New Jersey is known for its iconic diners. We had one in our small town serving hearty diner-type food. We used to go there after dates or as a family for a low-priced meal. Of course they featured a lot of burgers. My favorite was the California burger. California might as well have been Mars to a kid growing up in the 1950s on the Jersey Shore. I probably liked this particular burger because it was exotic. Fresh vegetables and both ketchup and mayonnaise on a hamburger!? Gadzooks!

So tonight I recreated a childhood favorite, lettuce, tomato, red onion, mayo, ketchup, and a perfectly grilled hamburger with a toasted bun. Kudos to John for the great grilling job.

On the not-so-great front, I tried Ore Ida’s microwaveable French fries. They were on sale for 99¢. I should have saved my dollar. They came out weirdly dense and not crispy but we ate them nonetheless. And we had a salad.

So, yay! for the burgers, boo! for the fries, and ho-hum for the salad.

(Follow the link for a look at the actual Palace Diner in Red Bank, NJ)