Tops Diner   

Classic diners, even on their better days, are an interchangeable breed with deep roots in cheap flash and mediocre aspirations of culinary achievement. But Tops, in East Newark, is one of the few to take pride in details great and small: spot-on service, hearty meals, homemade desserts and a perfect breakfast, regardless of the hour. Tops lives up to its name, first and foremost, on the plate. "Mile High" meatloaf, lobster tail (we're not kidding), shrimp scampi, yankee bean soup, western omelette -- they all work in a way that makes us think any one of the 300 items on the menu might be the right choice. Desserts are homemade and worth saving some room for, but be warned that portions at Tops are large. Aesthetically, this shiny, purple neon cathedral of a train-car eatery is what every diner aspires to be, but will never reach: classy, dignified and respected in air and fare.