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Three weeks ago I did something I had only done one other time since July 2005. I ate a home cooked meal. One of the facts of life for our profession is that we eat out a lot. For those of us who virtually spend our lives on the road, we may find ourselves in a restaurant more than 300 days a year. Bearing this in mind, I thought it might be a good idea to share some of our favorite restaurants with each other. Here, however, are the ground rules. The restaurants I chose are not national chains. Sorry, for all you Texas Adjusters, that means Hooters is not on my list. All my choices are independent restaurants or local chains. Personally, I left out any restaurant in Texas. There are many people more qualified to talk about Texas restaurants than I am. Last time I was on assignment in Texas I rotated between Waffle House, Olive Garden, and Blacked Eyed Pea. I seem to remember some good barbecued ribs but don't remember where I got them. The second criteria is that the places I chose do not cost a years commission, and you don't have to dress up to go there. These are my top ten from around the country.
Syracuse/Liverpool, NY: I'm starting with the best hot dogs I've ever had. There is a little restaurant in Liverpool, NY, called The Depot which serves Hoffman Brand hot dogs. People line up around the block at this place. Nathan's cannot compare. The runner up in Liverpool is Foster's. They had a weinerschnitzel to die for.
Toledo, OH: Sticking with the hot dogs, arguably the second best hot dog place in the country is Tony Packo's. Some MASHophiles may remember the episode where Corporal Klinger spent the entire episode arranging to have Tony Packo's food shipped to Korea. I understand why. They also have great cabbage rolls. And, for your reading enjoyment, the walls are lined with autographed hot dog buns. A plaque containing buns signed by Bill and Hillary Clinton greet you as you enter the door. Thousands more cover nearly every wall.
Los Angeles/West Los Angeles: In a town where good food is almost everywhere, the stand out has a decidedly New York flavor -- Johnny's Pastrami on Sepulveda. I never knew a pastrami sandwich could taste so good. They use the same cooking pot all day, so the later in the day the better. It is open until about 3 am to catch the after bar crowd. My runner up in LA is also sort of New Yorkish -- Cantor's Deli in Hollywood is a twenty four hour retro sort of diner. It didn't start out being retro. That's just the way they redecorated it 60 years ago.
Boston: Back to the other coast. What was once the infamous "Combat Zone" where all sorts of carnal delights were available has now become a thriving Chinatown. Little Saigon might be more correct though. Most of the "Chinese" restaurants are actually Vietnamese. Pasteur's is my favorite (and Jennifer's too). It sounds French, but trust me, this place has great Pho.
New York City: Again, there are so many choices for good food. Our favorite, however, is Mama's. Mama's specializes in comfort food and soul food. For a dinner of meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, and greens this place cannot be beat.
Baltimore/Fell's Point: In a city famous for crab dishes, Obrycki's Crab House is still a stand out. Baltimore is the only city in the world where crab can pass for kosher. No one wants to be left out of the action here. If you have eaten "Maryland Crab Cakes" off the menu in any other city, you have not experienced anything like what a crabcake can taste like in Baltimore. My runner up in Baltimore is any restaurant in Little Italy. You can't go wrong in that section of town.
New Orleans: Another place known for good food. I agree that it is difficult to find a bad meal in New Orleans. But whenever I'm in town, I go to Evelyn's Place in the French Quarter. This is sort of a neighborhood bar run by Frank and Miss Evelyn. They will entertain you while you eat with their sniping at each other. If Evelyn is working the bar, ask her if she owns the place. She will tell you that this old bastard named Frank owns the place and works her like a dog. If Frank is there, ask him the same question. He will tell you that this old bitch named Evelyn owns the place and is a real slave driver. If they are both there, sit back and enjoy the contrived sniping between the two of them. For some good stories, ask Frank to tell you about the wall of foreign currency and especially about the Japanese peso he has behind the bar. We suspect they are married to each other and own the place together. The menu is limited to four or five choices each day. All the choices are excellent.
Indianapolis/Fishers, IN: Our favorite in Indianapolis was a Korean restaurant in Fishers named Dami. The food was so good we ate there about three times a week. The hostess would say, "See you day after tomorrow" as we left at the end of our meal. Runner Up is a local chain of family style Italian restaurants called Bucca Di Beppo. The food is great, and the photos of Sophia Loren on the wall make for pleasant scenery while dining. The tacky statues of the pope and other camp touches are also worth noting. If you choose you can sit at "the kitchen table", a table set up in the kitchen where you can watch the cooks work while you dine.
South Bend/Elkhart/Middlebury, IN: Das Dutchman Essenhaus in Middlebury, Indiana, is an experience for which it is worth going out of your way. This is an Amish family style restaurant with wonderful pies to top off the meal (if you have any room left).
Mobile, AL: We have several favorites here. All of them involve seafood. Wintzel's Oyster House was our favorite among them. There are several locations (unfortunately, one less after Hurricane Katrina took out the Dog River location), but our favorite is the downtown location. Check out the 25 cent raw oysters every weekday afternoon from four to six. Runner up is The Original Oyster House out on the causeway.
Honorable Mention: You can't go wrong at an Italian restaurant in South Philadelphia. Many of these restaurants have four to six tables with checkered tablecloths. A word of caution, though. Sit facing the door. Angelo Bruno would give you that advice if he were still alive. Also, if you think you have eaten a "Philly Cheesesteak" anywhere but South Philadelphia, think again. They just taste better there. I can't explain it, but it's true.
When in Detroit try a hot dog at any of a thousand hot dog restaurants. Hot dogs are haute cuisine in Detroit. So is Mediterranean food. Stick to those two types of food. Avoid everything else in Detroit. There are some truly abysmal restaurants there.
And finally, let me plug the hometown favorite -- Cooper's Seafood House in Scranton, PA. Besides the incredible seafood, take your pick of any kind of beer you've ever heard of, and many you have not.
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Steve Ebner CPCU AIC AMIM
"With great power comes great responsibility." (Stanley Martin Lieber, Amazing Fantasy # 15 August 1962)
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