The West Coast is big on “total dining experience.” Surely we all agree that there is more to dining than food. A restaurant may offer a romantic atmosphere, a waterfront vista, or even a singing waiter. I saw a guidebook for San Francisco where restaurants were grouped by cuisine, with one category being gay. Somehow, however, California fails to represent a certain type of ambiance that’s common in New York, the East Coast diner style. We are talking real food for real people.