Losers into WinnersWhen it came to people-watching, the Eastside Diner was a loser. It attracted a plebian crowd. One that was collegial, but stimulating neither intellectually nor physically. So, I graced the place with my presence for the reason it was a winner: excellent fare at reasonable prices.
The décor seemed almost deliberately designed to downplay the expectations of one entering the premises for the first time. Old-fashioned cashier on a worn counter near the entrance. Spindly stools with cracked red leatherette seats. No more than a half-dozen tables scattered haphazardly around the small café.
But the aroma! I paused on the threshold to take in the stew of delicious odors. Beef and bacon and cheese. The whuff of an overhead fan, as soothing as white noise, pillowed pungent a
