FueledByLOLZ

Malaga Diner

Earlier in the month, my dad was driving through and stopped for the evening at my house. On his way South, we decided to go to the Malaga Diner. There were a few Southern Diner choices, but we ultimately decided upon Malaga solely because my brother, Matt, is stationed in Spain near Malaga. It seemed like a reasonable way to pick out a diner.

I had driven by the Malaga Diner a couple of years ago when I went to the Pegasus restaurant.

Atmosphere: A
When driving by the Malaga Diner, you can’t help but notice the diner. There is a huge diner sign on route 40, and the outside has “Malaga Diner” on a big red light up sign. There is enormous tinted windows and cobblestone on the sides. You can’t miss it (in a good way)!

The inside is a stereotypical diner with plenty of booths, a full-length bar, and several tables.

Service: B
The waitress was friendly, refilled our beverages often and came over and chatted. However, the food was very slow to come out. We waited about half an hour which for the amount of people in the diner, I was surprised!

Coffee: B
I’ve had a lot of boring but good diner coffee lately. There wasn’t anything bad about the coffee, and it was refilled enough, but like I mentioned nothing unique or unusual.

Food: B
The Malaga Diner has everything a stereotypical diner has, no more and no less. There are about 2 pages of breakfasts, 2 pages of lunch/dinner and a page of specials.

I ordered the Hungry Woman Special with French toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and sausage links. For those not familiar with diners, I would say about 75% of New Jersey Diners have a “Hungry Women Special”. It’s a staple breakfast dish.

Thank goodness I took a photo because to struggled to remember everything that fit on the plate.

The French toast was one of the best French toasts I’ve had. They used big, thick, bread which is a definite must. The rest of the meal was filling with nothing unusual, and I had no complaints, but the highlight was the French toast. I liked everything but next time I might just end up ordering 10 pieces of their french toast.

Cost: $$
For the coffee and hungry woman, the cost was $12. They did charge $1.50 for whipped cream in the coffee…some diners do, and some don’t. For the amount of food, it was worth it.

Overall Thoughts/Summary:
The Malaga Diner was a good stop, and I’m glad we finally made it down there. I would definitely go again.

Atmosphere: A
Coffee: B
Service: B
Food: B
Cost: $6-15
Overall: B
Closeby Diners I’ve been: Pegasus, Elmer, Point 40

Questions for you:
Do you like French toast?
What is your favorite way to eat eggs?
I like scrambled or over easy

Brooks Glycerin 15 Shoe Review

For the past year, the Brooks Glycerin has been one of my personal favorite shoes. I ran in the Brooks Glycerin 14 and am currently running in the Glycerin 15. Spoiler: The Brooks Glycerin is 15 is just as good, if not better, than the Brooks Glycerin 14.

A common question I recieve both at work and on this blog, is do you like the Brooks Glycerin or Brooks Ghost better?

My answer is: I wish I could take the fit of the Brooks Ghost (it’s wider) and have the cushion the Glycerin. Both have their positives and negatives and I like both shoes about the same.

In short, the Glycerin is the most cushioned shoe from Brooks. Whether you are running 100 miles or walking 1, it’s going to provide a soft and well cushioned ride.

Brooks is not paying me to review their shoes and I’m not a Brooks ambassador.

Fit:

One major update from the Brooks Glycerin 14 to the Glycerin 15 is the redesigned upper. There are less seams and it is a bit wider. Without the seams, the Glycerin fits many more people with bunions or people that have fuller toe boxes (like myself). The wider toebox update is welcomed from the Glyercin 14.

The redesigned upper is positive and you’ll have a lot more room for your toes to spread out. Fit wise, I wore a 10 wide in the Brooks Glycerin 14 and I still wear a 10 wide in the Brooks Glycerin 15. My feet have much more room and they are happier.

Ride:

The ride of the actual shoe is very similar to the previous model. To me, it feels almost identical in a good way. You don’t have to worry “the shoe update has changed” and it won’t work for you. It still has a very high cushioned and soft feel.

The Glycerin Line Itself: If you’ve never worn the Glycerin, it’s a very high cushioned, soft, shoe. There is a lot of cushioning throughout the shoe but it’s not heavy or bulky either. A major reason I like it, is the amount of forefront cushioning.

Brooks Glycerin 15 Conclusions

The Glycerin 15 is a solid update from the Glycerin 14. There isn’t anything too crazy changed, so you won’t feel as though it’s a brand new shoe. Let’s be honest, minimal changes in the running shoe world are a good thing. With the amount of cushion, it’s a personal favorite of mine.

Current Rotation:
Brooks Ghost 10
Hoka Bondi 5
Saucony Freedom
Brooks Glycerin 15

Questions for you:

Have you run in the Brooks Glycerin?

What is your favorite running shoe?

Americana Diner (West Orange)

There are a lot of Americana Diners in the State of New Jersey. There are also a lot of towns with the name “Orange”, but that is neither here nor there.

Last week my good friend, and New Jersey Isn’t Boring website owner and I, and I met up to go the Thomas Edison Historical Park and a diner. She shares the same love of diners as I do, and we’ve been to about a dozen together.

Atmosphere: A

The Americana Diner is located on a cute main street but sticks right out with its retro silver and chrome exterior. The inside is just as stereotypical diner. It seats about 25 and has a full-length diner bar, multiple booths, and tables.

Coffee: B

The coffee wasn’t anything unique or unusual, but it was good. I had plenty of refills.

Like the diner itself, it was stereotypical (but good) diner coffee.

Service: B

The waitress was friendly and gave us plenty of time to order. Since the diner was relatively empty, I expected the food to come out quicker than it did.

Food: C

There are plenty of options at the Americana Diner, but it’s also not a 20-page menu like many others. I wasn’t terribly hungry, so I ordered one of my diner classics (which I actually can remember the last time I did?), a Greek salad with salmon.

The salad itself was a bit watery and could have used a few more greens but had olives, anchovies, and a lot of onions. They added a lot of dressing so it was one of the better diner salads I’ve had but it wasn’t amazing.

Price: $$

For my coffee, and salad with salmon, the cost was $17.

Overall Thoughts/Summary:

I liked the Americana Diner, and it wasn’t a bad stop. It wasn’t my favorite diner but it wasn’t a bad stop. I can always appreciate a metallic, chrome, diner.

Atmosphere: A

Service: B

Coffee: B

Food: C

Price: $8-15

Overall: B

Closeby Diners I’ve Been: Tops, Nutley (one of my favorites) and Six Brothers

Questions for you:

What’s one of your favorite restaurant meals?

Park Wayne Diner (Wayne)

A few weeks ago, I was up north and decided to go to the Park Wayne Diner. This isn’t to be confused with the Wayne Hills Diner which I went to last year. Funny enough, this is the only diner in that area (including a personal favorite: Pompton Queen), that we didn’t fly too. It was weird to drive through because it felt like such a long flight.

Atmosphere: A
You couldn’t ask for a more stereotypical New Jersey Diner. It has a big, metallic, shiny exterior and the interior is filled with multiple red tables and booths. Out of the diners I’ve been too, this definitely has one of the most stereotypical diner atmospheres.

Service: B
For a weekend morning, it wasn’t as busy as I had anticipated. That was okay by me! The waitress didn’t bring us a lot of refills, and it felt as though they might be understaffed for the day. She was friendly and gave us several recommendations which I can always appreciate. It wasn’t bad service, but they needed more servers.

Coffee: B
The coffee was brewed hot every time, but it was nothing to write home about. The cups were also a bit smaller than I wanted. It wasn’t bad but it didn’t stand out either.

Food: B
The menu at the Park Wayne Diner is huge. They have a dozen pages. Since they are open 24-7, they serve anything anytime. Those are my favorite types of diners, but it’s not as common as it used to be. Believe it or not, 24-7 diners are becoming harder to find.

I decided to order the arugula, spinach, and cheese omelet with a side of grits. It was one of the biggest omelets I’ve ever had, plus it was stuffed filled to the brim.

The grits, however, were boring and bland. Since it’s rare to find grits in the Northeast, I was hoping they would be more interesting, but they tasted like they came from a box. Yes, I realize that I’m not in the South but there are plenty of restaurants that serve excellent foreign cuisine, and I don’t live there either.

Cost: $
For the omelet, grits, and coffee the cost was $12 which wasn’t expensive for the portion size.

Overall thoughts:
You won’t find a more stereotypical NJ Diner then the Park Wayne Diner. Overall, I enjoyed my experience there and will definitely be back next time we go hiking up that route.

Summary:
Atmosphere: A
Service: B
Coffee: B
Food: B
Cost: $8-15
Overall: B

Closeby Diners I’ve reviewed:

Pompton Queen (one of my top 5 favorite NJ diners!) and Wayne Hills
Also relevant: Flying to Pompton Plains

Questions for you:
What’s your favorite type of omelet?
Where can I find southern style grits in NJ or Philadelphia?

Hampton Diner (Newton, NJ)

Lately, I’ve been to a lot of North Jersey Diners. The Hampton Diner has been on my to do list for a while. However, it’s almost 2 hours from my house. I could drive there and back, but it would be a 4 hour day and between tolls, not my cheapest endeavor. So finally, when I was already in the area, I stopped by. Surprisingly, the Hampton Diner is not in “Hampton” but in Newton, NJ. To my knowledge, there is not actually a “Newton Diner.”

Atmosphere: B

The Hampton Diner is a big, normal, building. While it’s decorated, it almost feels as though it’s missing a sign at the top. There is a street sign, but it needs an actual sign inside. The inside is large with plenty of booths, tables, and a full-length bar.

Coffee: A

The coffee at the Hampton Diner was good. It wasn’t the best I’ve had, however, it was often refilled. When I needed a refill, no less than 3 servers asked. How awesome is that? I have no complaints.

Service: A

The service at the Hampton Diner was at the top. As mentioned, when I needed more coffee or beverage refills, I was asked by three different people. The food came out quickly too. It was in the top 10% of diner services I’ve had.

Food: B

The Hampton Diner has plenty of options. The Hampton Diner has one of the bigger diner menus I’ve seen. There are plenty of breakfast, lunch, and dinner options.

I’ve heard positive things about their pancakes, so I ordered banana pancakes. They weren’t terrible, but they weren’t life changing either. They were light and fluffy and had several bananas chunks mixed in. Plus they were each about the size of my hand.

Hampton Diner Newton NJ — My apologies for the lighting situation there

Cost: $

For the pancakes and coffee, the cost was $11. Not a bad price.

Thoughts/Would I Come Back?

I enjoyed the Hampton Diner. It wasn’t my favorite diner but not a bad stop either. When I’m back in town, I will go back. I will say, the service was excellent and it was worth the stop for that alone.

Atmosphere: B
Coffee: A
Service: A
Food: B
Price: $8-12
Overall: A

Nearby Diners I’ve been: I haven’t explored too many around Sussex but the closest is the Jefferson Diner (a top 5 of mine!)

Questions for you:
What is your favorite kind pancakes?

How to Choose the Best Running Shoes (For You!)

As someone who works in a running shoe store, I can tell you I’ve personally fit about 1000 people for running shoes, and I’ve watched hundreds more be fit too.

Searching for your own personal shoes can be tough. What do you look for? How do you know when they are “right”?

When searching for running shoes, I always advise people to get fitted at their local running store. Thinking out loud, people that work in a running store have seen dozens of brands, styles, and companies. Plus they know shoes well. That being said, you know your feet. You know what feels most comfortable.

Most people come in and have no idea what to look for in a running shoe.

The short answer: Does it feel good?

Yes, then it’s the right shoe for you.

No? Then it’s not the right shoe for you.

The Long Answer:

Here are some important details you should look for in shoes.

Size (Length):

I cannot emphasize this enough. Do not buy your shoes too small. During the day, your feet can swell and lengthen anywhere from a half-full size. This is magnified during running! Always make sure there is a thumb’s width of space between your biggest toe and the end of the shoe.

Yes, your feet lengthen over time and age so make sure you get your measured frequently. After putting your shoes on, make sure you can wiggle all of your toes. If you can’t the shoe is too tight or too narrow. This brings us to point number 2.

Size (Width):

The width of a shoe is one of the most underlooked aspects of a shoe. Most running specialty stores carry at least wide if not double wide! Do not be scared to go into a wider shoe. If you are getting holes on the side of your shoe from your pinkie toe, this could be a sign the shoe is too narrow. Having extra room is always better than not enough. I never knew I needed a wide until working at the store. Now, I love it.

Heel:

In any running shoe, your heel should feel both snug and secure. It should never feel tight. If you feel as though you are “slipping,” lace your shoe to the final eyelet. This will you’re your heel more into place. Some shoes are cut lower than others but make sure you’re comfortable in the cut of the back too.

The heel should never feel tight, but there can be a little bit of movement. If the heel feels uncomfortable in the store, then it won’t feel good while running.

Feel:

You can be fit into the appropriate shoe but it doesn’t feel good, it doesn’t. How a shoe feels to you is one of the most important aspects of the shoe. You want a shoe that feels natural. You don’t want a shoe that “you’ll have to get used too”. Don’t get a shoe to alter to your stride because that can create many more issues. Running Stores recommend taking the shoe for a quick run in the store. That initial few steps often can tell you an immediate yes or no. Also, most running stores have an exchange policy to work with you.

With so many different shoes out there, it can be hard to figure out which one is “best for you”. Remember, there is no right or wrong answer but only what feels good and keeps you injury free.

Other Running Store Topics:
Thoughts While Working at a Running Store
How to Get the Most Shopping at a Running Specialty Store
Should You Wear Running Shoes Outside of Running?
How to Find the Perfect Pair of Running Shoes
There is no Perfect Running Shoe

Questions for you:
What is your current favorite running shoe?
When was the last time you bought running shoes?

Clinton Station Diner

Recently I went to the Clinton Station Diner in Clinton. The Clinton Station Diner was actually on the Food Network a few years ago. They also have a hamburger challenge that you and several friends can eat 50-100 pounds of hamburger and win a few thousand dollars.

Because it was on TV and I’ve heard the Clinton Station Diner is good, it’s been on my bucket list for awhile. It’s only about an hour from my house but the timing never works out. When I finally went a few weeks ago, I was glad I did.

Atmosphere: A
You can see the Clinton Station Diner from the highway. It is a remodeled train station which is definitely unique.

The diner itself has two sections: the main dining area as well as an old train car. We sat in the main dining area which was well kept and clean. The trolley car area can be seen from the highway. I hope we get to sit there next time!

Service: A
The server at the Clinton Station Diner was friendly and refilled our beverages often. The food also came out quickly. In all, the service was great and I have no complaints.

Coffee: B
My coffee was brewed hot each time and the whipped cream was fine. There was nothing unique about it but it was good.

Food: A
Since the Clinton Station Diner has been on the Food Network for their burgers, I wanted to order one. Although they have plenty of different options from breakfast to dinner, I opted for a burger. I finally decided on the German burger which came with sauerkraut cheese as well as a homemade sauce. I also ordered a side of their famous beets.

The burger was definitely one of the better burgers I’ve had. To be fair, I went through a period of my life (maybe 15 years?), that I wasn’t a fan of the consistency and texture of burgers. In the last few months, I’ve had a change of tune.

The Clinton Station Diner also prides themselves on their homemade beets and I must admit, they were ideal. It was clear they were fresh and well seasoned. They are my favorite restaurant beets to date.

Dessert: C
We got a milkshake to split and I was surprised that the milkshake didn’t come with whipped cream or cherry. It tasted fine but it definitely wasn’t anything unique or special. Even the presentation wasn’t great! It wasn’t to the same standards of the rest of the meal. It wasn’t a bad milkshake, just extremely boring.

Cost: $
For my coffee, milkshake, beets, and the burger the cost was $23. I was actually pleasantly surprised with how cheap it was!

Overall Thoughts/Summary:
I liked the Clinton Station Diner a lot and I’ll be back. Next time, I’ll probably get a different dessert. (Mom, I think you would really like this one 😉

Atmosphere: A
Service: A
Coffee: B
Food: A
Dessert: C
Cost: $8-15
Overall: B

Diners Closeby I’ve been:
Flemington-Raritan
Spinning Wheel
Readington Diner

Questions for you:
Do you like beets?
Are there any restaurants on your to do list?

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Fit:

Ride:

Brooks Glycerin 15 Conclusions

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Most people come in and have no idea what to look for in a running shoe.

The short answer: Does it feel good?

The Long Answer:

Size (Length):

Size (Width):

Heel:

Feel:

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