Mattapoisett Diner Pays Homage to Beloved Couple That Considered It Home
Two place settings, a bouquet of flowers, and a beautiful picture of the most loyal customers, George and Elaine, were lovingly placed at the counter of Pandolfi’s Diner in Mattapoisett on Monday morning.
Elaine passed away last January at the age of 84, and George followed her this past Saturday at the age of 93.
In honor of their loyalty and love over the years, Pandolfi’s paid homage to a couple that made the diner their home.
George and Elaine’s Story
George “Porgie” Randall and Elaine Vandament were together for 15 years. For George, it was love at first sight.
When Elaine moved to Randall Lane with her daughter, George took notice.
“George’s family has owned the road since the 1700s and he lived a few houses up,” said Elaine’s daughter, Veronica Brockwell. “He would bring my mother soup every day from the diner in hopes she would date him.”
Elaine played hardball, but one day, George got bold and delivered an order of clam chowder with a kiss.
“They were together from that day on,” Brockwell said.
George and Elaine Became More Than Customers
The diner has been intertwined in their relationship since the beginning, and owner Brian Vose didn’t take that for granted.
“The reason I reserved their stools is because when I opened Pandolfi’s, Elaine and Porgie came in every day, twice a day,” Vose said.
Vose lost his parents in 2019, and the connection he made with Elaine and George filled the void of losing a mom and dad.
Not only did Elaine and George come for the food, Elaine couldn’t help but grab a rag and clean some tables to help the staff.
And George was always good for a joke.
The Legacy They Leave Behind
George and Elaine were as much a part of that diner as the bricks that held it together.
“This was their second family,” Brockwell said. “They are now together again, at the diner in the sky.”
Vose said: "We found out on New Year’s Eve that (George) had passed. On the one hand, it was a very sad day. On the other hand, I knew he was once again happy, with his partner in crime Elaine, telling jokes to my parents.”
Customers can order the Elaine Special, which includes a coffee, a small blueberry pancake, two eggs and bacon. George’s order was always the Thanksgiving wrap, which will be renamed the Porgie Wrap.
It’s hard to say goodbye to those we love, but it’s a beautiful thing to witness the legacy that two people can leave behind.
So, the next time you need a good meal, pull a chair up at Pandolfi’s and take in the second home that George and Elaine left behind.