DINER

1950S

Historic Landmark Brought Back to Life ORDER UP!

BY JULIE K. YATES | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNIFER L. RUBENSTEIN 1980S

The Oasis Diner, manufactured by Mountain View Diners in Signac, NJ, was shipped via railroad to the east side of Plainfield in 1954. The original owners were James Canavan and Frank Thurber. Frank sold out and moved away but James owned and operated the Oasis until he sold it to George and Mona Thompson in the early 1970’s. The Thompson’s ran the Diner until 1982 when it was purchased by Walter and Evelyn Dininger. Walter then leased the Diner to Raymond Piercy in 1985 who eventually bought it in 1987 and owned and operated it until 2008. Raymond’s health forced him to close down the Diner in 2008.

1970S

TODAY TODAY

Acouple of generations ago, shiny stainless steel eateries shaped like railroad cars were a common sight along our nation’s highways. Travelers and locals alike could expect a square meal that was economical as well as tasty. Here in Indiana, Plainfi eld was host to a gleaming silver diner that sat on U.S. Route 40 as it ran from east to west through the state. Th e Oasis Diner was a place where memories were made as people stopped in to get a bite to eat while enjoying family and friends.

Times and attitudes changed, however. In 2008 the diner shut down and it seemed as if its days as a gathering place were over. Happily, the kindred spirits of Plainfi eld offi cials worked diligently to prevent that from happening, and together with Indiana Landmarks—America’s largest private statewide historic preservation organization—secured both a new location and new owners so that old recollections could come alive again.

One Plainfi eld native with special ties to the diner is local realtor John Dininger. As a young boy during the 1980s, he loved going to the restaurant with the giant coff ee cup on its rooftop sign. An added bonus was getting to visit with his Great Uncle “Bus,” Walter Dininger, who was the diner’s owner. His uncle lived in a little house right behind the building, and he also owned the town’s American Motor Company and Dodge dealership. Th e two shared a love of cars and enjoyed lively conversations while spending time together at the diner. Th ose talks made such an impression on John Dininger that today he is the proud owner of a 1970 AMC Javelin.

“It’s the type of car my uncle would have sold and years ago my dad actually had one just like it.”

Recalling that his uncle was more involved in the business side of running the diner than in its culinary aspects, John Dininger said, “Walt had the good fortune to hire a great cook, Ray Piercy. A lot of the recipes came from him.”

Later, when the elder Dininger fell into poor health, Piercy took over the entire running of the restaurant, and the family eventually sold it to him.

When asked what he remembered as the specialty of the restaurant John Dininger replied, “It has always been about the breaded tenderloin. Th e place was famous for it back then.”

According to Doug Huff , current co-owner of Oasis Diner, the Hoosier-style tenderloin is still a huge favorite with patrons. Based on Piercy’s original recipe with input from the memories of people such as John Dininger, the present version overspills the plate.

“We use a bigger and better cut of meat,” Huff said, “and we sell about 400 of them a week.”

Before Huff , along with his father-in-law Don Rector, purchased the building from Indiana Landmarks, he had driven past the diner for years. “I’d wonder how such a historic landmark could be brought back to life,” he said.

After the Town of Plainfi eld conducted a feasibility study on the impact of a new location, Huff and Rector seized the opportunity and secured a new spot for the diner a short four miles west of its original site.

Today, the Oasis Diner is completely renovated to look exactly how it did in 1954 when it was shipped via the railroad for assembly in Plainfi eld. Th e inside is decorated with displays of vintage lunch boxes and car license plates that span the 1950s through the 1990s.

“People come in all the time and share memories of being here. Some are former employees and others came in while on dates. Th e décor lets them relive their own history while reliving the history of the diner,” Huff said.

A promotion that changes seasonally, Back in Time Tuesday, enables customers to further reminisce. Select menu items, such as a slice of pie for 50 cents or a cup of coff ee for a quarter, are off ered while the music playlist features songs from past decades.

Th e menu still includes many traditional favorites such as chicken fried steak and biscuits and gravy. However, it has timely options such as gluten-free choices and vegetarian dishes, as well. Some iconic items such as the deluxe grilled cheese have been upgraded to refl ect today’s more sophisticated palate with the addition of roasted tomatoes and avocado relish. Th e restaurant bakes all of its own breads, buns and pies in an inhouse bakery. Sodas made in Avon are free of high-fructose corn syrup and taste very similar to the ones served in the 50s.

Diff erent from the original diner is the free WiFi and additional dining space now available.

“I feel like it is about two or three times larger than it was when my uncle owned it, since there are more tables in the back,” Dininger said.

Th ere is also a dog-friendly outdoor seating area in front. Plans are being made for an event room next to the basement bakery to further augment the catering business already in place.

“Th e new owners have done a great job of restoring the diner back to just how I remember it,” Dininger said enthusiastically. “I love to bring my daughter Morgan here for dinner so I can build memories with her.”

For him the new location is the perfect spot for the diner. “Besides being in a busy section of Plainfi eld, it’s right across the street from where Walt’s Motors, my uncle’s car dealership, used to be.”

Oasis Diner |405W. Main St., Plainfi ed | 317.837.7777 | OasisDiner.com

In 2010, Indiana Landmarks listed the Diner on it’s 10 Most Endangered Indiana Buildings list. This listing prompted the Town of Plainfi eld to conduct a feasibility study on the possible relocation of the Diner just four miles west of their recently revitalized Town Center. Both the exterior and interior of the Oasis Diner have been restored back to their original appearance. The Diner also remains located on the Historic National Road and is the only diner on the National Road in Indiana and is only one of less than fi ve historical diners to remain on U.S. 40 from Cumberland, Maryland to Vandalia, Illinois.

1950S

Eating Local Simplifi ed

Getting Hoosier-grown goodness on your plate doesn’t have to involve hours in the kitchen. These fi ne establishments proudly serve up the freshest locally sourced cuisine.

The farm-to-table movement begins with Central Indiana farms and dedicated producers who care about bringing only the best to market, which is a very good thing for locally owned restaurants that search out the best dairy, meat, produce and beverages for their patrons.

Farm-to-table is gaining momentum not only with born-and-bred Hoosiers, but the many visitors to Central Indiana. Edible Indy connects growers, producers and food artisans with their community.

Here is a select list of some of those chefs and owners who take great pride in celebrating Hoosier-grown goodness.

*This is a paid advertisement. The Garden Table is a local eatery and fresh juicery in the heart of the Broad Ripple Village. We serve seasonally infl uenced and locally sourced food and cold pressed juice. We believe in simple dishes, made from natural ingredients, grown and harvested by local farmers. Downtown location opening soon. 317.413.3778. TheGardenTable.com 908 E. Westfi eld Blvd., Indianapolis, Tu–Sa 8am–3pm, Su 9am–3pm.

Looking for a great burger and beer? Look no further than Punch Burger. Our award winning burgers are made from local grass-fed beef provided by Fischer Farms in Jasper, Indiana. Our beers crafted are from local breweries such as Sun King, Quaff On, Scarlet Lane and more. Need a suggestion? Make sure to order up our famous Burnt Cheese burger and a side of sweet potato tots . You won’t be sorry! PunchBurger.com Downtown: 137 E. Ohio St., Indianapolis, 317.426.5280. Su–Th 11am–9pm, F–Sa 11am–10pm 12525 Old Meridian Ste. 100, Carmel: 317.564.0637. Su–W 11am–9pm, F–Sa 11am–10pm

St. Elmo gives a big thank you to our local partners! As a locally owned business for over 110 years we take great pride in our local business relationships. Cheers to independent businesses! 317.635.0636, StElmos.com 127 S. Illinois St., Indianapolis, M–F 4–11pm, Sa 3–11pm, Su 4–10pm

A Mass Avenue staple off ering non-hpp raw juices and smoothies in a hip and trendy walk-in location. All juices are cold-pressed, old school centrifuge, and freshly juiced on site and their cleanses programs are available year around. 317.797.4254, NaturalBornJuicers.com 865 Massachusetts Ave., Indianapolis. M–F 7am–7pm, Sa 9am–7pm, Su 10am–6pm

Milktooth is a neighborhood brunch destination, serving up Indy’s fi rst Mod Bar coff ee program along with upscale breakfast and lunch. Focusing on seasonal, local ingredients— everything is made in house. 317.986.5131, MilktoothIndy.com 534 Virginia Ave., Indianapolis, W–M 7am–3pm

We’re proud to keep it local at Harry & Izzy’s! Three restaurants sourcing locally from 10 regional farms, four breweries and seven locally owned purveyors or producers leads to one great meal. All open M–Th 11am–11pm, F–Sa 11am–midnight, Su noon–9pm. HarryAndIzzys.com Downtown: 153 S. Illinois St., Indianapolis, 317.635.9594 Northside: 4050 E. 82nd St., Indianapolis, 317.915.8045 Airport: 7800 Col. Weir Cook Memorial Dr., Indianapolis, 317.241.0533

Oakley’s Bistro, a neighborhood American Bistro focuses on rotating seasonal menus encompassing the Midwest rustic appeal with local sustainable ingredients making every meal a special occasion. Owner and operator, Chef Steven Oakley is a James Beard Nominee with Bon Appétit recognizing the bistro as “one of the hottest restaurants coast to coast”. Join Chef Oakley at this Northside Indianapolis staple for lunch or dinner, whatever the occasion, the experience will be divine. 317.824.1231, OakleysBistro.com 1464 W. 86th St., Indianapolis. Lunch: T–Sa 11am–1:30pm, Dinner: T–Th 5–9:30pm, F–Sa 5–10pm

From a store full of fresh, seasonal foods and a team of Chefs and Culinary Experts comes a celebration of food called table by Market District — a restaurant that brings passion for food right to your plate. Open daily for lunch & dinner, as well as brunch every Sunday. 317.689.6330, MarketDistrict.com/Table 11505 N. Illinois St., Carmel. Su–Th 11am– 9pm, F–Sa 11am–10pm Hotel Tango, the fi rst small batch distillery in Indiana and is also the fi rst service disabled, combat veteran owned distillery in the country. Using only high-quality, local ingredients allows us to stand out. We invite you to come in and taste what our Hoosier heads, hands, and hearts have made, sit by the fi re, or belly up at the bar. Drink local, buy local. 317.653.1806, HotelTangoWhiskey.com 702 Virginia Ave., Indianapolis. M–F 2–10pm, Sa–Su noon–10pm Founded in 2005, Chef JJ’s is a unique, personal and handson culinary experience with a focus on the Big Green Egg®, corporate team building, private events and grilling classes. Chef JJ’s provides clients with the most innovative culinary experience in Indianapolis. Our multi-course meals are prepared and served backyard or family style. We off er distinctive private dining opportunities for your event with personal attention to detail. Call us to set up your event today. 317.602.3828, ChefJJs.com Downtown: 42 W. South St., Indianapolis 1040 Broad Ripple Ave., Indianapolis, M–F 11am–6pm, Sa 10am–5pm.

Cardinal Spirits is a craft distillery and cocktail bar just off the B-Line in Bloomington. We combine age-old distilling techniques with modern technology, and specialize in creating memorable experiences. CardinalSpirits.com 922 S. Morton St., Bloomington, M–Th 4–10pm, F–Su 12pm–12am, 812.202.6789 Dine at a true farmstead restaurant, located inside a beautiful historic barn on an organic dairy farm. Food grown and raised on-site takes center place on organic menus shaped by seasonal rhythms. Open for Lunch, Dinner, and Sunday Brunch. 317.733.1700, TraderspointCreamery. com 9101 Moore Rd., Zionsville. Lunch: M–Sat 11am–2:30pm; Dinner: Tu–Th, Su 5–9pm, F–Sa 5–9:30pm; Sunday Brunch: 9:30am–2:30pm Local Roots, California Wines (and vibes)! If you love tasting great Napa Valley wine in a fun, eclectic, groovy atmosphere, then Peace Water Winery is your place! Best yet, 50% of our profi ts are donated to charities. So come in for a tasting, buy a glass, take home a bottle or join our wine club and learn how “One Bottle Does a World of Good!”. 317.810.1330, PeaceWaterWinery.com 37 W. Main St., Carmel, T–Th 2–9pm, F–Sa noon–10pm, Su noon–5pm

Upland off ers a brewpub, beer bar, tap house and tasting room, all serving up Indiana’s fi nest craft brews,gourmet burgers to beet and pesto pizza. The Carmel Tap House and the Brew Pub have full service lunch and dinner menus. For a full listing of locations visit UplandBeer.com Bloomington BrewPub: 350 W. 11th St., Bloomington, M–Th 11am–12am, F–Sa 11am–1am, Su 12pm— 12am, 812.336.2337 Carmel Tap House: 820 E. 116th St., Carmel, M–Th 11am–12am, F–Sa 11am–1am, Su 12pm–12am, 317.564.3400