New Jersey Monthly named Peter Genovese one of the twenty-five "New Jerseyans We Love."

There is nothing more "Jersey" than a diner. Adorning the highways and byways of fully half of the state's 566 municipalities, no one in New Jersey lives far from one. There are more diners here than in any other state, and on top of that, one of the two remaining diner manufacturers is located in the Garden State.

In a year of roadside research, Peter Genovese talked to owners, employees, and customers, and ate more bacon and egg sandwiches than he cares to remember. The result is a funny,...