, Vt it actually straddles two towns
Agawan, just north of Topsfield, Ma
Moody's, Walderboro, Me
Johnsons, Northwoods, NH
Blue Benn, Bennington, Vt

The Cracker Barrel we went to was near Walden Pond on I95, I think. The gift shop was alittle touristy, ok, alot touristy but people were loving it. The food was amazing!!!!!! So many hard to get things from days gone bye, on the menu. The biscuits and gravy were the best. Don't get down that way too often but when I do I will stop there again. Yum!

 

[AdironRider]

Miss Wakefield on the Spaulding turnpike hand down for me.

 

[kingdom-tele]

brown cow- newport, vt
copper kettle-topsham maine