The Various Diners of Whatcom County, Washington: An Overview

Tom Waits, "Eggs and Sausage (In a Cadillac with Susan Michelson)"

When I lived in Korea I didn't miss breakfast foods that much -- like a lot of Asia, Koreans will basically heat up leftovers from the night before and that's what you eat before starting the day.  "Breakfast food" -- scrambled eggs, sugary french toast or pancakes -- is more of a Western thing.

However, I really missed diners.  Because diners aren't just a breakfast menu, but even more importantly a space -- preferably an all-night one, but I'll get to that.  While the quality of the food and coffee is important, so is the 30 minutes or so of peace and relative quiet that any diner should afford to anybody in need of such things.

Weirdly enough, during my time in South Korea there was a minor craze for precisely the type of syrupy-sugary breakfast foods that so many ex-pats seem to crave -- waffles in particular.  But those places were breakfast food restaurants, explicitly not diners.

Brunch is not breakfast.  I am willing to die on that stack of pancakes.

Anyhow, now I find myself living near the lovely town of Bellingham, Washington, just south of Canada.  And one thing I've noticed is that there are a ton of diners here, ranging from the corporate joints just going through the motions to the real spots -- the unique breakfast palaces -- that dot most of the county.

I plan on having at least one meal in all of them.  As far as I can, I'll order coffee and a plate of Eggs Benedict.  If that isn't available, then some combination of toast and at least one egg, sunny side up, will do.  I will try to be flexible above all else.

Each spot will receive between zero and five Nighthawks at the Diner for their trouble, based on the following criteria:

Vibe

Song heard

Coffee

Did the yolk pop like it should?

Can I sit and read a while?

Price: EB, coffee, tip

By my own count, I've got 18 places to visit.  Of course, with COVID and my own limited geographical experience, places might drop out or be added as needed.  For example, one local place is only doing take-out service for now -- nope, not a diner.

I should also mention -- shockingly -- that Bellingham does not have any all-night diners.  Honestly, this makes me sadder than it should but hey, I can't change the world.

Also, many years ago I came across this brilliant blog (remember those?) -- eggbaconchipsandbeans.  Feel free to think of this as my humble, American attempt at homage.

Thank you for joining me on this exciting, high-cholesterol journey!

And always tip your waitresses.