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Pattyplus,
If you think adding cream to the meat results in a Stroganoff flavor, surely you've noticed that adding the strongly flavored veggies and sauces you cite (bleu cheese, chopped olives, BBQ or steak sauce, or catsup-worstershire) results in meatloaf, not a burger.

Bread labeled 'whole grain' steps on the flavor of whatever is between the bread or buns. Most supermarket 'whole grain' bakery items are not truly whole grain (as opposed to those heavy German loaves) and with only slight increases in nutritional value. But pursuing nutrition over flavor leads to a land far from the the joys of hamburgerdom.

In the eight years I've been living in New Jersey, I've been hoping to find the sort of diner that so many people pine for, but when I'm there, I just don't get it.

In any case, when I went from Edison to Princeton for some shopping this morning, I passed three diners and eight or nine Indian vegetarian places.

The diners are rapidly becoming a thing of the past.

Jersey diner coffee isn't that unique--I went to uni in CT, and diners had the same coffee profile.

The Inkwell by the shore is another story...

My parents started me on coffee at 3 yrs of age. Tall glass with lots of milk and sugar. @Gastronomeg has me beat with her early entry to the world of black coffee though. (why does every one put the @ before the screen name? I've never figured out the use for that)

@Derekh - how have I never been to Bonbonniere!?! wow.

My first experience with coffee was generally the same. Though I inched into the real stuff from International Selects. And Dunkaccinos at Dunkin Donuts. And the 7-11 "French Vanilla." Until one day, probably my first year in college, when all of a sudden, it just tasted right.

We loved Denny's in Jersey too. I was always a little afraid as to what was actually in the coffee though. But it never hurt to throw a little syrup in there from the pancakes..

@Allison Hemler - You're alittle far south for me. In Essex County...
Versaille Diner
Livingston Diner
Ritz Diner
Tick Tock Diner
Tiffany Diner
Land and Sea Diner (RIP)

Yay diners!! The Waterview Diner in Howard Beach (Queens) was always my favorite, but sadly, it's no longer there.The long nights spent there after innumerable school functions are some of the most amazing memories I have. The Cross Bay Diner and the Esquire Diner (both still in HB) are pretty great, too.

Another fact of diner coffee: a little puddle of coffee in the saucer below the cup from the waiter/waitress spilling it or over filling it.

I'm a born and raised Jersey boy, so diner eating is in my blood. Even though I enjoy good coffee and regularly hit up the Grand Central Joe the Art of Coffee during the week at work, there is always a place for diner coffee. During the weekends, I tend to hit either East Side Cafe (23rd and 1st) or Cosmos (23rd and 2nd). I also like Sunflower but its too hectic in there to be comfortable. Both serve endless cups of coffee and a decent enough plate of eggs or pancakes.

BTW.. you missed a whole heap of diners around Murray Hill/Gramercy. It seems like its the highest density of diners in Manhattan.

Euro Diner; Moonstruck; Sunflower; Lyric, Cosmo; East Side; Coopertown Diner all within 10 blocks of each other.

@gargupie @rstank: I knew you Queens folk would chime in... I have spent only about two hours in Queens in my life, and half of that at LaGuardia Airport... so I'm glad now I have some reasons to go out there. Makes sense, since most of the diners we're talking about are Greek (or Turkish) owned. Thanks!

@alastor: I agree about usually ordering the same thing, but do you ever find it varies though, depending on the time of day? while I usually am a breakfast person and eat something like a broccoli and cheese omelette, if I'm there for a weekday lunch, I'll probably eat chicken souvlaki. which still pairs excellently with diner coffee, I might add.

Yes! Elk burgers are delicious! I found a great elk burger marinade on AmericanHunter.org if anyone wants to try it out: http://americanhunter.org/ArticlePage.aspx?cid=40&id=1699

My God, from all the media coverage you would've thought he asked for a champagne bearnaise sauce to go on his burger.

Furthermore, anyone who still, in this day and age, honestly considers spicy mustard (which could have meant Gulden's) or Dijon "elitist" terrifies me with their redneck ignorance...

Lastly, who cares how he likes his burger!?!?? The man is the PRESIDENT, NOT a chef, NOT a self-important/self-proclaimed "foodie," but the PRESIDENT! Now if he asked for his burger raw and "extra heavy on the blood"...that would've been creepy and newsworthy.