The Monroe Diner - Monroe, New York

The Monroe Diner is like an old friend. It is the place we went as teenagers in high school to drink coffee all night and debate worldly chaos and teenage angst. And it is the place, a lifetime later, that we go to have more coffee, laugh about the world, debate worldly chaos, and eat waffles with our daughter.

Steve and Alex, the owners are as much family now as they were then, opening the doors to their restaurant as if you were a guest in their home. We were pleasantly surprised Christmas Eve, to find a big old St. Nick seated in an overstuffed easy chair, sitting quietly next to the dessert display. John, the manager, snapped a polaroid photo of our daughter laughing with the "big guy" while she explained the difference between and EZ Bake Oven and a Real Meal Oven.

How nice to find a place in Monroe, that didn't charge for the photo, or even advertise "breakfast" with Santa (commonly an experience you need a HELOC to attend). Typical of the low-key warmth our diner offers us all, Santa was simply there to greet the kids and hand out a few stuffed animals.

Personally, we've been to the Monroe Diner for thousands of burgers, at least a million cups of coffee, countless laughs, and one or two funerals. I’ve started a business there, ended a business there, and now started one again, and despite the myriad of other choices in our community now, it is still my favorite place to sit with my favorite people and shoot the breeze on any night of the week.

The Monroe Diner simply says, “Welcome Home.”

(To see other people’s reviews, visit http://www.yelp.com/biz/monroe-diner-monroe.)

By, Mary Vetell

Joe's Fix It

The walls and ceiling at Joe's Fix It are home to a young person's version of planes, trains and automobiles -- in this case, it's bikes, trikes, boards, skates, sticks, pucks, etc., etc. To the average mom who hasn't laced up since she was seventeen, it can be a little overwhelming. It is a relief when the young man behind the counter stops what he's doing to offer guidance.

It was a whim to stop at Joe's the first time I bought skates for my daughter four years ago; now, it is a beloved tradition. Perhaps WalMart or Target might have had a cheaper pair of ice skates, but they simply can't offer the priceless personal service that Joe and his team give so freely. And this store, unlike all those others, offers it's customers a few dollars on new skates if you turn in your used one's from the year before. (A policy I have grown to appreciate as I outfit my daughter's endlessly growing stinky feet year after year.)

They also provide great bike sales and service and carry fitness equipment as well! (Imagine someone explaining your bowflex before you end up trapped underneath it yelling for help.)

I always feel good when I leave Joe's. I know that a little bit of my "hard earned" has gone to support a local business and a team of local people -- who in turn will spend their hard earned in the Monroe area as well. Buying anything at Joe's Fix It also has the added value of being served by a knowledgeable and gracious service team. For me, it's always a million-dollar experience with a great new pair of skates at the end.

Life in Monroe -- A whole lot nicer with a guy like Joe to put wheels on our heels and make every customer feel like an old friend.

Warmly, Mary Vetell