EATING OUT. American diners

The diner is an icon of American culture and its formulae has been imitated all over the world.  Fluffy pancakes, burgers,  fries are nowadays global fast food elements. There are world-wide chains based on this idea of food. However, despite that, diners are still a landmark of US culture.

First diners started running  in the 19th century and provided with cheap, homemade food.

Diners almost invariably serve American food such as hamburgers, french fries, club sandwiches, and so on. Much of the food is grilled, as early diners were based around a grill.  There is often an emphasis on breakfast foods such as eggs (including omelettes), waffles, pancakes, and French toast. Some diners serve these "breakfast foods" all day long. Many diners have transparent display cases in or behind the counter for the desserts. It is common with new diners to have the desserts displayed in rotating pie cases.

We´ve seen them in films many times and we have seen some with decorations from the 50s, with  jukeboxes, etc. It is also  said they were a symbol of optimism. Summing up, places with a characteristic architecture and an example  of the vernacular nature. In films such as PULP FICTION they play an important role , the diner is part of the film, like another character.

DO Y0U LIKE  BURGERS? WHICH ARE YOUR FAVOURITE ONES? HOW OFTEN DO YOU EAT THEM? PULP FICTION SCENE. HAMBURGERS.

DO YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WHEN ORDERING FOOD IN A RESTAURANT? HERE YOU HAVE SOME TIPS TO HELP YOU IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS . Watch the video and learn some useful vocabulary  and expressions.



Have a look at these links and practise your every day language.
http://video.about.com/esl/English-Restaurant-Vocabulary.htm
http://youtu.be/FJQj8Ye9e1Y
http://youtu.be/hUU8hwl7WHA
http://a4esl.org/q/h/vm/m-restaurant.html



EATING ALL OVER THE  WORLD

Do you want to know about  other people´s habits  when eating? Have a look at this quiz and find it out.
http://www.fekids.com/img/kln/flash/DontGrossOutTheWorld.swf




SUZANNE VEGA wrote one  of her hits in a diner near her home. For her, a diner is place " between home and the street". In the song she watches the world through a  New Yorker diner´s window. It seems the diner for her is an enigmatic place through which she can see  time go by but at the same time it is a place for reflection, isolation.
Listen to the song and answer the following questions.



1. What is the woman doing at the diner?
2. Why is the man looking out of  the window? Who comes  in and what happens?
3.  How does the singer feel and what does she do?
4. What kind of stories does she read in the newspaper?
5. Why does she stop reading the paper?
6.  What is the woman doing on the other side of the window? Describe her actions
7.  At the end we find out something about the singer and her feelings. Do you know what it is?
8. Write down a summary of  the whole story using your own words.