A Dearth of Diners?


A favorite pastime here at Chowder is a game I like to call “Too Much/Not Enough.” As in: deciding what type of eateries we’re sick to death of hearing about (sushi, seafood, brasseries, modern Italian), and what we’re desperately craving more of (barbecue joints, soul food, authentic Mexican).

I, for one, would like to add diners to my “gimme” list. Racking my brain for a good-and-grimy place to gorge on bacon grease on a recent Sunday, I found myself at a loss. (A pounding headache, the consequence of having what our Bostonista correspondents call “too much fun” the previous night, didn’t help.) Unless you want to venture out to the ‘burbsor across the river, which I’m hard-pressed to do on Sundayswhat’s an omelet-craving gal to do?

Scene-y South End brunch spots, of course, wouldn’t suffice. Mike’s City Diner, while tasty, always has a long wait. Mul’s Diner, in Southie, was too far. Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe doesn’t open on Sundays. And Chinatown having been the scene of the last night’s debauchery (which I was trying to forget), South Street Diner was also out.

We ended up at Victoria’s Diner on Mass. Ave., an old standby that has undergone a makeover over the course of the last few years. It’s goodthere’s a bigger menu, prettier signage, a freshened-up interior, and they serve gritsbut it ain’t the grungy place we used to love.

Clearly, our holy grail of diners still eludes us. Tell us: What’s your favorite greasy spoon? Where is it? And what should be order? If there’s an amazing corned-beef hash out there that we don’t know about. we’d like to spend next Sunday morning eating it.