New Jersey may be the diner capital of the world but Connecticut is not far behind.

The diner is a special gastronomical piece of Americana. Where else can you dig into almost any type of cuisine that your palate desires? From seafood to Italian, Portuguese to Tex-Mex and everything in between. Don't get me started on those 'early bird' specials. Diners provide good food at reasonable prices.

Recently I posted this question on the I-95 Facebook page, "What is your favorite diner meal?" The question received dozens of responses thanks to you guys which allowed me to formulate a list of, "The Top 10 Diner Meals in the State of Connecticut.

1. Two eggs over easy with bacon, ham, sausage and/or hash or homefries - Personally, this is also my favorite! I usually go for the sausage links. 'Elmer's Diner' on Padanaram Rd. gets it right every single time.

Denny's Offers Free Breakfast In Effort To Aggressively Promote Sales
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2. Turkey Club - The classic turkey club is a picture perfect delicious sandwich made with real mayo, tomato, on toasted white bread with leaf lettuce, smoked bacon, monterey jack cheese, and premium deli turkey. Mmmm-mmmmm!

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Joel Albrizio
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3. Simple Cheeseburger with fries - Adding cheese to a hamburger began in the late 1920's to the early 1930's with many individuals claiming they were the first to discover the cheeseburger. How do you like your cheeseburger? I'm a lettuce, tomato, fried onions, and a slice of cheddar kind of guy.

Huge grass fed bison hamburger with chips & beer
bhofack2
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4. Happy Waitress -  It's a diner classic dish that consists of an open-faced grilled cheese sandwich with tomato and bacon and it goes superbly with an order of fries. It's most widely popular in New York and New Jersey.

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adlifemarketing
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5. Western Omelet - When I googled 'western omelet,' most of the results came up as 'Denver Omelette' which is basically the same thing and consists of scrambled eggs, ham, green bell peppers, onions, and cheese.  This classic diner breakfast selection goes great with a crispy order of home fries and wheat toast.

scrambled eggs with fresh herbs
peredniankina
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6. French Toast - France had absolutely nothing to do with the invention of this sweet breakfast treasure. The earliest mention of 'French Toast' dates back to 4th century Rome. Slices of bread are soaked in a mixture of beaten eggs, and then fried in butter or olive oil until browned. Add a touch of cinnamon, brown sugar, and maple syrup and you've got yourself one sweet breakfast.

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Michael Gray
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7. Pastrami or Corned Beef Reuben Sandwich with slaw and fries - This is one of my go-to diner lunch selections made with either corned beef or pastrami, swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing on rye bread and then grilled to perfection. You can thank Reuben Kalakofsky, a Jewish Lithuanian-born grocer who lived in Omaha, Nebraska back in the late '20s and early '30s for this heavenly sandwich.

A corned beef sandwich on a plate
Camrocker
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8. Tuna Melt with a side of fries - According to chewingthefat.com., this classic diner fav combines tuna with mayo and a heated layer of cheddar cheese. Pop in some celery and onion if you're so inclined and a fabulous butter pickle to top off this orgasmic sandwich.

9. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes - I'm sensing that diner fans in Connecticut flock to their favorite eatery for the opportunity to indulge in their favorite comfort foods. You can't get any more comfortable than meatloaf and mashed potatoes and gravy. There ain't nothing like a dish of ground beef, pork, or chicken mixed with a bunch of delicious spices. Mashed potatoes and gravy enhance this diner delicacy. Could you pass the ketchup, please?

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Paul Cowan
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10. BLT - The all American BLT was introduced to the country's tastebuds after WWII because of the deluge of supermarkets. Dress up your bacon, lettuce, and tomato with some mayo or maybe a light spread of Russian dressing. I like to rock a bowl of Campbell's Tomato Bisque soup with my BLT.

Bacon slice being cooked in frying pan
Krasyuk
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Feel free to check out my diner blog from last year titled, 'Road Trip Worthy: 8 Legendary Diners Less Than an Hour From Danbury'

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