Irrational Emotional Attachments

[spaghetttti]

When I was in high school (Woodrow Wilson on Nebraska Ave.), I had a boyfriend who lived on Grubb Road and we used to hang out at Parkway Deli. At that time they had a really great meat knish, I'd only had potato and kasha ones before, but that meat knish still remains in my memory. Do they still make them?

The irrational emotional attachment our family has must be Hope Key in Clarendon. We have lived away from the States since the early '90s, but we manage to come home every year. Our tradition is upon landing at Dulles, we'd all head over to Hope Key for the salt & pepper squid and scallops, and beef chow fun. Mind you, the food is not the greatest, but that's always our first stop. Then after that, it's down the street to Mario's Pizza. It's just not the same as it was decades ago, but for whatever reason, nostalgia, we make that trek every single time we're home.

Now I've read that Hope Key is gone. It looks like it's time for a new tradition.

[garnish]

Dominic's Pizza on New Hampshire Avenue in Colesville, Maryland, formerly Gus's Pizza, formerly Valencia Pizza.

Budweiser-swilling, cigarette-smoking, Lotto-playing yahoos - there simply isn't any reason for anyone to go here, and yet I've been getting their carryout pizza since the Mesozoic era - it hasn't changed since then, either, and it isn't all that good.

Ah, but I still pine away for the long-forgotten Sammy's Villa in nearby White Oak Shopping Center - now that was good pizza.

Good God! I live just about across the street from Dominics.

Have you had their subs? Nothing fancy, but so many subs in this area have the toughest bread, whereas Dominics is just about right. I sure do miss poboys in Louisiana.

I would never have thought of Dominic's! But that's huge in my family -- my mid-30s brothers and my parents meet up there, and my brothers let their kids run around under the pictures of their "glory-years" on the Springbrook HS football team (this, I believe, is "the reason" to go there). I go sometimes, too, and focus on the fried cheese (mmmm, fried cheese...).

For a long, long time, mine was for Pizzeria Uno. Their four cheese individual deep dish. The Cleveland Park branch or the Georgetown branch were the top choices ...

[mrbigjas]

All right, I'll add something from College Park. Mind you, the entire area is a big culinary (and otherwise) wasteland that has, in my mind, no reason to exist. Or maybe that's just grad school doldrums talking. But there was a sprinkling of ethnic, mostly Indian, restaurants at the intersection of Univ. Blvd and New Hampshire that were a comfort in the land of chicken mcnuggets. Tiffin is the one that comes to mind, but there's another one next to it whose name escapes me right now.

Udupi Palace?

wait, i thought this thread was about irrational attachments? there's nothing irrational about loving udupi palace.

mmmmmmm udupi palace. that giant dosa with the green chilies and onions and whatnot... <homer simpson drooling noise>

[morela]

Houston's isn't irrational is it? Greasy chips with spinach dip and Chinese chicken salad...

What about Louisiana Express?

High's Dairy Stores (way out in the country now) for Slush Puppies and people without teeth? Now that's delusional!

[akur23]

Ah, but I still pine away for the long-forgotten Sammy's Villa in nearby White Oak Shopping Center - now that was good pizza.

I loved Sammy's also! We'd get a pizza, an order of sausage, (in my pre-kosher days) and an order of garlic bread. good greasy food.

[LBNoble]

El Puerto-Rt. 1

[PoolBoy]

I think my irrational attachment is the most irrational of all the ones mentioned so far, as it is an attachment to a restaurant that is no longer in business--Rupperts. Rupperts was one of the first nice restaurants Wife and I counted as one of "our" restaurants when we moved to DC. We weren't there often enough to be regulars, but we loved the place.

It was somewhat out of the way, dark and jazzy, spare yet homey, with a thoughtful wine list and food with ingredients so delicious the trick was figuring out how to let them be, rather than cover them up, it seemed. Could a spoonful of cauliflower or a slice of buffalo, or a piece of brussel sprout (!), ever taste better? Oh, and don't let me forget the breads, and the spreads.

PoolBoy

(BTW, this is my first post to eG--though some of you may know me from my posts to "the site that shall not be named.")

[Al_Dente]

Welcome to eGullet, poolboy!

My gf's family is friends with the former owners of Rupperts. I wish I had known about the place when it was around, I would have definitely gone.

[PoolBoy]

Welcome to eGullet, poolboy!

My gf's family is friends with the former owners of Rupperts. I wish I had known about the place when it was around, I would have definitely gone.

Thanks for the welcome, Al_Dente.

I understand that there is now some collaboration at Perry's with some of the folks from Rupperts. I haven't yet had a chance to check that out but I hope to some day.

PoolBoy

[Al_Dente]

I understand that there is now some collaboration at Perry's with some of the folks from Rupperts. I haven't yet had a chance to check that out but I hope to some day.

I think pastry chef, Sidra,(sp?) of the husband and wife team at Rupperts is consulting with Perry's and revising their menu. I went to Perry's a couple of months ago and had an enjoyable meal. Not great, but not bad either.

[Malawry]

Oh, I am so relieved to see you guys also have irrational emotional attachments to places that just aren't that good. I even have some of the same attachments...Nadya, I used to end up at Kramer after clubgoing too, either for peanut-butter pie or (the next morning) for eggs and deep-fried homefries. And I still eat at Austin Grill sometimes, particularly since I think they're the least offensive sit-down option in the new improved downtown Silver Spring.

[Nadya]

Malawry, I'm glad I'm not the only freak with irrational attachments! Now, there was also that place in Moscow called Starlight Diner with five-dollar milkshakes - the only place in the middle of the clubland that stayed opened 24 hrs a day. The menu was boring as hell and the entire place was smoking, but still....there every Saturday night/Sunday morning. Sigh - when I was young and pretty...

[bilrus]

Mine was a Chinese place in Reston Town Center called Chinatown. It was basic Americanized chinese, but the ingredients always seemed fresh and the sauces were usually applied with a light touch. Everything was consistent. They welcomed us by name when we went in and we always got a dish of ice creamon the house.

It closed its doors and I can't eat Chinese anywhere else.

I guess this wasn't all that irrational after all.

[JRage]

Kramerbooks. My friends and I have a love/hate relationship with the place. Example: it's 3 am on a Saturday night. Inevitably, we end up at Kramer's because very few places will be open at that time at that 'hood.

Sakana sushi place on P and 21st. Very pedestrian, uninventive sushi,.

Nadya - May I borrow some of your irrational attachments?

Not that I'm out getting my groove on, very often, but when I've been at work late or I've been kicked out of my Apartment for various reasons, I always end up at Kramerbooks. Big old slice of pie with ice-cream, some sundae toppings and I can't remember where I am.

As for Sakana, there might be better sushi, even on the block, but I love that place. I'm pretty sure they don't even like me that much, but it's comforting to get my green tea and my regular sushi, consistently good every time.

El Tamarindo used to be a very irrational attachment, as we would go there late night usually extremely inebriated.

[DonRocks]

Bistrot du Coin.

[Nadya]

Bistrot du Coin.

←

What's so irrational about lurving BdC? Very palatable food, super atmosphere, cheery hosts AND romantic vibes aplenty :)

[eunny jang]

What's so irrational about lurving BdC? Very palatable food, super atmosphere, cheery hosts AND romantic vibes aplenty :)

←

Soggy frites

[JudiJ]

Do you eat in places even though you know they aren't that great, and love them despite it all? What caused your attachment?

←

Certainly, I think we all do. Food is as much about memories as it is about flavor, presentation and taste.

[hjshorter]

Soggy frites

←

And poor service.

[iamthestretch]

Try not to think of it as "poor"; think of it as "authentically French" instead. It also really helps the overall experience to drink a lot.

[JennyUptown]

And poor service.

←

I hate the lighting. Makes everyone look jaundiced...

[Mrs. P]

Cafe La Ruche - one of my first big nights out to a nice restaurant when I moved here for college, plus the first brunch with my now-hubby. Service has never been great, and the renovation removed some of the old charm of French flags and street signs. The menu hasn't cvhanged much, but the food preparation has - or perhaps I have become more discerning. In any case, I will always enjoy going there for a fruit tart and a glass of wine, maybe even brunch from time to time.

[eunny jang]

I do so enjoy being the lubricant for cathartic outcry...

←

I don't feel unburdened. In fact, now I want to go have some (tasty) steak tartare and some (soggy) frites in that unbearably loud stupidly tin-ceilinged room. Ohh, the agony and the ecstacy!!!

[morela]

This is timeless. Rocks has 666 post!

[iamthestretch]

And that's without all those that disappeared after a few moments of reflection. Paging Winston Smith...