Popular music and hot fast food was appreciated by workers, families and teen-agers. The Kullman Dining Car Co. of Newark, N.J., shipped their big silver dining cars up and down the East Coast. One became the Birmingham Grill in West Chester, Penn., for many years until it was purchased in 1995 by the Carey Family of Truckee, Calif., for relocation and restoration.

Now the historic diner is ensconced on a corner of historic old town.

We discovered Andy's on a spring break ski expedition to the Tahoe area a couple of years ago. We classify traveling into two categories -- vacations or trips with the kids. We had four at the time. Erica was a senior in high school; Natalie, a junior exchange student from Munich; Reid, the older brother and a sophomore; and our youngest, Kosta, a first-grader.

Sometimes we looked like a cartoon, piling four children, two adults and everyone's ski gear into one vehicle -- keeping track of gloves and sunglasses and who drank the last Coke.

Memories of spring skiing are as precious as the end-of-year snow. We wore sunglasses and sunblock instead of goggles and extra layers. The day we returned from a grand day at North Star, there were only 10 boots instead of 12.

Oops. Dad got to drive all the way back to find the lonely pair waiting curbside. I managed to ski through the terrain park at Sugar Bowl with a gaggle of testosterone-laden snowboarders. It was a blast.

A singular memory, however, stands out above all others. One day as we were driving through a picturesque street in old Truckee, we noticed a silver diner car. Above was a big neon sign. Kosta, just learning to read said, "Look, it's Andy's Turkey Dinner."

The laughter erupted as we all looked at the sign which read Andy's Truckee Diner. Inside we felt like we were on the set of "Happy Days": stainless steel trim, bouncy booths and milkshakes in thick glasses.

As it turned out, Andy's Truckee Diner does serve Andy's turkey dinner. The homemade food, hand-cut potatoes and meatloaf like mom's convinced us to come back for breakfast the following day. And Andy's Turkey Dinner will live in our family's oral history forever.

Spring break beckoned us to Truckee again -- this time with the boys.

Visiting Andy might not have been as thrilling as skiing 12 inches of new powder, but we had a good time. The chili recipe was pleasantly filling and a bit spicy but smooth as it is finished with chocolate. It's a hearty meal served in a bread bowl, which also is fun. The red onions and cheese on top make just the way I like it.

Bon appetit!

Andy's Chili

1 pound ground beef

1 1/2 pounds stew beef, medium dice

3 tablespoons garlic

2 1/2 cups tomatoes, diced

1 20-ounce can kidney beans

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin

3 tablespoons dark chocolate chips

1 1/4 cups marinara sauce

1 1/2 cups water

Brown the ground beef and beef stew. Add the garlic and allow to soften.

Stir in tomatoes, beans, chili powder, salt, pepper, cumin and water. Simmer for 2 hours. Stir in the chocolate and remove from the heat.

Hints

- Put out the saltines. The salty crunch accompanies the chili well.

- Make this ahead for a baseball or other busy night.

Mary Ellen Psaltis lives locally and eats globally. You may reach her at TheRecipeQueen@juno.com.