In the News - Liberty Elm Diner

Liberty Elm Diner,
© 2008 DinerHistory.com file photo

Liberty Elm Diner is in the news again. In today's Providence Journal, Food Editor Gail Ciampa writes about her visit to the diner. Earlier this month, Linda Borg of the Providence Journal wrote of her diner experience here. We mentioned that article in our 10/8/2008 blog post. Ms. Borg's article provides an insight into the diner's past and the mission of the people that own and operate it.

Stop in at the diner and be sure to tell them we sent you.


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Liberty Elm Diner
777 Elmwood Ave.
Providence, RI
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In the News - Liberty Elm Diner

Liberty Elm Diner

The Liberty Elm is a diner we visit often. It was nice to see Linda Borg of the Providence Journal recently wrote an article about the diner. Her article provides an insight into the diner's past and the mission of the people that own and operate it. Be sure to check out the diner's myspace page.



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Liberty Elm Diner
777 Elmwood Ave.
Providence, RI
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Live blogging from the Liberty Elm Diner

edited 10:30PM

Liberty Elm Diner

We received word that something is in the works to mark the diner's first year anniversary. We stopped in at the Liberty Elm Diner about 2PM and asked them to share some of what they have planned.

On August 18th, the Liberty Elm will celebrate its first anniversary. Since the diner is closed on Mondays, there will be a musical variety show on August 17th.The driving force behind this event is the Liberty Elm Employees Fellowship, LLC. LEEF is made up of both employees and individuals. We'll post more details as we get them.

From the reasonably priced healthy food incorporating local or regional ingredients, to the live music, and wireless Internet access, you'll see this isn't your typical diner. On Sunday's the diner has a live music series entitled the Americana Breakfast Club. We arrived a little late for Ace Brown & the Ohio Valley Boys, but we heard the place was swingin'. Check out the diner's myspace page for information on the musical events.

This 1947 Worcester Lunch Car Company diner would have had a diner tag above the door bearing the serial #806. We'll talk about what it took to get this diner reopened in another article. Both Kip and the diner recently appeared in a segment for the Chronicle, Boston's ABC affiliate, WCVB TV Channel 5 nightly news program. Click to watch the video.

Hours: Monday - closed; Tuesday - Friday 6AM - 3PM; and Saturday and Sunday 8AM - 3PM.

Liberty Elm Diner
777 Elmwood Ave.
Providence, RI
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Culinary Museum at Johnson and Wales - Providence, RI

Johnson & Wales Culinary Arts
Museum Diner Exhibit
courtesy of photosonflickr

A reader sent us a link to the article, "Things That Just Aren't There Anymore: The Ever Ready Diner on Charles Street." Next to the article watch the video and see how many diners you can name. Read the entire article here.

We'll post more on this later. . .





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Diners: Still Cookin' in the 21st Century
Johnson & Wales Culinary Museum
315 Harborside Blvd.
Providence, RI
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A look Back on July 10th

Tommy's Moving
Photo courtesy of photosonflickr

7/10/2007
The former Tommy's Deluxe Diner of Middletown, RI started its journey on the way toward its next life. It arrived a few days later in Oakley, Utah.

The restoration process began while it was temporarily located behind City Hall. In December 2007 it was moved onto its foundation at the Weber Canyon Road site. Many individuals were a part of this ambitious frame up restoration project. We thank Keith Walker for his vision and determination that brought this project to completion.

Tommy's was renamed Road Island Diner, linking it to its Rhode Island and Providence Plantations roots. It recently reopened and we posted an entry here.



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Road Island Diner
981 Weber Canyon Road
Oakley, UT
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Road Island Diner - Oakley, UT

Tommy's Deluxe Diner
photo courtesy of
photosonflickr

Today is the grand opening of the Road Island Diner. When Tommy's Deluxe Diner left Middletown, Rhode Island in July 2007, we followed Keith Walker's restoration of the 1939 O'Mahony diner into the Road Island Diner through its website gallery. It was an ambitious project and there's nothing finer than a restored diner. We're anxious to visit. Read the entire news article here.

At left is Tommy's after it had closed. External and internal pictures of the restored Road Island diner are in firstyearta's flickr photostream here.

For more pictures of diners, we invite you to visit our flickr photostream here.


Road Island Diner
981 Weber Canyon Road
Oakley, UT
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Edgemere Diner - Shrewsbury, MA

Edgemere Diner exterior,
© 2006 DinerHistory.com file photo

A reader alerted us to this recent article about the former Edgemere Diner. Just a couple weeks prior, this article was published. Both repeat parts of other articles we've seen in the past, detailing the background of the owner.

As the result of a tax issue, the town acquired the 1948 Fodero Dining Car Company diner in October 1995. Ever since its been a revolving door of two year leases.It wasn't until March 2005 when that process ended. Restrictions were changed yet it failed to attract serious offers. A few more changes and late last year the town found an acceptable buyer.

Edgemere Diner interior,
© 2006 DinerHistory.com file photo

The former diner reopened this past March as the Edge. Though in a diner, yet casting off traditional diner food, the Edge limits its menu to sausage and hot dog products. A video about the Edge is available here.

While a diner that only serves hot dogs isn't a new idea, we wonder just how viable it will be for the Edge. Tex Barry's Coney Island Hot Dogs on the other hand, has been around for generations doing just this. Recently Tex Barry's appeared in a segment for the Chronicle, Boston's ABC affiliate, WCVB TV Channel 5 nightly news program. Click to watch the video. Richard J. S. Gutman, diner expert and curator of the only known exhibition of collected diner history and a real Worcester Lunch Car Company diner, provides insightful commentary. More information on the diner exhibit is found here. Be sure to watch the entire video as the Lanna Thai and the Liberty Elm diners also make an appearance. A correction to the video is the Liberty Elm has switched to their expanded summer hours.

We made a visit to the diner this past January and was disappointed they had painted over the Art Deco lettering on the diner's exterior. The Edge is on our list to visit next time we are in the area.


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The Edge
51 Hartford Ave.
Shrewsbury, MA
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Lanna Thai Diner
901 Main St.
Woburn, MA
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Liberty Elm Diner
777 Elmwood Ave.
Providence, RI
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Tex Barry's Coney Island Hot Dogs
31 County St.
Attleboro, MA
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Star Diner - Rumford, RI

Star Diner, Rumford, RI,
©2008 DinerHistory.com file photo

After the tragic fire at the Station Nightclub in Rhode Island, several laws have either changed or been enacted in an attempt to prevent something like this from ever happening again. Complying with all the regulations is a necessary, but time consuming and expensive process which can delay an opening. As that topic is beyond the scope of this posting, you should seek the advice of professionals. Back in July 2007 we heard that preparations were being made to reopen the Star Diner. We weren't sure what to make of it, as every time we went by the diner it seemed to always look the same. A reader passed along to us that they had driven by the diner and noticed Christmas lights on, although the diner didn't appear to be open.

After stopping at the Liberty Elm, we found ourselves in Rumford, RI this morning and stopped by the diner. A quick chat with the owners revealed they had hoped to be open this month. Although working through all the necessary steps have delayed things and they are expecting to be open in about a month.

We look forward to this diner being open again and will post further information here as it becomes available.


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Liberty Elm Diner
777 Elmwood Ave.
Providence, RI
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Star Diner
140 Newport Ave.
Rumford, RI
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Cadillac Diner

This diner's individual page is coming soon. If you are the diner's owner, we welcome you to contact us about sponsoring this page.

Status: Closed

Builder: Jerry O'Mahony Inc.
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Model: Monarch
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Owner: Richard V. Shappy

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Location: Providence, RI
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Blog entries we've written about the diner.


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Seaplane Diner

This diner's individual page is coming soon. If you are the diner's owner, we welcome you to contact us about sponsoring this page.

Status: Open

Builder: Jerry O'Mahony Inc.
Year: 1950's
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Location: Providence, RI
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Bishop's Fourth Street Diner

This diner's individual page is coming soon. If you are the diner's owner, we welcome you to contact us about sponsoring this page.

Status: Open

Builder: Jerry O'Mahony Inc.
Year: 1950's
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Location: Newport, RI
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Star Diner

Star Diner, ©2008 DinerHistory.com
file photo

This diner's individual page is coming soon. If you are the diner's owner, we welcome you to contact us about sponsoring this page.

Status: Open

Builder: DeRaffele Manufacturing Company Inc.
Year: 1951
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Opened: 2009
Owners: Quentin Sanford and Bethany Sanford Smith

Website:
Location: 140 Newport Ave., Rumford, RI
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Phone: (401) 434-8899
Hours: M,T,W 6A-2P; Th,F,Sat 6A-8P; Sun 6A-1P




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Patriots Diner

This diner's individual page is coming soon. If you are the diner's owner, we welcome you to contact us about sponsoring this page.


Status: Open

Builder: Diner-Mite
Year: 2002
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Location: Woonsocket, RI
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Barr's Diner

Former Barr's Diner,
© 2008 DinerHistory.com file photo

If you are the diner's owner, we welcome you to contact us about sponsoring this page.


Status: Closed

Builder: Jerry O'Mahony Inc.
Year: late 1930's
Model: Monarch
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Location: East Providence, RI
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Blog entries we've written about the diner.


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