Review: Rt. 9 Diner

Yesterday (well, technically the day before, now. Gotta stop this night-owl blogging!) was moveout, and it was surprisingly easy. So, one year of college, done! Exciting exciting! And now I'm back home in Jersey. Ah, the joys of being home... And I'm excited for Jersey Fresh produce! Rhubarb should be coming in soon, and strawberries are just starting, so some fun stuff with those may be showing up soon. And, of course, the family-favourite biscuits are at the top of my to-do list, so they'll probably be next post.

I'd overslept yesterday, so I skipped breakfast. Turns out this worked in my favour, because by the time we were done moving everything out it was lunch time! My father took me out to lunch at the Rt. 9 Diner, which I had recommended. I'd had an absolutely delightful breakfast (never mind that it was after noon!) there with Matchstick some weeks earlier, and I had been craving it again. So, since I hadn't had breakfast at the usual time, and was still craving breakfast food, I had what could only be called a diner breakfast: two eggs over easy, with wheat toast, bacon, homefries, grapefruit, and a cup of coffee.

OMG so good! Fried eggs are something that I'm rather picky about, just as I am with quite a few other foods. These eggs were amazingly good. They're cooked so the whites are fully cooked, but still tender and flavourful. They're perfectly done, and the yolks are still runny. There's absolutely no eggy odour at all. And, of course, they go deliciously with the toast, which is warm, perfectly crisped, and slathered with butter. You don't need to salt the eggs if you eat them with the toast. (I do, however, pepper the hell out of my eggs. This is due in part to a scene from All the Pretty Horses, but is mostly because my dear friend Ami got me addicted to black pepper during our camping adventure last summer. All I can say is, "pepper is yummy.")
The bacon is made exceptionally well. If anyone says that they don't like bacon, they ought to try the Rt. 9 Diner's bacon. It's cut thick, with more meat than fat. It's cooked perfectly, neither soggy nor crunchy, and it's just salty enough without going overboard. It's really a joy to eat.
The homefries are flavourful and soft. Perhaps a little softer than some are accustomed to (Matchstick mentioned they were a little softer than he would have expected when I mentioned I was writing this review), but hearty and filling nonetheless. They're made with green peppers, too, which is unusual, but it gives a nice textural contrast.
The grapefruit was delicious, of the ruby red variety. When I went with Matchstick, the grapefruit was a white grapefruit, so it was rather more tart, but this one was sweet and sour and refreshing, a perfect finish for a heavy breakfast. I love grapefruit, so I enjoy both white and red varieties, but if you're the kind of person who likes to honey or sugar their grapefruit, I'd definitely recommend red over white.
And now we get to the coffee. It's diner coffee. If you're looking for good coffee, hie thee to Starbucks! But, at the same time, it's not really bad. I've had bad diner coffee, and I've had good diner coffee. This was definitely good diner coffee. I don't know why I like diner coffee. As coffees go it's pretty bad, but there's just something about it... And with half and half and two sugars, it goes perfectly with a diner breakfast.

I also ordered a piece of their baklava. It was, needless to say, diner baklava. I'm accustomed to baklava being crisp and flaky on the outside, with honey-sweet layers of filo and nuts inside. This, however, was sodden with honey. There was very little difference in texture between all of its components, but it was rich, and tasted of spiced honey and nuts. If you're expecting true baklava, this isn't what you'll want to get, but if you're looking for diner food, this is a delicious finish to a meal!

The diner itself is delightful. Its interior is very well decorated, and it can get absolutely packed without being claustrophobic. It's classic, really, with its chrome, glass, deep booths, bar, and jukebox. There are also little jukeboxes on the wall of each booth. They have a delightful selection of music, both older music and more modern. The waitstaff is friendly and efficient. It really is a delight to eat there, and I highly recommend the Rt. 9 Diner.