Diners

You would think that having TV food celebrity Guy Fieri visit your diner would be a pot full of gold. He's visited many eateries in Illinois, but there are a half dozen who had to close their doors after he stopped by.

I have nothing against Missouri's big cities. Have been to St. Louis and Kansas City a million times in my life and that's only a slight exaggeration. But, if you crave the best 'classic' diner in the state, you don't need to deal with the massive traffic jams in Missouri's metros based on a brand new ranking.

The restaurant business is extremely competitive so getting on a popular television show gives Illinois owners an advantage in the marketplace.

It's the diner everyone who watched TV in the 1970's knew even if they didn't know exactly where it was. Yes, the diner where Rosie showed everyone why Bounty was "the quicker picker upper" that originally was born in New Jersey is now incoming to the middle of Missouri.

Fifty diners, drive-ins, and dives around the country where Guy Fieri, the Mayor of Flavortown, has visited and this tiny diner was named the best in Wisconsin.

Most abandoned locations tend to see decay rather quickly once they're emptied out. That's not the case for a forgotten 50's-themed diner in Illinois that's still in decent shape after more than a decade of being forgotten.

As I've mentioned before, we're huge fans of Guy Fieri and Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives in my house, often leaving it on in the background as "comfort television." But, did you know that Guy and "Triple-D" have visited 40 Illinois restaurants?

There are times when it seems that Guy Fieri's voice is heard more often in my house than mine is. That's cool with me, as we are unabashed "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" fans, and have been since the show came along in 2007.