Blue Horizon Diner - Monticello, NY

When I was little my dad's advice for selecting a diner was, "Eat where the truckers eat."  In the 1970's, when we really didn't eat out that much, it was a perfect rule. As an adult, I have taken his words of wisdom and tweeked it a bit to be, "Be wary of the empty parking lot."  A diner should be booming, unless it is the middle of the night or off-hours and should be staffed to accommodate busloads of customers. Diners are known for lengthy menus, being able to select any type of food regardless of the time of day or night, and fairly quick service so they can clear your table for the next customer.  We were out and about, running Sunday errands and decided to stop at the Blue Horizon Diner in Monticello for brunch.

We were seated fairly quickly by a friendly and attentive hostess.  She asks if we want the breakfast buffet or menus and we say no thank you to the buffet.  Giant, spiral bound menus were placed on the booth table and a waitress/server materialized from nowhere.  Perfect.

I'll start with a cup of hot tea with milk, please.

Something about the dishes I just love.  Cute.  Comfy.  Inviting.

For the Mr. a ham and egg sandwich on a hard roll with hash browns.  I stole a bite of the perfectly pink pork - a balance of sweet and salt with no visible fat, lightly browned and I enjoy the sample.

For me:  Well, I decided to be super bad this gray, cloudy, January Sunday in New York and opt for two fried eggs with bacon and potatoes with whole wheat toast.  The toast is mostly a vehicle for dipping in the orangey-yellow egg yolks and sopping up the goodness.  I share my bacon with the Mr. in exchange for a bite of ham.  The potatoes are mixed with a bit of green bell pepper and onion and have a mildly crispy edge. Everything I hoped for in a plate of perfect brunch.

Though we are more than 30 minutes from home, we see someone we know but let them eat without disturbing them.  Both a blessing and a curse when you live in the same town you grew up in and many others have stayed - you are likely to run in to someone within a one hour radius.

We talk about our older son's wedding plans, the errands we have to run, and our meals.  We count ourselves lucky and Fed Well.  Simultaneously, in another town, our older son and his fiancee are out for a meal...at a diner.