If you like art, if you like adventure, and if you like the sights of the open road, I highly recommend checking out Angela Carlsen and the Barter Van.
She’s setting out later this week on a 6 month+ roadtrip through the US, vandwelling and bartering along the way.
At talented artist, her last trip yielded a fantastic series, titled “Arizona Neon”. The link is below.

Check out the CBC interview, her art and her blog. Best of luck to you, Angela!

A CBC Interview
The Blog
Arizona Neon

Yesterday was a Toddle House kind of day. Breakfast at a former Toddle House in Bethesda, MD (now Peter’s Carry Out) and lunch at a former Toddle House in Washington DC (The Steak and Egg Kitchen).

The interior of Peter’s, from a previous visit. It’s shoehorned in between two other buildings. Extremely narrow.

Both buildings are identical, built in a factory in Memphis, TN. They’ve been modified over the years, but still bear distinctive original detailing, with a high barrel roof, stainless steel based counter and patented backbar/built in refrigerator.

Exterior.I got detail shots, but somehow missed taking an overall this time around. This one from google streetview will have to suffice. They have extensive outdoor seating. The backbar was designed to service about 10 people at the stools. They were working overtime to manage everyone in and out. Very talented grillmen.

Then and Now. This pic is hanging above the counter. I’m not sure if it’s this particular location, or just a similar one from the chain. Either way, it gives an idea of what it looked like when new.

Griddle

Food

Chili Chesse hashbrowns. Hashbrowns cooked in a ring mold on the griddle.

Originally the Spring Ridge Diner
http://www.phillyhistory.org/PhotoArchive/Detail.aspx?assetId=95388

Still retains half of the original counter, and distinctive small double kitchen windows, but the vast majority of its original features have been stripped.
Current interior shots

Spring Garden Pizza 1137 Spring Garden Street Philadelphia, PA 19123

So begins the next research project.

Toddle House was founded in 1932 by Fred Smith. Check out the brief history overview on Wikipedia. It’ll give you a general idea of the rise and fall. Watch this site for increasingly in-depth coverage of their history as I find it.

Here’s the first fun fact: Toddle Houses (the earlier ones, at least) were pre-fab and delivered to the site. They had ten stools and a stainless backbar. A diner concept to the core. But whereas diners of the time were doing the streamlined monitor-roof look, Toddle House opted for cottage style architecture and a brick facade. Think of them as an early environmental diner.

Below is from a 1938 article published in “The Knickerbocker News”:
“The “Toddle-House” is unique in the fact it is not classified as a permanent improvement, and yet presents an attractive piece of property.
Built of steel framework, the Toddle House is immediately transportable, unlike the diner-type restaurant. Each Toddle House is a self contained unit combining all needs, whether heating or air conditioning. Only a water and gas or electric hook up is required”
Diner fans, sound familiar?

In 1954, a Washington DC directory lists Toddle Houses at
1021 19th Ave NW
5314 Georgia Ave NW (Still standing)

4700 Wisconsin Ave (Now Osman and Joe’s) historic pic

Also still standing in the area are:
8017 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD (Now Peter’s Carryout)

9206 Baltimore Avenue College Park, MD (Now the College Park Diner)
14402 Baltimore Avenue, Laurel, MD (Now Einstein Bros. Bagels)
5713 Harford Rd., Baltimore, MD (Now Big Bad Wolf’s House of BBQ)

In the early 1990s, they bought two former Little Taverns, but those locations were short lived
7413 Baltimore Ave College Park, MD

8100 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda MD

Here’s a list- still in progress- of locations of Washington’s Blue Bell Hamburgers/ Waffle Shop chain.
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=%22waffle%20shop%22&co=thc

Blue Bell System
902 F Street NW (office in 1941)
1790 Columbia Road
4416 Connecticut Avenue NW
502 9th Street NW
1402 Park Road NW
1011 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
4300 Connecticut Avenue NW
1201 Gallatin St. NW (Office in 1936)
721 13th St. NW
1421 I street NW
522 10th NW
619 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

Cameo Waffle Shop – 800 19th Street NW
Carl’s Waffle Shop – 1234 Wisconsin Ave. NW
Frank’s Waffle Shop – 1633 17th Street NW
Sheridan’s Waffle Shop – 6214 Georgia Avenue NW
The Waffle Shop – 241 4th Street NW
Waffle Shop offices- 1419 I Street NW
Walnick’s Waffle Shop – 1143 Connecticut Avenue NW
Waffle Shop – 425 12th Street NW
The Waffle Shop – 522 10th Street NW
3864 Mount Vernon Ave – Alexandria, VA
Lincoln’s Waffle Shop – 504 10th Street NW
Waffle Shop – 4539 Wisconsin Ave NW photo

Pictured, Washington No. 2

As of 1939 Directory
631 F Street NW
1419 I Street NW

As of 1956 Directory
631 F Street NW (same as above)
830 14th Street NW
3020 14th Street NW
714 18th Street NW
1032 17th Street NW
1606 K Street NW
412 Rhode Island Ave NW

I also found a separate listing (competing restaurant with a similar name, perhaps?) for the Atlantic White Tower System, which was located at 419 11th Street NW.