One of Gardiner’s most frequented and perhaps oldest restaurant is A1 Diner, located at 3 Bridge St. The diner itself is one of the original lunch car diners constructed in Worcester, Mass., back when diners were just becoming popular. It has six booths and 14 stools at the counter. The structure was transported to its current location shortly after it was constructed in 1946 and sits perched atop 15-foot stilts on the bridge.

The term “diner” originates from the phrase “dining car” because early diners were patterned after railroad dining cars. Decommissioned railroad cars and trolleys were sometimes converted into diners by individuals who couldn’t afford to purchase a newly manufactured one.

Like most diners, A1 Diner offers its share of hamburgers, including a local burger made with organic, grass-fed beef topped with caramelized onions and Gruyere cheese; a north-of-the-border burger with Canadian bacon and cheddar cheese; a south-of-the-border burger with chili and pepper jack; a Mexican burger with salsa and pepper jack; a house-made turkey burger and more. All burgers are served with hand-cut French fries.

“We sell a ton of hamburgers,” said co-owner Mike Giberson.

Giberson and business partner Neil Andersen have owned the diner for the past 27 years. Giberson said he does much of the cooking himself, but other cooks help prepare food throughout the week.

“I like to keep it interesting,” said Giberson. “We have our standard favorites over and over, but I also like to try new recipes.”

According to Giberson, the diner offers a dozen specials, three soups, one type of chili and a dozen different desserts every day (except Sunday) in addition to the standard menu items. The daily specials and desserts are posted on blackboards over the counter.

“We do a lot of ethnic cooking from different parts of the world,” said Giberson. “We also do vegetarian cooking. Everything is house made.”

Some of the specials at A1 Diner include Southwest pork taco with ground pork sausage and New Mexico hard chilis, with salsa and crema; New Orleans-style poor boys made with either fried oysters, fried pickles, chopped lettuce, sriracha sauce and mayonnaise on a baguette or fried clams with sriracha sauce, chopped lettuce, and mayonnaise on a baguette; fish tacos (made with haddock); and barbecue chicken tacos.

The diner’s standard dinner menu includes classic diner offerings, such as meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, baked beans with franks, grilled ham, grilled pork chops, fried chicken, liver and onions, fried ham, fried haddock, Maine fried oysters, fried clams, fried seafood platter, chicken salad plate and tuna salad plate. Hot sandwiches (including a vegetarian sandwich made with grilled vegetables and herbed goat cheese), cold sandwiches, wraps, a variety of salads and homemade soups round out the menu.

Breakfast features a wide variety of typical morning fare, as well as the nontraditional, including Korean vegetable pancakes, lemon blueberry French toast and breakfast burritos. It was the diner’s crispy blueberry pancakes, however, that recently earned it a spot on Thrillist Media Group’s (www.thrillist.com) list of 21 Best Breakfast Spots in America. Brunch only is served on Sunday.

And there’s no overlooking the “caboose” at the end of a meal at A1 Diner. The restaurant’s homemade desserts are also favorites among customers near and far. They can include black mocha cake, orange layer cake, orange chocolate bread pudding, chocolate chip cookie cheesecake, gingerbread with lemon sauce, cream cheese brownies, toffee chocolate chip cookies and berry slump.

For more information about A1 Diner, visit its website at www.a1diner.com or its Facebook page.

Mike’s Maine crab cakes

Makes 12 large crab cakes

1 1/2 pounds fresh crabmeat

1 1/2 cups fresh corn (or frozen, thawed)

3/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped

3/4 cup celery, chopped

3/4 cup onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

3/4 teaspoon dry mustard

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 egg, beaten

2 1/2 cups saltine cracker crumbs, divided

2 tablespoons butter (or more if needed, for frying)

Mix all ingredients, except the cracker crumbs, eggs and butter.

Gently fold in the beaten egg and 1 1/2 cups cracker crumbs.

Place the remaining 1 cup of crumbs on a plate or in a shallow dish.

Form the crab mixture into 3-ounce patties (about 3 inches in diameter, or make smaller cakes if you prefer).

Coat the cakes with the cracker crumbs on both sides by placing each cake in the dish of crumbs and pressing gently.

Cook the crab cakes in butter over medium-high heat until golden brown on each side, about 5 minutes a side.

Hungarian chicken

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 onions, sliced into half moons

2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced

4 cups celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3 tablespoons sweet paprika

1 tablespoon hot paprika

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 whole chicken, cooked and picked

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups sour cream

In a large, heavy pot cook the onion in the oil for 5 minutes.

Add the celery and the red pepper and cook for 10 more minutes.

Add the paprikas, caraway seeds, tomato paste and chicken stock, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Mix the flour with the sour cream until a paste is formed. Whisk this into the cooked mixture. Whisk until smooth. Cook for 5 more minutes on low heat. Remove from heat and add the chicken.

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