I was retuning back to my home in New England after a recent business trip in New Jersey. As I was driving up interstate 84 through Connecticut around dinner time, I noticed a billboard for Blue Colony Diner. I am a big fan of the diner and I often lament the fact that they are becoming harder to find in northern New England. The sign indicated that the diner was at exit 10, only a few miles from where I was. "Great", I thought, just in time for dinner!
The diner traces its root to New England in the late 1800s. It seems that Walter Scott used the first horse drawn wagon equipped to serve hot food to employees of the Providence Journal in Rhode Island. Commercial lunch wagons were then manufactured in Worcester Massachusetts. Eventually these lunch wagons evolved into the now common dinner.
Most dinners have a large and varied menu, mostly bases around the "comfort foods" that americans are famous for. Blue Colony continues the tradition with a large standard menu of breakfast foods (yes you can have pancakes for dinner at a diner!), club sandwiches and burgers, soup and salads. They also have a menu of specials which include favorites like pot roast, steak tips and my favorite swiss steak. There is literally something for everyone in the family. Which is great if you need a quick place along I-84 to stop with your family while traveling.
I started my dinner with a nice salad and a bowl of the "Italian Wedding Soup". This is the soup with greens and meatballs in a savory broth. For the main course I had (of course) the swiss steak covered in gravy that came with a side of egg noodles and cooked carrots. All the food was marvelous! Very tasty and as you would expect, served fresh and fast. (Another plus if you are traveling)
If I have one regret, I did not leave room for desert. Blue Colony continues the diner tradition of the home made pie. These pies and other deserts greet you when you enter the diner, so take special note so that you remember to leave some room.
So the next time you are traveling through Connecticut. Remember that right off of I-84 in Newtown Connecticut, Exit 10 is the Blue Colony diner. It is a welcome oasis for the weary and hungry traveler. I know that there are many other diners and mom and pop type restaurants in New England. I would be interested to know your favorites.
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