>> WE KNEW WE HAD THE RIGHT PLACE EVEN BEFORE WE GOT INSIDE THE HARTLAND DINER IN VERMONT.
>> PEOPLE ARE TALKING TO PEOPLE AT THE COUNTER.
YOU WILL NOT HAVE ANY TINY CONVERSATION HERE.
NO, EVERYBODY WILL KNOW WHATTIOR TALKING ABOUT.
>> NOT YOUR TYPICAL DINER OWNER, NICHOLE IS A LAWYER AND CERTIFIED TEACHER WHO JUST LOVES DINERS.
>> MAYBE BECAUSE I WATCHED, YOU KNOW, "ALICE" ON TV WAY BACK, IT'S BEEN IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD, DINER WAITRESS SEEMED GREAT, RIGHT.
IF IT'S BUSY, I'M PLAYING MUSIC IN THE KITCHEN AND I'M SINGING BECAUSE IT'S MY PLACE AND I'LL SING IF I WANT TO.
>> EVEN BETTER, SHE WANTS TO MAKE REALLY GOOD DINER FOOD MAIDEN TIERL FROM SCRATCH LIKE THE HASH, FOR A SMALL DINER, VERY LARGE VARIETY, WITNESS THE MENU THAT TAKES TWO HANDS AND
NOTHING PETITE ABOUT THE PANCAKES HERE, EITHER.
>> IS THERE A PLATE UNDER THERE?
>> I HOPE SO, YEAH.
>> SHE MAY BE SERIOUS ABOUT THE FRESH FOOD, BUT CONSIDERABLY MORE CASUAL ON THE REST HERE.
>> THE DECOR, KITSCHY?
>> ON PURPOSE.
>> WHILE BERNIE HAS YET TO MAKE THE DRIVE FRO BURLINGTON.
>> I WOULD DRIVE HERE FOR THE HASH!
>> MORNING ON THE ROAD AND SURPRISE, SURPRISE, A NEW DINER TO CHECK OUT, THE COUNTRY GIRL JUST OFF ROUTE 100 IN CHESTER VERMONT.
>> I COOK BREAKFAST AT HOME, NOW I HAVE 200 PEOPLE COMING OVER.
>> PARTNERS PAUL AND JESS HAVE SPENT MOST OF THEIR ADULT LIVES IN THE FOOD BIZ.
IN 2017, THEY BOUGHT THIS CHESTER LANDMARK, THEIR FIRST DINER AND A BIT OF A LIFELONG DREAM.
>> I ALWAYS WANTED A DINER AND IT WOULD BE ONE OF THE 10 BEST DINERS IN AMERICA.
IT'S JUST A DREAM COME TRUE FOR BOTH OF US.
>> AND IT'S A GEM, A GENUINE SILK CITY DINER BUILT IN 1944 IN PATTERSON, NEW JERSEY, IT WAS MOVED FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE TO ITS PRESENT LOCATION IN 1966 AND REMAINS A COMMUNITY GATHERING
PLACE, LOOK WHO I MET, THE Q-TIP GIRLS, TRADEMARK T-SHIRTS AND ALL.
>> DON'T TELL ME THE WHITE HAIR.
>> YEAH.
>> IS THIS THE OFFICIAL DINER OF THE Q-TIPS?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> DID I MENTION THE FOOD?
>> EVERYTHING IS HOMEMADE.
>> ALL VERMONT.
>> LOCAL DAIRY, LOCAL BREAD AND MAPLE SYRUP JUST UP THE STREET FOR US.
IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THAT.
>> THAT'S CERTAINLY TRUE ABOUT THE HOMEMADE HASH.
>> A BETTER WAY TO START THE DAY.
>> SO THE OWNERS ALONG WITH PAUL AND ZACH KEEPING IT ALL IN THE FAMILY, EXTENDED AND OTHERWISE.
>> I WANT TO FEET EVERYBODY, THAT'S OUR THING.
MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS FAT AND HAPPY.
>> IT WAS A FROZEN FEBRUARY MORNING IN VERMONT, FORTUNATELY THE GRILL WAS ALL WARMED UP AT THE CHELSEA ROYAL DINER IN WEST BRATTLEBORO, IT'S THE REAL DEAL, A GENUINE 1938 WORCESTER WHICH
HAPPENED A YEAR'S LATER ON THE MAIN STREET AND MOVED TO ITS PRESENT LOCATION IN 1987, TODD BOUGHT IT IN 1990 AND STILL GETS A KICK AT HOW ECLECTIC THE CROWD IS HERE.
>> THAT'S WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT VERMONT.
WE HAVE THE PROFESSIONALS AND WE HAVE THE GARDENERS AND FARMERS THAT COME HERE AND FREQUENT US.
>> ALSO VERY VERMONT, ALL OF THE ARTWORK CREATED BY JEANETTE IN HER STUDIO OUT BACK, IN A LITTLE BARN ABOVE THE CHICKEN COOP, IF YOU LISTEN, YOU CAN HEAR THEM.
BUT THIS -- >> OUR OWN LOCAL EGGS RIGHT HERE.
>> AND THIS WERE MORE THE SOUNDS WERE AFTER AND IT'S WHAT BRINGS IN LOYAL DROVES OF CUSTOMERS HERE DAY AFTER DAY, YEAR AFTER YEAR, JUST ASK SUE FISHER WHO HAS BEEN WITH THE DINER FOR
NEARLY 25 YEARS.
>> IT'S LOCAL, IT'S FAMILY, WE HAVE GENERATIONS OF CUSTOMERS COMING IN, YOU KNOW, WE WATCH OUT AFTER THEM, IF WE DON'T SEE SOME OF THEM, WE GIVE THEM A CALL AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT
GREAT ABOUT BEING LOCAL.
>> OF COURSE, IT ALSO HELPS THAT THE FOOD IS GOOD AND MENU IS INTERESTING LIKE THE SIGNATURE BREAKFAST PLATE, THE CAJUN SKILLET.
>> WE WANT YOU TO BE COMFORTABLE COMING THROUGH HERE.
OUR JOB, TO FEED PEOPLE AND WANT THEM TO COME BACK.
>> THAT'S A JOB WELL DONE.
YOU CAN'T VISIT BENNINGTON, VERMONT, WITHOUT STOPPING AT THE BLUE BENN.
>> EVERYBODY KNOWS EVERYBODY HERE?
>> JUST ABOUT.
>> SINCE 1948, THIS CLASSIC RAIL CAR DINER HAS BEEN SORT OF FROZEN IN TIME, COMPLETE WITH MILE HIGH PIE AND TABLETOP JUKEBOXES.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE BEST ABOUT THIS?
>> THE PEOPLE.
>> PAT SHEPHERD IS THE SISTER OF SONNY MONROE WHO CO-OWNED THE BLUE BENN UNTIL HE PASSED AWAY AT THE END OF 2019.
>> 36 YEARS, I WORKED WITH MY DAD IN NORTH BENNINGTON AND THE MILL CLOSED DOWN.
I COME OUT FOR LUNCH ONE DAY AND SONNY COME OUT AND SAT DOWN WITH ME AND SAID PAT, DO YOU WANT TO WORK.
SONNY, I DON'T EVEN KNOW THE MENU.
AND HE SAYS YOU CAN DO IT, YOU CAN DO IT.
>> HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED HERE?
>> 22 YEARS.
>> UNREAL.
>> DICK HALL IS A LOCAL COP.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU COME IN?
>> THREE, FOUR TIMES A DAY.
>> SERIOUSLY, THREE, FOUR TIMES A DAY?
>> YEAH.
>> DO YOU GET MOST OF YOUR MEALS HERE?
>> I EAT QUITE A BIT HERE.
I LOST MY WIFE, SO I'M BY MYSELF NOW SO I EAT OUT.
>> THIS IS GREAT, GIVES YOU COMPANY AND GOOD FOOD.
>> YEAH.
>> OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, THE MENU IS MONSTER SIZED, WHAT IS THE WINNER IN PAT'S BOOK?
>> THIS IS THE GRILLED DOUGHNUT?
>> JUST SMELL IT.
>> THIS IS A FIRST, I HAVE NEVER HAD A GRILLED DOUGHNUT.
GENERALLY A DOUGHNUT BY ITSELF IS INDULGENT ENOUGH.
>> RIGHT?
TO DIE FOR!
>> THE QUESTION IS, HOW CAN YOU EAT THE WHOLE THING, IT'S SO RICH.
>> YOU CAN'T PUT IT DOWN.
>> TRUE.
>> NOT TO DROP ANY NAMES, BUT WE ON THE JUKEBOX AND -- >> I'M IN HE