Salem Diner (CLOSED)

Sometimes, you have to venture outside your urban comfort zone to discover the bona fide New England diner experience. This tiny spot is one of only two Sterling Streamline diners left in the state, and the last one ever manufactured by the Sterling Company (thus its placement on the National Register of Historic Places). The menu is all about quantity: massive omelettes, pancakes and piles of hash browns served quickly and efficiently by the cheery staff. I you ask nicely, you might even get the recipe for the kitchen’s outstanding corned beef hash.