Jigger's Diner

Home cooking with a twist

by Johnette Rodriguez

145 Main St., East Greenwich, (401) 884-5388
Open Mon-Fri, 6 a.m.-2 p.m.
Fri nights, 5-8 p.m., Sat-Sun, 6 a.m.-1 p.m.
No credit cards
No handicapped access

Food history in Rhode Island is so bound up with diners -- the country's first started in Providence, in 1872, when Walter Scott sold sandwiches, pie and coffee from a horse-drawn wagon -- it's no wonder that even the solidly suburban residents of East Greenwich and nearby South County flock to Jigger's Diner. They show up for country-sized breakfasts and lunches that give new meaning to the term "home cooking," and they arrive on Friday nights, wine bottles in hand, for one of the best BYOB bargains in the state: a half-dozen entrees at $9.95, fish and chips for $8.95.

Jigger's gets its name from Vilgot "Jigger" Lindberg, who became such a success at slinging hamburgers and hot dogs in the '30s that people would stand three deep behind the diner stools and pass meals out the window behind them. The diner -- located in an authentic Worcester Dining Car that has occupied this Main Street space since 1950 -- was revived

in the early '90s and renovated to its present nostalgic decor. The floor tiles were matched to the light green ones under the countertop, and the six booths and other woodwork were stripped and varnished. The red clock came from the original Worcester car.

The ownership passed to Iva Reynhart just a year ago, and she has worked hard to keep many of Jigger's signature items, including the flint-corn jonnycakes, the gingerbread pancakes, and the homemade sausage and hash. She's also made an effort to produce incredibly interesting gourmet entrees for the Friday night specials. The evening we were there, the menu offered crown roast pork encrusted with leeks and drizzled with an apple-honey glaze; manicotti with three sauces -- pesto, alfredo and pomodoro; smoked salmon with pancetta cream over pasta; London broil with grilled herb-marinated shrimp; Southwestern chicken; and fish and chips.

Reynhart has also maintained Jigger's tradition of clam: cakes (half-dozen $2.75; one dozen $4.75) and chowders (clear Rhode Island and creamy New England at $2.75 a cup, and $3.95 a bowl). Bill tried a cup of the clear chowder and marveled over its clamfulness. I had a cup of Cajun fish soup, with delectably smoky bits of grilled salmon and white fish. Other than that smoky taste, however, there was nothing discernibly Cajun -- no okra, no hot spice, and few peppers that I could see. Just a good fish soup.

I ordered the ale-battered yellowtail sole that is Jigger's trademark for their fish and chips. The hand-cut fries were terrific, but the delicate sole was overwhelmed by its batter, the kind that takes up grease like a sponge. Inside this casing, the fish was still sweet and delicious, but I had to peel off most of its oil-soaked crust to get at it.

On the other side of the booth, Bill was thoroughly enjoying the delightful cornucopia on his plate. A large tomato had been scooped out and placed at the bottom of a curly-edged tortilla, itself propped up by grilled veggies and a tubular potato-and-cheese surprise that turned out to be wrapped in a ravioli skin. Chopped Bermuda onions and Holland peppers filled the tomato, with a nicely grilled chicken breast wedged in among them. A generous portion of cilantro cream lined the back of the tortilla.

Entrees are accompanied by a house salad or a mini-Caesar salad, so after Bill polished off the latter and his entree, I was startled to learn that he was perusing the desserts written on a blackboard behind the counter. He commented that only in Rhode Island would a diner offer tiramisu, almost the state dessert at this point. Other choices included grapenut custard, chocolate-Kahlua mousse and "decadent" chocolate cake with glazed fruits.

The cake was a temptation, but neither of us felt that we could attempt that after our meals, so I picked the custard ($2.75) and Bill the mousse ($3.25). My custard was a dense version with plenty of grapenuts. Bill's mousse was light and definitely Kahlua-laced, with a swirl of chocolate syrup on top, plus whipped cream and a strawberry.

By the time we left the diner around 6:30 p.m., this joint was hoppin'. A party of seven had scrunched five into a booth with two sitting at the counter, all of them sharing four bottles of wine. A party of four was sipping wine at the other end of the counter, eyeing our emptying booth. Families got grilled cheese sandwiches for toddlers, hamburgers and fries for older kids. And with no reservations, there were folks lined up at the door.

So, arriving at Jigger's early is your best bet. Second best is just to join in the camaraderie at the counter; make new friends, joke with the waitress and enjoy a great meal for under $10. And don't forget to bring your favorite beer or wine.