I am eating in this restaurant if I have to build a time machine

restaurant

–and I’ll actually have to.  Because it’s long demolished.  But I’d give anything for a cup of coffee and a slice of diner cake at Emil’s Steer Inn Drive Inn.

Or the Frost Diner:

frost-diner

Or the Mark Twain Cafe & Bar:

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Or the Glass House:

31

32

Or many other of the awesome dining establishments listed on James Lileks‘ website that features, among other things, restaurants from the days before the chains.