Plates and Dishes: The Food and Faces of the Roadside Diner [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Stephan Schacher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2005 | ISBN-10: 1568985053 | ISBN-13: 978-1568985053 | Edition: 1

The blue plate special, meatloaf, a cheeseburger deluxe, a milkshake in a frosty mixing canister, a hot cup of joe—all served by a friendly face in a well-lighted aluminum tube. Such are the special joys of the American diner. And it was just these pleasures that photographer Stephan Schacher set out to document when he left New York on a journey through North America that would test both his stomach and his resolve. Schacher’s mission: to feed his hunger only at diners, and to photograph both his meal and his server every time. The result is a unique and deeply human story—quirky and nostalgic and generous—of one man's quest to discover North America's diner culture and his own place in it.

Traveling from a Jersey diner to the Canadian Rockies to a shoreside clambake shack on the Pacific Ocean, Schacher's culinary adventure is documented here with a wealth of visual materials. The author's arresting photographs of succulent steaks and greasy fries, of smiling waitresses in uniforms or jeans, and brightly colored plastic dishes and table mats are supplemented by maps showing the photographer's route across the continent.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Schacher traveled across the U.S. and Canada in three stages, first in a 1978 Volkswagen van, then in a 35-foot motor home and, finally, by motorcycle. Over the 13,318 miles he covered, he visited 70 highway eating establishments, and photographed the food he ate and the women who served it to him. The result is a collection that oozes with sentimentality about North American culture. In Wawa, Ontario, Lori smiles kindly, standing before a moose head mounted to a wall. At the Eureka Lodge in Glennallen, Ala., Daphne seems stricken, as if the bear stitched onto the quilt hanging behind her might jump out at any moment. Schacher hit 20 states and six Canadian provinces, and consumed a variety of bland, fried stuff along the way: T-bone steak and fries, cheeseburger and fries, fish and chips, etc. The photos of the food aren't nearly as striking as the ones of the women: most look happy, though some seem resigned or distant, hinting at too many plates served and too many coffee cups refilled.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Plates + Dishes is a hearty study of a cultural cornerstone in danger of extinction." -- Readymade, October 2005

"Schacher's photographs of bluecollar servers and blueplate specials are hopeful updatings of Dorothea Lange's Depression-era photos." -- The Vancouver Sun, August 27, 2005

... richly reproduced food shots and striking verite portraits...a hearty study of a cultural cornerstone in danger of extinction. -- Ready Made, October 2005

Schacher's photo-essay requires no text to succeed as a fascinating study of an endangered species of the greasy spoon cafe. -- Resonance, August 2005

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press; 1 edition (July 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568985053
• ISBN-13: 978-1568985053
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #924,875 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Real fast food, August 2, 2005

By 

Robin Benson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Plates and Dishes: The Food and Faces of the Roadside Diner (Paperback)

Diners, yet again have seduced another photographer, who wanted to capture an authentic slice of Americana. Stephen Schacher went the extra mile and only ate in them too while travelling to take his photos. This should have been a neat looking book, all the ingredients are there but it turns out to look extremely boring.

Each left-hand page has a food photo and every right-hand page has a shot of the waitress who served Schacher. You can see what I mean by clicking on the images under the book cover at the top of this Amazon page. The images shown are in fact better looking than the ones in the book though, all the food images suffer from a yellow cast, frequently the plates break out of the image area (that would have easily been solved by running the photos of the page) various other elements of the meal, drinks or side orders are only vaguely included. For an alternative look at diner grub try 'Roadside Food' (ISBN 0941434680)

The waitresses on each right-hand page are also slightly yellow looking but perhaps more serious is that the pages all look so similar. Far better I would have thought to vary the poses and show much more of each diner, they are after all bursting with visual excitement as Gerd Kittel found out in his Diners: People and Places. The only visual break in Schacher's book are the occasional graphic spreads that display a map and made-up receipts with details of the meals plus where and when they were eaten.

'Plates+Dishes' is a great idea that just isn't cookin', unfortunately.

Oh yes, Bonnie from Fenders Diner, Cornelia, Georgia can serve me a meal anytime, what a dish!

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, October 8, 2005

By 

chicoer2003 "chicoer2003" (Fresno, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Plates and Dishes: The Food and Faces of the Roadside Diner (Paperback)

Schacher's road trip is interesting. The photos show the food on one side and the server on the other. It's interesting to see some of the food (greasy and burned), and how it changes from region to region. A great concept.

5.0 out of 5 stars A visual, artistic food celebration which juxtaposes photos diner dish specialties, September 4, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Plates and Dishes: The Food and Faces of the Roadside Diner (Paperback)

The blue plate special, meatloaf, mashed spuds and more are all specialties of the house for most roadside diners, which are celebrated in Plates & Dishes: The Food And Faces Of The Roadside Diner. Artist/photographer/author Stephan Sacher toured the country in search of picturesque roadside diners and their fare: Plates And Dishes isn't a recipe collection, as one might expect, but a visual, artistic food celebration which juxtaposes photos diner dish specialties with their cooks on facing pages. A warm, inviting visual treat, sans recipes.