For those with instant Sopranos withdrawal, perhaps you'd care to know a bit more about Holsten's, the diner that played backdrop to the final scene of the show. It's a New Jersey relic, alive and well since 1939. Director David Chase, a subtlety specialist to the end, picked a venue steeped in history and Americana—and for which life does have a tendency to carry on, independent of outside forces:
One such place that seems to have resisted the destruction of these quaint landmarks of the 1950’s is Holsten’s, in Bloomfield. Opened in 1939, going there is literally like being sent back in a time machine to observe the social habits of pre-WWII and 1950’s American youth. The menu of ice cream treats and food items it serves are totally retro. This is not by design like one of the newer established 50’s chains like Johnny Rockets or Cheeburger Cheeburger, but because it has ALWAYS been that way — it is the Real Deal in every respect.And one last bit before we send you off to the click, Holsten's does, in fact, have excellent onion rings. But as post-click photos reveal, the props team at The Sopranos, who dropped a downright unappetizing-looking bowl of rings on Tony's table, clearly didn't have theirs made in-house.
· NJ Dining: Holsten's [Off the Broiler]
· Sporanos Episode Guide #86: Made in America [HBO]
