Michael Gabriele discusses these vintage stainless steel gems, distinctive icons of American industrial design which were built in New Jersey and admired around the world.
During the 20th century, NJ was the diner manufacturing capital of the world, as most of the major U.S. diner builders were based here in the Garden State. This was an era when classic diners were produced in factories as prefabricated, modular, engineered products. Diners play an important role in the State's culture, community life, commerce and mythology, and serve as the ultimate egalitarian dining experience.
Author and historian Michael Gabriele's book, The History of Diners in New Jersey, gathers important pieces of the historical puzzle (people, events, places, dates, facts and figures) and assembles them into a cohesive narrative that traces New Jersey's diner history.