Breakfast at O'Rourke's. Brian O’Rourke
was the recreation director for the town of Middletown, took me to and from school. St. John’s had no transportation system, and all the students were dropped off or would walk or bike to school.
Diagonally across the street from the school stood O’Rourke’s Diner, which was owned by my uncle John. When he bought in 1941, it was a wooden structure. Shortly after purchasing the diner, John went off to war and served as a captain in the U.S. Army. While he was away, his wife Kathleen (my aunt Kay) assumed the responsibilities of the family business.
When John was discharged from the army, he stopped at the Mountain View Diner Company in New Jersey, which specialized in aluminum-and-steel diner facilities. He purchased a new diner to replace the wooden structure. Today Mountain View #221 still sits on the corner of Main and Hartford.
One fateful afternoon my father was delayed in coming to school, and he asked that I cross the street and wait at the diner for him. Three crossing guards at the busy intersection helped me traverse the constant stream of cars. Once I was inside the diner, Uncle John put me to work bringing up supplies from the basement storage area. I could manage everything on the supply list with the exception of the milk crates, which were too heavy. In addition, he supplied me with a broom and had me sweep the floor of the diner.
That trip across the street from school was so enjoyable that it began a lifelong affiliation with O’Rourke’s Diner. From that point on I would regularly traverse the street each day to work at the diner. In the late fifties and sixties, the diner was open twenty-four hours a day and served typical diner food and a variety of specials. There was always a blue-plate special, which cost ninety-nine cents, and a less expensive menu option that cost forty-nine cents. Monday was the pork loin special; Tuesday, the daisy ham special; Wednesday, the roast beef special; Thursday, corned beef and cabbage; and Friday, seafood casserole. Less expensive blue plate specials were typical comfort foods like macaroni and cheese and meatloaf. During my elementary school years, one of the head cooks, Pat Magnano, would hide a quarter somewhere in the diner. If my cleaning expertise was worth anything, I would find the twenty-five cents, which was mine for the keeping. Besides earning twenty-five cents a day, I also had a paper route. Quite an income for someone my age!
As my elementary school years continued, I was given greater responsibility in the diner, including a wide variety of food preparation chores. I can remember peeling potatoes, almost on a daily basis. When I reached high school age, I was given my first opportunity to “work the grill.” Suddenly I felt like a little man doing a big man’s job. I became the grill man on the night shift like a professional short-order cook. In those days the grill was part of the counter, so food was actually cooked in the “front of the house.”
In 1976 Uncle John retired, and I purchased the diner in partnership with my cousin, John Sweeney O’Rourke. During the next several years many changes occurred in my personal life. My son, Patrick, was born. I bought a home, sold it, and bought a second home. The diner remained a twenty-four-hour operation with Cousin John and me each working a twelve-hour shift. Then, in 1985, I had the opportunity to purchase John’s share of the diner. From that point on, we began to make fundamental changes in the operation of O’Rourke’s. We were no longer a round-the-clock operation and were open instead just for breakfast and lunch. We continued to feature all our own homemade breads, soups, and breakfast and lunch specials, but we closed each day mid-afternoon.
Much of the inspiration for the creative success of the diner was homegrown. My maternal grandmother, Noonie, lived with us in Middletown from 1951 until the mid- 1960s when I was growing up. Noonie brought her culinary talents to America from her birthplace in Sicily. Each day after school, first I did my paper route and then, when I came home from school, Noonie would have baked bread, made a homemade soup and a pasta, whether homemade ravioli, tortellini, or some other type, and, of course, there was always a pot of sauce simmering on the stove. Now, each day when I go to the diner, I think of Noonie. The smells and tastes that emanated from our house were an incredible source of inspiration for me.
In addition to what I learned at home, I had the opportunity to visit and spend time with a number of restaurateurs or bakers in the Middletown area. From them I learned the incredible craft of baking. Manny Marino owned a restaurant and bakery around the corner from the diner. I would stop in at Marino’s and see Manny proofing rolls and breads.
SASHA RUDENSKY 2006
On August 31, 2006, a fateful event occurred. Our steam cheeseburger oven was left on overnight, overheated, and caused a fire in the diner. The fire roared out of control, destroying the entire interior. The only thing that was salvaged, thanks to the heroic efforts of the local fire department, was the shell of the Mountain View #221.
A rebuilding committee, which featured a number of loyal customers, including Wesleyan University employees, was formed to rebuild the diner. On February 11, 2008, the rebuilt diner opened, to the delight of many.
Over the years the diner began to attract local, statewide, regional, and national recognition for its creative and delicious, upscale, gourmet meals. O’Rourke’s Diner has been selected as “Best of Connecticut” by Connecticut Magazine and “Best of New England” by Yankee Magazine. In addition, it has been featured on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
Since it is a diner, our busiest time of the day is often in the morning. The customers value our warm welcome, our homemade breads, and our extensive breakfast menu. On weekends our menu expands to include approximately sixty breakfast choices and specials. On a typical weekend day, the line of new and familiar customers extends out the door and down the sidewalk.
As O’Rourke’s Diner enters its eighth decade, we take special pride in sharing with you some of our most popular breakfast recipes.
Omelets
The Dubliner Omelet
MENU
The Dubliner Omelet
Corned Beef Hash
Cajun Fingerlings
Irish Soda Bread with Raspberry Jam
THE DUBLINER OMELET
Serves 1
Omelets are essentially eggs with a variety of ingredients used as fillings and/or mixed into the egg batter.
My “Dubliner” omelet (a customer favorite) is served with Irish bacon, fingerling potatoes, and Irish soda bread topped with my raspberry jam.
There are many keys to making a great omelet. If you use butter to grease your pan, you will have a good omelet, but if you use Irish butter, then you will have a better omelet. (Irish butter has a higher concentration of butter fat and can be found in most grocery stores.) The temperature of the pan makes a difference, as does the quality and temperature of your eggs. Using room temperature eggs makes for a better omelet, and I suggest letting eggs sit on the counter for about two hours before you prepare the dish. Once you master a basic omelet, you can then experiment with different ingredients and flavors. Some prefer raw ingredients in their omelet, while others like to sauté their ingredients and then add them. Condiments and sauces are also a great way to alter the appearance, and taste, of your basic omelet.
| 2 | slices Irish bacon (see Note) |
| 2 | tablespoons vegetable shortening or butter, divided |
| ½ | cup |