Center Moriches wouldn’t be the same without the diner on Main Street. It’s only been there for a century. And the Country Cottage wouldn’t be the same without Jillian Vigliarolo, who’s come to be like family to the customers she’s been serving for the last 25 years.
They call it “Jill’s Place” because she’s the reason they go there. The people know they’ll get a smile, a good meal, and a chance to reminisce. Her customers had babies, and now they come to the Cottage, where every breakfast and lunch is like a reunion.
Robin Ingram came over from the Carpet King next door. She didn’t order anything; she just wanted to sit and chat. “Jill’s the reason we are here,” Robin says. “She’s fantastic.” There’s George at the counter celebrating his 90th birthday. Jill orders for him. There are cards and greetings on the wall from her many fans, including a plaque from B&B Tackle’s Chet Wilcox, who got his coffee from the diner every morning for as long as anyone can remember. She drinks her own coffee from a mug that says, “This is what an awesome waitress looks like,” a gift from a fan.
Jill fondly recalls her first customer, Cathy, who recently passed away. “She’s the one who told me to stop smoking about 23 years ago, and l listened,” Jill said. “She probably saved my life.” When she had her children, Kyle and Karly, the counter was loaded with presents from her many well-wishers.
Jill’s a local through and through. Born in Staten Island, she would come out to visit her great grandparents on Seaview Lane when she was a little kid, and now she’s in Holiday Beach. Five generations of her family were in Center Moriches, giving Jill the opportunity to recruit her mother to work alongside her. “I love it here,” she exclaims. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”
Jill started at the diner when she was in junior high school and found the time to go to Suffolk Community College and get a Bachelor's Degree in business management from Dowling. “The diner was perfect for me. The schedule was flexible, and it was nearby. It allowed me to buy a house and raise a family,” Jill explains, noting that she worked for the previous owners, Pat and Lucy, before the current owner, Jack Schwartz, took over 13 years ago.
“We adore her; she’s got it all,” gushes her co-worker, Amy Weinhauer, who admires Jill’s beautiful penmanship describing the specials she’s dreamed up: Ho Ho Ho Pancakes, Gingerbread Pancakes, and Power God Greek Wraps. In the corner of the big blackboard, Jill has drawn a pair of hearts for all of the love she has for her customers and her friends, who, over the years, have become one and the same.