The Palace Diner

194 Washington St, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601, 845-473-1576, www.thepalacediner.com

We don't normally drive two hours north from Manhattan to Poughkeepsie for diner food but, since we were there...

We've actually taken this particular drive north three times in the past few weeks. The first was for an eagerly anticipated lunch at the Culinary Institute of America and, by coincidence, a meeting with a puppy breeder nearby. That first trip resulted in a deposit on an adorable newborn pup and so we drove up again a couple of weeks later to see how she was doing. But this third trip would be our final drive north for a while because we were picking up our 8-week old bundle and wouldn't be going anywhere for a while :)

Although this part of the state is beautiful and we greatly enjoyed our previous visits, this particular day was pretty miserable. Lousy traffic, drizzling rain and a near-migraine headache all made this our least favorite visit...well...except for the puppy :) We stopped at this diner first so we could eat and use the restroom before arriving at the breeder. It's cute and redone to look retro. The menu reads like standard diner fare and a good diner plate of burgers and fries were just what the doctor ordered. We had no complaints about our meal. But, we decided to get some pastries for the road and were surprised at the dull taste for a high price. Otherwise, if you're in the area and craving some diner food, this would be the place.