Hogfish Bar and Grill, Stock Island, Key West, Florida

Nancy and I first tried to go to the Hogfish Bar and Grill for dinner. I dropped her off to put our names in while I parked. Parking involved a trip of several hundred yards before I could find a parking space, and meanwhile, Nancy was told that there would be a wait of from 45 minutes to an hour. She judged that the crowd … Continue reading Hogfish Bar and Grill, Stock Island, Key West, Florida

El Siboney, Key West, Florida

One of the attractions of Key West is good Cuban Food, and many think that the best Cuban place is El Siboney. There are two branches of El Siboney in Key West, one downtown and the other on Stock Island. Nancy and I headed for Stock Island. That’s the original location, and a good one it is. El Siboney is named after the Ciboney people, … Continue reading El Siboney, Key West, Florida

Kim’s Kuban, Key West, Florida

Oh to be in Florida, now that winter’s here! Sun, sand, and Kim’s Kuban. Kim’s is a small family run place, easy to miss among shopping centers and interspersed businesses on busy North Roosevelt in Key West. It’s is not remarkable for its architecture or appearance, just for its food. And Kim’s Kuban is a gem. Long time readers will remember my post on their … Continue reading Kim’s Kuban, Key West, Florida

The Best Barbecue Places in the Washington, DC, Area

Barbecue has taken off in Washington. When I arrived in late 1974, the only way to get good barbecue was to make it yourself, as I did annually on Independence Day, or to head South. “Barbecue” places cooked with ovens or pots rather than over brick pits fired with hickory. Even at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the cafeteria initially served … Continue reading The Best Barbecue Places in the Washington, DC, Area

Pho Tan Vinh, Silver Spring, Maryland

On a bitter cold day, Nancy and I ventured to Silver Spring to try a place that, unfortunately, was much too crowded for us to feel comfortable, and too loud to boot. We continued up to the next corner where a benevolent Providence had placed Pho Tan Vinh. In cold weather, a bowl of pho is perfect, and Pho Tai Vinh serves delicious pho. Pho … Continue reading Pho Tan Vinh, Silver Spring, Maryland

DCity Smokehouse, Washington, DC

DCity Smokehouse was rated the second best barbecue place in the DC region by the Washington Post. I’ve expressed my differences with Post reviews, most notably here. I’d been to DCity twice before, several years ago, and I’d seen no reason to return until I was asked to do a piece for The Smoke Sheet on the best barbecue places in Washington. The article giving … Continue reading DCity Smokehouse, Washington, DC

The Parthenon, Upper Connecticut Avenue, Washington, DC

UPDATE: I went back to the Parthenon for lunch with four friends, our regular guys lunch group (minus truants in Maine and Florida). Ken DeCell and I both had the lamb souvlaki, Frank McAuliffe had the chicken souvlaki, Bob Berendt the gyro, and Willie King went with the tuna salad. The conversation sparkled, of course, and the food was very good. Everyone cleaned their plates, … Continue reading The Parthenon, Upper Connecticut Avenue, Washington, DC

The Federalist Pig, Hyattsville, Maryland

As I mentioned in my post on Ruthie’s All Day in Arlington, I’m supposed to write a piece for The Smoke Sheet on the best barbecue places in the Washington area. That took me back to the Federalist Pig in Hyattsville. There’s also a Federalist Pig in the Adams Morgan section of Washington, which I reviewed here. Suffice it to say that it’s not in … Continue reading The Federalist Pig, Hyattsville, Maryland

Ruthie’s All Day, Arlington, Virginia

I made a special trip to Ruthie’s All Day, one of several trips I made preparatory to doing an article for The Smoke Sheet on the best barbecue places in the Washington area. I’d been there before, and had written it up once when Nancy and I went there for an excellent brunch (see here). I hadn’t been for a while, though, and I wanted … Continue reading Ruthie’s All Day, Arlington, Virginia

Burdine’s Waterfront Bar and Grill, Marathon, Florida

After we reluctantly dragged ourselves away from the luxury of Playa Largo, Nancy and I headed on to Key West. The issue of lunch arose, as is its wont, and we discussed where to eat as I drove and listened to Death on the Nile while Nancy read a book. This isn’t the best way to do restaurant research, and we ended up picking the … Continue reading Burdine’s Waterfront Bar and Grill, Marathon, Florida