Sunday, August 5, 2018

The Joy of Small Town Diners and #Giveaway


Mystery Lover’s Kitchen is happy to welcome guest Julia Buckley, who gives us a peek into the diner food universe.

The Joy of Small Town Diners
by Julia Buckley

     Hi, Everyone! I’m Julia Buckley. I am the author of the Writer’s Apprentice cozy-Gothic mystery series (which began with A DARK AND STORMY MURDER), and I’m thrilled to have been invited to visit Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen today. Since all of my books are set in the fictional small town of Blue Lake, Indiana, I thought it would be fun to take you down its main drag, Wentworth Street, to a staple of every small town: the diner. I’m sure we can all remember some unique and delicious food we ate in some of the hole-in-the-wall restaurants that ended up being little glimpses of paradise. In my newest book, A DARK AND TWISTING PATH, Lena London returns to this diner on a warm spring day and learns some new details about this little restaurant, called Willoughby’s. It’s one of those places you love to discover while traveling—tiny but clean establishments with interesting décor and delicious food. A sign on Willoughby’s front door politely but firmly informs visitors that “We are NOT open for dinner!” For this reason, the chef at Willoughby’s makes breakfast and lunch something to remember.

Willoughby’s has all the standard fare: burgers and dogs, grilled cheese and chicken-fried steak.




 At Willoughby’s, people know the servers by name, and the owner, when on the premises, will come out to greet visitors and shake their hands. In A DARK AND STORMY MURDER (2016), Lena went to Willoughby’s for the first time to order what we all probably want to order at diners: a giant breakfast waffle. This ended up being an important plot point (perhaps because the author who envisioned this town and this diner was revealing her own particular predilections).



In the most recent book, Carly,the woman who served Lena on her first visit to the diner, is now expecting, and wears and apron that says “Bun on the oven.” She has not lost a beat, though, because she has that remarkable blend of dexterity, kindness and courage that marks the truly good member of a diner wait staff.




Since book three takes place in the warm spring months, Lena is treated to a special surprise on the back patio of the diner: their summer garden has opened early, and better than that, she and her friend Belinda are able to snag seating near the fountain:


“The fountain was an antique shop find that the owner, Frank Attenborough, had placed in one corner of his brick-lined patio and refurbished to its original splendor. It was . . . circular stone . . . with a playful cherub frolicking in its center. Frank, who had a green thumb, had trailed ivy over the stone and tucked pots of bright geraniums and hydrangeas around the base. The sound of the sprinkling water was a restful accompaniment to the muted chatter of the people dining outdoors.

Belinda and I made our way outside, where the garden paradise was indeed filled with people, although we barely noticed our human companions on the patio. Frank and his wife, Deana, had outdone themselves this year, and for a moment we just stood in the doorway, breathing and letting the beauty invade us. Deana had done her usual job of scouring antique malls for gorgeous or unusual planters, and this year she had gone for earthenware pots in distinctive colors like red and deep gray and forest green. Into these Frank had planted a bright, sunny mixture of yellow blooms—yellow capsicums, orange marigolds, calendula, nasturtiums, orange chard, and cosmos. Mixed with these were purple-toned plants and bright green herbs with their variegated leaves. The color came from sages, purple basil, thyme, eggplant, beetroot, lavender, violet, geranium, viola, and petunia. As always, Frank had dedicated himself to the arrangement, probably for days, before he opened the patio. Rumor had it that he hired a high schooler each summer just to weed and keep the garden perfect.”


For the summer garden, the food, the friendly staff,  and many other less-definable reasons, Willoughby’s is a special place, a wonderful fictional escape with delicious food and warm hospitality—the sort of place I love to discover when traveling.

Guest Julia is happy to offer a copy of A Dark and Twisting Path to someone who leaves a response to the question below (please include your email so she can contact you if you win).

Have you been to diners like this, full of good food and local whimsy?


About the book: Writer's apprentice Lena London is happily working on a new collaboration with her idol and bestselling suspense novelist and friend Camilla Graham, but her joy is short-lived when a dark cloud descends upon the quaint town of Blue Lake, Indiana...

Lena's best friend, Allison, is in a panic. On a walk in the woods by her home, Allison discovers the body of her mail carrier, an argumentative man who recently had a falling out with Allison's husband. Lena quickly realizes that Allison has nothing to worry about as the murder weapon points to a different suspect altogether: Lena's embattled boyfriend, Sam West. 

Sam was cleared of his wife's murder when she was found alive, and now someone is trying to make him look guilty again. Surveillance video of a break-in at his house shows a shadowy figure trying to incriminate him by stealing the weapon from his desk. Lena and Camilla work on a suspect list, but a threatening note and a violent intrusion at Graham House prove that the devious killer has decided to write them into the plot.

Julia Buckley lives in the Chicago area. She writes two mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime—The Writer’s Apprentice series (seen above), and the Undercover Dish series. She teaches high school English and journalism and spends her spare time writing, painting landscapes, hanging out with her husband and two sons, and watching things on Netflix (or wrangling her menagerie of four cats and one giant dog). A DARK AND TWISTING PATH can be found on shelves now, or on Amazon: tinyurl.com/y7ws2q6u

For more details, visit her website here

(All photos from Pixabay, a free image site).

74 comments:

  1. There used to be a great restaurant like this where I used to live. It was a small, family-owned place, and everyone who worked there was so friendly and knew all the regular customers. They had some delicious food too. I miss it! mbradeen [at] yahoo [dot] com

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    1. These are the tiny gems in every little town. :)

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  2. My husband and I look for diner such as these,when we travel. They always have top knotch food and service. Dbahn@iw.net

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    1. Yes--these are what make travel memorable. If Willoughby's existed, I would go there.

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  3. Welcome, Julia! My town has a great modern but retro-style diner called Dave's, with great food (and many dishes named after Massachusetts celebrities). It's always full.

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  4. I have eaten at many diners. My first one was when I was 4, on a family vacation. I think the diner was in Oklahoma. We sat up at the counter, which had stools that spun. My drink had a straw that magically was attached to the side of the cup! The hamburger was huge and the ketchup for the fries was homemade. I also had a scoop of homemade ice cream. I truly love diners!
    debprice60@gmail.com

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  5. I went to a small diner once but it wasn't anything as nice as yours. ckmbeg (at) gmail (dot) com

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  6. What a charming and whimsical diner you have in the the story! Am afraid that the ones I have visited are more standard in diner design, though I have thoroughly enjoyed the food. Would love if the setting of diners were more personalized.
    little lamb lst at yahoo dot com.

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  7. Yes. We have a few near where I live. sclickner at juno dot come

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  8. Oh yes! My late daddy and I used to take road trips across Texas, Arkansas, & Oklahoma & one of our missions was to find the local diner/hangout and try their chicken fried steak or hamburgers. One I loved the best was Dove Creek Cafe! cornpeassmile-4(at)outlook(dot)com

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    1. How wonderful to have these memories of time with your dad!

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  9. Until it was demolished to make way for a new highway, we frequented Charlie's, a cozy little diner with food like my Mom made. For five years we didn't have an equivalent of Charlie's. Then, one year ago, Charlie's opened in a new location & we are thrilled! Friday's special is meatloaf, fried okra, buttered summer squash, English peas & carrots and mashed potatoes. Charlie's burgers, hot dogs & grilled cheese sandwiches are good too. Charlie's is owned & operated by a family. We always feel welcome & usually see at least two people we know. lnchudej@yahoo.com

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    1. Sounds wonderful! Isn't it great to have an old friend return?

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  10. I love old school diners since they have the best good I have ever enjoyed. The quality, and choice is incomparable. When we visited N.J. on a vacation at a lovely beach town we ate at a delightful diner and were entranced with the atmosphere and the delectable food. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Ambience is a big part of the experience, it's true!

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  11. I love diners. Great food, great atmosphere. Joe's Cable Car Diner in San Francisco was terrific, lots of memorabilia, burgers and shakes to die for. Unfortunately, Joe retired and closed down shortly after we discovered it. New book series to me, sounds like fun. Thanks for the giveaway.
    sallycootie(at)gmail(dot)com

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  12. My husband and I love diners. Thanks for the chance. Maceoindo(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. That's great that you can share each new diner experience!

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  13. Diners have such a wonderful variety of dishes and they all make my mouth water. We don't have one where I live and I miss eating their tempting meals. I waslucky to have found one on a road trip many years ago and still think fondly of the unique experience. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  14. I live in Chicago there are so many wonderful restaurant it would take a lot of room if I listed them all. The book looks amazing, Thanks for your generosity. lindamay4852@yahoo.com

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    1. True! Chicago suburbs have a lot of great diners, too.

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  15. In Fargo ND is Kroll"s Diner. The best knoephla soup ever. Burgers and their commercials show some quite aged waitresses who have a very famous line: "Sit down and eat!" Too funny.
    karenaskerooth@yahoo.com

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    1. That's some great local color--a treasure in your town.

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    2. Karen, I had to google knoephla soup, and the dumplings and potatoes sure sound good and hearty! Waitresses sound like fun, too!

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  16. We don’t have any really good diners by us anymore but we ate at a really good one run by Amish women when we were in PA last spring.
    sgiden at verizon(.)net

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  17. I LOVE this series and can't read to read this one. My hubby and I ate a diner like this in New Mexico one time. It was somewhat surreal and we felt like we had stepped back in time. Delicious food!
    Wendy
    clarksrfun at gmail dot com

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  18. I love diners. They tell you so much about the town. Years ago we decided to travel on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The jumping on spot was Wytheville, VA. There was a great diner there that served only hot dogs. All the waitresses were in 60s and 70s and took no prisoners.
    patdupuy@yahoo.com

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    1. Can't type! The waitresses were all in their 60s or 70s, agewise.

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    2. That sounds like a super fun diner!

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  19. I haven't been to a diner as great as the one you described. But I would love to!
    myrifraf (at) gmail (dot) com

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    1. I suppose we create the spaces we would like to inhabit. :)

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  20. I would love to have a local place with a patio like the one you described!
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

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  21. Before I moved last year, we had a little diner I enjoyed going to that served generous portions of their delicious food. Now, I'm in the lookout for one near my new town!

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  22. Growing up, my parents always looked for diners when we traveled. At breakfast they would always bring coffee creamer in a little bottle. Neither of my parents used it, so my sister and got to drink it! There are some diners where I live but they are pretty generic in terms of decor. cking78503(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. Yes, some places are all about the food, not so much about the ambience.

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  23. We went to diners when we traveled when I was a child. We have place that is kind of like diner but more modern locally. They serve a bit of everything there. The food is pretty good. It's usually busy, too.
    lkish77123 at gmail dot com

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  24. I have been to several diners that are a lot of fun, with a great feel to them, but my favorite is a middle eastern restaurant called Mazza. It is very different in menu, but has an awesome feel to it with flowers on the patio dining area and great people. Environment can definitely make or break a meal. =) konecny7(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. This sounds wonderful! Definitely a place people would want to visit.

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  25. It would be awesome to have a diner like the one in the book in my town.donamaekutska7@gmail.com

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  26. Yes, I have and it's been some of the best food aound.
    Becky Prazak
    rjprazak6@gmail.com

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  27. Hi Julia! Yes we had several diners we frequented throughout the years. A favorite in Dallas both before and after we got married was the Dobbs House, open 24/7. The waitress & sometimes cook was a tall Amazon of a woman named Tiny, who wore her blonde hair in a French twist and made the best omelets in the world, so fluffy and delicious. My mother even took me to lunch there the day we shopped for my wedding dress in the early 70's. I remember I wanted to lose a whopping 4 pounds (ha!) so ordered the plain hamburger patty with cottage cheese for my late lunch. Ah, the memories. Can't wait to read your latest book! lola777_22 at hotmail dot com

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    1. What terrific detail! This sounds like Tiny could be a character in a book!

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  28. Our town used to have a great hometown restaurant/diner. The fares knew each other and would often call out names as they entered. The staff knew each and every regular. Would visit at your table when ordering, take their breaks with you and catch up on life’s happenings. It was a wonderful atmosphere! Unfortunately, management came in and thought the place needed a more “polished” look and feel. Waitstaff was no longer allowed to fraternize. The seating area had half walls go up all around and diners were relegated to seeing only those within their own party. The whole vibe of the place changed. Clientele quickly diminished and the restaurant eventually closed. Sadly, they tore down the old building a few years ago and all that we have left are our memories. My husband and I had our rehearsal dinner there (it was such a huge part of our lives). We’d spend the weekends playing gin rummy back in the side dining area. The waitstaff would leave pitchers of iced tea at our table so that we could refill ourselves. The cooks would try out new creations and ask if we’d like to be their guinea pigs (yes, please)! They had a pinball game that my husband and I would swear battle on who could get the high score. All around great place... sad that it’s gone. Shelby shelbyforbes@nventure.com

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    1. That is a sad story. Why do people feel they have to mess with a good thing? :(

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  29. I've eaten at several dinners -- in several different places we've lived. Most all have been good food, friendly service, places we liked to go back to. Some had a "50s" feel and decor; others just booths and tables and pictures on the walls.
    There are a few 'chains' (maybe local chains rather than national ones) that try to act like diners, but the best ones are of course locally owned and run, Mom & Pop places.
    donna (dot) durnell (at) sbcglobal (dot) net

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    1. I agree, Donna! You can't duplicate that authentic family-owned feeling.

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  30. There's a diner that serves the best pancakes that's near where my cousin lives. I always have to go any time a visit her.
    turtle6422(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Diner breakfast might be the best of all. Whenever we go to breakfast-all-day places, we invariably order breakfast.

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  31. We have Grammas' Kitchen which though is not officially a diner, it feels like one. It is small, only open from 7am-3pm Mon-Fri and 7-2 on Saturday. They bake their own bread and have cookies also.
    The nearest diner is 13 miles away. I sit at the counter and get to watch my breakfast cooked in front of me. Come Tuesday to the Wellsboro Diner (Wellsboro PA) and you can get their donuts or donut holes. rblerner@ptd.net

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    1. Aaagh. I think I gained a pound reading that. :)

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  32. We always seek out little diners on our vacation. We found a wonderful diner call Griffiths 2 hours from the Outer Banks in North Carolina. We loved our meal so much that we stopped there on our way home. Bgracie@hotmail.com.

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    1. And hopefully you'll go there again someday! The places we look forward to re-visiting are the best.

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  33. I love diners and eat at them whenever I come across them. My Sister and I came across a tiny diner in Michigan that had one of the best burgers in Southwest Michigan.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Great burgers are memorable because the bad or mediocre burgers make us appreciate the truly good ones.

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  34. I love diners and the food they serve. I really love diners with a whole theme!
    kaitismommy@gmail.com

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  35. Yes I have. cheetahthecat1986ATgmailDOTcom

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  36. We have some little 'hole in the wall' places, but no diners per se. I love the idea of a diner, there're not as popular in the Northwest. Thanks for a chance to win! ljbonkoski@yahoo.com

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  37. Gosh yes, all thorough out Texas we have tons of awesome dinner's with yum food and local whimsy everywhere! Thanks for this chance and I've put it on my TBR list!!! nani_geplcs(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  38. In Johnson City, NY, near where I live, there is an old fashioned diner that has been around for over 50 years. The food is decent and inexpensive and the staff are friendly and attentive, depending on how busy it is. The decor is signs from yesteryear - Coca Cola, Pepsi, Tootsie Rolls and other sodas and candies. A fun place to go. Cathi_7@yahoo.com

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