Just released from Edward M. Fielding, fine art photography. O’Rourke’s Diner, black and white photograph of the famous diner that has been the anchor of Middletown, CT’s north end of mainstreet for the past seventy years.

Shown here as a large metal print over a sofa. Metal prints are a modern way to display fine art photography without a mat and frame. The metal print sticks away from the wall about one inch so it creates an interesting shadow.

Click on the image above for a closer look. http://fineartamerica.com/featured/classic-diner-neon-sign-middletown-connecticut-edward-fielding.html

The diner, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, has been in Mr. O’Rourke’s family since the 1940s. He is known not only for his welcoming attitude but also for his cooking and has been lauded in numerous publications for his creativity.

No one knows for sure whether the steamed cheeseburger was invented in Middletown or the neighboring city of Meriden in the early 1920’s. Both lay claim to the distinction. The recipe is pretty much the same in both cities, though: Place a large patty of ground beef on a metal tray, pop it into a breadbox-sized steamer for two minutes. Add aged cheddar cheese to melt as the burger finishes steaming. Serve on a hard roll. The result is not only not soggy but also less greasy than other burgers. A few steamed cheeseburgers have been sighted outside the Meriden-Middletown area, as close as New Haven and as far away as California. Only in central Connecticut, however, are they commonplace.