CRAZY ABOUT DINERS: Maid-Rite Diner, Wilson, NC

I LOVE diners.  I would rather stop at a diner than a 5 star restaurant.

Growing up in New Jersey I thought diners were everywhere.   Even the TV show Happy Days featured a diner.

After living in other states I discovered diners did not always migrate away from the east coast.  There are wonderful regional foods available in most small towns but there is something about a diner.

It is a microcosm of the local life.

Tables and chairs remind me of the Formica kitchen sets from the 50’s and earlier.

I am an invisible traveler, most of the time, I am just never noticed by others.  I even have my ‘travel face’ that tells others not to bother with me.   So I can often eat in a diner without much attention and view the group interacting:   the workers having a quick coffee, the tradesmen and women having  lunch, travelers off the interstate who eat with their heads down. 

 

 

When one of the diners' locals enters, everyone greets them by name.   Their food preferences are know as well as the history of their entire family.     I have learned about divorces, layoff, small and big successes of the residents while waiting for my waffle or sandwich.  Rarely do patrons talk about illness.......

Some diners look like converted air streams or parts of manufactured home.  Some are elegant like the one on Rt 37 near Seaside Heights, NJ with marble floors and a mirrored ceiling.    Some are famous and when they close are sorely missed.    Everyone has their favorites.

When I saw there was a diner within walking distance of the hotel in Wilson, NC I was staying in, I had to take a look.

Located in a small shopping center, the profile did not match my New Jersey experience, but that did not stop me.

The interior was bright and colorful.  Even the ceiling was a take on the tin ceiling tiles from the last century.


The staff was very friendly and while my order was being prepared they allowed me to ask questions about the diner’s origin.   The answers surprised me.

The original Maid-Rite diner dates back to 1920's.    Today, Maid-Rite diners are franchised in many states.

From the company web site:

“Serving Our Customers for Over 87 Years.

In 1926, way back before Facebook, and even before TV, people just didn't know how to waste time. But, being really bored paid off for butcher Fred Angell. He worked to get just the right combination of a special cut and grind of meat and a selected blend of spices. When a deliveryman tasted Fred's new creation, he said, "This sandwich is made right." With that, the Maid-Rite was born.       Fred was quite a sandwich maker but not much of a speller.   Our select line of seasoned loose meat sandwiches are made from 100% USDA Midwestern fresh ground beef served on a fresh steamed white or wheat bun, with your choice of ketchup, mustard, onion and pickles.      

 

Our franchisee tradition that started back in 1926 has been to have individual owner/operators who are well known and well liked within their communities, who take pride in owning and operating a successful Maid-Rite franchise restaurant. This business philosophy has and always will be the backbone of our franchisee network. Many of our original franchises granted in the 1920s are still in operation today. We are proud to say that we now have third generation family members operating family owned Maid-Rites. Our family of Maid-Rite Franchisees takes pride in serving our customers.





Two of the amazing staff

   Often when traveling solo and arriving at the end (last few hours) of the day, the staff is tired from a hard day.   No so at Maid-Rite.  I was warmly greeted and indulged when I started  my endless questions.
 What I did WRONG was not read the ENTIRE menu,  something I do in all diners.

   I missed their signature sandwich and opted for grilled chicken.   But I must say it was excellent:  hot, cooked through and very moist.

   They included a side salad and YES I WAS compelled to order PIE.
One day I plan to do a trip and stop JUST TO EAT PIE in every town I visit.

Even if you diet, have filled yourself with a signature sandwich you MUST order pie!  
I had the pecan:  warm, gooey, good crust, not too sweet.   I brought a piece of apple pie for the hotel desk staff member, because she had recommended the diner.   She agreed the pie was good.

The moral of this story:   Get off the highway and explore.   If you stop driving you have an opportunity to experience the place where you get out of your car…..




I received a sad email that this location is now closed.  if you see another aid Rite Diner let me know

		Maid-Rite Diner VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Must Solo Travel ONLY be long term travel?

Not all “interesting”, “exciting” travel must be long term.   Or around the world. Or to exotic locations.

Small time America, movie theather

I read countless posts online from solo travelers going to remote locations,  taking risks that some travelers are not comfortable with, traveling for months.

Often going on a solo trip is adventure enough for a traveler.   I no longer read about the adventures of other travelers.  I don’t want their success to limit what I can do.

Between solo trips Home to Italy or to other locations for stays longer than a few days, I usually do road trips.

There is endless time to think, observe and create on a long road trip.   And if you plan well you can stop for the night somewhere interesting, new or historic.
My sister continues to tell me to stop driving early and get a room.   Usually all the senior travelers are off the interstate by 5 PM and settled into their hotels by the time I am thinking of where to stop.  The concept of ‘making good time’ often urges me to do another 100 miles before I look for a hotel.

The open road may not include the alps, but the blue ridge is BLUE

Shenandoah Parkway

I concluded some time ago that if you DONT get off the interstate and OUT OF THE CAR you will never be a traveler,  just a driver.

So on most of my 1,800 mile trips from Georgia to New Jersey (RT)  I try to take a route that will hug the shore from South Carolina to the ferry in Maryland or if the weather cooperates I take the mountain route to the Shenandoah Valley.   Both trips have much to offer.

Two events that  resulted from taking my sisters advice of ‘get off the road early’ may change my plans for the next road trip.    If you have traveled recently you may have noticed a sharp increase in hotel prices.   A chain of 3+ star hotels I usually stay in, is now 20% higher or even more!    I no longer stay in budget hotels with doors facing the parking lots nor do I stay in premium hotels even though I can afford them.     Part of my value vs. price strategy balks at paying $120.00 for 10 hrs in a hotel.  
Yes I enjoy comfort.  Yes, I enjoy luxury.  But when I arrive late and leave early there is NO VALUE in paying more.    On a trip where I may stay for several days the price is less important than the amenities or the service.

1.  Stopping early may allow you to use the travel coupons you find at all the rest stops and information centers.     For late arrivals I am often told ‘we have no more rooms at that price’.  Calling ahead to check if there are rooms still available also helps.   Late night arrivals are at the mercy of the front desk for pricing.   

2.  Stopping early allows you to explore the areas.   Often I spend an hour or more the next day visiting the town and stopping at any interesting historic sites or even photo opportunities.  Last week I was in Wilson, SC and found a diner.  This is very unusual for the South.   There are great country food restaurants in the South but few diners.    The encounter with the staff resulted in a separate post.  The food is worth planning a second visit on my next road trip!

Consider getting OFF THE ROAD to explore in the USA or wherever you travel.
Give yourself time to discover what is a local treasure not written abouts n travel books.

Stauton, Va, a small town that has NOT closed!

Is this a trend? NO SOLO SUPPLEMENT …….

thanks to an article by  Fran Golden in USA Today!
Tauck has NO SOLO SUPPLEMENT CABINS,  we have finally been recognized as just as important as everyone else!

Deal watch: Tauck offers solo savings on river cruises

CRUISE LOG

Fran Golden, Special for USA TODAY1:15 p.m. EDT September 27, 2013 Tauck is dropping the dreaded single supplement on lower-level cabins on its Europe river cruises for all of 2014, making it more affordable for solo travelers to cruise. The savings is 50%, with solo travelers paying the same as what someone sharing a cabin would pay. For those who want fancier cabins, Tauck is taking $1,000 off the regular, double-person price for solo travelers booking Category 4 or 5 cabins (with French balconies) on 28 departures in Europe. The company made a similar offer on 2013 itineraries. "By eliminating or reducing the single supplement on so many of our trips, we're really making great journeys for solo travelers even better," said Tauck CEO Dan Mahar, in a prepared statement. Tauck's new riverboats debuting next year, the 130-passenger Savor and Inspire, will provide additional options for those traveling alone. Each boat will have four dedicated 150-square-foot cabins for solo travelers, the line said. The company has also targeted solo travelers with a dedicated Solo Travel Forum and Solo Travel section on its website. Fran Golden is the Experience Cruise expert blogger and a contributing editor of Porthole Magazine. She is the co-author of Frommer's Alaska Cruises and Ports of Call. Golden is serving as Guest Editor of The Cruise Log while USA TODAY Cruise Editor Gene Sloan is away. For in-depth cruise planning information, videos and more, don't miss USA TODAY's new ExperienceCruise site.