The Best Diner In CT For 2023 Is This One, According To Food & Wine Magazine

SOUTHBURY, CT — What is it about diners?

Is it those stools? All that stainless steel? The heavy, plastic-sealed, weapons-grade menus? The all-day-long breakfasts? Something about them has been inspiring Hollywood dream makers and oil painter realists to turn this class of eatery into an American icon.

Peter Homick is the chef and co-owner, with his wife, at the Laurel Diner in Southbury. Food & Wine magazine just named his joint the best diner in Connecticut, so we turned to him for insight into the Enduring Mystique of the American Diner.

He said we are probably overthinking this:

"It's just nothing fancy, no frills. It's just real basic. Comfort food."

At The Laurel Diner, that basic comfort food includes five ways to enjoy eggs Benedict, six kinds of grilled cheese sandwiches, and some innovations which include Cap'n Crunch French toast. The menu doesn't stray too deep into the outré, however, and that's another hallmark of the category. One of the reasons we love diners is that we know what to expect.

Homick said the feeling's mutual.

"I see people walking through the door, I already know what they're going to eat by the time they sit down."

Most of the time, what they're going to eat is the corned beef hash, the cash-only diner's bestseller, which Homick makes from scratch every day.

"That's what people really come here for. That's what we're known for," the chef told Patch.

It's also everywhere on the menu. Patrons looking to eat heavy can order the hash atop their burgers, alongside their eggs and inside their sandwiches. There's no such thing as too much of a good thing, at a diner.

The hash may be the current champion, but Homick has high hopes for a new contender, only recently added to the menu.

"It's called a Santa Fe omelet, a chicken omelet with fresh avocado, peppers, onions and bacon," and it's starting to catch on big with his regulars, Homick said.

See Also: Restaurant Association Honors CT's Top Eateries And Chefs

In its 2023 list of the best diners in every state, Food & Wine described The Laurel Diner as "tiny and unobtrusive," but makes the point that low-key's A Good Thing.

"In Connecticut, there's a simple rule that will help you narrow down your (diner) options: the smaller, the better," according to the magazine's editors.

Bucking diner convention, the Laurel is not open 24/7, but rather Tuesday through Saturday, 6 a.m. — 2:30 p.m., Saturday 6 a.m. — 2:00 p.m., and Sunday 7 a.m. — 2 p.m.

"I'm the only cook," Homick explained. "So I work six days a week."

The Laurel Diner is located in Southbury at 544 Main Street South.

See also: Star Students: Help Patch Recognize Extraordinary Students In CT