Joe H

With all due respect to the Redskins, high school basketball was a huge deal in the D. C. area in the late '50's and '60's. High school football wasn't too shabby either with literal 50,000 (serious, real #) crowds at RFK for the city championship. The Carrol teams were a legend. DeMatha and Morgan Wooten ('Blair) picked up where they left off.

I saw both games. DeMatha was national champion in 1962 and almost beat Power the first time they played them at Cole Field House. Both game sold out and filled the, then, 12,500 seat building. I've followed DeMatha sports since the early '60's although I haven't been to their new gym since it opened. In the old Morgan Wootten gym there was a huge, wide glass enclosed case with trophies, balls and newspaper and magazine clippings. Included in this was the front page of the old Washington Daily News from '65 when DeMatha beat Power and ended Power and Alcindor's 71 game winning streak. It was the headline. The '65 DeMatha team had every single starter make first team All Met either that year or the next. Three of them went into the NBA. That was the second of DeMatha's five national championships. By the way, did you know that James Brown of DeMatha, in '69, was the #1 hs baketball prospect in America? And received criticism for picking Harvard?

I wrote this eight months ago. We absolutely love Casa Luca. I really thought it would have the kind of response that Red Hen and Rose's Luxury have had. Interestingly both of these have a large residential base that they are in the middle of (as the new Alba, too) whereas Casa Luca does not. It's across the street from the upcoming City Center development but for the moment, there's not a lot around it. Rose's has received so much recent publicity that it seems to be overpowering every place else. As much as I like it, as Don notes, there is still genuine excellence elsewhere in D. C. Don's post about Casa Luca strikes home. It is worth the drive from the suburbs, worth planning a trip to. There have been some outstanding openings in the D. C. area in the last eight months. From Patowmack Farm and the new home of Tarver King to Alba and Roberto's presentation of Piedmont's flavors to Casa Luca which introduces Marche along with Red Hen we are extremely fortunate to have the opportunities we do. I am also guessing with Fiola Mare now open and John Shields from the Town House Grill moving to Georgetown there is going to be a huge swing back here very soon. A few more people need to try the "elbow Maccheroni" at Casa Luca, too. It is a Great Dish. My applause to Alan Richman of GQ for recognizing and noting Casa Luca's excellence as one of America's 25 best new restaurants.

When I first started reading this I counted seven out of the eight from 1998 that I had been to. 31 overall. Some places are interesting such as both Stroud's in Kansas City and the Brookeville Hotel in Abilene, KS which are each known for fried chicken and long standing tradition. Crisfield used to have fried chicken in a black cast iron skillet that was as good (haven't had it in a few years) and just as much tradition in its own way as either of them. Beard needs to add a Maryland seafood restaurant to this list. Coincidentally we were at Chef Vola's last night and even though Atlantic City was totally dead Vola's was full @6:30. That's the kind of popularity and loyalty that qualifies a place for Beard's list.

Addendum: you'll be close to the Salt Rock Grill in Indian Shores http://www.saltrockgrill.com/ It would be my first choice nearby.

I am not a big fan of Bern's. The best restaurant in the Tampa Bay area is in Dunedin at the Black Pearl. It is outstanding by D. C. standards. You must reserve-it is known and considered to be Tampa's best restaurant. Over the the last five years I think we've eaten everywhere in the Tampa Bay area including the Refinery which disappointed us. I've been to Bern's a half dozen times over 30 years and respect it as a tradition. When I retired I drove from Orlando to sit on the beach at the beach bar of the Sand Pearl in Clearwater Beach. I would argue that along with the Beach Bistro in Holmes Beach (Anna Maria Island and they have three tables on the sand...) this is the most atmospheric of anywhere. There is also a fire pit with easy chairs surrounding it. Black Pearl and the Sand Pearl's beach bar & firepit are both memories.

Below is the complete list of James Beard American Classic Award winners dating to its first year in 1998. Today, I would have Jimmy Cantler's, Crisfield and Old Ebbit. Problem with Horace and Dickey's is that it's not as good as it was in the '70's when it was called Boyd's and Boyd's wasn't as good as when the original owner moved from Southwest where it was a D.C. institution after WW II. Washington once had the best fresh fried fish sandwich in the U. S. with french fries fried in lard (Arthur Bryant's still does this in Kansas City) and really mayonnaisey cole slaw. Horace and Dickey's no longer has the fries or the slaw and the fish sandwiches don't taste the same (frozen vs. fresh?). I believe a place needs 50 or so years and must be in the same location otherwise I would have had the original Ledo's in Adelphi and Bo Brooks when it was on Harford rd in Baltimore. The Canopy has great pit beef but needs more time. Baltimore's Prime Rib probably qualifies. I'm not sure what's left in Baltimore: The Pimlico Hotel was once an absolute icon but it closed in the '90's. Attman's? Chesapeake? Gunning's? Hausner's? Little Italy must have something but over the years I've been to every one of them and there is no single restaurant (like Atlantic City's Chef Vola's or St. Louis's Tony's) that really stands out. Maybe Sabatino's or Chiaparelli's but neither is very good. My guess is that Faidley's is the best surviving Baltimore icon (although the Narrows have better crab cakes) along with the Prime Rib. Atlantic City: White House Sub Shop, Chef Vola's (James Beard American Classic), Dock's Oyster Bar Ocean City: the original Phillips (which I really dislike but remember eating there in the early 1960's when it was legitimately good; but I respect its history). Thrasher's original, Fisher's original Seaside Heights: the original Kohr Bros. with the '40's ElectroFreeze machine James Beard haven't given an American Classic award to a Maryland Crab House yet but they must. Either Jimmy Cantler's or Waterman's Crab House in Rock Hall which are both icons. Rod and Reel has been around a long time, too as has Suicide Bridge. ('20's) Waterman's and Suicide Bridge deserve more mention on here as does the Narrows. Ocean City's best seafood restaurant is Captain's Table which dates back a hundred years but it is now a nondescript restaurant in the Courtyard although it does have the same excellent food. Harrison's on Tilghman Island goes back to the 19th century and hasn't changed much over the last 50 years. Great cole slaw and red MD crab soup. By the way, for all of the fame of Louisiana's "Cajun Country" Beard hasn't acknowledged a single restaurant there...yet. I would've had the original Allman's BBQ in Fredericksburg in this, too, but I haven't been in five or six years to know what it's like today. Perhaps Carl's would qualify for frozen custard. It's one of the few remaining '40's/'50's seasonal stands left anywhere that still use their original ElectroFreeze machines. [edit]Although the awards tend to focus on upscale dining in large cities, since 1998 there has been an "America's Classics" category which honors legendary family-owned restaurants across the country. The "America's Classics" winners routinely draw the biggest applause of the night at the awards ceremony.[citation needed] Past winners are:[11] 1998 Durgin-Park, Boston, MA Second Avenue Deli, New York, NY (Was closed at one point) Doris & Ed's, Highlands, NJ Original Stroud's, Kansas City, MO Joe's Stone Crab, Miami Beach, FLA Joe T. Garcia's, Ft. Worth, TX Tadich Grill, San Francisco, CA Emmett Watson's Oyster Bar, Seattle, WA 1999 The Berghoff, Chicago, IL (was closed, but re-opened) Café Pasqual's, Santa Fe, NM Doumar's Cones and BBQ, Norfolk, VA Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, New Haven, CT Mosca's, Avondale, LA. The Original Pancake House, Portland, OR Philippe the Original, Los Angeles, CA The Oyster Bar at Grand Central Terminal, New York, NY 2000 Camp Washington Chili, in Camp Washington, Cincinnati, Ohio. Helena Hawaiian Foods, Oahu HI Mario's, Bronx, NY Moosewood Restaurant, Ithaca, NY Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room, Savannah, GA The Original Sonny Bryan's, Dallas, TX White House Sub Shop, Atlantic City, NJ Swan Oyster Depot, San Francisco, CA 2001 Versailles, Miami, FL Waterman's Beach Lobster, South Thomaston, ME H&H Carwash & Restaurant, El Paso, TX Langer's Deli & Restaurant, Los Angeles, CA 2002 Ray's Boathouse, Seattle, WA Marconi's, Baltimore, MD (Now closed)[12] Three Brothers Serbian Restaurant, Milwaukee, WI Peter Luger Steak House, Brooklyn, NY 2003 Duarte's Tavern, Pescadero, CA Anchor Bar, Buffalo, NY The Skylight Inn, Ayden, NC Lexington #1, Lexington, NC The Shed, Santa Fe, NM 2004 Sam Choy's Kaloko, Kailua-Kona, HI The Prime-Burger, New York, NY Ben's Chili Bowl, Washington DC Al's Breakfast, Minneapolis, MN 2005 Yuca's, Los Angeles, CA Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe, Boston, MA Willie Mae's Scotch House, New Orleans, LA El Chorro Lodge, Paradise Valley, AZ 2006 Barney Greengrass, New York, NY Bowens Island Restaurant, Charleston, SC Hamura's Saimin Stand, Kauai, HI John's Roast Pork, Philadelphia, PA Lagomarcino', Moline, IL Louie Mueller Barbecue, Taylor, TX Polly's Pancake Parlor, Sugar Hill, NH Taylor's Automatic Refresher, St. Helena, CA 2007 Primanti Brothers, Pittsburgh, PA The Pickwick, Duluth, MN Doe's Eat Place, Greenville, MS Aunt Carrie's, Narragansett, RI Brookville Hotel, Abilene, KS Weaver D's, Athens, GA 2008 Bagaduce Lunch, Brooksville, ME Jumbo's, Miami, FL Irma's Restaurant Houston, TX Tufano's Vernon Park Tap, Chicago, IL Maneki, Seattle, WA 2009 Breitbach's Country Dining, Sherrill, IA Totonno's, Brooklyn, NY Mustache Bill's Diner, Barnegat Light, NJ Yank Sing, San Francisco, CA Arnold's Country Kitchen, Nashville, TN 2010 Al's French Frys, South Burlington, VT The Bright Star, Bessemer, AL Calumet Fisheries, Chicago Gustavus Inn, Gustavus, AK Mary & Tito's Cafe, Albuquerque, NM 2011 Chef Vola's, Atlantic City, NJ Crook's Corner, Chapel Hill, NC Le Veau d'Or, New York, NY Noriega Restaurant and Hotel, Bakersfield, CA Watts Tea Shop, Milwaukee, WI 2012 The Fry Bread House, Phoenix, AZ[13] Nora's Fish Creek Inn, Wilson, WY St. Elmo's Steak House, Indianapolis, IN Jones Bar-B-Q Diner, Marianna, AR Shady Glen, Manchester, CT

Alan Richman has named Casa Luca one of the 25 best new restaurants in America in Gentlemen's Quarterly magazine, March 2014. 16. Casa Luca Washington D.C. Casual Italian's Gotten Bigger and Better Casa Luca is a subtly sophisticated, exceptionally appealing restaurant with white-tile walls, comfy seating, fifties music, and black-and-white photos. Fabio Trabocchi, the chef and owner, calls it a casual Italian spot, but I thought it was spiffier than that, and I liked the food best when I didn't think of it as Italian. It's not a place that sticks to Antipasti. Primo. Secundo. Casa Luca has many more categories"”about eight or nine, by my figuring. For sure, all manner of antipasti are available, but after that the menu expands wildly, concluding with Family Style Favorites, which are the extra-jumbo dishes. I began Italian, with melting, mesmerizing prosciutto from the Mangalista pig, to me the best of the heritage porkers scampering around barnyards these days. The main courses are the highlights here, and more oversized than Italian ever gets. The branzino was a monstrous filet, oven-roasted and crispy on top, accompanied by vegetables so succulent they were surely in the oven a lot longer than the fish. The dish of the night was a lamb shoulder rack"”I never knew shoulder could be a rack. This was stunningly savory, marinated and slow-roasted, which meant it came to the table medium-rare and crisp, herbaceous and succulent, a stellar example of what rosemary, bay leaf, garlic and a talented chef can do. I never pass up affogato, traditionally espresso poured over vanilla gelato. Here it's a variation on a sundae, chocolate sauce and mocha liqueur poured over the top. Who needs genuine Italian when you can have that?

Here is the dinner menu. It opened last night. Someone must have gone: this is one of D. C.'s biggest openings!

Here is their dinner menu from Thursday night. Patowmack Farm is open for dinner Thursday, Friday and Saturday right now.

Fantastic collection of Washington State but no bargains.

http://www.tabasco.com/mcilhenny-company/press-releases/tabasco-family-reserve/ is the Reserve which we bought at the Tabasco Company Store a couple of years ago when we visited it. It is superb and worth the $25 it costs. I'm not sure that any peppers are grown on Avery island any more but the place has a lot of character and is well worth the visit. For anyone that goes there is a fantastic restauant called Cafe Des Amis in nearby Breaux Bridge http://www.cafedesamis.com/our-menu/8-menu-item/13-entrees.html Ground zero for Cajun food and music. FWIW I love all Tabasco sauce whether traditional red, green, Buffalo, garlic, chipotle or a half dozen others that I first saw at the Tabasco store and still haven't seen around here.

He made the James Beard Mid Atlantic Semi Final list for Patowmack Farm. Has anyone been since he took over? We had several outstanding dinenrs when he was at the Ashby Inn.

We've been twice although not in the last month or so but I don't think the waits were longer than an hour at most on Saturday night. There are also quite a few bar seats that you can have dinner at. Red Hen is excellent and deserves more attention on here.

Because for myself it was the best meal/dining experience/pick a noun that I had in 2013. It is a very real return to what Roberto did at his Laboratorio. This may even be more personal since you are sitting directly at the counter that he stands behind.

We drove to Hoboken and went to Cuchuarama ordering far more than most human beings would order. It was an excellent neighborhood restaurant that, for "neighborhood" restaurants didn't approach Red Hen or Rose's Luxury or Alba. But it was across the river from midtown Manhattan. On the same trip we stopped off at Vetri in Philly. I wouldn't even begin to suggest that both of these should be in the same sentence. But each chef won a Beard Mid Atlantic award. And each chef is now a semi finalist for the national Beard Award. I only ask that a few more New Yorkers, once they cross the river, drive to Philly instead of Hoboken. I also wonder how many of the New York voters actually had a meal at a restaurant nominated for the Mid Atlantic. I understand that Cucharamama once hosted a Beard dinner...

Wow! This was as obscure of a trivia question as there is! You would do well on Jeopardy.

This is what I hope they will do. If Rose's was merely a very good neighborhood restaurant-and only pulled people from nearby-it would be different. However Zagat called it "one of the 25 most important new restaurants" in the U. S. As such they are pulling people from far outside the neighborhood...even "the burbs."

I disagree with TSchaad. There is another complication and that is their unwillingness to seat a group unless every member of the party is there. Yes, I realize that a lot of restaurants do this but at Rose's there are people who stand in line before they open while waiting for a friend (s) to park a car and when the door opens they are not seated until the friend enters the restaurant. There is no valet parking at Rose's and on street parking is very limited. On our last visit I spent almost a half hour before I found a place to park-four blocks away. The real significance is that while waiting for another member to show up all of the tables are given away and despite getting there before they open you are still not seated.. At some point Rose's WILL start accepting reservations. I believe it will have to. There is a huge wave of people trying it now because of the press. There is tolerance for the waits and the early dining times. But at some point this is going to grow old. I believe that the level that Rose's is on should not be about trying to squeeze a third dinner turnover out of a table. For dinner of this quality it is appropriate to accept reservations even charging more to allow this. They are running the very real risk that people while acknowledging that they are excellent will no longer want to make the extraordinary effort to dine there. And it IS an effort, even on weeknights. I absolutely love Rose's but it is almost a victim of its success.

I haven't bought any of the 2011. I bought two cases each of the '09 and '10 and have a lot of it left. Absolutely love this wine. I'll open a bottle tomorrow night and toast you!

We may see you there. We go on the 6th @3:00. I believe his 2009 Petit Verdot is the best wine he has ever made. I've only had it once and then perhaps only a glass but it was absolutely delicious. I really look forward to tasting it again, hopefully to confirm my initial opinion. Also, don't overlook the 2010 LInden Boissseau either which I believe is the best wine that Jim Law has yet made. I'm basing this on a couple of bottles. Both the '09 Glen Manor Petit Verdot and the '10 Linden Boisseau are absolute bombs, about 15.5 to 15.8% alcohol. Really big. The Wine Enthusiast actually called the Boisseau a "bomb" and then noted that it was also smooth. But I remember Glen Manor's '09 PV and sitting at a table and just staring at the glass. I think Jeff only made two barrels of this. I'm really looking forward to the tasting. By the way, do you know where Boisseau Vineyard is? Literally, downtown Front Royal.

They have a great many videos that they have produced of eating hot sauces and peppers. Regardless of how bad they hurt themselves they continue to come back and produce more, all the while wearing various chili paraphelia. Really seems like a macho thing to "take" the hot pepper. Because they do this over and over I allow myself to laugh rather than react with horror. At some level I think they enjoy this masochistic endeaver.

I like Albuquerque a lot. I've travelled there annually for over twenty years and have found a few restaurants (i.e. Frontier for breakfast burrito,) that we like. But generally Santa Fe is a step above. It's almost an hour's drive but well worth the effort.

I sincerely want to call attention to the video I linked above. I really do think it is the single funniest video I have ever seen in my life-it is a tale of male pride and excess. It is necessarily long and I am guessing that most have not taken the time to watch more than a minute or two. But it is a classic, worthy of Marcello Mastroianni's Le Grande Bouffe where three nihilistic bon vivants decided life was no longer worth living and committed to going out in style, i.e. eating and screwing them selves quite literally to death. Over two hours they did it. Catherine Denueve divorced mastroianni because of it and Paris, in the early '70's when it came out, rewarded it as the highest grossest film in the suburban area for more than a month. The video I linked is in the same absurdist extreme style and, I think, even funnier. Please take a look. It is priceless. Joe

Tutto Calabria! Yes, they are excellent. Excellent!!!!! And necessarily expensive. I have brought them back from Verona where these sell for E 7 or E8 for the same jar. I love these just as I love Delize.Add these with a lot of their pepper infused oil to, say, a cold cut sub from the Italian Store off Lee Highway and you will have a true world class sub sandwich that would make any American working in southern Switzerland proud-no matter how jealous we are of her!