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For more than a century, New York City’s Mom & Pop diners and luncheonettes have been serving the melting pot, piping fresh and hot. Under the warm glow of neon lights, local landmarks like the Lexington Candy Shop and La Bonbonniere offer an escape from the frenetic pace of daily life, while others like Tom’s Restaurant are elevated to pop culture fame, appearing as an exterior locale on Seinfeld and inspiring Suzanne Vega’s folk song turned club classic, “Tom’s Diner.”
For photographers James T. and Karla L. Murray, these New York institutions embody the city at its best, providing comfort foods affordably priced all hours of the day and night. These street-level independent businesses, often family-owned, have been anchors in the community across generations. But in recent years, gentrification has forced many of the businesses to close their doors at an alarming rate.
In response, the Murrays have created Counter Culture: New York City’s Greatest Diners and Luncheonettes, celebrating 30 of Manhattan’s most beloved eateries still going strong, including Barney Greengrass, EJ’s Luncheonette, Waverly Diner, and Veselka, as well as more recent establishments like Thai Diner, Revelie Luncheonette, and Golden Diner. The book brings together the Murrays’ signature exteriors, intimate interiors, and a smorgasbord of visual details accompanied by vivid profiles by food and culture journalist Emma Orlow that uncover the stories behind each location, with insights from the owners.
Blending New York history, culinary culture, and interior design with epicurean delight, Counter Culture offers a wealth of details to be savored at length over a black and white cookie. Perch on a swivel stool along the sweeping Formica counter where the action is hot, or slide into a cozy booth, perusing the sumptuous array of comfort foods like syrup-soaked pancakes, classic burger and fries, and bottomless mugs of coffee — or sample family-favorites from the old country, like Greek gyros, Ukrainian borscht, Cuban sandwiches, Thai disco fries, and Korean fried chicken wings. In Counter Culture, there’s a little something for everyone.
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