I got behind on posting about some great places I've been, and one that my friend Cara Bertoia went to. I asked her to write about it on my blog back in July. So now, I'm going to post about those three wonderful spots here. One is a an Italian joint in NYC, another is a great seafood restaurant in Houston, and Cara's is about the town of San Pedro in California. Enjoy! (Or go to SearchingForSincerity.com)
Napoli Pizza and Pasta, Queens, NY
My friend and guest writer on this blog, Teresa Barile, is restaurant critic extraordinaire, her once a week contribution to the Queens Gazette Newspaper in New York. When Teresa recommends a restaurant, take her seriously. Many of the eateries we've touted on Searching for Sincerity came by her suggestion. For years she'd been telling us to try this ultra cheap, super traditional Italian place in Astoria simply called, Napoli Pizza and Pasta. I'd driven by it many times and seen the sign but didn't connect it to the one she was talking about. It looks like your average pizza-by-the-slice dive. But duck under the inner doorway to the tiny, unadorned dining room within, and prepare for the wonders that await you: a crisp and saucy Caesar salad, melt in your mouth garlic bread, and, my choice of entree the night we went, a totally authentic pasta carbonara that was...$6.50, I kid you not. It was such a huge portion, I combined it with Jon's perfect fettuccine alfredo and took it home for leftovers. They serve wine by the glass, but don't expect the swill you often find in cheap joints. I had a generous glass of Montepulciano that was excellent and inexpensive. There's nothing gourmet here, nothing pretentious, just friendly service, great food, huge portions and the perfect spot to meet your writer friends, as we did that night. Thanks, Matt and Julie Posner for the splendid meal and company!
(Matt and Jon exchanged signed books that night and we took home a copy of Matt Posner's beautifully inventive, Harry Potter alternative, The Ghost in the Crystal from his School of the Ages series. I started reading it and couldn't put it down. You can find it and other writing and music of Matt's here:
Evaluation: Very sincere
(718) 472-1146
33-02 35th AveAstoria, NY 11106
Goode Company Seafood, Houston
This post is long overdue. It was in June of 2011 that I was in Houston with my family, and my sister took us to this place called Goode Company Seafood, a local chain that also has BBQ restaurants, and I think she said a taqueria. I was expecting sort of a Spaghetti Factory type of feel. Not so, my friends. Oh, not so. You could smell the mesquite smoke from the parking lot as you approached the genuine railroad car exterior. The interior was kind of a cross between a diner and a seafood shack in an upscale sort of way. It wasn't cheap, as good seafood never is, but it was reasonable. The waitress was the kind of motherly, down-home type of lady you just wanted to snuggle (but I wouldn't take that liberty for fear of being slapped upside the head). When asked about foods that contain gluten (because right at the top of the menu it said to ask about it and we had some gluten sensitive folks with us) she was concernedly honest like any good mama would be, and very specific about what to order and not to order. I had the grilled Coho baby salmon and, it, the seafood rice, the veggies and the tastes I had of everyone else's catfish, hushpuppies, shrimp, fried green tomatoes etc., were mind-blowing.
Goode wine, goode fresh food, goode service, goode atmosphere and our own built-in goode company. What an aptly named joint!
Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!
Downtown San Pedro - 7th Street Village
by Cara Bertoia
A few weeks ago my husband and I were visiting downtown San Pedro, which has a really neat collection of shops, antique stores and local restaurants. We made our trip on a Friday morning when there was a Farmer’s Market on Sixth Street selling fresh produce. We strolled past Williams’ Bookstore a family owned independent that that has survived 100 years in San Pedro. The future looked bleak when the mega bookstores located nearby, but they hung in there and now their future looks brighter since Borders will no longer be with us.
We were famished after our drive and we wanted the perfect lunch spot. We spotted ‘Porky’s’ a small local place and we crossed our fingers. It was perfect; we had some great fried chicken and catfish, which is really hard to find in the West. As a Southerner I know homemade, it has to be crunchy and moist.
We were on our way to the Whale and Ale Pub, a favorite of ours, from our cruise ship days. It is a gathering place for Brits abroad, so if you fancy a game of darts or a pint of cider, you will find it there. San Pedro was the port where our ship docked, whenever it stopped in Los Angeles and Long Beach is just a few miles down the road. We also bought a t-shirt at the International and Longshoremen’s Union store, I really like to support unions.
Well the Pub is only a block from Sixth Street, and on the way we passed a store with the sign ‘Maritime Research Center’. Well since we both love to sail we decided to check it out. Well imagine our surprise when we found a store filled with cruise ship memorabilia. It truly is like walking in a cruise ship museum. I know all Cruise Line Fans would love this shop. There is a menu from the Queen Mary on the night Prince Charles wed Diana Spencer and a newspaper from the day the Lusitania sank. They have over a 1,000 pieces on display including art and ship models.
They also have nautical books, Scott F. Gray the owner has written books on the Queen Mary and the QEII. (And since it was such a good fit they are now selling copies of my novel Cruise Quarters – A Novel About Casinos And Cruise Ships. What better place to sell a novel about working on cruise ships?) The owners Katherine and Scott are also very friendly and love to chat with their customers. The address of the shop is: 301 West Seventh Street and the phone number is: 310-521-0175.
By the end of the day Downtown San Pedro reminded us of a time when every main street was a little like this one. But you can take a trip there and decide for yourself. San Pedro is about an hours drive south from Los Angeles.
Their facebook page is:
Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!
Note from Searching for Sincerity creator Georgina: Please take a look at Cara's wonderful book, Cruise Quarters, a Novel about Cruise Ships and Casinos. It's a lot of fun!:
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