The Local Flavor

Author: Jack Lysohir

For an antidote to that memorable (or unmemorable) Saturday night, fried eggs and a stack of pancakes are a must. While the made-to-order omelets at Ross Dining Hall are delectable, and a brunch at Rosie's is hard to beat - a stroll downtown to Middlebury's own Steve's Park Diner should not be overlooked. Steve's Park Diner is the small blue building located on 66 Merchants Row-just off Main Street, situated between Grace Baptist Church and Middlebury Town Hall. Although not a hotspot for Middlebury College students, Steve's has long been an important gathering place for residents of Vermont's favorite quaint college town. Steve's first opened as Val Do Mar Diner in 1927, located where the Mobil Station now stands (across from the Swift House Inn). In the late 1930s, Steve's moved to its current location and changed its name to the Middlebury Diner. Since then, Steve's has through a number of different owners - from cops to circus folk to blacksmiths to railroad tycoons - and was destroyed in the Hurricane of 1949, rebuilt and later bought by Steven and Beth Dow some 16 years ago.

Just as the town fathers of Middlebury joined together in the early morning hours of the cozy diner in years past, Steve's is full of patrons who all seem to know each other and begin their conversations with "the usual" and end them with "see you tomorrow." To the Middlebury student, this can be intimidating but also somehow inviting. The service at Steve's is wonderful, in the way that most Vermont establishments have fine service. While Steve's does depart from the classic New York City diner with its polite service, it fortunately mirrors the speed of a great New York diner.

Steve's is open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. all week except for Sunday when the hours are 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. The breakfast menu boasts the normal diner favorites. The omelets are filling, tasty and speedy, with a variety of available ingredients, including sausage, bacon, ham, mushrooms and hash. The morning sandwich is another good choice, simply one egg with a choice of meat and cheese on an English muffin. Steve's side orders are not particularly tasty; the hash browns are nothing special and the Blueberry Muffin was only palatable after copious buttering. On the whole the breakfast choices were wonderfully average, but also fairly well priced. It should be pointed out, also, that Steve's seems to veer from the emphasis on organic foods and the major emphasis on freshness that so many Vermont restaurants have begun to tout. However, there is one notable exception - the incredible maple syrup, made by Sugar Brook Maple Co., owned and operated by the proprietors of Steve's.

Lunch at Steve's is another safe bet, but nothing out of the ordinary. The burgers are tasty and so are the French fries. The sandwich menu boasts a deep fried fish sandwich, moderately priced clubs and even an open-faced steak sandwich. Again, the Americana choices - BLT, turkey club, burger - are the best choices.

Steve's Park Diner is a strong dining option, not only for of its fare but because of its place in Middlebury - and Middlebury's history. Eating in the front of Steve's one looks out onto the handsome green at the town's center. The spare, highly undecorated feel of Steve's emphasizes that this diner is about its customers. People come to Steve's not for outstanding meals, but because the food is good and the diner that sits across from the green is a Middlebury institution. I can only hope that in time, some Middlebury College students will be at Steve's ordering their Sunday morning "usual."