Queens, NY diner tour September 29, 2001

Sponsored by the American Diner Museum
Tour host: Mario Monti

Sage Diner is an early 1960s Kullman which has been remodeled. Right: part of the tour group at the Sage.

Lucille's Diner was probably built in the 1960s by an unknown manufacturer.
Clinton's Diner (right) is a Space Age DeRaffele from the 1960s.

Ocean Diner houses a Chinese restaurant. This 1950s Mountain View sports an unusual color combination on the ceiling: pink, blue, and green (right.)

Blue Crystal Diner, another Mountain View, was the dessert stop on the tour. Top right: tour host Mario Monti with his wife, Lucille. Bottom right: Mario with Gregg Anderson and Daniel Zilka.
UPDATE: This diner is now the New York Ham and Eggery Diner.
A not-so-subtle reminder that you are in New York City (left.)

Air Line Diner is part of the Jackson Hole restaurant chain, but the exterior of this Mountain View is mostly intact, including some great signage. Inside, you'll find some changes: cooking is done behind the counter, and what was once the back kitchen is another dining area.
The sign above has been featured in a John Baeder painting.
Deerhead Diner (left) is the sad story of the tour. This flashy Space Age Paramount was available for lease on the day we visited, but not if you wanted to operate a restaurant! (The landlord, the adjacent Buccaneer Diner, did not want any competition.) Later, an explosion was rigged in the diner and filmed for an episode of the TV series Third Watch. The building is presently an electrical supply store, and that beautiful facade is now a blank wall.

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