Sadly, the Clarksville Diner closed last winter. Recently,
it was sold and moved to Gennevilliers, France.
The following review was written in September 1997:
Buisiness is not quite what Gordon Tindall hoped for
several years ago when he opened the Clarksville Diner in
Decorah, Iowa. The local residents just can't seem to
grasp the concept of a diner, he says. Perhaps some feel
uneasy sitting at the counter. Often, when people arrive
and the the 6 booths occupied, they leave. Perhaps others
find this gorgeous 1938 Silk City too classy form small
town Midwesterners. Whatever the reason for the
Clarksville Diner's lack of success, the excellent food
Gordon serves up certainly can't be faulted.
I arrived for breakfast and ordered "Nick's Special," a
spinach and feta cheese omlette served on a toasted pita,
topped with diced tomatoes and with O'Brien potatoes on
the side. My meal was like all the others at the
Clarksville: everything prepared to order, everything
fresh, nothing frozen, nothing canned. I sat at the
counter directly in front of the grill and watched Gordon
meticulously prepare one of the finest breakfasts I have
ever had. Out of curiosity, I asked him who Nick was.
Gordon then told me about his admiration for his many Greek
friends in the diner business. He wanted to honor them all
by serving a Greek omlette, hence "Nick's Special." Nick
is not a real person, but a ficticious cook of Greek
heritage. Gordon says he knew many cooks named Nick, all
Great guys. Personally, I have also met many Nicks in my
travels to diners around the country. I have also met many
guys named Chris and many Petes, all with long and
diffucult to pronounce last names usually ending in "S" and
containing the letter "Z."
I returned for lunch after checking out one of Iowa's scant
diner offerings, and ordered the Tuesday special, Meatloaf.
This came with parsley potatoes and the vegetable of the
day, Brussels sprouts. The latter not being one of my
favorites, Gordon gladly subsituted a large dish of
homemade coleslaw. The verdict on the lunch special: your
Mother's meatloaf (pardon the cliche) may have to take
second place to this one. The boiled parsley potatoes were
first rate, as was the coleslaw. I wished I could stay for
dinner, but unfortunately, I had airline food to look
forward to.
The Clarksville Diner was originally located on Route 1
near Princeton, New Jersey. Gordon Tindall, a NJ native
and former railroad worker became interested in operating a
diner after receiving a John Baeder book as a gift. Not
long after, he returned to the East coast to search for his
dream diner and found the Clarksville in need of some love.
It soon found a new home in Northeast Iowa where Tindall
spent 4 years restoring it. Two weeks before the scheduled
grand opening, a drunk driver ran into it, heavily damaging
the exterior. Gordon then found himself back in the East
coast salvaging replacement parts. Today, 4 steel and
concrete pilings protect the Clarksville's facade from a
similar trajedy. Shortly after opening, the Clarksville
Diner was added to the National Register of Historic
Places.
Decorah, Iowa is about three hours form Minneapolis or St.
Paul, Minnesota. If you ever find yourself in the Twin
Cities, you'll find the trip well worth it. Also, be sure
to visit Mickey's Dining Car in downtown St. Paul.
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