Greasy spoon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Greasy spoon is a colloquial term used in Britain and North America for archetypal working class eateries. Pioneered In the UK, these are generally technically called cafés (in England often abbreviated to "caff" or referred to as cafes, with no accent); in America such establishments are generally known as diners. The name "greasy spoon" is used to imply a less than rigorous approach to hygiene and dishwashing, and appears to date from 1925.
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[edit] Greasy spoons, UK
[edit] Food
The typical greasy spoon serves mainly fried or grilled food, for example: fried eggs, bacon, tattie scone, black pudding, bubble and squeak, burgers, sausages, mushrooms and chips.
These are often accompanied by baked beans, cooked tomatoes, and fried bread. Hot and cold sandwiches are also often available, the bacon or sausage butty or BLT being particularly popular.
Despite the origin of the word "café", the main drink in British greasy spoons is usually tea; often the only coffee available will be instant.
British greasy spoons will sometimes also offer bread and butter pudding, apple crumble and rhubarb crumble.
[edit] Stereotypical image
The stereotype in the UK is of poor quality greasy food — largely meatless sausages; salty, tasteless bacon; and weak, tepid, milky tea (or, in transport cafés, tea thick enough to float a lorry wheelnut, served just below the melting point of the mug). Further stereotyping would suggest that the customary reading material of the clientele is tabloid newspapers, most commonly The Sun or, in the case of roadside greasy spoons, the further downmarket Star or Sport. In practice, cafés vary widely; indeed some are excellent and take advantage of their minimal overheads by offering good, unpretentious food at quite remarkable value.
[edit] Trends
The demand for its cuisine has resulted in the establishment of greasy spoons all over the world and particularly in European coastal resorts located within an hour's coach ride from charter airlines' destinations. At such locations, Full English breakfasts may be consumed on an all-day basis (to accommodate late rising clients) and are often accompanied by day-old copies of The Sun.
In the United Kingdom, the traditional greasy spoon has been in decline for many years as a direct consequence of the ubiquitous franchising of extensively marketed fast food chains. However, they remain numerous all over the UK, especially in certain parts of London (especially the "East End"), Manchester, and many seaside towns, including Blackpool.
A relatively recent trend in Britain is the growth in popularity of more upmarket cafés on a different model, influenced by the traditional French café, and the Seattle espresso boom. These places serve real coffee (including such variants as espresso and cappuccino), a variety of teas (including herbal tea) and different food, such as more elaborate sandwiches and cakes. These establishments are usually referred to as "cafés", pronounced as two syllables in an approximation of the French manner, to distinguish them from the more traditional "caff". In addition, with the relaxation of licensing laws and growth of gastropubs, many larger pubs now open for breakfast; in particular the Wetherspoons chain specialises in selling a low cost English breakfast.
[edit] Greasy spoons, US
[edit] Fare
Like their British counterparts the typical American greasy spoon serves mainly fried or grilled food, for example: fried eggs, bacon, burgers, hot dogs, hash browns, waffles, pancakes, omelettes, deep fried chicken and sausages. These are often accompanied by baked beans, french fries, cole slaw, or toast.
Some dishes at greasy spoons are regional. In Michigan and the Ohio Valley at Coney Island-style restaurants, coney dogs are served. On the east coast, cheesesteak sandwiches are common. In the mid-Atlantic states, scrapple is a fixture in most diners. In the southwest, tamales. In the southern US, typical dishes include grits, biscuits and gravy, and country fried steak.
Coffee is ubiquitous, but often stereotyped as being hours old and strong from cooking down on a warmer. Alcoholic drinks are not usually sold.
In American greasy spoons, common desserts are pie, particularly apple pie and cherry pie, often on view in a transparent case.
The food is usually quite inexpensive, and a decent meal (sandwich, side dish, drink) can be had for about an hour's wages at minimum wage.
[edit] Stereotypical image
In America, greasy spoons have a somewhat better reputation than in Britain, with menus associated with comfort food and Southern cooking — foods which are considered desirable but unhealthy due to high fat content (made higher by the fattier, less expensive cuts of meat often served).
Restaurants are usually located in low-to-middle class neighborhoods, or sometimes nestled in downtown areas catering primarily to the breakfast and lunch crowds, or on highways catering to travelers and cross-country truck drivers.
[edit] Greasy spoons, Canada
[edit] Fare
Similar to their British and American counterparts the typical Canadian greasy spoon serves mainly fried or grilled food, for example: fried eggs, bacon, burgers, hot dogs, hash browns, waffles, pancakes, omelettes, deep fried chicken and sausages. The vast majority of a Canadian greasy spoon's business is during the morning hours.
[edit] Greasy spoons, Hong Kong
In Hong Kong a greasy spoon is called a cha chaan teng (literal translation: "tea restaurant"). The menu and setting are somewhat similar to British greasy spoons, probably due to Hong Kong being a former British colony. Normally the menu will include traditional Chinese dishes including fried or boiled noodles, or a plate of fried rice, while the "Western" menu includes French toast, spaghetti bolognese, full English breakfast (albeit Sinicised), a pork chop with spaghetti, grilled chicken club, etc. These choices are usually accompanied by a triangular piece of toast and a choice of coffee, tea, Horlicks and Ovaltine (for children), or a Hong Kong speciality called yuanyang (a mixture of milk, coffee and tea). Most cheese-based dishes are not served in Hong Kong greasy spoons, due to Chinese tastes.
Usually greasy spoon cafés are known as "Western breakfast eateries", while traditional Chinese breakfast eateries are called "porridge and noodle stands". These eateries typically open early and close after lunch hour, though some are open until late at night. The cost of a meal usually ranges from ten to twenty-five Hong Kong dollars.
[edit] Cultural references
In television and cinema the greasy spoon is often the rendezvous of choice for villains on the brink of pulling a major multi-million pound heist, and are frequent locations for situation comedy.
They are also favoured locations for British television news reporters when statistics for heart disease occasioned by high cholesterol levels are released.
For a taste of the archetypal greasy spoon, see the opening scene of Bruce Robinson's 1986 cult film Withnail and I.
An archetypal greasy spoon is also featured in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, as Harga's House of Ribs. "It was the kind of eating house that didn't need a menu. You just looked at Harga's vest." Mort.
Monty Python's "Spam" sketch is set in a greasy spoon.
Coronation Street and EastEnders, Britain's two most popular soap operas, both feature a greasy spoon as a regular location. In Coronation Street, this is "Roy's Rolls" and in Eastenders it is "Kathy's".
Layer Cake a film based on the novel of the same name written by J.J. Connolly and starring Daniel Craig, features The Regency Cafe.
Lieutenant Columbo regularly visits L. A. greasy spoons, especially Barney's Beanery, so as to satisfy his addiction for chili and crackers.
[edit] Music
"Greasy Spoon" is the title of a track from jazz musician Hank Marr who died in 2004. The Crusaders also recorded a song by this name on their album Southern Comfort.
The band The Tangent used the title "Chaos at the Greasy Spoon" for a song on their first release.
The term was used by the rock band Status Quo as part of the title of their third album, Ma Kelly's Greasy Spoon, which featured on the cover a particularly telling photograph of a worker in just such an establishment.
Hawkwind named an album Hall of the Mountain Grill after their favourite greasy spoon, The Mountain Grill on Portobello Road in London. The album title is also wordplay referencing Edvard Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King".
Greasy spoons are mentioned in numerous other songs, for example, by the singer-songwriter Harry Chapin in "The Old Greasy Spoon", by The Streets in "Don't Mug Yourself", or implicitly by the Spin Doctors in "Hungry Hamed's". The comedian Barry Cryer has written an ironic tribute to the greasy spoon to the tune of Elvis Presley's "Trouble". Stephen Sondheim uses the phrase with a clever twist in his song "Broadway Baby" from Follies: "Eating at a greasy spoon / to save on my dough."
The first track on AK-Momo's debut, Return to N.Y., is called "Greasy Spoon".
