When I moved to the United States from England four years ago, one of the things I knew I'd miss was the greasy spoon -- little independently run cafes serving up classic full English breakfasts and mugs of milky, hot tea. I didn't expect to fall head over heels in love with the idea and experience of American diners. From breakfast served all day to made-from-scratch meatballs, the Twin Cities has the diner thing down.

Our Kitchen has been operating in the same 19-seat space in a small house in south Minneapolis since 1941. Even though they've kept things simple, most diner staples you'd expect are here -- the breakfast menu features eggs, pancakes, omelets and breakfast sandwiches. Lunch includes typical diner workhorses: burgers, hot and cold sandwiches and chili.

The breakfast special ($9.50) includes two eggs, sausage or bacon, hash browns and a pancake or toast, with a constantly refilled, weak but flavorful coffee. It's everything a diner breakfast should be, cooked on a sizzling hot griddle and served with just the right amount of grease. The sausage -- squeezed out of a tube into a giant blob on the grill and then smashed down into a huge flat patty -- is a spicy and delightful complement to runny eggs and crunchy-creamy hash browns.

Nestled in Minneapolis' Elliot Park neighborhood, you'll find the bright red facade of the Band Box Diner. The Band Box has the full-on allure of a classic diner. The building, listed as a historic landmark, looks exactly as if it has been plucked from 1939 and dropped in the middle of present-day Minneapolis. Actually, the place underwent some serious renovations seven years ago but lost none of its other-era charm.

The Sloppy Bro ($6; $8 with fries) is a jumble of beef, green pepper, onions and sauce that gets "chopped, slopped and cheesed" and served in a sweet, lightly toasted bun alongside a pile of perfectly seasoned skinny, crisp fries.

When I pulled up to the Dari-ette Drive-In and started perusing the menu, a bright red classic 1950s car pulled in alongside me. Its passengers were an older couple who looked to be spending a typical Sunday afternoon living the throwback lifestyle. It's unsurprising that the Dari-ette attracts this kind of customer, but folks of every ilk eat there, too, stopping in for a sandwich like the Italiano ($6.89) or a malt.

The meatball sandwich ($6.89) served on Italian bread with Dari-ette's "special sauce" and house-made sausage is a true delight. The bread is fluffy, light and the perfect vehicle for meatballs and red sauce. The meatballs are predictably gigantic, this being the diner-world of epic portions, and yet they're manageable in this sandwich. Despite eating it on my lap in my car, nothing spilled out or dribbled down my chin. I only came away with stained hands and a happy, full stomach.