Nicko's Elvis coverage

Both the Trib and the Times covered the dedication of the Elvis booth in Nickos Restaurant. The Trib's Walt Belcher's piece was very good. Can't find a link to the Times or TBT* article.

"Elvis' meals at the diner long have been part of Tampa folklore.

Liakos said that when he bought the restaurant 27 years ago, the legend came with it.

Nicko's menus feature a drawing of a gyrating Elvis in a white sport jacket and black pants with the words, "Elvis ate here."

"We used to get customers who said they saw him here, but that was a long time ago," Liakos said. "They don't come in anymore."

Liakos said he was told that Elvis came to the diner several times in the summer of 1956.

"He asked for peanut butter and mashed bananas on a sandwich that he wanted grilled," Liakos added. "He also ordered biscuits and gravy once."

No one is certain how many times Elvis visited the diner. It was one of the few places open late back them."

Writing about this caused me to wonder how many diners still exit in Tampa and the Bay area. Is Nickos the only surviving American Diner? There was a New City Diner on Himes. Is that still open?

"A true "diner" is a prefabricated structure built at an assembly site and transported to a permanent location for installation to serve prepared food. Webster's Dictionary defines a diner as "a restaurant in the shape of a railroad car." The word "diner" is a derivative of "dining car" and diner designs reflected the styling that manufacturers borrowed from railroad dining cars. A diner is usually outfitted with a counter, stools and a food preparation or service area along the back wall. Decommissioned railroad passenger cars and trolleys were often converted into diners by those who could not afford to purchase a new diner. " ..... more