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On a tour of local diners, we found plenty of oversized plates piled high with eggs, potatoes and pancakes. We found waitstaff quick with the coffee, a vintage cash register, and pies rotating on shelves in tall glass cases. But the thing we found more valuable than all of that was a sense of community among regulars. They form the type of bonds that are practically fetishized in the post-digital world: casual, in-person, familiar but not prying. They’re relationships that feel like well-worn concert T-shirts.
In a booth at Banning’s Restaurant & Pie House in Tigard, Bill Manderfeld and Gene Cinnera say that their diner-based friendship dates to when they met at a Shari’s in Tualatin.
“We sat at booths across from each other, and we got to talking about this and that,” Manderfeld says. “And he moved over, or I moved over there, and we’ve known each other for 12 years or so now.” Cinnera corrects him on the date: “It’s been damn near 20 years.”
Their favorite Banning’s server even came to Cinnera’s 78th birthday dinner at Red Lobster a few years ago (and snagged the bill before Manderfeld could treat his buddy to dinner, much to their surprise).
Philip Austin has been coming to John’s Cafe in Old Town for 10 years. The husband-and-wife team who run John’s liven up the snug space with bouquets from their Laurelhurst garden in the summertime, Austin says. In the winter, the regulars do it for them: One Monday morning in January, there was a multicolor arrangement in a vase right behind the counter.
Apps and algorithms can’t hand-deliver a bouquet, show up at Red Lobster, or whip up a plate of scrambled eggs. Those deeds are based on analog, human-to-human interactions, best served with a steaming mug of coffee with tiny creamers and paper sugar packets on the side. Here are the regulars—all retirees—that we met at a few stalwart diners around town:
John’s Cafe
Customer: Philip Austin
Diner: John’s Cafe, 301 NW Broadway
Order: Two scrambled eggs, sausage links and toast
Occupation: Semi-retired
How long have you been coming here? At least 10 years
Favorite seat: At the counter, with a word-search puzzle
When do you come? “Sometimes it’s early, sometimes it’s late.”
Where are you going next? Church
What do you like about this diner? The history of the Old Town neighborhood. “That’s the Custom House, over there,” he says, pointing across Northwest Everett Street. “This was an African American hotel for the people that worked as porters on the railroads. I know about this because I am retired from the Architectural Heritage Center, so I know all the history of the buildings.”
Stepping Stone Cafe
Customer: Sherri Hermanski, “and my man did ski.”
Diner: Stepping Stone Cafe, 2390 NW Quimby St.
Order: Eggs Benedict, add tomato and avocado
Occupation: Retired from the telephone company
How long have you been coming here? Since 2017, but in earnest after the Roxy closed downtown in 2022
Favorite seat: At the counter, last seat on the left. “I’m left-handed, so I don’t elbow anyone,” she says. “And I get a nice view because I people-watch.”
When do you come? At least three times a week
Where are you going next? Fred Meyer
What do you like about this diner? “Everything coming out of that kitchen is so good,” Hermanski says. “The other thing is, I feel safe here. These people are good people.”
Banning’s Restaurant & Pie House
Customers: Bill Manderfeld and Gene Cinnera
Diner: Banning’s Restaurant & Pie House, 11477 SW Pacific Highway, Tigard
Orders: Manderfeld had a short order of French toast while Cinnera ate a poached egg with a side of white toast.
Occupations: Retired from the Internal Revenue Service’s collections division (Manderfeld) and a family trucking business (Cinnera)
How did you start coming here? The duo switched from Shari’s to Banning’s years ago in order to support an independent diner. (Even if they wanted to return, they couldn’t; all Shari’s restaurants in Oregon abruptly closed in October.)
Favorite seat: In a booth in server Sara Cameron’s section
When do you come? Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings
What do you like about this diner? “Years ago, I read Travels with Charley, and after reading that I always thought, I’ve got to try to find a restaurant that John Steinbeck would have eaten at,” Manderfeld says. “And it’s not a chain restaurant. It’s places like this.”