Here's a look at our series 'Counter Culture: The Legacy of NJ Diners'

We love diners.

And so do you.

But maybe not as much as you used to. They're closing. They're changing. Some would say they're evolving.

And so, this summer, our food and features team at The Record and The Asbury Park Press (NorthJersey.com and app.com) sought to find out why.

The idea came after Kara VanDooijeweert , one of our food writers and the creative mind behind the @northjerseyeats Instagram account , lamented the closing of the Summit West Diner in Denville.

"Years ago, diners were the kings of the New Jersey food scene. Largely considered the 'diner capital of the world,' the Garden State was home to nearly 600 diners, many of which were open 24 hours," she wrote. "On Sundays, it felt like you'd wait hours for a breakfast table. Today, Jersey still houses a large num