Grab a counter stool at this classic luncheonette from the 1970s. Complete with original wallpaper, the Big Tomato is the real deal. A traditional weekend haunt of ravenous Vassar College students as well as a hangout for all manner of local residents, this 20-seat space has a genuine time-capsule quality that can’t be faked. Hands down, the most popular dish is the starred special: ham, bacon, or sausage and egg and cheese sandwich with coffee and home fries for $5.49 (get it on one of the fresh rolls delivered daily from the Bronx).
A close second is the onion, bacon, tomato, and cheese omelet, served with home fries and toast ($7.75). The home fries have a toasty, smoky quality that doesn’t require a big dose of pepper or Tabasco. Rest assured, all your old standbys are here, too: two eggs any way you like, corned beef hash, pancakes by the stack. If you ask nicely, they’ll even put a muffin on the grill for your guilty pleasure. As the sign in the window reads, there is “Breakfast Anytime” — which means from 6 a.m. until 5 p.m. weekdays, 3 p.m. on weekends. 845-452-7850.
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