Zip's Diner of Dayville, Connecticut: If you don't think this is a great diner, you don't know Zip

Keep your eye on the pie.

There's no better diner music than Patsy Cline.

Ziplock, shmiplock...we use wax paper!

A little bit of diner heaven resides in the quiet northeastern Connecticut hamlet of Dayville. At Routes 12 and 101 is Zip's Dining Car and it is everything you would want in a diner: a pristine silver stainless steel exterior, a classic diner menu of homemade comfort foods, Patsy Cline on the jukebox, a smiling waitstaff ready to make you feel like a long lost relative, and a big neon sign that insists you EAT. This isn't a DisneyWorld recreation of America's lost past, though. This the real deal: a living, breathing, bit of Americana you can immerse yourself and dunk your donut in. Zip's has been on this spot since 1954 and diner aficionados will recognize the architecture as a vintage and beautifully preserved 1950s O'Mahony model. On a mid-afternoon visit, we partook of the coconut cream pie and it was the best, and I mean the best we've ever eaten. We also got meatloaf sandwiches to go and they were nothing short of meatloafalicious. Places like this are so rare and so wonderful that everyone should eat here. Just do what the sign says.