The Horse Whiskerer: Providence, Rhode Island's tribute to the guy sideburns are named after

There's a park in downtown Providence, Rhode Island named after Ambrose Burnside, an industrialist, inventor, senator, governor and Civil War general from Rhode Island. Two things stand out about him: he was a pretty awful general and he had one heck of a face full of hair. Militarily, he's most known for the Battle of Fredericksburg and the Battle of the Crater, two disastrous lulus that were primarily his fault. He had better luck as a fashion plate, though, because his facial hair became so famous that the term "sideburns" was derived from his name, Burnside. And Providence, being a forgiving and quirky place, has a statue of General Burnside on his horse and with his face resplendent with glorious whiskers that sits in his eponymous park.

This leads us to the conclusion that Providence is missing an eccentric roadside attraction opportunity. We propose there be a Sideburns Hall of Fame, to be erected in honor of Rhode Island's facially hirsute native son, and we've rounded up some charter inductees:

 The Beatles

 Crosby, Still, Nash & Young

 Duane Allman

 Elvis Presley

 Engelbert Humperdink

 Jerry Reed

 Ludacris

 Ray Manzarek

 Mike Nesmith

 Michael Palin

 Neil Young (I know he's up there in the CSNY photo, but his sideburns are AWESOME!)

 The Blues Brothers

Isaac Asimov

Modern love: Some Modern places seen along the way

I love the irony of the word modern. It's an old-fashioned word (first recorded in 1585!) used to describe something new, futuristic and fresh. I also love seeing the word in a business's name that's obviously been around a long, long time. Here are a few examples we've spotted:

 This is the headquarters of Modern Design and Construction of Providence, Rhode Island, a commercial and residential design and construction company that's been around since 1932. They've done a great job of keeping up the original 1930s signage and logo on their building, which is nothing short of awesome and that makes me smile every time I pass it on my way to work. 

 Here it is back in the day.

The Modern Diner of Pawtucket, Rhode Island dates back to 1940 and holds the distinction of being the first diner in the country to be accepted by the National Register of Historic Places...

 ...and it's also a retro-tastic place to get some ham and eggs and a cup o' joe.

 New Haven, Connecticut is famous for its pizza and one of the very best pizzerias is Modern Apizza (pronounced "Modern ah-beetz" by the natives). Thank you Joe Shlabotnik for this photo. 

 They've been around since 1934 (photo from tommy: eats)...

 ...and you don't have to take my word for how good it is. Just ask Steven Spielberg.

We passed the Modern Snack Bar of Aquebogue, New York on a recent trip to Long Island and fell in love with their sign. They've been around since 1950 and want you to know they're much more than just a snack bar. 

We didn't have time to sample their fine eats, but the sauerbraten sounds intriguing and their famous mashed turnips are available by the pint or quart. 

We're not exactly sure what business this beauty was promoting, but it was especially poignant in its decaying state in the Las Vegas Boneyard. They preserve vintage Las Vegas signs there, which is, well, a modern miracle.

Dining a la cart: Haven Bros. of Providence, Rhode Island

I tried but I couldn't get out of the picture.

No more calls, we have a wiener.

Haven Bros., City Hall, The Biltmore, and a Red Sox spare tire cover (lower right): that's Providence.

Providence, Rhode Island is sacred ground to diner lovers because this where it all began in 1872, when Walter Scott parked a converted horse wagon around various Providence businesses to sell prepared food to busy shift workers. A living, breathing descendant of that pioneer diner era exists today at Haven Bros., one of the oldest restaurants on wheels in the country and an Ocean State icon that's been in business since the late 1800s. Originally a horse-drawn cart, today's Haven Bros., a 1949 Fred W. Morse silver dining car pulled by a Ford F650 truck, sits next to Providence City Hall in a reserved spot from 4:30pm to 5:00am, serving good grub to everyone from well-dressed politicians to afterhours nightclubbers, college students, and sanity-optional denizens of the wee hours (it sits open for business in another Providence location the rest of the day). Inside, it's decked out in gleaming stainless steel over 8 x 14 feet, with ample seating if there aren't four people in there already (reservations are not accepted, casual attire, no waiter service). They've got good diner fare including hot dogs, hamburgers, lobster rolls and steak and cheese sandwiches, and to drink, there's the quirky regional favorite coffee milk (like chocolate milk but flavored with coffee instead). And if you really want to fit in with the natives, order a "coffee cabinet" -- Rhode Islandese for a coffee-flavored milkshake. The Haven Bros. diner made a one time only out of town appearance in 2008 in New York City on NBC's Today Show, when Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira, who both coincidentally worked in Providence early in their careers, named Haven Bros. as their favorite "Taste of our Past." So if you're ever in Providence, treat yourself to a little slice of Haven -- your cabinet awaits.