Diners are truly American

| 29 Sep 2011 | 08:44

    To the editor: New York City, Lincoln Center Opening Night at the Opera many, many years ago: The opera was Wagner and it lasted over four hours and started at 6 p.m. So we decided to forgo dinner until later. Wagner has two meanings for me. It is one of the best cures for insomnia known to man and it is a true expression of sacrifice for my lady. It was a perfect night for a romantic dinner. My wife looked stunning in her new dress even to the point I forgot the cost. (To my dying day I will never forget the $500 it cost for the tickets.) And me, well I didn’t look so bad either in my tux. The problem was it was late to have dinner in New York and then drive an hour back to West Milford. We decided to get a quick bite somewhere on the way home. We were both starved and we just wanted to eat. So we stopped at a diner. The food was tasty and blurred all the fanfare of the evening. Now I am not an expert on diners, but I find there is not a great deal of difference when it comes to breakfast or lunch. What is defining about diners is the dinner menu, particularly the fish. If you can get a good fish dinner you know you’re eating in a very good diner. Occasionally when I’m alone, I’ll have dinner at the Oasis Diner next to Shop Rite or the West Milford diner on Greenwood Lake Turnpike across from the Hewitt Strip Mall and I usually have fish. Without a doubt we have two first class diners in West Milford. Opening night at the opera is merely a detachment of America. The Oasis Diner and the West Milford Diner are America. John Aiello West Milford