Three years after moving to Florida, we returned to the Jersey Shore and felt compelled to visit as many diners in the old ‘hood as we could in 10 days. Originally Long Islanders, we had a diner history, growing up on the post-movie cheeseburgers and Belgian waffles that were dating rituals. Craving diners once again made us realize what we’d been missing in South Florida.
Enter Bobby Spiropoulos. Bobby and his family have owned the legendary Randolph Diner in north Jersey for more than three decades. Almost eight years ago, for the third time since he purchased the former ice cream parlor-cafe, Bobby redesigned, expanded and reinvented the place. Them, Bobby and wife Kathy looked southward, beyond the snow. What did they see? Sad-eyed Poppies on Linton & Military in Delray Beach, patiently waiting for some Love. Fast forward to last summer, and Bobby re-opened the doors to a re-imagined Poppies.
We didn’t know this when we made the serendipitous decision to give ol’ Poppies another try after a six-year hiatus. What a difference! After a few meals there, it occurred to us that the menu and the intangible “feel” of the place seemed familiar – like a diner. So we started poking around to find out who had changed Poppies. And then it all made sense!
